Focus Area 3: Ongoing actions
Commitment 1: Improve knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism across the workforce.
Target
Ensure public sector employees undertake Autism Awareness and Understanding training.
Action
Ensure in-person and online Autism Awareness and Understanding training is completed across public sector workforce.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Embed and update Autism Awareness and Understanding training across Government of South Australia learning management systems.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Share resources about autism in the workplace to support Autistic staff, including supporting reasonable adjustments, and the benefits of workplace inclusion.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Ensure senior management and executive leaders within the public sector are equipped with knowledge and understanding of autism across the public sector.
Action
Promote resources for managers and executives to support the inclusion of Autistic people in the workplace and employee retention.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Increase awareness of autism across the public sector workforce and the strengths and benefits of employing Autistic people.
Action
Outline the initiatives completed to promote autism inclusion in the workplace.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Engage Autistic employees and employees with disability to provide advice and inform inclusion activities, including to assist in promoting days of significance.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Coordinate the SA Public Sector Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice and encourage cross-sector engagement and collaboration, and share insights related to improving knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism across the public sector.
Lead: Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
Action
Coordinate the South Australian Public Sector Neurodivergent Employee Network to support knowledge, awareness and understanding of autism in the public sector.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Improve data collection systems to effectively inform autism inclusion across the public sector.
Action
Collect data from Government of South Australia departments on the completion of Autism Awareness and Understanding training and report annually.
Lead: Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
Commitment 2: Create an accessible, inclusive and welcoming public sector where Autistic people can thrive.
Target
Embed autism inclusion into workplace policies and practices.
Action
Share updated resources to support the Government of South Australia to implement autism inclusive recruitment practices to ensure Autistic applicants are supported throughout recruitment processes.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Review recruitment policies and processes to ensure they support reasonable adjustments and are responsive to the alternative ways Autistic employees can engage throughout the recruitment and training processes.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Review and implement reasonable adjustments procedures and flexible workplace arrangements that support all staff, including Autistic employees and parents and carers of Autistic people.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Review and update, where applicable, new starter forms to include an opportunity to identify as Autistic and/or neurodivergent to enable more accurate reporting and awareness in the public sector workforce.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Review and update, where applicable, the Design Quality Handbook to support the inclusion of Autistic employees across public sector workspaces.
Lead: Department for Housing and Urban Development and Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Target
Promote autism inclusion across the public sector.
Action
Develop resources for Government of South Australia management on reasonable workplace adjustments to ensure they can support Autistic people in the public sector.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Maintain the South Australian Public Sector Neurodivergent Employee Network.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Develop strategies to improve the overall health and wellbeing of Autistic public sector employees.
Action
Identify appropriate mechanisms, including clear confidentiality, to ensure Autistic employees feel safe, supported and confident to disclose that they are Autistic at the commencement of employment and through the employment lifecycle.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Continue to promote and provide EAP services that are inclusive, culturally appropriate, neurodiversity-affirming and in a range of modes and formats to support the diverse communication styles of Autistic employees.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Review and update, where relevant, the SA Government Office Accommodation Guidelines and provide training to Department for Infrastructure and Transport staff to ensure public sector buildings are autism inclusive.
Lead: Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Commitment 3: Increase opportunities for Autistic people to gain meaningful and lasting employment
Target
Provide alternative workplace training and volunteer options that support Autistic people entering the public sector workforce.
Action
Identify volunteering opportunities for Autistic people across all state government agencies.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Review existing peer support or mentoring programs to ensure they are inclusive of Autistic employees.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Deliver Autism Awareness and Understanding training to mentors supporting Autistic employees.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Target
Improve inclusive workplace practices and strategies which support Autistic people through all stages of career progression in the public sector.
Action
Promote resources and/or practices for the Government of South Australia that support retention and career progression opportunities for Autistic people.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Increase participation of Autistic employees in South Australian Leadership Academy (SALA) programs for current and aspiring executives and ensure Autistic employees can achieve the same outcomes.
Lead: Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
Target
Collaborate with service providers to increase opportunities for Autistic people.
Action
Deliver Autism Awareness and Understanding training to non-government sectors.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Action
Consult and partner with peak bodies, where relevant, to provide a gap analysis on current recruitment procedures to make them more autism inclusive.
Lead: Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet)
Commitment 4: Consider alternative employment initiatives when transitioning from education to employment.
Target
Develop programs or supported pathways for Autistic students transitioning from education settings to employment across the public sector.
Action
Review existing graduate programs to expand pathways for Autistic graduates from education settings to employment.
Lead: All state government agencies
Action
Ensure the VET for School Students policy is inclusive of Autistic students.
Lead: Department for Education