The Supported Team Scheme at UWA provides one avenue for people with a disability to enter or re-enter the mainstream workplace. The first team was introduced to the University in early 2003, and there are now seven teams across the campus. Each supported team consists of three or more team members who work part time on the same site at the same time, under supervision, and work at a level and pace best suited to their abilities.

Work undertaken by the Supported Teams primarily fall into three groups:

• projects specific to the school, faculty or administrative area which would not otherwise be performed because of resource restrictions;
• routine office duties such as sorting and delivering internal mail, filing, photocopying, and restocking stationary supplies; and
• enhancing the work environment through hospitality-based tasks such as cleaning reception area, setting up meeting rooms etc.

Teams can also be allocated to outside tasks and activities such as cleaning and maintenance work.

Team members are paid a productivity wage and are supported by an external supervisor.

This scheme represents a cost effective employment option, with a social justice focus. Read the evaluation of the use of teams at UWA in PDF format.

Follow the link to UWA’s winning nomination for the Disability Services Commission “Count Us In” awards. This nomination was the winner in the Public Sector section for 2007. See our award here. Read the report in DOC, RTF, PDF format.

Follow the link to an article in the March 2008 issue of UWA News entitled "Everybody is a Winner" by Lindy Brophy. See some pictures of the supported teams in action directly below, courtesy of Lindy Brophy from the Official Publications unit at UWA.

In pictures: Gary Starling and Robert Moffatt preserve the old workbenches with linseed oil.

In pictures: One of the teams in the Business School, Maria-Lisa Hill, Raymond Bright and Ian Mansfield, maintain copiers and printers.

Also view a video with subtitles of the supported team scheme at work, hosted by the Lectopia service at UWA. This video is produced by the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity of the Government of Western Australia. See the video here. (Note that Adobe Flash or Apple Quicktime is required to view these files. Please select your bandwidth preference and click open to start playing in a new window.)