This page forms part of OCPSE Autism Strategy Action Plan 2025-2029.
The OCPSE Autism Strategy Action Plan should be read in conjunction with the SA Autism Strategy on the Inclusive SA website https://autismstrategy.sa.gov.au/.
While recognising the importance of all focus areas, our actions are grouped under the following SA Autism Strategy Action Plan focus areas and commitments as they are most closely aligned with our office’s functions, responsibilities and areas of work.
On this page
- Focus area 3: Thriving in the workplace
- Commitment 1: Improve knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism across the workforce
- Commitment 2: Create an accessible, inclusive and welcoming public sector where Autistic people can thrive
- Commitment 3: Increase opportunities for Autistic people to gain meaningful and lasting employment
- Commitment 4: Consider alternative employment initiatives when transitioning from education to employment
Focus area 3: Thriving in the workplace
Objective
We want a diverse, inclusive and welcoming South Australian workforce where the strengths and skills of Autistic people flourish.
Commitments within Focus area 3:
- Improve knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism across the workforce.
- Create an accessible, inclusive and welcoming public sector where Autistic people can thrive.
- Increase opportunities for Autistic people to gain meaningful and lasting employment.
- Consider alternative employment initiatives when transitioning from education to employment.
Commitment 1: Improve knowledge, understanding and awareness of autism across the workforce
Target: Ensure public sector staff undertake Autism Awareness and Understanding training.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.1.1 | Ensure in-person and online Autism Awareness and Understanding training is completed across public sector workforce. | Ongoing | The number of employees who completed Autism Awareness and Understanding Training:
Participant feedback on training, where available. | Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: HR training management records Participant feedback |
Target: Increase awareness of autism across the public sector workforce and the strengths and benefits of employing Autistic people.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.1.2 | Coordinate the South Australian 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. | Ongoing | Number of Community of Practice meetings held annually. The Community of Practice Teams channel is used to promote information, resources, tools and share updates. Number of employees participating in the Community of Practice Teams channel. | Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: SA Public Sector Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice Teams channel |
3.1.3 | Outline the initiatives completed to promote autism inclusion in OCPSE. | Ongoing | The number of initiatives completed to promote autism inclusion in the workplace. *Initiatives may include events, days of significance, internal staff communications, social media. | OCPSE, Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: Operational records |
3.1.4 | Engage Autistic employees and employees with disability within OCPSE to provide advice and inform inclusion activities, including to assist in promoting days of significance. | Ongoing | Opportunities for employees with lived experience to inform inclusion activities. The number and proportion of lived experience employees engaged to inform inclusion activities. | Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: Survey and feedback material |
Target: Improve data collection systems to effectively inform autism inclusion across the public sector.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.1.5 | Explore opportunities to collect employee data on autism confidentially through public sector Human Resource Management Systems to better understand the number of Autistic people across the workforce and inform future initiatives. | 2028 | Completion of scoping to identify options for collecting employee data on autism confidentially through Human Resource Management Systems, including implementation considerations. | OCPSE and Shared Services SA (Department of Treasury and Finance) Data source: Operational records |
3.1.6 | Collect data from State Government agencies on the completion of Autism Awareness and Understanding training and report annually. | Ongoing | Annual collection of workforce data from all public sector agencies in South Australia on the completion of Autism Awareness and Understanding training. Data published annually in the State of the Sector Report. | OCPSE Data source: Public Sector Employment Review (PSER) tool Agency Information Collection (AIC) |
Commitment 2: Create an accessible, inclusive and welcoming public sector where Autistic people can thrive
Target: Embed autism inclusion into workplace policies and practices.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.2.1 | Review and update the Guideline of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment: Recruitment to ensure South Australian public sector recruitment processes are inclusive of Autistic employees and free from bias. | 2026 | Guideline of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment: Recruitment reflects inclusive recruitment practices, free from bias. | Workforce Integrity, Strategy and Capability Data source: OCPSE website |
3.2.2 | Review internal recruitment policies and processes to ensure they support reasonable adjustments and are responsive to the alternative ways Autistic employees in OCPSE can engage throughout the recruitment and training processes. | Ongoing | Recruitment policies, processes and training are reviewed to support Autistic and/or neurodivergent staff. | Diversity and Inclusion team Integrity, Employment and Advice team Data source: Operational records |
3.2.3 | Review and implement internal reasonable adjustments procedures and flexible workplace arrangements that support all employees, including Autistic employees and parents and carers of Autistic people. | Ongoing | The number and proportion of reasonable adjustment and flexible workplaces arrangement procedures to support employees, including Autistic employees, that are:
| Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: Operational records |
3.2.4 | Review and update, where applicable, internal 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. | Ongoing | The number of onboarding forms reviewed and updated to include an option for staff to identify as Autistic and/or neurodivergent. | Corporate services Data source: |
Target: Develop strategies to improve the overall health and wellbeing of Autistic public sector employees.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.2.5 | Identify appropriate mechanisms, including clear confidentiality, to ensure Autistic employees in OCPSE feel safe, supported and confident to disclose that they are Autistic at the commencement of employment and through the employment lifecycle. | Ongoing | The number of support mechanisms available to ensure Autistic and/or neurodivergent employees can disclose confidentially. *Support mechanisms include: secure IT systems, privacy principles. | Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: Operational records |
3.2.6 | Continue to promote and provide Employee Assistance Program (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. | Ongoing | Are EAP services being promoted? Y/N | Strategic Communications team Data source: Operational records |
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.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.3.3 | Scope updating the Guideline of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment: Volunteers to include information that supports state government agencies to consider volunteering opportunities for Autistic people. | 2027 | Undertake a review of the Guideline of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment: Volunteers to identify opportunities to incorporate information that supports inclusive volunteering for Autistic people, including recommendations. | Integrity, Employment and Advice team Data source: Operational records |
3.3.4 | Review and implement alternative and accessible workplace training options to support Autistic employees, including in a range of accessible formats and learning styles. | 2029 | The number of alternative and accessible workplace training options available to support Autistic and/or neurodivergent employees. | Diversity and Inclusion team South Australian Leadership Academy Data source: Operational records |
3.3.5 | Review existing OCPSE peer support or mentoring programs to ensure they are inclusive of Autistic employees. | Ongoing | The total number of peer support and/or mentoring programs and, of those, the proportion reviewed to ensure they are inclusive of Autistic employees. | Diversity and Inclusion team Data source: Operational records |
Target: Improve inclusive workplace practices and strategies which support Autistic people through all stages of career progression in the public sector.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.3.6 | 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. | Ongoing | Increased number of Autistic employees participating in South Australian Leadership Academy (SALA) programs for current and aspiring executives. | South Australian Leadership Academy Data source: Training records |
Target: Collaborate with service providers to increase opportunities for Autistic people.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.3.7 | Scope opportunities to connect public sector agencies with Autistic job seekers or employment providers/social enterprises. | 2027 | Identify opportunities and pathways to connect public sector agencies with Autistic job seekers and employment providers or social enterprises. | Diversity and Inclusion team, Data source: Operational records |
Commitment 4: Consider alternative employment initiatives when transitioning from education to employment
Target: Collaborate with service providers which support Autistic people transitioning to employment.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.4.2 | In collaboration with the Office for Autism (Department of the Premer and Cabinet), develop and promote information for hiring managers about how applicants who are registered with a disability employment service provider can apply for vacancies through iWorkforSA. | 2026 | Provide information for hiring managers on how applicants registered with Inclusive Employment Australia providers can apply through iWorkforSA. | Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) and Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Data source: Operational records |
3.4.3 | In collaboration with the Office for Autism (Department of the Premer and Cabinet), explore a whole of government partnership with a panel of local disability employment services to promote available Autistic candidates to work in the public sector. | 2026 | Review of options for a whole-of-government partnership with local disability employment services, including engagement outcomes and next steps for implementation. | Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) and Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Data source: Operational records |
Target: Develop programs or supported pathways for Autistic students transitioning from education settings to employment across the public sector.
| No. | Action | Target Date | Measure | Responsibility and data source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.4.4 | In collaboration with Office for Autism (Department of the Premer and Cabinet), scope opportunities for increased support to access diagnostic services and training support for Aboriginal public sector trainees. | 2027 | The Aboriginal Traineeship Program has embedded support to access diagnostic services and training support. | Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and Office for Autism (Department of the Premier and Cabinet) Data source: Operational records |