The Dubbo region has been selected for implementation of an innovative employment program for those with disabilities, injuries or other medical concerns.

Community service organisation Social Futures will deliver the new 'Inclusive Employment Australia' program in the Orana Region, as well as at Coffs Harbour and the Hunter Valley, all starting from November.

The $5.5 billion federal initiative is designed to replace the current Disability Employment Services (DES) program with a “more personalised, responsive and inclusive employment support for people with disability, injury or health conditions”.

The “reformed employment model” will also seek to better meet the needs of both job-seekers with special needs and employers, Social Futures CEO Tony Davies said.

“This program puts people with disability at the centre of employment services, and that is something we wholeheartedly support,” Mr Davies said.

“We look forward to supporting participants with a more inclusive, flexible approach to employment... this reform will support the creation of more meaningful jobs, built on dignity, choice and the right support at the right time,” he added

Social Futures' work in the field locally is being informed by the group’s five decades of experience delivering “person-centred supports”, its regional networks, and its “extensive work” alongside people with lived experience of disability, Mr Davies believes.

The new project aims to offer broader eligibility criteria, increased wage subsidies for employers, and stronger expectations of service quality, inclusion and accountability.

Social Futures will also seek to help participants to build their capacity for work, actively look for employment, and engage in tailored training and supports aligned to their individual goals, needs and circumstances.

“As a provider, Social Futures will also work directly with employers to build their confidence and capability in creating inclusive, safe and productive workplaces that offer long-term employment outcomes for people with disability,” a spokesperson for the company said.

“Social Futures looks forward to working closely with local employers, people with disability, and the wider community to foster workplaces where everyone can thrive,” they added.