Customised Employment Quality Assurance Framework (CEQAF)

Integrating ACRE Competencies, CEOFECT, DERS, FERS, EEOF, and the Equilibrium Systems Model of Employment (ESME)

The Customised Employment (CE) Quality Assurance Framework© (CEQAF) is a unique amalgamation of international best practice standards, designed to ensure the delivery of high-quality, person-centred customised employment support. Developed by CDERP and international research partners, it is grounded in ACRE competencies for practitioners, the CEOFECT© organisational fidelity tool, and the Discovery Experience Reflection Scale (DERS)©, while also incorporating the Family Experience Reflection Scale (FERS)©, the Employer Engagement Outcome Framework (EEOF)©, and the systemic lens of the Equilibrium Systems Model of Employment (ESME)©.

This expanded integration ensures that CEQAF not only measures fidelity and competence but also captures the perspectives of all actors: participants, families, employers, practitioners, and organisations within a systemic quality framework. By embedding accountability, reflection, and outcomes measurement at multiple levels, CEQAF stands out in its ability to support providers, practitioners, and policymakers in achieving effective, sustainable employment outcomes for people with disability.

Foundational Principles

The following principles underpin CEQAF:

• Person-centred and strengths-based practice that affirms the capability of all individuals to contribute through work.
• Presumption of employability, asserting that all individuals, regardless of disability, can participate in open employment with the right support.
• Rights-based alignment with Article 27 of the UNCRPD and SDG 8 promoting decent work for all.
• Systemic accountability, recognising that families, employers, and organisations are interdependent actors whose contributions shape outcomes.
• Alignment with the NDIS, particularly its emphasis on capacity-building, participant choice and control, and outcome-focused supports.

Domains of Quality

CEQAF is organised into three primary domains: organisational readiness, practitioner competence, and experience of Discovery, while also extending to families, employers, and systemic alignment through ESME.

• Organisational Readiness and Support (CEOFECT©)

The Customised Employment Organisational Fidelity and Effectiveness Checklist Tool (CEOFECT) establish benchmarks for organisational capacity to deliver CE with fidelity, ensuring structures, policies, resources, and continuous improvement mechanisms are in place.

• Practitioner Competence (ACRE Competencies)

Practitioners are supported to meet internationally validated ACRE competencies, contextualised to the Australian NDIS and DES environment, ensuring professional capability, cultural responsiveness, and applied skill in Discovery, job development, and systematic instruction.

• Discovery Experience Reflection Scale (DERS©)

The Discovery Experience Reflection Scale (DERS) ensures that Discovery is not only completed but experienced as authentic, relational, and transformative. It centres the participant’s voice, measuring whether Discovery fosters trust, meaning, and clarity.

• Family Experience Reflection Scale (FERS©)

The Family Experience Reflection Scale (FERS) complements DERS by capturing how families perceive their inclusion, influence, and role within Discovery and customised employment planning. FERS ensures families are seen not as adjuncts but as systemic actors whose advocacy, networks, and insights shape pathways to employment. It balances their supportive role with the participant’s autonomy, ensuring ethical engagement.

• Employer Engagement Outcomes (EEOF©)

The Employer Engagement Outcome Framework (EEOF) introduces structured evaluation of employer partnerships, capturing how effectively job development leads to sustainable, mutually beneficial employment. It measures employer satisfaction, perceptions of inclusion, and the sustainability of customised roles, positioning employers as co-producers of inclusive labour markets.

• Systemic Integration (ESME©)

The Equilibrium Systems Model of Employment (ESME) situates CEQAF within a broader systemic framework, acknowledging that individuals, families, practitioners, organisations, employers, and government are interconnected actors whose relationships shape outcomes. ESME provides a dynamic map of these interactions, ensuring CEQAF does not operate in isolation but as part of an employment ecosystem driven by rights, equilibrium, and feedback loops.

Implementation Components

The framework operationalises CE through:

• Discovery: Guided by DERS and FERS, ensuring authenticity and inclusion of both participant and family perspectives.
• Vocational Profiling and Planning: Translating Discovery into actionable vocational themes that reflect individual and systemic contexts.
• Job Development: Structured by EEOF, ensuring employer engagement is relational, sustainable, and mutually beneficial.
• Post-Employment Support: Focused on ongoing success, natural supports, and systemic alignment.

Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement

CEQAF promotes a cycle of evaluation, reflection, and improvement through:

• CEOFECT for organisational fidelity
• ACRE competencies for practitioner development
• DERS and FERS for participant and family experience
• EEOF for employer outcomes
• ESME as a systemic lens for feedback loops and equilibrium

This multi-layered evaluation aligns with NDIS Quality and Safeguards requirements and supports continuous fidelity and innovation.

Governance and Accountability

CEQAF embeds transparent governance by:

• Aligning with regulatory and funding requirements
• Providing clear quality indicators for all stakeholders
• Embedding feedback loops across participants, families, employers, and organisations (via ESME)
• Reinforcing person-centred outcomes as the foundation of accountability

Conclusion

The Customised Employment Quality Assurance Framework (CEQAF) now provides an integrated model that:

• Aligns practitioner competence (ACRE)
• Embeds organisational fidelity (CEOFECT)
• Elevates the participant voice (DERS)
• Recognises the family role (FERS)
• Strengthens employer partnerships (EEOF)
• Operates within a systemic equilibrium model (ESME)

In doing so, CEQAF ensures that Customised Employment is delivered with integrity, sustainability, and systemic accountability. It provides a practical, evidence-informed pathway for NDIS and other employment systems, affirming Customised Employment as a legitimate, fundable, and high-quality approach to inclusive employment.

Quality Framework Inquiry Form

June 2025 CEQAF Webinar Slides

https://cderp.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CEQAF-Webinar.pdf

June 2025 CEQAF Webinar Recording