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The role of an Employment Consultant requires a broad skill set, flexible application of these skills and ability to engage and mentor participants at differing stages of employment readiness. The delivery of service and the rapport between job-seeker and Employment Consultant is pivotal to engaging vulnerable participants. We believe that the engagement of Employment Consultants across the three programs (jobactive, DES and ParentsNext) is critical to understanding current practices used within these organisation and the expectations of the consultant, and for the research to be able to explore barriers to delivering quality employment services and different approaches to provide a more person-centred focus and an environment where vulnerable participants feel comfortable in raising issues impacting their compliance with mutual obligation requirements.

Evolution Research has a demonstrated understanding of the application and benefits of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), which relate to the concept of Grit, and in particular, the application of this model to working with people with a disability in an employment setting. Our research into the key potential benefit of MI in an employment service setting demonstrated that this approach works to support change in an individual in a way that is congruent with their own personal values, and that it is a collaborative, person-centred approach, rather than a coercive or externally driven approach. The benefit to this is that the individual is more likely to feel that they have had more say and more control in what is happening in their life and their return to work journey. This generally results in increased ownership and desire to participate in activities that will support the desired change and achievement of goals, namely working towards and finding employment.