Post-School Transition for Disability in South Australia: SLES and What Comes Next

The period from Year 10 through to the first year or two after school is one of the highest-stakes transitions a student with disability will navigate. In South Australia, the structures exist to support this transition — but they require proactive planning that most families start far too late. The system is not designed to catch students who fall through the gap; it is designed to support students whose families have started the conversation early enough to engage it.

Why Post-School Transition Planning Starts at School

The single most common mistake families make is treating post-school transition as something to think about in Year 12. By then, most of the decisions that determine what support is available after school have already been made — or missed.

NDIS plans take time to update: If your child's NDIS plan doesn't include the right support categories for post-school transition, updating it takes planning meetings, new assessments, and often months of processing time. You cannot request SLES funding the week before school ends.

SACE pathways must be decided early: Whether your child pursues standard SACE, Modified SACE, or an alternative pathway affects their credentials and therefore what post-school options are open. These decisions should be discussed in Year 9 or 10, not Year 12.

Employment and vocational options have intake processes: Supported employment programs, TAFE SA courses, and supported transition programs typically have application periods and limited places. Leaving exploration until the last school term means many options are already full.

SLES: School Leaver Employment Supports

SLES (School Leaver Employment Supports) is an NDIS-funded program specifically designed for students with disability who have recently completed school. It is a capacity-building support that helps young people develop skills, confidence, and practical experience needed for employment.

SLES is funded under the NDIS Capacity Building — Finding and Keeping a Job budget. It is not accessed through Disability Employment Services (DES) — these are different programs (more on DES below).

Key facts about SLES:

• Available for the first two years after school (not eligible if more than two years have passed since school completion)
• Focused on exploring work options, developing workplace skills, and building employment readiness
• SLES providers work with the young person on goal-setting, resume preparation, job trials, and supported workplace visits
• It is not a job placement service — it is a skill-building bridge between school and employment or further training

How to access SLES:

1. Your child must be an NDIS participant with SLES funding included in their plan
2. You select an SLES provider (registered NDIS provider)
3. The provider delivers individualised support according to the NDIS plan's funded hours

The critical point: SLES funding must be in the NDIS plan before your child leaves school. Request a plan review during Year 11 or 12 specifically to discuss SLES. Tell the NDIS planner that your child is approaching school completion and that post-school transition support is required. Ask specifically whether SLES is included in the new plan.

If you are not sure what SLES providers are available in your area, the NDIS provider finder tool lists registered SLES providers by location. In metropolitan Adelaide, there are multiple providers. In regional areas, options are more limited — some providers deliver SLES remotely or with outreach.

Disability Employment Services (DES)

DES (Disability Employment Services) is a Commonwealth-funded program administered by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. It is separate from the NDIS and operates for job seekers with disability who are seeking ongoing employment.

DES has two streams:

• Employment Support Service (ESS): For people with more significant disability and ongoing support needs in the workplace
• Disability Management Service (DMS): For people with disability who primarily need help finding work and short-term support during the initial employment period

Unlike SLES, DES is not age-restricted. It is available to any eligible person with disability who is of working age and actively seeking employment. DES providers are funded to help with job matching, resume preparation, employer liaison, and post-placement support once employment is secured.

DES and SLES can be used consecutively — SLES builds readiness during the first two post-school years, and DES then assists with job placement and ongoing employment support.

Accessing DES in South Australia: Eligibility is assessed by Services Australia (Centrelink). Your child needs to be referred to Disability Employment Services, which requires registration with Services Australia and an employment services assessment. This process can begin while your child is still at school in their final year.

DES providers operate across metropolitan Adelaide and major regional centres including Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Whyalla, Murray Bridge, and Berri. In smaller regional areas, outreach services may be available.

The Modified SACE and Qualification Pathways

For students with significant cognitive disability who cannot access standard SACE subjects even with extensive adjustments, the Modified SACE pathway provides an alternative credential.

Modified SACE subjects are assessed against highly individualised learning goals rather than standard curriculum outcomes. Results are recorded as "completed" or "not completed" rather than A to E grades. A completed Modified SACE is a legitimate qualification that can support transition to TAFE SA and supported employment.

TAFE SA provides disability access and inclusion support through its Student Success and Wellbeing team. Students with disability develop an Access Plan (equivalent to a school's One Plan) that documents the reasonable adjustments required across their TAFE SA course. Adjustments may include extended assessment time, modified assessment format, specialist tutoring, and assistive technology.

Supported employment through organisations such as Novita, Barossa Enterprises, and disability employment social enterprises provides ongoing, long-term employment for people with disability in supported settings. These are appropriate for students with higher support needs who are not seeking open employment.

What the School's Role Is in Transition Planning

The school has explicit obligations around post-school transition for students with disability. Under the IESP framework, schools must facilitate transition planning that explores post-school pathways in partnership with NDIS Local Area Coordinators (LACs).

In practice, what this looks like:

• The Year 11 and Year 12 One Plan should include post-school transition goals
• The school should facilitate connection with the student's NDIS LAC during Year 11 or 12
• Careers counselling at the school should engage with the specific pathways available to students with disability, not just generic post-school options
• If a student is on a Modified SACE pathway, the school should facilitate exploration of supported employment options during Years 11 and 12, not just at the end

If the school has not raised post-school transition planning by Year 10, raise it yourself. Ask the inclusion coordinator: "Is post-school transition included in the One Plan? Has the school engaged our NDIS LAC about transition planning?"

University Accessibility Services

For students with disability pursuing university, all three major SA universities provide dedicated accessibility services:

• UniSA (University of South Australia): Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) — provides alternate format materials, physical access adjustments, and orientation support
• Flinders University: Health, Counselling and Disability Services — Access Plans covering assessment modifications, assistive technology, and support for chronic illness, autism, and specific learning disabilities
• University of Adelaide: Access and Inclusion Team — adaptive technologies, exam condition modifications, and support for work-integrated learning placements

University accessibility services require the student to self-register and provide documentation of their disability. High school documentation — including the One Plan and external assessment reports — should be compiled and retained for this purpose.

Timing Summary

A rough timeline for post-school transition planning in South Australia:

The South Australia Disability Support Blueprint covers One Plan transition goals, SACE Special Provisions, and how to prepare for post-school NDIS planning in SA-specific terms.

See more Australia guides →