Our Story

For decades, employment services have relied on a rinse-and-repeat formula — résumé building, job boards, and generic workshops, teaching people how to 'compete' in the open market (or use their social capital to gain access to the 'hidden market').

This approach works for some, but it fails people facing poverty, trauma, and systemic exclusion. It also frustrates practitioners, burns out staff, and weakens organizations.

Sarah Delicate has been part of this sector for nearly 30 years — as a practitioner, leader, and advocate for change. As co-author of Smoke and Mirrors: The Illusion of the Employment Services Sector, she has challenged assumptions, shaped practice, and sparked national dialogue.

But this work is bigger than one person. That’s why Sarah collaborates with a team of skilled trainers and practitioners, each bringing unique expertise in trauma-informed practice, leadership, and frontline service delivery.

Together, we support staff and leaders to reimagine employment services — and to build stronger outcomes, resilient teams, and healthier workplaces.

Portrait
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Our Approach

  • Person-Directed Practice

    We don’t force people to fit into systems.

    We design services around the realities of each client — meeting them where they are, not where the system expects them to be.

  • Trauma-Informed Service

    Employment is never just about jobs.

    We recognize poverty, discrimination, and trauma as barriers that shape every client interaction — and we respond with empathy, respect, and psychological safety.

  • Equity‑Centered, Anti‑Oppressive Practice

    We design services with equity at the core — naming and reducing systemic barriers that keep people out of work.

    Our approach is grounded in data, reflection, and proven practices that actually deliver stronger outcomes for those furthest from the labour market.

  • Evidence-Based Learning

    We move beyond checklists and assumptions.

    Our approach is grounded in data, reflection, and proven practices that actually deliver stronger outcomes for those furthest from the labour market.

  • Reflective Supervision & Coaching

    Frontline practice improves when staff are supported.

    We build reflective supervision, case consultation, and mentoring into the work — growing skill and confidence while reducing burnout and turnover.

  • Healthier Workplaces

    Stronger outcomes for clients must go hand-in-hand with healthier teams.

    We help organizations reduce burnout, lower turnover, and create workplaces where staff can thrive.

Who We Serve

We partner with government-funded employment service organizations committed to equity and impact.

Too often, agencies feel pressure to hit targets but miss the point — serving only those closest to the labour market while parking or abandoning those with the steepest barriers.

We help organizations reengineer services so equity-deserving clients are not warehoused or left behind. When services meet people where they are, outcomes improve for clients, staff, and the sector as a whole.