I am presently on leave so I have more time for thought and particularly how this organisation (NOVA) might cope with the 'global financial crisis" (I am pushing for a change from GFC to GUYBD which, rather than Global Financial Crisis, stands for Greedy Unregulated Yank Bankers Disaster - although it only really badly affects the poor and disadvantaged so it'll probably stay GFC in our media. It raises an old chestnut of mine (yes, there's a rant coming) - why do we slavishly copy things that have demonstrably failed elsewhere?
The 'gods' of our time are privatisation and deregulation, the reduction of trade barriers and the adoption of a free trade economy.
What and where has this led?
Much as I once yearned for the creation of a workers utopia the present movement was/is (is it still?) supposed to lead to higher employment, greater productivity and a general improvement in the status of the impoverished and disadvantaged in our world - fabby!!
If only....!
What we have is the majority exposed to the greed of the minority. Huge, unimaginable losses driven entirely by greed and corruption - a corruption not only of the laws that were supposed to protect each citizen but a break-down of the oral fibre and integrity of our systems.
$150b(au) loss at the Royal Bank of Scotland. At 60 million people in the U.K. That's $2500 for every man, woman and child. Driven by anger and infuriated by the incompetence behind the leadership that led to this failure the Board of the bank punished the Chief Executive by sending him packing with a multi-million dollar handshake - that'll learn him.
Meanwhile across Western economies ghost towns of unemployed people are created with whole communities now unable to work and reliant upon the pittance provided through government welfare schemes.
On the fringes the most disadvantaged groups including people with disability. As a second wave of job loss rolls across Australia unemployment rises to 6% and far worse in some States (such as the hopelessly mismanaged NSW) and looks set to rise to 10%.
What to do?
Minister O'Connor ( a seemingly decent chap) is apparently prisoner to his department who, as noted in last piece, are mesmerized by the possibility of reducing their work load by reducing the number of service providers. I note the Minister has made some changes to the proposals for reform of Disability Employment Services (Don't cheer, its the removal of madness not the introduction of sanity). It's still not a great mix.
Here's simple and effective reform: pay providers for results and pay them regularly in milestones. Don't regulate who can do what where ('cos that's silly). Do put everyone on a level playing field - not it's O.K. to get qualified later, only recognise those that are qualified (this refers to QA accreditation. Get out of the way and stop the on-going micro-management of the program. Finally, the suggestions for JCA improvement have been devised by a person in a room with no windows and should be quietly abandoned before they ruin lives and reputations.
That'll do - I'm back at work in a fortnight, be nice if this could be on the table by then.
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Previous Posts
Welfare Benefits and Health
It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's truer that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power: David Brin
DES providers don't need nor should they have been given the authority to suspend welfare benefits (see above)....
Disgusting!
Disgusting!: https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2019/07/ndis-data-drop-reveals-severe-employment-gaps/
I have spoken previously on, to quote former President Bush, 'the soft bigotry of low expectations' - if you are a member of a marginalised group the public don't expect much and are surprised when anything much is achieved!
I've been in this game for more than 30 years and have been privileged to see literally thousands of terrific men and women leave NOVA To gain (and retain) great jobs....
Goodness me!
Goodness me!
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Retention Retention, Retention!
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Properly Caring
Much is made about the easy life enjoyed by people on welfare - we've all seen the 'news' items that show flagrant abuse of the system with welfare recipients engaged in employment or other activities that conflict with the obligation to inform Centrelink of change in status or simply as a means of defrauding the Commonwealth....
2 Things
2 Things:
First:
About the middle of February I wrote: i. "NOVA Needs You!
We are presently engaged in a very significant recruitment drive and are particularly keen to hear from folk with disability and/or sales experience to join our team of Employment Consultants - THIS IS NOT AN EASY JOB - you need to be resilient, self sacrificing and have stacks of smarts and even then we only take the best....
We're struggling!
NOVA Needs You!
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My mum used to frequently admonish my brothers and I with the words, 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again'....
Whats wrong with Employment Services? There's rumours of a shake-up in the Job Active program - word is, the program isn't making a real difference and employers don't like it!
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I need you! Comrades
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Here's what you need: the patience of Job, the strength of the Hulk, the wisdom of Solomon and a selfless devotion caring for the needs of others worthy of Mother Teresa....
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100%
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Profiting from poverty
Profiting from Poverty
I am genuinely horrified by this disaster: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/02/the-demerit-system-is-ruthless-social-policy-designed-to-keep-the-poor-powerless
I believe that we presently represent the job hopes of around 1500 people, in various stages of their progression to independent employment....
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Administrative Overload
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The administrative burden of a new Disability Employment Service contract (starts July 1st) and the mountains of paperwork required for an NDIS dollar (approximately 10X that of the former TTW program) has seen us add 3 extra staff to the admin team and we are still receiving a large volume of enquiries that are causing us some time delay in getting back to folk....
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