Almost 1 year ago, speaking about the then proposed business reallocation I wrote the following on the discussion board of the peak body that represents Australian Disability Employment Services (DES):
It may just be me and does there seem to be a deafening silence on the impending disaster that is DES-ESS?
Heres the funding body message; "Dont fret, we are only going to be rid of a few of you and those that go earned it"
And our response is.......?
Ive been doing this (DES, not screaming about contract madness) for 27 years and theres never been a time of greater threat to the employment options for people with disability.
I thought we represented them, not us. Theres nothing to be gained by silence and everything to win by protest.
**** Quick note: no NOVA contract is at risk *****
Do the Star Ratings represent good service to people with disability?
We know they dont.
Their application in allocating market share appears to have delivered a 16% drop in outcomes in the present contract
We all know, the funding body knows and the Minister knows the Stars are deeply flawed
The rationalisation madness continues.
Just in case you didnt read the letter; score 1 or 2 stars in the next Stars and your jobs are up for grabs, your clients choices ignored and our industry skills base further weakened.
What remains of DES-ESS is about to be further destroyed.
Seems to me its fight or fall - cant understand the silence
I was ready (and remain), cashed up and keen to fight: A strike, an advertising campaign, a stand against the silliness.
How many responses do you think I received? Remember at least 20% of all disability employment business was about to go up for grabs, thats 1 job in 5 threatened.
Not one.
Not so much as a whisper.
What happened?
The inevitable. The faulty measurement system (Star Ratings) threw up the businesses ripe for reallocation and those businesses then became tarred with the inaccurate label of underperformers. Subsequently, once again, a number of decades old providers lost large parts of their business to be replaced in many cases by far less skilled or caring programs.
The we get stuff like this: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial-relations/outdated-job-service-defeating-the-ndis/story-fn59noo3-1227213795519
Over the past few years the idealistic guts that created and developed DES has been destroyed. People with disabilities entering the system go to programs designed to process them, rather like they were meat to be packaged.
This industry (DES) was built by and on the wishes of program participants, not service providers. The lip service that is paid to the Disability Service Standards and to communication with participants as stakeholders speaks volumes about a mindset that pervades the industry – we are important and participants are not.
The inevitable result is a movement away from what those experiencing the system would like and what those administrating the system want.
What is desperately needed for employment is not hand wringing or consultation – its action. Immediate action that rewards the desired outcomes (which I assume for all is maximum participation?) and drives performance that makes a difference, a difference that is not made by gaming the contract.
Remove threats, allow innovation, reward on the basis of reduction in welfare and retention of work after subsidy.
How can this be too hard?
If we are going to genuinely develop a disability employment program that delivers on behalf of people with disability we need to empower them to take part in the process and we need a reward system predicated on improving meaningful performance indicators - if you only get paid for actually making a difference then the market will drive growth and determine those deemed worthy to remain.
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Your Comments Peter from Blacktown wrote on 6 Nov 2015 8:36:09 AM Thanks Martin - you are right, I used to work for people who have a disability, now I work for wankers!
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