“Prior to implementing these proposals, the Department undertook extensive industry consultation...”
Excellent; and a collaborative approach is generally best.
However, something that seems to have disappeared over the past decade or so is the genuine involvement of service recipients – the folk that are on the pointy end of programs like NOVA.
Each week I would speak with many job seekers and the general impression I get from those discussions is people with disability want a job they enjoy, work that challenges them, a role allows for career development. These things are generally described as being full time, certainly at award wage and in conditions identical to those of people who do not have a disability.
Surely it is people with disability that should decide the type nature and aims of the programs that are designed to support them?
In times past, performance indicators (shaped by people with disability) included stuff like; not counting employment as having started until any subsidy had finished, a minimum of 15 hours employment per week and incentives and rewards for full time employment.
Service users could choose their provider, register with multiple providers, be in a sheltered workshop and registered with an open employment service, be at school (but wishing to leave if a full time job became available and so on.
Key Performance Indicators decided by people with a disability and in their interests.
The clock rolls on.
Can you be in ‘employment’ and have your wage entirely paid for by a service provider?
Yes, I’m reliably told employers are presently being offered a contract that subsidies wages for a period of 30 weeks (this time period meets the funding bodies KPI – 26 weeks – and escapes the ‘contrived employment’ check).
Are short hour positions common?
Are they what! Casual and limited (all you have to achieve for many job seekers is 8 hours employment to get similar rewards as full time work) hour employment abound.
Can service users choose?
Maybe, if they dance around, rant and rave and generally make themselves difficult – the majority are led wherever they may be taken.
People in receipt of the Disability Support Pension are generally disenfranchised, voiceless and ill informed of their options. That’s not their fault and they shouldn’t be disempowered. There is a general lack of understanding of the fragility of their position and the availability of advice is limited.
This needs to change and KPI’s for disability employment services aligned with consumer wishes not meaningless numerical targets – ‘participation’ may be high but if that’s so good how come only a few thousand people actually escape the poverty of welfare each year? How come Australia languishes so low in comparison to other economies when it comes to participation and income?
It wasn’t always this way.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
We can again be the best.
We need meaningful measurements of ‘Stardom’ based on job retention, wages earned and hours of participation.
Frankly; stuff ‘industry consultation’ – why ask those with vested interest?
Time to talk to consumers.
Change can only come from the ground up – it’s time for consumers to regain their central role in the identification of best practice and the design and conduct of services supposedly acting to their benefit.
More to come!
Would you like a face-to-face meeting with Martin via Skype? Click the button below to make an appointment
Subscribe to this Blog - blog.novaemployment.com.au Copy the link above and paste it into your favourite Reader to subscribe to an RSS feed of this blog. To watch a short video explanation of RSS and how it helps you save time reading the web click here
Your Comments There are currently no comments on this article
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!
Read this article: https://www.smh.com.au/national/no-lights-no-linen-how-alex-survived-for-six-years-on-newstart-20190717-p5284q....
Changing Attitudes
One of the hardest things to do is change a person's attitude - if they are favourably disposed to you, all's well and good - if someone holds a contrary view it's an uphill battle to change a mindset....
Retention Retention, Retention!
Just when you thought things couldn't get any better, something comes along that causes you to stop and to reconsider the way your business is conducted....
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!
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....
Extraordinary Results
When Government Star Ratings seem designed to celebrate the ordinary, it is a pleasure to be able to share a terrific piece of selfless effort on behalf of others....
Whats wrong with Employment Services II? What's wrong with Employment Services II
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!
There's plenty of evidence to suggest that, despite the best intent of Government and funding body, the Disability Employment Service (DES) is similarly in the doldrums....
I need you! Comrades
NOVA needs you - we are very keen to enlist new members of our organisation.
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....
Tragic Loss People with Disability lost a true champion last Wednesday with the unexpected passing of a truly great man, the Chief Executive Officer of Inclusion Australia and a dear friend Mr Paul Cain....
Fair Warning
I'm giving fair warning of my intention to expose examples of the current DES-ESS contract's exploitation.
I have written to the Commonwealth expressing my concerns about clear manipulation of the present contract....
Fundamentals
The new contract for Disability Employment Services (DES) will not bring performance improvement.
Government will scratch it's head, blame the economy, blame people with disability, talk about educating employers and spend money on consultations before coming to the conclusion that people with disability must meet more stringent 'mutual obligations'....
100%
Each year, around about the International Day of People with a Disability (IDPwD) NOVA Employment holds a formal graduation for students that have participated in our pre-employment programs....
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....
New Contract but no change!
New Contract but no change!
Today marks the first day of a new Disability Employment Service (DES) contract.
There are new players and new rules....
Administrative Overload
'It's nice to be busy' and 'busy is better than idle' and all of my mum's other sayings about work being good for you, and all of them said; we're drowning!
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....
Podcasts I've been learning all about Podcasts (I suspect that this may be a long road!)
However, getting paid to be inspired is not the worst way to spend a Monday afternoon and that is just how my day has gone....
Subscribe to this Blog