During the creation of a submission to the Australian Senate I have been reminded of some of the aims and objectives the Disability Services Act.
Specifically that Disability Employment Services should “assist persons with disabilities to achieve positive outcomes, such as increased independence, employment opportunities and integration in the community'.
How best to achieve these aims?
Through the provision of full time, award wage work in community based settings - real jobs like yours (if you are so engaged) and mine. It is in full time employment that the maximum possibility to become independent and enjoy the things other workers enjoy occurs.
So why would you encourage less? Why would you reward small, part time and casual positions that don't reduce dependency? Why would you ignore the break up of full time employment into portions that do neither encourage independence or participation?
Beats me - but that is what the present system for measuring success in disability employment services does (and I have been writing about this now for more than 6 years.
It was 6 years ago that the then new funding body unveiled its methodology (the comprehensible bit) for assessing performance.
I have documented my question from that meeting: ' surely this system encourages service providers to break full time work into part time since 2 part time jobs appear to beat 1 full time? Why wouldn't service providers turn full time jobs into even smaller (the benchmark was and is as low as 8 hours employment a week) 'outcomes' in order to gain income and improve their apparent performance?.
The reply was classic: " I think we can rely upon the integrity of service providers"
Brilliant!
The whole thing has now been placed before a Senate review committee and I know that you should never hold an inquiry where you aren't assured of the outcome but nevertheless, perhaps we can see a return to measuring the achievements of programs like NOVA against the Disability Service Standards and the 1986 Disability Services Act rather than the present and highly distorted "Stars"
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Your Comments James from Sydney wrote on 7 Sep 2011 4:48:59 PM The problem is we have a government that is disinterested in genuinely looking after people with disability and doesn't care to ask what we might want.
Jsmall from Linden wrote on 8 Sep 2011 4:12:22 PM The people that manage this system should be held responsible for devaluing the ones they are supposed to care for. The department of employment should not subsidise business and especially should not do so by giving vulnerable people the impression that they are worthless. If a person can do the job then they should be paid by their employer. If the person cannot do the job then they need to be found more suitable work.
Deon from Wallsend wrote on 11 Sep 2011 11:37:43 AM Meaningful work measn getting enough to pay my bills. I don't want to work in a sheltered workshop I want a real job for as much as I am worth
Previous Posts
Review Australia's $1bn disability employment service criticised over poor outcomes and reduced employment - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/australias-disability-employment-down-3-in-past-decade-as-service-scheme-criticised-for-poor-outcomes....
Thank you Mark Zuckerberg (not!) Friends of NOVA may have seen our Facebook page is down - courtesy Mark Zuckerberg NOVA/Focus are victims of much larger forces - no idea when or if we'll be restored - more as events unfold....
They Don't Count Gaining or holding formal qualifications can set a person up for a lifetime career. Holding appropriate qualifications that can lead to lifelong careers, tradespeople generally make a good income and enjoy well deserved respect....
Benchmarks To access NOVA Employment or any Disability Employment Service (DES), almost everyone is required to be assessed by the Services Australia Services (Centrelink) to determine their "Benchmark" hours: Benchmark hours are the pay point for service providers; being the minimum working hours required for the DES provider to bill the Government and the assessed maximum hours a person is deemed capable of working with DES support....
International Day of People with a Disability
International Day of People with a Disability
It's IDPwD and we have a 1 hour 'special' screening on SBS from 4.30 this afternoon.
Our Ryan Goodwin has done a great job of selecting some of the great entries from NOVA's 'Focusonability' short film festival - we love the Festival and hope that you'll love these films, gathered from around the world....
2020 - the first half When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Good! - Now they've left us, let's look at reality - when the going gets tough, many people suffer and dis-proportionally, people with disability suffer more....
Countdown Clock II
What's the countdown clock all about?
It's our closing time and a countdown to the end of a truly remarkable month of extraordinary effort by my staff....
Countdown Clock Regular viewers will have noticed a countdown clock ticking away (above)
What's that all about?
Can't say - you have to wait till 4.30pm (a little earlier for staff)
...
Just the best 3 One thing we all love is a winner which is why there's a smile on my face it will be pretty hard to shift.
There's a nightmare pandemic sweeping the world (carried off my mum), the economy has tanked in a never before seen disaster that's left more than a million Aussies unemployed and the only news seems to be bad news....
More than Money!
If asked, most of us would say we went to work for the money, to pay our bills or support our family.
All true, and yet work means so much more:
Prior to finding a job with NOVA employment Glenn* struggled to keep jobs for more than a few months and was generally working as a dishwasher in restaurants which he found to be quite unsatisfying work....
Life Changers II
How are you in the mornings (or evenings, or nights)? NOVA is an 'old school' Disability Employment Service - we find work in the general community with identical pay and conditions as those enjoyed by people who dont have a disability....
Life Changers Required! Received yesterday:
I was unemployed for 24 years because of my disability. I was looking for a job for the last 2 and half years. With the help of (NOVA Staff) I found suitable job and working in the law company for last one year....
Try us!
Don't know about you but I have felt pretty bruised from all the horrible stuff brought upon us by this damn virus - seeing so many folk losing their jobs is particularly awful and the uncertainty generated for everyone, particularly for workers who have a disability is dreadful to see....
Best Ever II
Following from last post:
NOVA Employment has operated for 30 years. Comparing all results from previous years, February 2020 has been our most successful to date - Following on from January that's 2 in a row and every indication March will also be a record breaker....
Best Ever
NOVA Employment posted another 'best ever' result for the first month of 2020.
Despite the most dreadful natural disasters and with many businesses closed for the holidays, the NOVA team delivered more new workers than in any previous January results, beating past 5 years average by 25% and previous (2017) 'best ever' numbers by 5%....
Depressing cracked record!
A good friend will occasionally pull me up with the reminder that I have a tendency to rant, 'rave on slop jaw' if I remember correctly....
Big Win! Saturday night saw a big win for the NOVA team and for people with disability when our Podcast partners NOVA Entertainment- no relationship other than mates - received the following:
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST - BRANDED
Focus On Ability; Nova Employment & the Nova Entertainment Podcast Team , NOVA Entertainment
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST - UNBRANDED
Hamish & Andy; Hamish Blake & Andy Lee, PodcastOne Australi
Taken from the web: https://www....
Good Result!
Received the following yesterday morning:
Hi Nova, just wanted to give my feedback in regards to my mother getting a job through you guys and the amazing impact it has had!! The job that mum has received has changed her outlook on everything! She is now much more confident in her self and her abilities....
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....
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