EMPLOYMENT participation levels of people with disabilities are not showing significant improvement, a new national report finds.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council, in a report released today, paints a bleak picture about barriers to securing employment and social participation.
Blast and damn it – why doesn’t anybody ask why? This country has gone from world leader to motherless last in the relative wealth of people with disability and well down the league ladder when to it come to participation (21st out of 29)
It hasn’t got any better since 2006-2009, that's the period this report covers (guaranteed) and the figures don’t tell the real story of the lack of participation and wasted resource caused by the non or partial employment of people that have a disability.
All the while disability employment services are set against each other in a mad race to the lowest common denominator this position will NOT change. This program used to cooperatively work in the interests of people that had a disability, sharing information, support for job seekers and workers and operating wholly in the interests of the service user (I know, I was there).
Nowadays, its speed to placement and any job will do. Driven by fear and afraid of reprisal people are scared to speak out and each service either gets into the mud or risks poor performance ratings and possible oblivion. The debate has been hijacked and emotive words like ‘high performing’ or low performing used as tools of manipulation rather than genuine reflections of skill and dedication.
I will happily take anyone that wishes on a tour of fabulous, client focussed single ‘starred’ services that genuinely care for our most disadvantaged fellow Australians.
It won’t change until the performance measurements that decide who lives and who dies in the cut throat competition of employment services is hauled back and someone asks again, ‘what do people that have a disability want.
Don’t say ‘NDIS for employment’ because, should the scheme ever role out nationally, the productivity commissioner has recommended employment services be excluded
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Your Comments Peter Smith from Melbourne wrote on 15 Jun 2012 10:55:44 AM No question that until we put the focus back on the client and not the funding, we're just spiralling down to the lowest common denominator. When agencies talk about they're only client being DEEWR and not the person with a disability then what hope does the client have.
Time for DEEWR to stop talking about being a person centred program and actually walking the talk. The DES providers need to put their self interest aside and speak up collectively on behalf on the client. I appreciate thats hard when there's someone waiting to take your business away based on the holy grail of star ratings, but what about the person with the disability and what they want and think is a good service. Lets focus on careers for our clients not short term jobs for the sake of "stars".
Martin Wren from NOVA Employment wrote on 15 Jun 2012 3:00:39 PM Don't know whether I should be commenting on the 'comments' but spot on Peter
Martha Siede from Claremont Meadows wrote on 15 Jun 2012 4:07:19 PM There also needs to be a good look at physical access to work via public transport, footpath and workplace accessibility as well. You can't just get someone a job, they need to be able to get to work, move around the office and get back home intact
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