Regular readers will know that I am not a great fan of Australian Disability Enterprises, our flash term for sheltered workshops, where appalling acts of abuse such as this:http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/news/disabled-workers-pay-of-2-an-hour-predatory/story-e6frg2qu-1225894657597 occur.
This abuse is presently happening at sheltered workshops across the country.
We are to blame (this is all of us) since we have allowed the economic rationalists and ideologically driven mandarins of Canberra to determine policy and these bastards have little interest in disability issues, no knowledge of the support needs of their client base and care even less.
Just look at the pathetic rationale in the article and catch the even more disgusting response from the funding body: "A spokesman for the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs said Ms Smith had the right to request a reassessment of her wage with CRS but had failed to do so". - So now we know. It's Karen's fault.
This woman has a disability. She is powerless against her employer. She will be unaware of her rights and even less able to action them.
I think if you are going to be totally mean spirited you should at least have the courage to stand up in the face of media scrutiny and attempt to tough it out.
Seriously a win for Karen and that's great and what about the folk that aren't in the media spotlight? There are many folk that either have their hours cut (incidentally, bet you quids this is what happens to this lass now) or are 'reassessed' to suit their hosting organisations cash flow or business needs.
For many years I have strongly suggested that the contradictory instructions given by government to Australian Disability Enterprise operators to both make a profit (at all costs) and continue to provide inclusive and client focused service be changed.
It's a simple question that goes to the heart and purpose of this program:
Do ADE's (save time) exist to provide employment for people with higher support needs or are they to be stand alone businesses?
If they are for people with high support needs then fund places and allow the mainly charitable institutions that work in this sector to carry out their missions.
If they are not then some suitable vocational alternative needs to be created.
In this question the answer should be obvious and this issue should end.
However, there is a second question:
Are ADE's a means of transition to open (and better paid) positions?
Presently it is either impossible to achieve this movement as persons cannot be registered with 2 programs at once. Therefore rather than the old, "work in sheltered employment until an open employment service finds you work/ return should you lose your open employment job", the present system says, 'leave your security and cross your fingers the open employment service 1. Finds you work quick and 2. You stay there.
There's a Parliamentary committee presently discussing the issues around ADE's. The majority of participants are CEO's of sheltered workshops.
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
Exploitation the consistent theme I wrote this 14 years ago:
https://www.novaemployment.com.au/ceo/How-to-rort-the-Star-Ratings_294/
(apologies for some formatting issues)
Take a look at the present Royal Commission on abuse of people with disability....
The records keep falling! Following on from last post, I'd like to give some public recognition to my staff who have not only stood up under the tests of the Pandemic, they've continued to achieve record breaking results....
Never been so busy! At the risk of jinxing it, there's never been a better time to be looking for work - NOVA is getting scores of inquiries for workers, breaking all records each week with no sign of a let-up in sight!
The demand might be simply a post lockdown mini boom and maybe the bubble will pop - I have to say there's no sign of that....
July Rant There's an inquiry into Disability Employment Service and how best the new National Contract (2023) might serve the needs of the Commonwealth - note, that I haven't said, 'the needs of people with disability'....
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....
Subscribe to this Blog