The following taken from both the Disability Services Act and a recent blog post:
People receiving services funded under the Act would have a level of disability that, “results in a substantially reduced capacity of the person: (A) to obtain or retain unsupported paid employment”
What is meant by unsupported?
Unsupported employment suggests that the worker concerned IS able to achieve and maintain independence in the workplace.
What is meant by supported employment?
Just that, the individuals that entered these programs would (generally) be unable to gain or keep jobs in the community without a commitment from suitable skilled staff to ensure each individuals productivity remained commercially acceptable and this support would be both regular and on-going.
Such a person might need daily assistance to remain on-task and would be unlikely to see a week pass without some level of help and also without this help they would be at risk of losing their job.
Following the passing of the Disability Services Act, Australia becomes really good at providing this sort of assistance and by 1995 about 49,000 people are receiving help as described in the Act.
Service providers begin to develop and share the art and science that is post placement support – a formula is articulated that has been tried and tested – get to know the person, identify their strengths and aspirations and match these against the local labour market to create an outcome with the greatest chance of long term success.
There are some accepted ground rules <15hrs employment each week doesn’t really count. This is because less time does not allow for social integration within the workplace (making friends), financial independence or the development of skills so that a career path can be developed.
This would mean service users could have an expectation of working at least 2 full days a week or maybe 5 part time days, they would be able to build friendships and relationships and the income received would be sufficient to make a difference in their lives and the complexity of the roles they could fulfil.
Job retention is measured after any subsidy has been exhausted and 26 weeks is taken as the first meaningful milestone.
Key Performance Indicators that put the person with a disability and their interests first.
Skip forward 27 years.
There’s a problem (actually there are multiple problems!)
For a variety of reasons the number and characteristics of people in receipt of the Disability Support Pension has changed significantly, there are many people being referred to disability employment programs that are better described as the “Worried Well’, rather than those with chronic mental illness, the population of people with physical disability has ballooned (these folk were previously the province of the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS) an organisation set up for such job seekers and one not able to deliver long term on-site post placement help).
The KPI’s upon which business is allocated have also been dramatically adjusted and initially include nonsense such as ‘speed to placement’ ( a KPI that sounds smart but does not acknowledge the needs of those with higher levels of disability and immediately results in ‘creaming’ (the practice of seeking and placing the easiest rather than the most needy.
8 hrs of employment is treated as equal to 38 for the purposes of the ‘quality’ rating system (Star Ratings) and service providers that do not break up real work in meaningless packets are disadvantaged. Service providers that remain attached to genuine social inclusion are told by the funding body (and of course I can prove my quote): “If you can’t beat them, join them”.
‘Employment’ is gained by the misuse of generous subsidies. It is possible to offer employers a subsidy for 26 weeks that is equal to the total wage bill of the worker. This practice still enables the service provider to retain a substantial profit (Anyone that wants more details and specific examples is welcome to contact me).
As a result ‘participation’ increases and presently more than 150,000 people have become so engaged. However, in the past 2 years only a very small number (8000) people have actually left the DSP to enter a level of employment that takes them completely from welfare.
Can people with disability work?
Absolutely!
Can people with disability earn sufficient to gain economic independence?
Absolutely, even those with the level of disability originally indicated in the 1986 Disability Services Act.
However, the disability employment program will not succeed again until there is a restoration of KPUI”s that are linked to program goals. KPI’s that change lives: hours of employment, wages earned and job retention AFTER government subsidy should be used to restore a quality service program.
While some say, we are doing well and should recognise the level of participation the response is simple: if we are doing so well why are we motherless last in terms of poverty amongst people with disability and 21 out of 27 when it comes to participation in employment?
Change the administrative nightmare that presently controls the program, use Centrelink records (reduction in payments) to identify success, reward ‘off benefits’ handsomely, allow people with disability to register with more than 1 provider (cut the money for registration), dump subsidies, remove the present geographic operating restrictions and licence employment service providers to work where they can make money (they will only do this by succeeding in the core goal of getting people with disability the best possible outcomes possible.
There was a giant ‘brain drain’ caused by the recent loss of 60 excellent providers (firms that provided post placement support) and those skills need to be re-acquired. Implementing the suggestions above will force providers to revisit the skills we used to take for granted and prevent my time being wasted by calls from people asking if NOVA can provide post placement support as this is something many now do not do.
More to come on why we are losing post placement support skills soon.
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
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....
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....
Subscribe to this Blog