23-Feb-2010

23 February 2010
 
Emerging concerns are under consideration
 
With the imminent implementation of the new Disability Employment Services program, NDS flagged emerging concerns with DEEWR at last week’s National Committee on Open Employment meeting.
 
They include the potential for a decline in job tenure among workers with disability. This may result from not including wages and hours as performance measures and the reduction in the weighting for Ongoing Support. At present data on job tenure trends are lacking.
 
In response to this concern, DEEWR has commenced a study to analyse DEN /DES program trends in relation to wages, hours and tenure. The study will identify trends and consider potential causes. It will consider data from the period when the program was under FaHCSIA through to the post-DES implementation phase. DEEWR has agreed to share the study’s findings with the Transition Reference Group.
 
Clarification from DEEWR was sought over the listing of School Based Apprenticeships within the Deed as a non payable placement. This is in conflict with the school leaver eligibility definition as well as its intention. DEEWR is investigating this confusion.
 
NDS views the contract requirement for ‘Face to Face’ contact (rather than other forms of contact) as too prescriptive and as preventing other less intrusive forms of contact. It may drive behaviours from service providers that meet the requirement but are not the most effective form of support for workers.
 
While DEEWR needs surety as to what it is purchasing it is prepared to examine the issue of what can be included as a legitimate mode of contact.
 
NDS is also concerned about the expansion of red tape with the new contract, despite a government commitment to reduce it. A case in point is the need for annual Ongoing Support re-assessments and the extension of diary entry requirements to volunteer jobseekers without participation obligations. As the introduction of the Ongoing Support Assessment (OSA) is a critical element in the new service model, the opportunity to make changes is very limited in this contract; however DEEWR agreed to consider the data collected during this relatively short contract period to inform OSA improvements for the next contract. Diary entry requirements, however, will be progressed through the Transition Reference Group with the aim of reducing unnecessary administrative requirements.

 
The current guidelines for ‘Change in Employment’ do not accommodate workers who choose to resign from a job rather than face dismissal. Under the proposed guidelines a person resigning from a job is permitted only 5 days in which to be re-anchored in a new job placement. This compares unfavourably to the guidelines for dismissed workers which permit a re-anchoring period of four working weeks during both milestone periods.
 
The current Work Experience placement guidelines do not extend eligibility to participants 17 years and under. This inequity has been brought to DEEWR’s attention during the review period and through the transition reference group. It is currently under investigation by DEEWR’s legal branch.
 
NDS is also seeking DES participation as a recognised activity for school-leavers under 17 years old. Under the National Youth Requirement which took effect from 1 January 2010, young people under 17 who are not at school must be either working or engaged in training.