There are new players and new rules. There’s also a new demerit system. It’s supposed to ensure job seekers meet their obligations. If they don’t, they risk losing their disability support benefits.

The new contract will not improve the number or quality of outcomes achieved by the DES network. I am actually fairly confident that results will either remain in a slump or go backwards. Here is why:

Underlying all of these seems to be a total lack of faith in the capability or the product.

Rolls Royce never has half-price sales! Neither should DES. We should be proud of our product and proudly advertise the fact we represent an overlooked but very valuable resource whose skills are often learned and honed in adversity. Such workers bring a fresh look at how things can get done.

Forget punishing anyone. Change the measurements for so-called high performance. Call upon people who still believe in the product. Choose services that expect, and deliver, training in the skills that truly support people with disability to  into the long term. Lose specialist providers. Set numerical KPIs for the next 12 months and 5 years based on hours worked, pay earned and length of tenure and there just might be improvement.

Until then do not expect much change.

– Martin Wren