DES sector gets shakeup in wake of Royal Commission

The federal government is moving to cancel a number of disability employment services, in a move embraced by disability advocates.

Social services minister Amanda Rishworth is moving to overhaul the disability employment services (DES) system, with some services to lose government funding entirely.

Rishworth announced that of the nation’s 104 DES providers, 52 would be contacted and notified that some or all of their services would end due to “poor performance”, the ABC reported.

Eight providers would have all services discontinued, the minister said in a statement.

The full list of providers whose services will be discontinued is available online, and includes:

• About2Work – all eight services discontinued
• Access Community Services Limited – seven of eight services discontinued
• Atwork Australia Pty Ltd – 23 of 123 services discontinued
• Campbell Page Limited – nine of 38 services discontinued
• Flourish Australia Services – seven of 22 services discontinued
• Joblife Employment – 18 of 52 services discontinued
• Status Employment Services – 11 of 26 services discontinued

According to the minister, 15,550 people with disability — or five per cent of current DES participants — would be impacted by the decision and would be transitioned to a “higher performing service”.

Their mutual obligations will be suspended from 22 August to 23 October 2022 while the transition takes place, with the transition expected to be complete by the end of October.

“People living with disability deserve the best possible service in helping to find employment. Poorly performing DES providers were given every opportunity to put measures in place to improve and were aware of the formal review process,” Rishworth said.

“It is vital that funding is directed to organisations who have proven they are delivering the best support to participants.”

She said the review had been triggered by evidence given to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which heard that some providers were not achieving outcomes for people with disability.

“Listen to disabled people”

The minister’s move is being lauded by many in the disability community.

Writer and advocate El Gibbs tweeted that people with disability had long been campaigning for changes to the DES system.

There’s been working groups and consultation going on for the last year to try to change a shit system that doesn’t work for disabled people. You can read the submissions etc here:https://t.co/0anSWmNQqx

— El Gibbs (@bluntshovels) August 20, 2022

She added it was time to “listen to disabled people instead of providers”.

Council for Intellectual Disability also tweeted its approval of the minister’s decision:

Right! Let’s get moving on funding real support to get people real jobs and close down ADEs.

End the polished pathway from school to ridiculously low “wages”. https://t.co/FLEa0zxBqy

— CID (@CIDvoice) August 21, 2022

Other advocates also called for an end to the DES system:

End sheltered workshops. #EndSegregation@AmandaRishworth good start, but we need a strong commitment to end all forms of DES.#ModernSlavery @DrLindaSteelehttps://t.co/mCSuxzi6ac

— Frances Quan Farrant (@Aus_Advocate) August 20, 2022

Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia Francis Sullivan told SBS News that the overhaul was long overdue.

“Evidence at the royal commission showed that for some time poorly performing DES providers seemed to be more interested in collecting government payments rather than finding good long-term jobs for their clients,” he said.

“While there are many good providers hopefully with these reforms, we see a sector that now fully has the interests of people living with a disability at the very centre of their operations.”