New trial to link NDIS to DES providers

Minister says the trial will help disabled people into work, but the announcement has been met with scepticism by people with disability.

A trial linking NDIS participants with Disability Employment Service (DES) providers has been unveiled by social services minister Amanda Rishworth. 

In a speech to the Australia’s Disability Strategy National Forum, Rishworth announced that the Department of Social Services is trialling a program that would “better support NDIS participants who have an employment goal to engage with a DES provider”, to commence early next year.

“The trial will… contribute to a stronger understanding of ‘what works’ in the context of DES reform,” Rishworth said.

See more: DES sector gets shakeup in wake of Royal Commission

The minister said she wanted to ensure that DES’ “are delivering high quality and great outcomes for those living with disability”, and noted that some people with disability had had bad experiences with DES providers.

“There are some services that need to lift their game,” Rishworth said.

Last week’s budget extended the current DES program by two years, so that changes could be made to the “performance and quality” of DES’, the minister said.

Shadow mutual obligations?

Advocates online indicated their shock at the announcement.

I join with @bluntshovels in expressing my serious concerns about this announcement. The NDIS Jobs and Skills Summit was clear – DES doesn’t work. So why are we funnelling people on the NDIS into a system we know doesn’t get people stable, secure jobs? https://t.co/SRJTp5UZsA

— Elly Desmarchelier (@EDesmarchelier) November 2, 2022

The minister’s plans were also panned by Antipoverty Centre spokesperson and DSP recipient Kristin O’Connell.

“I feel horrified for every NDIS participant who’s been forced to interact with Disability Employment Services hearing this news today,” she said.

“This announcement heralds the introduction of a shadow “mutual” obligations regime and will distress many NDIS participants like me who hoped we had escaped abusive and incompetent employment services providers for good.”

The centre noted that a consultation on a new Disability Employment Support model had received numerous negative responses from people unhappy with the DES model.

“The NDIS is far from perfect but increasing the involvement of Disability Employment Services providers can only make things worse. DES has been failing disabled people for as long as it’s existed,” O’Connell said.

“Pushing a failed industry on people discriminated against and excluded from the labour market because of our disabilities won’t get us jobs but it will expose us to harm.”