Page 246 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 December 2008
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We are looking at a series of models, and, funnily enough, it is not us that is doing the looking at it; it is the disability community. For example, the Disability Advisory Council, under the chair of Sharon Sobey, is doing a bit of work, and there are a number of such bodies around the town doing some work on that.
Mr Doszpot’s suggestion that the ACT’s share of the $1.3 billion be spent on the creation of job opportunities I do not think is a silly suggestion at all. We have to be very careful, however, that the jobs that are created are sustainable jobs and not just token jobs. Way back when we talked about opportunities for people with a disability we talked about sheltered workshop stuff, and that just does not work. We need to give them proper, sustained jobs.
The attack on the government not having a good track record in this regard was actually a reference to the federal government. The ACT government’s track record on creating jobs for people with a disability is very good and comparable across the country. I know in my own department of disability, for example, there are heaps of them. In ACTION we have got heaps of them. In the library service and in Canberra Connect there are heaps of them.
With regard to after-school care, I need to check on that. I will not commit to that; I need to check its relevance in terms of the independent support packages for people with disability. It depends on the level of disability to what extent the after-hours school care applies. But I take the point on board—it is in my head—and I thank Mr Doszpot for that.
As Ms Porter informed the Assembly, it is proposed that services under this initiative will commence on 1 March 2010 following a final consultation period. The model serves to enhance the provision of employment services for people with disabilities. This will ensure that all job seekers with a disability can access individually tailored employment services.
The new model is outlined in a discussion paper released by the federal Minister for Employment Participation, the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP. Importantly, the discussion paper followed broad consultation with key stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their advocates. It clearly identifies the shortcomings of the current employment system, including its inflexibility for both employers and employees as well as its bureaucratic nature. This has meant that some job seekers have had to wait for services.
There have also been major issues resulting from the capping of services. The proposed new model will substantially improve services for job seekers with a disability, as well as their family and carers, employers and employment service providers. It will see an uncapping of services enabling all eligible job seekers with a disability, including school leavers, access to a place in employment services.
Also, services will be tailored to better meet the needs of job seekers with a disability and to be more responsive to employers. There will be stronger incentives for providers to place job seekers in training, contributing to enhanced longer-term employment outcomes for job seekers. Importantly, and this is something Mr Doszpot
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