Category Archives: Your Stories

To APM,
Just to let you know I had Sue ####### from your ######## site as My Disability Job Provider. I was told your service would help me gain employment and support me in my new job. The one positive thing I could say she did for me was sent me to a seminar that was about a course United Care Wesley was offering to gain employment with them as a support worker.
I was sent to a disability employment provider for a mood disorder (anxiety and depression) and for a permanent spinal condition. On my first meeting with Sue, she had discussed with me my disability and what sort of things I could and could not do. I explained to her that I would need a job that I could do a combination of sitting and standing and a job that did not involved a lot of cleaning, heavy lifting or had constant repetitive movement was not suitable.
As much as Sue herself would like to claim the credit herself, I had to compete with approximately 100 other people for 14 places United Care Wesley had to offer. They had said at the seminar if we gained employment with them that we would be able to pick and choose the work we wanted to do, and also said that a big majority of the work they had to offer was for what they call domestic in which involves helping elderly people do jobs in their home such as cleaning so that they can remain in their home for as long as possible. So if we did not opt in for domestic we may not get the hours we wanted and domestic shifts were a god way to build up your working hours. My initial thought was I had nothing to loose although I can not do cleaning it was a good start to getting a job and that even though it may take some time to build up on the amount of clients I get once I had a little experience I could also apply for other support worker jobs at different agencies.
Well I got into course and gained employment with my hard work and effort I put in to getting into and completing course. Through doing course I found that I was interested in going on to do some more study in mental health and that would also be able to help increase my hours and employ ability.
From there everything went pear shaped no thanks to your Job Provider whose job is not only to help me gain suitable and sustainable employment but also to support me in my new job. On my initial starting day we were handed forms to fill out and one of those being what jobs we wanted, I ticked all the boxes except for domestic as I knew I would not be able to do due to amount of pain it would cause me due to my spinal condition. Up to around week 5 to 6 the jobs they offered me were all respite or social visits. After that I started to get domestic shifts In which I was told today I got rostered for domestic shifts because Sue had constantly been calling them and telling them to I had to have 23 hours a week. I was also aware of this as my supervisor Heather had mentioned Sue had called her and that she constantly gets harassed by these job providers. Talk about these so called employment agencies putting off potential employers from hiring anybody from a Job Provider, don’t they think employers have more important things to do than be harassed by job providers.
From there I had constantly complained to Sue that I was starting to get a lot of domestic shifts in which I was really starting to struggled with and causing me a lot of pain, and had also asked her on nearly every appointment she made with me if she could contact my employer and explain to them my condition and why I had not opted in for domestic shifts. Still to this day she did not contact them as I had asked and eventually all was becoming way to much for me and I had to do it myself even though I thought it would be much better coming from her.
On top of her not doing her job and making sure that I was not in employment that was not going to irritate my condition which is her obligation to me. I had her treat me when I was telling her something like I was a liar which happened constantly. She would always cut me off when talking and never let me finish what I was saying, was making me do way more of everything even though  every fortnight I had worked enough hours to have my mutual obligations halved and on some fortnights should have had none and whenever I tried approaching her on my mutual obligations she would say I was wrong and did not know what I was talking about, even though I have a current copy dated 12 September 2016 of the Mutual Obligations and job plan guideline which included people with a P.C.W (Partial Capacity to Work). One week I got the flu and she was demanding I had a doctor certificate in her office by 4pm that day. Often did not give me sufficient notice when making an appointment with me sending me a text message at 4.45pm informing me I had an appointment the following morning or making appointments with me and not even bother to call me to make sure it was a convenient time that I was not working. Making me apply for jobs I was unqualified for or unsuitable due to my condition. Every week was a constant battle with her and she would not let you express your rights or oblige by them.
On one particular week she called me on a Monday morning asking if I could go in there for job search I told her I was working that day and that with my work commitments that week and mum going into hospital for a major operation that it really was not a good week for me. I also explained that the operation Mum was having was major and very high risk and that the only surgeon that would even touch my Mum had told her there was a high chance she may not survive the surgery. I told her that I was working until 2pm Tuesday and after that would be going to be spending rest of afternoon with my Mum and that I was also working Wednesday but wanted to go to hospital after that and said I would be to anxious that day and I had full days work Thursday and Friday. Sue then insisted that I had not been there for last 3 weeks (in which I had she was one failing to record it) and not only did I have one appointment I had two and was insisting that I be there both on the Tuesday and Wednesday. What an uncompassionate bitch who also has the power to decide if my circumstances in not being able to attend are on reasonable grounds.

Then finally after every week of having to argue with her about my rights and her not sticking by her obligations to me, bullying me and the phone call she made last Tuesday to my work making a complete fool off me, causing me to break down crying in her office and a huge screaming match, I am now unemployed. She finally broke me down and caused my depression and anxiety to come back (that when going to her in only February this year was something after 3 years was nearly completely over) I was informed by my employer that Sue had told them that I was unsuited to mental health work and even if I was to do course would at this stage not consider me for (because phone call Sue had made) So had no choice but to resign as only work they could offer me now was domestic in which I can not do.
This was the totally unprofessional behavior In which I have had to deal with. She was suppose to be supporting me with and not causing me even more stress and anxiety. Who the hell is she to phone my employer after months of her breaking me down and treating me unfairly as well as denying me of my rights and not meeting her obligations to tell my employer I am unsuitable for mental health work when she cant even do her own job professionally and properly. What qualification and how much does this bitch know about me to be the judge on what I am and am not suited for and totally fuck up my job and bring me back into total depression.
I now have to find another Job Provider and the thought of that now makes me feel anxious as I have just been totally screwed over and worn down by an unfair system as well as a Disability Job Provider whom does not seem to care that her clients have a disability and not sensitive to their needs and seems only to care about the bonuses you get for when people meet their required hours who have a disability. I think it only fair to say she is TOTALLY UNSUITABLE to be a disability job provider. I now have depression and anxiety in which I struggled with for 3 years that I was almost completely over before being sent to her in February this year and what she has the nerve to say what I am suited for in which I believe is something I would have been good at.
On one last note when doing the course I met a woman called Sharon who also was doing the course and since become good friends, turns out that Sue was also her job provider until yesterday. Sharon rang me completely upset she also suffers depression and has rheumatoid arthritis, she said she had gone to see Sue that day to give her a doctor certificate and doctor had said she was unfit for work until I think Janurary 17th next year, Sue apparently said that she was still required to do job search and Sharon said we will leave that to centrelink to decide. Sue apparently threw the doctor certificate back at her and started laughing and said good luck with centrelink. This is not a joke and not the way to treat people who have an illness, injury or disability.
Will look forward to your response to my complaint and I hope that this completely insensitive bitch is dealt with accordingly

I am writing this letter on behalf of my Austistic son who has
nominated me as a spokesperson since he is on the brink of suicide
again and is unable to put his owns words into any understandable
order. I don’t even know how to deal with it myself, since he
inherited the Autism gene from me (I’m on DSP incidentally).

My son’s story to date is almost identical to Leigh Markovic’s story.

My son was first diagnosed in 2009 by our family autism specialist due
to difficulties in dealing with Centrelink and employment agencies
which caused him great despair and depression. A few months later that
specialist received accreditation as an ‘approved’ Centrelink DMV
authority who strongly recommended my son be put on DSP due to lack of
disability services within Newstart programs. Centrelink said “he’s
young enough to cope” and denied our application. A few months later
the government changed the table of provisions and as a direct result,
our family specialist is no longer approved by Centrelink.

Fortunately, we did find an industry where my son was able to cope and
possessed the skills required (and then some). His father and I
recommended he might get a foot in the door if he volunteered to sweep
floors or answer phones for a potential employer to demonstrate
initiative. The very day my son was given an opportunity to sweep
floors and answer phones voluntarily, he was meant to attend an
appointment with his employment agent. He thought he had it in the bag
and, like Leah, decided he didn’t need unemployment benefits anymore
and let it lapse.

Since prior to my son employment opportunity I was receiving a
carer-payment for him, I immediately rang Centrelink to let them know
he wasn’t living with me anymore and (as his nominee) why he felt he
didn’t need benefits anymore. The person who took my call read out
what she was writing on his records as she wrote “Mother called to
report son is working in paid employment”. I interrupted her and said
“No, that’s not what mother called for” and repeated myself. She spoke
over the top of me and said “I’m in charge of what is written at this
end, not you”. I was muted several times and handed over to her
manager etc until eventually I hung up in tears.

A week later, my son was sent a letter stating he had to pay back 6
months worth of benefits – that is – 6 months prior to the date he
started sweeping floors. I suspect he’s almost finished paying it
today and it can’t be recovered but thought it was note-worthy for the
purpose of the exercise. The next part is what grinds my gears right
now.

My son demonstration of initiative paid off and, ultimately, he
obtained the necessary training and qualifications required of the
(currently growing and under skilled) industry to operate as a full
time skilled employee. In fact, he went one better and became a
specialist in laser technologies associated with the industry. That
was until the government introduced new laws which meant, if he
continued being employed by his current employer, he would never work
in the industry again. So he quit and started paying back the
Centrelink debt.

Along with those new laws came a government license requirement at a
hefty $800 and no guarantee of obtaining it, regardless of skill level
or niche. Like Leah, his employment agents keep saying they can’t pay
for the license and I’ve written to my local members numerous times
over the years trying to get some action on it, to no avail.

My son has been cut off his payments every couple of months for as long
as I can remember for much the same reasons/patterns as Leah. He was
cut off again last fortnight because, one street away from his
appointment venue he had a panic attack and refused to get out of my
car. We had a huge meltdown with each other and he swore at me and ran
away. The last time he did this  (last year) I found him under a
bridge with a rope in his hand saying he’d be better off hanging,
which I reported to the Minister via my local member.

I just can’t keep pushing the government’s agenda down his throat
anymore. It’s literally killing him! I don’t support pushing him into
jobs where, by default, he can’t perform and will undoubtedly be fired
over and over again, thus diminishing what little self-respect he has
left.

He’s not even allowed to advocate ASD on his resume, they keep saying
it’s a negative attribute but I’m telling you, if you want super-human
skills and abilities in this industry he’s the right man for the job.
As far as we see it, he worked very hard to get where he is and
deserves an opportunity to work in his chosen career.

I don’t understand why we can’t simply accept he’s only ever going to
have one single skill that he’s good at and help him back on his feet.
He can walk into a job tomorrow, there has never been any shortage of
offers, it’s only ever been the government stopping him.

I have found my own work experience for 2 days per week, from January 2016 onwards. I was happy with the work experience, but my health had started to suffer in ways I could never have imagined. I hadn’t known it yet, but I had started going through the very severe symptoms of menopause.
In February 2016, the job provider tried to bully me into obtaining employment with the place I was doing work experience with. They made a date in March for which they knew that I would be completing my required work experience. When I called to ask them to change the day to something where I would not be breaching my job requirements with them, they told me that I had no idea what my requirements were and that I had to go in for another interview, where they would be putting me on Work for the Dole instead. I had hoped to one day receive employment with the place I was doing work experience, and had repeatedly asked whether I would be obtaining employment, but the bullying nature of the job provider ensured that went out the window.

It appears that the job providers are determined to keep people unemployed. They use whatever tactics they can to keep people on their books, rather than to find viable employment.

I ended up on a Centrelink sickness benefit for a few months, in order to find the best course of action for my menopause. I also changed job provider, and have been given slightly more humanity than with the previous job provider. In addition, I made a complaint against the previous job provider to the Department of Employment about the bullying tactics of the previous job provider. I’m not sure it went anywhere.