Thread by @antipovertycent

Today at the #DisabilityRC AimBig & employment services peak body @DisabilityEmplt will appear to tell us some bullshit justification for the disgusting practices we heard from Mzia yesterday (🧵below)

You can follow from 10am on the @DRC_AU website: disability.royalcommission.gov.au

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1496260015443034112

We're also going to see a lot of hand wringing about how hard it is for workers. That's true.

But to pretend these orgs aren't directly responsible for it is a joke. They're also responsible for hiring unqualified ppl & allowing staff to inflict horrible abuse on disabled folks.

"75% of people in the BusyBeans program had a positive experience" – this is from EIGHT surveys out of 100s of participants.

Also, how many people had a positive experience BECAUSE of the work Mzia did to help them in a failing program? #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

A report found that many people didn't feel qualified when they finished AimBig's BusyBeans program. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

The people employed at the AimBig-related entity were employed through labour hire ... shows how disposable they viewed the disabled people were supposed to be helping. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

Fewer than 20% of people who did the BusyBeans program got no qualification from completing the program. Some of the people who DID get a qualification only got a "part qualification". Not all participants were offered this opportunity. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

"Yes, we could've drafted any of the documents before the program started" – AimBig

"But you didn't draft them?" – @DRC_AU counsel

"No" – Aimbig

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU After they had reached 26 weeks, people employed would by BusyBeans would have their hours reduced. This would mean their job plan requirements would no longer be met. 26 weeks is the expiry of most wage subsidies. Scum. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU AimBig's Matthew Ting concedes that it is a false use of the word "agreement" to refer to job plans as being agreements with participants. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU Neither the @DRC_AU counsel nor AimBig's representative understand that you can *have* a job and *still* be required to look for work in your job plan. These people are not experts. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU "If someone reaches a 26 week outcome and they lose employment, they have to be exited from DES ... you are in effect existing them from the system." – @DRC_AU counsel

"Correct" – AimBig

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU In response to a question about the supposed aim to get people into sustainable employment, AimBig says: "The intent wasn't to keep people in a BusyBeans cafe in ongoing employment"

@DRC_AU After implying that having worked with disabled folks was a 'desirable criteria' for BusyBeans trainers, Matthew Ting from AimBig: There's no written requirement that employees have experience working with disabled people, but it was a consideration." #DisabilityRC

@DRC_AU Mzia reported in 2019 that participants weren't getting enough support. The program continued until at least May 2020.

AimBig's Matthew Ting recalls that "conversations" were had to follow up Mzia's concerns.

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU He has no documentation of any follow up. He is now disputing Mzia saying she was providing support to people. Remember, AimBig never even gave Mzia a job description, & participants were coming to her with questions not answered by AimBig. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU He is now saying providing information about support needs WAS part of what she should have done.

So how is that not support? How is it reasonable to have that responsibility put on someone with no qualification related to supporting disabled people? #DisabilityRC

@DRC_AU THERE WAS NO TRAINING MATERIAL UNTIL NOVEMBER 2019. DOZENS OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN EMPLOYED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2019. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU The chair seems deeply unimpressed with Mr Ting's testimony.

@DRC_AU It wasn't his expectation that people would need training materials in the training program. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@DRC_AU "Because they were working towards an outcome, AimBig was working towards and outcome fee." 🔥🔥🔥 from @DRC_AU counsel

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

They were still finalising training materials in May 2020, when the program ended, 6 months after they started using draft training materials, 11 months after the program began. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

Chair: Did you create the program without knowing your own company's policy on reasonable adjustments?

Ting: It's a policy I would've been aware of ... I believe there would be such a policy document.

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

AimBig's Matthew Ting says he wasn't aware of any disabled person in the training program for disabled people who would have needed "reasonable adjustments"

... this man is a senior employee of a disability support organisation. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

While we're on break, let's take a look at some of what's on the AimBig, Rehab Management and Arriba Group websites ...

Still promoting the BusyBeans program? Is the marketing manager as incompetent and shameless as Matthew Ting? #DisabilityRC

Just a variety of claims about how "caring" the companies are, and the many ways in which they will help people's mental health.

Mzia, who has psychosocial disabilities, was driven to a complete breakdown by these monsters. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

Matthew Ting, who established the BusyBeans program, who did not provide Mzia with a job description, and who received emails from her with concerns about the suitability and safety of the training environment, IS NOW BLAMING MZIA for the training environment. #DisabilityRC

The person responsible for AimBig's BusyBeans program (Matthew Ting) has never visited the sites where it was located.

He has described three different lines of reporting, deflecting responsibility for the safety of the training locations. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

To repeat: the training environment is an office area. There is no kitchen.

Nowhere to dispose of hot water, which people had to carry out the back in a bucket.

Matthew Ting says he's never seen these photos. Mzia emailed them to him. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

Just a reminder that we're not talking about some dinky small business.

They operate DES in 58 employment regions (ie all of them).

They've received multiple awards from the @FinancialReview – awards that are clearly an absolute farce.

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@FinancialReview The ratio of trainees to trainers was 4 trainees to 1 trainer.

It was not based on any external advice or standards.

Ting says it was based on what they thought would be "workable". ie How much a trainer costs, not what a trainee needs. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

We're a bit quiet at the moment folks as we're in a very repetitive & tedious back & forth between Ting & the @DRC_AU Chair/counsel about who's actually responsible for this clusterfuck. He has a lot of suggestions about people who weren't in charge of his program. #DisabilityRC

@DRC_AU Matthew Ting says AimBig lost money on the BusyBeans program.

They got $7,785 for a 26-week outcome for a level 2 participant. They got $27,472 for a level 5 participant.

AimBig paid $33 per hour to their related company, but participants didn't get that.

#DisabilityRC

The structure of outcome payments means (un)employment providers who are rorting the system like AimBig have a strong incentive to put more people on a program like this doing fewer hours of paid work.

The outcome payment does not go down. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

The man in charge of the program to support disabled people – those he describes as having less success in DES than other cohorts, such as people with down syndrome – has no experience working with disabled people.

He designed the program. #DisabilityRC

https://twitter.com/PWDAustralia/status/1496664976161128449?s=20&t=sKnd1PtrU66T65dLd8iIcA

AimBig confirms these figures do not include wage subsidies or grants from state/local governments that the company also received for the BusyBeans program. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

https://twitter.com/antipovertycent/status/1496666512970891265?s=20&t=lWQI9Bf55Z44_HrJPt3WrA

They also received an @NDIS grant on top of the wage subsidies & the other government grants!!!!!!

These companies are the most revolting profiteers, taking buckets of public money from multiple governments to exploit & hurt disabled people & derail their lives. #DisabilityRC

@NDIS On break til 2pm. A breather, thank god.

@NDIS Ugh. We're back.

@NDIS So, council grants went to AimBig. Coffee sales income to AimBig. DES funding to AimBig. NDIS grants to Rehab Management.

Still no mention of who got got the wage subsidies. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS $189,000 in outcome payments in less than a year for one site. The site photographed above. They also received the NDIS grant and a council grant.

Remember, not a single disabled person got an ongoing job. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS Huge audible sigh of frustration from the chair. WE. FEEL. YOU.

@NDIS Nationally the group of companies also received $110,000 of wage subsidies. The subsidy was paid from AimBig to the labour hire company that was set up to employ the BusyBeans workers. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS The @DRC_AU counsel: So TLH (related labour hire company) employed BusyBeans participants & terminated their employment on the date they finished in the program?

Matthew Ting from AimBig: I don’t agree. They were casuals. [So he's saying they technically not fired] #DisabilityRC

@NDIS @DRC_AU Appalling. The @NDIS and the Department of Social Services are as culpable as AimBig and its related entities for the harm caused to disabled people through this program. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

https://twitter.com/bluntshovels/status/1496686013514596352?s=20&t=gpXmAWurQS0-f2PxoN3NxQ

@NDIS @DRC_AU Matthew Ting, who hired Mzia, knew she had ADHD but did not know and did not find out what sort of supports and accommodations she would need at work.

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS @DRC_AU He confirms AimBig had no policies in place to manage the conflict of interest being both her employer and her DES provider. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS @DRC_AU Ting has personally hired other DES participants from AimBig's caseload. He does not believe there is any conflict of interest. #DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS @DRC_AU He is blaming the fact that Mzia received an employment offer and employment contract from different companies as an "administrative error".

The fact that she was employed by a different entity is what allowed them to claim certain payments/subsidies. #DisabilityRC

@NDIS @DRC_AU It seems as if AimBig underpaid Mzia, who was employed under the Clerks award (while working as a barista trainer) & didn’t include this in evidence to the #DisabilityRC. Ting slipped up to reveal this. This seems to be the “pay rise” they said was because of a change in duties.

@NDIS @DRC_AU He says Mzia's underpayment was rectified, but he didn't tell Mzia or the royal commission about it. #DisabilityRC

@NDIS @DRC_AU shorter Ting: i gave her a job offer but i know nothing of the people who she was employed by 👀👀👀 #DisabilityRC

@NDIS @DRC_AU Folks, we will have to step away for the next hour.

Follow @viexon66 @invisibleevie @PWDAustralia @MScharnke @raqsadl @GothieBioVenom @C_Frohmader @MercurialJestr for more on the #DisabilityRC shitshow

@NDIS @DRC_AU @viexon66 @invisibleevie @PWDAustralia @MScharnke @raqsadl @GothieBioVenom @C_Frohmader @MercurialJestr Ok. We're back. Just in time for the labour hire company connected to AimBig, TLH. Deep breath, let's go.

@NDIS @DRC_AU @viexon66 @invisibleevie @PWDAustralia @MScharnke @raqsadl @GothieBioVenom @C_Frohmader @MercurialJestr TLH: ending with BusyBeans doesn't mean they stopped working for us

@DRC_AU counsel: So how many people kept working for you?

TLH: couldn't tell ya

#DisabilityRC #AbolishMutualObligations

@NDIS @DRC_AU @viexon66 @invisibleevie @PWDAustralia @MScharnke @raqsadl @GothieBioVenom @C_Frohmader @MercurialJestr Well that was over quickly. I guess we'll see you back here for more tomorrow! [sighs]