Up Where We Belong: Raising the Status of Disability Support Work Shine a light August 10 to 16 was declared Disability Support Worker Awareness Week by PSA and Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU) members, a time to shine a spotlight on the largely invisible disability support sector. It was part of the ongoing union campaign for adequate government funding to lift pay and conditions and improve the quality of disability support services. Disability support work requires judgment, skill and patience. Yet it is one of the poorest paid occupations, making it hard to attract and retain good staff and provide quality services. During the week, union members took to the streets with stalls and barbecues and invited the public to send postcards to Tariana Turia, the minister with responsibility for disability issues, calling for decent funding for the services. The public response was overwhelmingly positive. At the same time, many politicians accepted an invitation to spend a day with a disability support worker to see what’s involved in the job. The union campaign will continue throughout the year, with further activities planned.
Postcard signing at Hawera
Send a postcard Invite family, friends and colleagues to send a postcard to the government; no postage required. Phone 0508 367 772 or email enquiries@psa.org.nz for postcards.
Showing support The union rally in Christchurch to raise awareness of disability support work was a chance for Peter Brouard to demonstrate his support for the cause – and show off his 2000cc trike at the same time. “I have often thought these workers are underpaid and should get the same as others doing similar work. Better pay and better training would be a win-win,” he says. Peter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
when he was a young man and only recently married. He and his family rely on support worker Jenny Goodman to provide the help they need to get on with their lives. He says that without that support, his wife Nicki would struggle. “The option would be for me to go in a home. That would gut me and be hard on my family. And in the long run it would be more expensive for the government.”
Key issues A 2008 workforce action plan by the Ministry of Health Disability Services Group said there aren’t enough skilled staff to ensure people with disabilities get the support they need. It found that: • The pay is too low for such demanding work. • There is little training and career development. • The job lacks the status it deserves.
Peter Brouard
Most of the problems stem from a funding regime which doesn’t cover decent pay and training, lacks certainty, and involves too many government agencies, each doing their own thing. The report said the workforce priorities are: • Career paths with recognised training and qualifications. • Improved pay and conditions. Ministry of Health Disability Services Group. Disability Services Workforce: Action Plan
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PSA Journal September 2009
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