1. Citizens, Consumers, Recipients Voices of front line workers negotiating the neo-liberal welfare system in Australia Amanda Howard and Kylie Agllias University of Newcastle Australia

2. Context and Background Historical development of welfare system – provision based on living wage, safety net, some universal services. Changes to the Australian welfare system – deregulation, creation of markets, focus on individual, contracting for services, devolving govt. services and responsibility. Social context – low unemployment rates, strong economic growth, high living standards with specific pockets of poverty. Areas of impact for reform – employment services, ageing and disability, out of home care (child protection).

3. The Research Qualitative research – in depth exploratory interviews with front line workers and managers. Where: Employment services and emergency relief providers in Hunter/Central Coast region. Aim: Gather data about current experiences of human service providers in this policy context – how have and are changes impacting on their work and people using their service. 30 interviews completed with 2 senior managers, 6 middle managers and 22 front line workers in 6 organisations (2 emergency relief, 4 employment)

4. Very preliminary findings Jobs/Roles/Experience/Quals – Inexperience – with client group and overall job experience, experience in human services, limited or no training. – Limited formal education/qualifications – 6 interviewees with University qualifications (half with human service focus, half in a range on unrelated disciplines). Others with TAFE Cert. 3 or no qualifications. Job insecurity – focus on performance and competition. High status job titles: Employment Consultant, Recruitment Specialist, Sales Manager.

5. Very preliminary findings Experience of policy change(impact in work, clients, competition, internal requirements). – Most interviewees in employment services only had short term experience in the sector – 3months-18 months on average – Interviewees (volunteers) delivering emergency relief had over 10 years experience on average – Limited undertanding of policy overall. – Critique of policy context mostly absent. – Well versed in accountability requirements and accompanying language. – High awareness of competition within and between services.

6. Very preliminary findings Who are clients/changes to client profile/changes to issues. – Clients classified according to perceived difficulty in being placed in a job. – Increased complexity described simplistically and attributed to one causal factor eg mental illness. – Policy changes re school leaving age significant. – Increased homelessness and working poor. – Pensioners increasing. – Next wave clients – people with disabilities now included in job services criteria – required to work/train for work. – Emergency relief clients now more ongoing rather than one off.

7. Very preliminary findings Restrictions and challenges, worker decision making and autonomy, professional discretion: – Restrictions viewed as important accountability measures to government and community. – Increased monitoring described with each contract. – Monitoring continually included more groups. – Limited room for professional discretion. Guidelines followed proscriptively.

8. Next Steps Additional interviews Further analysis of: – Parallel processes of employment instability, compliance, legitimacy through employment. – Dominance of psychological explanations of unemployment - “personal barriers” rather than any structural issues. Expansion of study to include Centrelink, and unemployed people.

9. Contact us Kylie Agllias Kylie.Agllias@newcastle.edu.au Amanda Howard Amanda.Howard@newcastle.edu.au