Monday Muses ~ there are none so blind than those who refuse to see.
Rosemary McKenzie-Ferguson
Founder at Craig's Table- Recipient Summa Comp Laude 2021-22 Recipient Bloom Making a Difference Award 2023
There is no shame in ignorance. Shame comes from feigned ignorance.
Over the last month or so I have listened to many podcasts so it really isn't possible to credit the podcast these words come from.
At multiple times in our lives we are in ignorance of what is happening around us even ignorant or what is happening simply because it is easier to remain ignorant. However when ignorance is feigned real harm is done, trust is eroded, respect is lost and angst steps in.
For weeks I have been speaking of the concerns I hold for the confidential documents of now defunct medico-legal providers. I have asked questions of the required authority, I have been sent answers that display a level of ignorance that borders on disdain. It seems that any answer is better than acknowledging that no one within the required authority had bothered to understand the reason for my concern. In one email exchange I referenced this clip Victorian mother fined thousands despite not owning a car or holding a license A cyber breach has [apparently] led to identity theft.
Hence my concern regarding missing confidential and highly personal information with no apparent way for anyone to know that the medico-legal providers had been liquidated or how to access the documents or even if the documents were on-shore of off-shore. My concern was not for any one member of the injured worker community, but for the entire collective of the injured worker community.
I did what I thought was the only right thing for me to do, I followed the information and called a liquidator in the hope that some of my concerns could be quelled, and because my role in the injured worker community requires me to have answers to questions before the questions are asked.
My concerns were not quelled at all. I was told that the documents were safe but the person I spoke with could not tell me how long the documents would remain so or what would happen post close of the liquidation process. Nor could she tell me if the documents were on-shore or off-shore, or how if required the documents could be obtained or how the requested documents would be released.
In short I spent 20 minutes going in ever decreasing circles and gained no ground. At one stage I was asked if Craig's Table would be interested in taking over the complete holding of the IME reports. To which I replied thanks but no thanks.
What has annoyed me the most in all of this is the complete lack of understanding from the required authority to the concerns I have raised. At the very least people have the right to know where these documents are and the process that is required to access the documents.
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In all of that has been going on over the last many months The one thing I have been missing more than anything else is the ability to walk into The Marksman's office and be heard and be listened to and to have The Marksman understand and action what needs to be done.
I admit that The Marksman and I had some "robust" discussions and I did not always leave his office with what I set out to achieve and even when at that point in time I gained nothing other than the acknowledgement that I had been heard I always left The Marksman's office knowing when the time was right and when the ability to action what was required there would be further conversations.
What I am finding now is a level of obfuscation that is mind numbing; there is no willingness to find common ground, there is no willingness to accept that there are up-till-now concerns that had not been considered simply offends me.
As I keep telling people my role is to find the gaps, to find and put voice to the issues that need to be addressed before the issues turn into a concern beyond containment.
Hence I have reached the end of my tolerance and I have started to compile a ministerial that means instead of people explaining to me why "things can not be done" they will need to explain it to a minister.
Everyone who knows me personally knows that I really am quite a lazy person, I do not willingly cause havoc for anyone, I also do not blindside anyone, thus I have informed the required authorities that I am submitting a ministerial.
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As a part of the ministerial I will once more request that Craig's Table be recognised as a provider within the workers compensation system.
It takes a good deal of time and money to do this work, the wider workers compensation system relies on Craig's Table being in place, they just do not want to pay for the work that is asked of us.
Just setting in place the much needed telephone support service requires funds to train people to answer calls and provide the relevant information, to set up the telephone system. All of this is what the system thinks Craig's Table can just do.
Craig's Table does have a donation portal that oddly enough people within the industry who rely on the support that they ask for never seem to get around to using even though there are major promises. Craig's Table is a registered for purpose not profit, as with everyone else we do require real funds to pay our way.
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Shattered is gaining momentum in leaps and bounds not just here in Australia but internationally as well. Kathie Melocco has just uploaded an interview she has done with the New York Times. There are other international news outlets to follow. As soon as I have a link to the New York Times article I will share it with you.
What till now has been able to be hidden in full sight will no longer be able to be denied; and that is a good thing to know. I can say from my own international work the very same concerns that are found within the Australian workers compensation system are found in every workers compensation system.
As Kathie has said to me many times, Shattered is not going to answer questions, it is going to cause questions to be asked. These questions are uncomfortable and the answers will be hard to hear.
So many people have told me as I know they have told Kathie and Ballina that Shattered is long overdue, it will break things down and it will break things apart; but most of all it will start the long-overdue conversation and it will prevent the seemingly never ending misuse of the injured worker community for monetary gain.
For the most part people are totally ignorant of the workers compensation process and that is a good thing; it is not until the ambiguity of workers compensation enters their lives they discover it is easier to dance on quicksand than to navigate workers compensation with its dead ends and mindless processes that do nothing other than create grist for the mill.
If you have not already done so please sign Demand a Royal Commission into Insurance Systems Abuse in NSW Workers Compensation Scheme and also please pass this link on to all of your connections via every social media outlet possible, and even email it out to your family friends and work mates.
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Conferences-Panels-Training-Webinars-Industry Groups
领英推荐
AILA 2024 NATIONAL CONFERENCE 11 September 2024 6:30pm – 9:30pm AEST Broadbeach, Queensland
National Health Workforce Summit 21 – 22 October 2024 Swissotel Sydney
Podcast/Radio interview
Awards nominations
Nominate for the Bloom Awards [nomination close1st September]
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Oh My Golly, I really am running late this evening, 'tis almost 7.45pm and I am still attempting to finish writing Monday Muses. It really has been one of those days when there could have been 3 of me and I would still be running behind time.
Best I end this and have a much needed cup of tea as I prepare a late dinner.
Yours in service
Rosemary
Once more from Marlo this week came another animation that was used to entertain the young members of the family.
This weeks birthday cake goes to a member of my family Danielle
Ambassador Survivor’s R Us ... Supporting the fight against Domestic Abuse.
7 个月There are many ostriches within the walls you speak with. Their heads firmly stuck in the sand. By continuing this approach they are able to gaslight the injured workers community.