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So went out with the family on a ride, all good, lunch included, happy days, but.................
Current disc brakes are sh1t, don't brake well at all, blead recently but not braking like they should, very spongie, pull the brake lever and the disc don't grab, new pads in but in a word sh1t.
What can be done, currently using Shimano 468 (I think)
Definitely something wrong there, a working and properly bled set of M486 brakes will have a rock solid feeling lever. Outside of making sure they're properly bled, check your caliper alignment, pads should hit the rotor dead square and at the same time, check for obvious signs of fluid leaking, and make sure the braking surfaces are free from contamination and glazing.
You sure they were bled as per the manual ? They are pretty reliable, I have 6yr old Deores, been in the Alps, Pyrenees and Scotland all year, so I would re bleed them.