SUPPORT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION

SUPPORT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION

Australians Working Together initiative Phase 2

Background

Personal Advisers were introduced from September 2002 as a key component of the AWT initiative. Personal Advisers and Jobs, Education and Training (JET) Advisers offer personalised and intensive participation assistance to working age people. They help people maximise their potential for economic participation by identifying opportunities and goals and offering tailored intervention strategies and additional support.

The AWT initiatives have laid the foundation for a more personalised and responsive assistance and support framework for working age people.

Phase 2 AWT enhancements introduced from September 2003 included:

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  no further new claims of Partner Allowance and Mature Age Allowance from 20 September 2003
  
• 
  the development of the Mature Age Participation Guide
  
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  the re-development of the Parents and Employment Guide
  
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  a new participation framework for New start Allowance customers aged 50 or over, including:
  

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  reduced reporting requirements for New start Allowance customers aged 50 or over
  

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  the introduction of maximum job search requirements for certain New start Allowance customers aged 50 or over
  
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  new portability provisions for New start Allowance customers aged 50 or over
  
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  new breach waiver provisions for New start Allowance customers aged 50 or over
  

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  access to Work for the Dole (WFD) for Parenting Payment customers including access to the WFD supplement payment
  
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  the introduction of Participation Agreement breaches and breach waiver provisions for certain Parenting Payment customers.
  

Expansion of services provided by Personal and JET Advisers

From September 2003, Personal Adviser services and support was extended to include additional customer groups. With the extension of assistance to a wider range of customers, additional Personal Advisers were recruited. These Personal Advisers undertook a comprehensive 13-week training program starting in August 2003. (See ‘Supporting customer participation’ on page 111 for more information.)

Participation transformation

Supporting participation is a clearly identified priority in Centrelink’s Future Directions. Centrelink has redesigned its business model to support participation outcomes and is already a strong player in the new participation system.

In early 2003, Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu was engaged to explore Centrelink’s future role in participation. From June to December 2003 Deloitte conducted focus groups, surveys, think tanks and cross-organisation discussions with teams from the National Support Office and the Centrelink network to examine how Centrelink can leverage its existing capabilities to play a stronger role in moving people of workforce age along a pathway to work.

Achievements in 2003–04

• 
  raised awareness of the concept and implications of participation for Centrelink in the future including a ‘cascade’ briefing throughout the organisation
  
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  a definition of participation for Centrelink that recognises the progression of a customer along a pathway to work. Participation is defined as ‘all progress towards work outcomes including personal and skill development, training and volunteering’
  
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  an operating vision and principles of participation that have received strong support in the organisation. The vision and principles are:
  

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  Centrelink will become a hub for participation by working collaboratively with Job network and people in their local communities to help them:
  

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  find work
  
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  connect with opportunities, services and support
  
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  build their skills and self reliance
  
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  improve their lives and wellbeing
  

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  a framework for redesigning the service delivery model including assessment and planning for customers and working more closely with local communities.
  

Next steps

The work so far represents a major step forward in the development of Centrelink’s service delivery response to the Government’s participation policies. A significant change strategy will improve the ways Centrelink interacts with both customers and local communities. This will involve engaging more with client agencies, further communicating participation messages throughout the organisation, and developing a detailed plan to guide the changes necessary to the service delivery model.

Working Credit

The Working Credit initiative was part of the Australians Working Together (AWT) initiative and provides a financial incentive for workforce participation by income support recipients.

It commenced 20 September 2003. The earlier deferrals to the passing of AWT legislation afforded the opportunity for Centrelink to develop new technologies to provide customers with additional options for communicating with Centrelink and meeting new reporting requirements after 20 September 2003.

Components

Key components of the Working Credit scheme include:

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  a Working Credit Scheme that allows income support recipients of work force age to offset some of their employment income against credits accrued during periods of low or no income
  
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  fortnightly assessment of Employment Income for all eligible payment types (on a similar basis to the Newstart income test)
  
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  Entitlement maintained for six fortnights (at nil rate) when income from employment precludes payment for those otherwise qualified.
  

Prior to the commencement of Working Credit, an information line was established to assist customers’ understanding of their changed reporting obligations and the advantages of the Working Credit scheme. They were also advised of the options for reporting their earnings available after 20 September.

During the fortnight immediately prior to implementation customers due to report were Contacted to remind them that their reporting arrangements had changed and ensure they understood how to report. Following implementation for the first fortnight customers who failed to report were contacted to make sure that they understood the new arrangements and make sure they knew that they needed to report to receive their payment. The number of fortnightly reporters failing to report at the end of the first month was negligible.

Self Service

To make it easier for customers to comply with new reporting requirements, Centrelink developed avenues for customers to report earnings through an Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system using natural language speech recognition (NLSR) and through the Internet via Centrelink’s Website. Working Credit customers have been encouraged to take up these options after 20 September as alternatives to reporting through Centrelink Call or a Customer Service Centre.

By the end of June 2004, over 40 per cent of new reporters under Working Credit were using self service reporting options, the majority through the voice response system.

FIGURE 6: CHANNEL USAGE FOR REPORTING EMPLOYMENT INCOME FOR ‘NEW REPORTERS’ ^(A)

Information and Technology participation support

During 2003–04, Centrelink introduced significant new I&T capability to support assessments for social and economic participation as a part of the Employment Services Contract Round 3 and Australians Working Together (AWT) initiatives. The system, known as the Participation Application, was developed by Centrelink.

The Participation Application includes support for AWT, welfare reform, Job Seeker Registration, Job Seeker Classification, connection with Job Network members through connections with DEWR, and referrals for customers to participate in activities for social and economic participation in the community. These services are delivered using leading edge technologies that interact with existing Centrelink and DEWR systems.

The outputs of the Participation Application include Job Seeker Registration, Job Seeker Classification Instrument assessment, Job Seeker Management, Job Network member referrals that allow Centrelink staff to make an appointment directly through the DEWR system, Preparing for Work Agreements, Participation Agreements, Participation Plans, and Service Offers.

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