Direct registration with a provider for disability employment assistance services 001-02230030

A job seeker with an illness, injury or disability directly approaches a Disability Employment Services (DES) provider for employment assistance.

The provider will confirm the job seeker's eligibility.

Contact with the agency may occur where the DES provider starts the full direct registration process. The system matches the job seeker with a valid Customer Reference Number (CRN) for a 'person' record (not a 'child' record). If:

• assistance with this is required, the provider or the job seeker will contact the agency. Go to Step 2
• a match is made, the provider conducts an eligibility assessment. Go to Step 5

If the DES provider is unable to find a valid CRN for the job seeker, they should (wherever possible, and where this arrangement is suitable for the job seeker) contact the agency by telephone while the job seeker is present and:

• Ask for a CRN (this is all that is required)
• Allow the customer to talk to us and provide sufficient details to create a CRN
• If this is not possible, the provider should ask the job seeker to contact us themselves, by the most convenient means for them, either by phone or in person
• The provider should give the job seeker a clear explanation about what type of assistance is required from the agency
• When the job seeker has contacted, clearly establish what assistance is required. If this is not clear, contact the provider to check

Conduct a normal index search, to check if the job seeker already has a CRN.

Does the job seeker already have a CRN?

• Yes, provide this information directly to the provider. If the provider has contacted, this can be done without speaking to the job seeker. The provider can complete the remainder of the direct registration process
• No, go to Step 4

To make a shell record for a CRN:

• Make contact with the job seeker if they are not present. This can be done by phone
• Add a new person
• There is no need for the job seeker to provide the agency with identity confirmation or Australian residency if the job seeker is not seeking any other service from Services Australia, such as claiming an income support payment

Advise the job seeker of the CRN.

The provider can now complete the remainder of the direct registration process.

The Department of Employment and Workplace and Relations' Employment System (ESS) checks for a current and valid ESAt to determine eligibility.

The following job seekers are exempt from the requirement for a ESAt or JCA recommending DES:

• Job seekers assessed for Work Assist assistance. This assessment is made by a provider
• School leavers or Special Class Clients accessing DES. Eligibility for these two groups will be assessed by the provider

Outcome of the check for a current and valid ESAt or JCA:

• If there is a current and valid assessment recommending the service that the job seeker has directly approached, the provider will record the placement. Procedure ends here
• If a current and valid assessment does not recommend the service approached by the job seeker, the job seeker cannot access this service. They may choose to approach a provider who offers the service recommended in the ESAt or JCA. Procedure ends here
• If there is no existing assessment, an ESAt referral is required. Go to Step 6

A DES provider can directly refer a job seeker volunteering for employment assistance services for an ESAt. For DSP customers aged under 35 years with participation requirements, see Pre-screening and booking participation interviews for Disability Support Pension (DSP) customers.

If a DSP customer volunteers for employment assistance, they may be referred for an ESAt without it affecting their eligibility to payment.

Job seekers accessing DES services via the direct registration pathway should not have mutual obligation requirements. If the job seeker needs to be referred for an ESAt for the purpose of determining eligibility for the most suitable employment assistance service, the ESAt referral is always voluntary for the job seeker.

Once the ESAT has been completed the information will be available to the agency and the referring service provider with access to the ESS.

The Assessor or Service Officer will refer the job seeker back to the referring service provider where this is the most suitable service for the job seeker. If the job seeker has chosen to be referred to a different provider within the same services (for example DES) they will be referred to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to change provider. If an ESAt has recommended another type of service for the job seeker, they will seek to refer the job seeker to the alternative provider of their choice.