Identifying barriers to participation for prison release customers 001-09020130

When trying to identify the challenges and issues faced by the job seeker, Service Officers may face their own challenges, including:

• limited time for pre-interview preparation, and during the interview
• lack of self-disclosure from job seekers - some job seekers may be reluctant to talk about their background, current situation or what they would like to do in the future, or may sometimes be preoccupied by other matters
• limited information available as Centrelink records focus on the correct assessment of entitlement to payments. Even if a customer has had extensive dealings with other departments, agencies, organisations or professionals, Service Officers will not have access to that information unless it has been provided by the job seeker in connection with their Centrelink entitlements

Always make good use of time and resources to provide effective help to job seekers.

The job seeker's Centrelink record will usually provide a number of useful indicators which may help in looking at the job seeker's past issues and likely current challenges, including:

• benefit history (duration, frequency and outcomes of past periods in receipt of payment, including claims for Crisis Payment)
• activity history (types of previous exemptions, including medical certificates)
• previous specialist assessments and intervention
• information on the Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen
• results and outcomes of previous referrals for assistance, including employment assistance through Employment Services Providers
• history of non-compliance with mutual obligation requirements
• applications for urgent payment
• frequency of previous changes of address and the types of accommodation (e.g. hostel)

Always keep an open mind when dealing with job seekers and take care not to stereotype the job seeker. Job seekers may naturally take offence if they feel that such an assumption is being made.

Do not pre-judge the outcome of the interview based on the customer's circumstances or information about their past.

The starting point of any initial interview should always be that all reasonable options are open, even if the customer is not yet 'job ready'.

Effective interviewing techniques include:

• establishing rapport with the job seeker before and during the interview, and building trust
• active listening, based on the responses recorded after running the Participation Interview which includes the Job Seeker Snapshot, and liaising with Service Officers and Services Australia's specialist officers (who may already have had extensive dealings with a job seeker)
• subject to privacy principles, talking to third party organisations as necessary (such as Employment Services Providers who may have previously dealt with a job seeker)
• accessing the general expertise which can be offered by Services Australia's specialists in particular social workers:
• internal referrals for direct intervention and assistance
• consultation and recommendations for assistance and referral
• help with assessment of short-term barriers
• assessment of longer-term barriers