Reviewing Job Plans for under 18 year old at risk job seekers 001-09100060

Young people presenting with complex barriers should be identified by Services Australia as being at high risk of not complying with the education, training or job search requirements of Youth Allowance (YA), and requiring additional assistance. It is important that this is indicated on the job seeker's record. Code an 'At Risk' Display on Access (DOA) DOC. These job seekers will be identified when the Online Participation Workflow is applied at their initial contact with Services Australia.

YA job seekers who are aged under 18 years and are considered to have particular barriers to participation and employment need to have a Job Plan negotiated by a Service Officer, if they are a Centrelink managed job seeker. The job seeker must be fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements.

Employment Services Providers are responsible for negotiating Job Plans for provider managed job seekers.

Some young people aged under 18 years require considerable support in making appropriate decisions that will lead them along adequate pathways to independence. Services Australia plays a crucial role in assisting these young people to make the right choices to achieve successful outcomes such as sustainable employment. Most young people are able to make this transition successfully with some support from their family, key government and non-government organisations, and the community.

The movement from school to work is not easy for this group of young people, and a substantial amount of support is required to assist them in addressing often complex barriers. These barriers may include a lack of family support, a high level of family conflict, substance abuse issues, unstable accommodation, mental illness, a history of state care, or a history of truancy or offending behaviour.

The requirements agreed in a Job Plan for a Centrelink managed job seeker must be quantifiable, specific and regularly reviewed. The requirements need to reflect the young person's educational attainment, experience, skills, including social and life skills and their physical and psychological capacity. Other relevant circumstances that need to be considered include the state of the local labour market and access to local training and other opportunities. An appropriate Job Plan is one that includes requirements that reflect the complex needs of the young person. Whilst there may be a component of education/training or job search, these requirements are minimal and must be achievable in the context of the young person's current circumstances.

The focus of the Job Plan review is on supporting the job seeker, particularly where they have experienced difficulty in complying with agreed requirements. At each review, the Job Plan for a Centrelink managed job seeker can be renegotiated taking into account any changes in circumstances and progress made.

The focus of the first review (usually after 3 months) is on supporting the job seeker, particularly where they have experienced difficulty in complying with agreed requirements. Subsequent reviews (usually at the 6 month stage or later) are used to assess opportunities that are appropriate for the young person to engage in education/training and/or job search. This review may involve key staff members involved in the original development of the Job Plan. Note: if there are still significant barriers and/or issues to be addressed a customer is not usually moved to these types of requirements.

If the job seeker has complied with the terms of their Job Plan, check whether the requirements included in the Job Plan and their end dates are still appropriate and if necessary negotiate another Job Plan.