Accessing a PST-skilled social worker 003-12080010

PST-skilled social workers support PST-skilled Service Officers through case consultation to identify, understand and assess the customers’ circumstances, and how they affect their capacity to meet compulsory requirements.

PST-skilled Service Officers must not consult PST-skilled social workers solely for an exemption from compulsory requirements. An exemption may be considered and assessed as part of a holistic case consult.

Consultation can occur during a:

• Capability Assessment
• Failure Investigation, or
• Comprehensive Compliance Assessment

Three scenarios may occur during a case consultation, these are:

• case discussion between the PST-skilled social worker and PST-skilled Service Officer
• a three-way discussion with the PST-skilled social worker, PST-skilled Service Officer and the customer, or
• the PST-skilled social worker may take over the call

The consultation method will depend on the complexity and sensitivity of the customer’s circumstances. PST-skilled Service Officers and PST-skilled social workers should work together to identify the most suitable method.

Each consult is an opportunity to build staff capability and improve the quality of decisions and outcome for customers.

PST-skilled Service Officers should investigate and use available information when deciding how the customer's circumstance(s) are impacting on their capacity to comply.

PST-skilled Service Officers and PST-skilled social workers will attempt to finalise decisions at first contact.

See the Resources page for some case consultation scenarios.

A PST-skilled Service Officer must consult if the customer:

• presents with family and domestic violence, or
• has an assessed Circumstances Impacting Compliance (CiC) of 'Family relationships/Domestic violence' recorded for family and domestic violence

Note: a consultation is not mandatory if the assessed CiC describes issues other than family and domestic violence. For more details explaining how Service Officers can recognise customers affected by family and domestic violence, see Family and domestic violence.

A PST-skilled Service Officer can consult where the customer meets one of the following:

• presents with mental health issues
• has an assessed CiC of 'Medical conditions - Mental health'
• is in crisis and has complex personal circumstances
• receives Youth Allowance, especially if in receipt of Unreasonable to Live at Home rate

PST-skilled Service Officers (SO5s) conducting a CCA can consult with a PST-skilled social worker during a CCA.

A consult can occur where a PST-skilled Service Officer (SO5) needs support to assess:

• the impact of circumstances on the participant’s capacity to meet their compulsory requirements, or
• the participant is in crisis and has complex personal circumstances

PST-skilled Service Officers decide which CCA specialist is the most appropriate based on the Community Development Program (CDP) participants individual circumstances. For more details, see Generating and preparing for a Comprehensive Compliance Assessment (CCA).

A PST-skilled social worker must assess CDP participants if it is not a review CCA and they meet one of the following:

• The CDP participant is in receipt of Youth Allowance
• The CDP participant presents with, or the ‘Circumstances Impacting Compliance’ screen identifies, either:
• Medical conditions – mental health (MHI), or
• Family relationship/Domestic violence (FMR)
• The CDP participant is in crisis and there are exceptional circumstances identified

If a customer needs social work help after all compliance action is completed, the PST-skilled Service Officer can make a general referral to the Social Work Line. See Social work service referral.