Reconnection, Employment and Learning (REAL) program 125-25092405

REAL is a national pre-release and post-release program. It focuses on achieving stronger prison to work transitions for First Nations people.

REAL assists eligible job seekers to:

• access the support they need to better prepare them to return to the community, and
• find employment following their release from prison

The REAL provider will support participants in a 2 phased approach within pre-release and post-release settings.

REAL will connect participants with:

• essential social services (i.e. health, housing)
• community organisations
• navigating government services
• learning and jobs pathways including connecting to country and culture

A person can volunteer to participate in REAL during their period of incarceration. Following their release from prison the REAL participant can:

• choose to continue participating in REAL post-release, or
• elect to be referred to an employment services provider

Job seekers who elect to participate in REAL post-release:

• fully meet their mutual obligation requirements by participating in REAL
• are Centrelink managed
• must negotiate a Job Plan with Services Australia

The REAL program consists of:

• face to face pre-release employment servicing by a REAL provider
• personalised mentor to provide tailored support for participants. Some additional services may be available, such as:
• Peer support programs
• First Nations language and arts programs
• Vocational education and training, including non-accredited training and work-related licences
• Health and wellbeing support
• Housing assistance, including rent and crisis accommodation when other avenues of assistance have been exhausted

As the REAL program is voluntary, a participant may withdraw from the program at any time by advising their REAL provider that they no longer want to participate.

Where a REAL participant withdraws from the program before release, they are treated the same as any other prisoner who has not participated in REAL.

DEWR will determine if a customer is eligible during their period of incarceration.

A job seeker is eligible to participate in the REAL program when they meet all the following criteria:

• are a First Nations Australian
• are incarcerated in a facility with a known release date within 6 months, or held on remand
• aged 15 years or over

Note: to be eligible to participate in REAL post-release, a job seeker must have participated in the REAL program whilst incarcerated.

Pre-release Face to Face Incarcerated Customer Servicing team only.

There are no changes to the pre-release claim process for REAL participants. However, additional information is included in the Prison Pre-release Claim form (SU674) outlining the post-release process for these job seekers.

A message will display in the Participation Interview on the Job seeker registration & provider referral information tab when a job seeker participated in REAL whilst incarcerated and is eligible to continue in the program post release.

If a job seeker has participated in REAL whilst incarcerated, when Services Australia is assessing the job seeker's income support payment, the Service Officer:

• should register the job seeker as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP)
• is not required to run the Job Seeker Snapshot
• must not refer the job seeker to an employment services provider

Note: the system will automatically record a 'crisis' RapidConnect exemption.

Before release, where it is known the participant is moving to an area where REAL is not serviced, DEWR will determine the appropriateness of an exit prior to their release.

The participant may also be exited from REAL if they are reincarcerated for a period longer than 13 weeks.

If an exit is appropriate, DEWR will not send advice to trigger the 'REAL Initial Appointment' process. The customer will be assessed like any other pre or post release prisoner.

See Centrelink service standards and procedures for pre-release customers.

Job seekers who participate in REAL during incarceration will have a compulsory REAL Initial Appointment manually booked between 14-28 days after:

• their income support payment has been granted, or
• any applicable exemption has ended

Staff will manually book the REAL appointment when:

• an email is received by their office positional mailbox, or
• direction is received from the leadership team

The purpose of the appointment is to:

• discuss the job seeker's mutual obligation requirements, and
• determine if they would like to volunteer in the REAL program following release from prison

DEWR will advise the agency when a job seeker has ceased participation with their REAL provider. This can occur at any stage in the 12 month period following the job seeker's release from prison.

If a job seeker contacts the agency asking to be exited from REAL, they must be directed to their REAL provider to be formally exited from the program. A message will display on the Activities and Exemptions (AEX) screen once REAL is coded. Only the REAL provider can exit the job seeker from their caseload. The provider may also exit the participant due to non-engagement with the program.

Once exit advice is received and the system determines an appointment is required:

• an email will be sent to the local office's positional mailbox
• leadership will allocate to a Service Officer for manual creation of the REAL Exit Appointment
• appointment must be booked between 14-28 days of the activity ceasing

As the job seeker is no longer fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements by participating in REAL, the purpose of the appointment is to:

• run the Job Seeker Snapshot (if required)
• make a suitable referral to an employment services provider

The job seeker's AEX screen will automatically end the Reconnection Employment and Learning (REL) activity code when advice is received from DEWR.

If a REAL participant is voluntarily participating with a Workforce Australia provider while participating in REAL, the REAL Exit Appointment is not required.

A REAL participant may contact the agency at any stage during their 12 month participation, and elect to be voluntarily connected to a Workforce Australia:

• Employment services provider, or
• Online for Individuals

The agency is responsible for referring REAL participants who elect to voluntarily participate in employment services to a provider.

New Claim - Participation Interview

During the new claim process, the Service Officer will identify in the Participation Interview (PI) if a job seeker is eligible to participate in REAL post-release.

The Service Officer is not required to run the Job Seeker Snapshot for prison release customers and must register the job seeker as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP).

Standalone - Participation Summary

REAL participation indicators and provider details are displayed on the Participation Summary screen in Process Direct on the following tabs:

• Key information
• Job seeker registration & provider referral information
• Online Diary

Customers participating in REAL may be referred for an ESAt to assess their work capacity. A referral can be made by either Services Australia or the REAL provider.

In most cases, the ESAt will be conducted when the customer is released from prison. However, the REAL provider can request the ESAt take place whilst the customer is incarcerated if they determine it is in the customer's best interests.

Before requesting an ESAt the REAL provider will:

• ensure the customer has suitable medical evidence available, and
• coordinate with the prison facility to ensure the customer can participate in the ESAt interview (where applicable)

For more information, see Request an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt).

Where an ESAt outcome:

• recommends a referral to any of the following providers, the deferred referral process will apply. The relevant work items to refer the job seeker will only display once the period of participation in REAL ceases:
• Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA)
• Transition to Work (TtW)
• assesses the job seeker with a Temporary Reduced Work Capacity (TRWC) or Partial Capacity to Work (PCW) of 0-14 hours per week, the job seeker can voluntarily participate with REAL

A job seeker can have a TRWC or PCW of 0-14hrs per fortnight assessed prior to entering prison. In this case, where the job seeker participated in REAL during their time incarcerated, they will not have a REAL Initial appointment booked upon release.

When the reduced work capacity ends:

• staff should determine whether an eligible period in REAL still applies
• the job seeker may choose to continue participating in REAL to fully meet their requirements

When the 12 month period ceases, DEWR will exit the job seeker from their service.

Note: the REL and Quarterly Participation Interview (QTI) activity codes can be coded concurrently on the Activities and Exemptions (AEX) screen, with QTI as the highest priority. The job seeker can remain connected with the REAL provider on a voluntary basis while fully meeting their requirements through QTI.