Community Language Allowance (CLA) 106-01020040

Bilingual staff can initiate the CLA application process.

To meet initial eligibility, staff must:

• speak a language other than English. This includes:
• international languages
• First Nations languages
• staff helping customers who are deaf or hard of hearing, using Auslan and other sign languages
• be an ongoing, non-ongoing, part-time, or casual employee
• be skilled in a role that has regular direct contact with customers. This can be over the phone or face to face
• not be a contractor or labour hire staff
• not be a contracted interpreter or translator for Services Australia

Note: staff must not help customers in language before their CLA eligibility is approved.

Is initial eligibility met?

• Yes, staff member must discuss suitability with their Line Manager, go to Step 2
• No, procedure ends here

Staff must have proof of their language skills to receive CLA.

Staff can give their Line Manager a copy of their formal language certification or recognition as proof, such as:

• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) certification at the certified provisional interpreter level or higher, or
• NAATI recognition as a practicing or recognised interpreter (only where NAATI certification is not available in that language), or
• Certificate II in Auslan from TAFE, State Deaf Society or a Services Australia approved equivalent organisation

Can proof of language skills be met by a formal certification or recognition?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 3

If staff do not have formal language certification or recognition, they can sit an online CLA proficiency test.

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) conduct the test on behalf of Services Australia.

To sit the test, staff:

• must ask their Line Manager to complete a Request for Community Language Allowance Proficiency test (PP015) form (see link on Resources page)
• must review the completed PP015 and sign if correct
• must ask their Line Manager to email the form to NAATI (staff must not email)
• are encouraged to prepare for the test. Staff can refer to the following Resources:
• NAATI CLA practice material
• NAATI Guide to the CLA practice material

NAATI will:

• contact the staff member and Line Manager to arrange a test date and time. The test is conducted using MS Teams
• advise if no testing is available in the requested language. If this happens, the staff member or Line Manager must email Language Services as soon as possible

Did the staff member pass the CLA Proficiency test?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, staff can consider sitting a re-test:
• Services Australia may pay for a re-test if taken 3 months or more after the most recent test, (maximum of 2 re-tests), or
• staff can pay for a re-test, if within 3 months of the latest test, or after 3 failed attempts
• procedure ends here

Note: Line Managers are responsible for organising re-tests. Services Australia will reimburse the cost of the re-test if the staff member passes.

Staff must have delegation approval (APS5 and above for direct Line Managers) before they can use their language skills in their duties. See Resources page for a link to delegation approval information.

Staff must have:

• written approval from the appropriate delegate within 21 days of submitting their CLA application
• approval in ESSentials from the appropriate delegate

Notes:

• Line Managers enter and approve CLA in ESSentials
• Open mySupport and complete the Skill tag update request
• Staff receive CLA from the first payday after CLA is approved in ESSentials
• Staff receive CLA during periods of paid leave. If they are on leave at half-pay, CLA will be paid at half the rate

Line Managers of bilingual staff can initiate or assess a staff member’s CLA application.

They:

• may be asked to discuss CLA suitability with staff
• may receive CLA applications from staff
• are encouraged to identify potential recipients
• can view current CLA recipients in Office Locator > Teams > Interpreter Services
• must have suitable delegation to approve CLA: APS5 or above for direct Line Managers. See Resources page for a link to delegation approval information

To meet initial eligibility, Line Managers must confirm the staff member:

• speaks a language other than English. This includes:
• international languages
• First Nations languages
• staff helping customers who are deaf or hard of hearing, using Auslan and other sign languages
• is an ongoing, non-ongoing, part-time, or casual employee
• is skilled in a role that has regular direct contact with customers. This can be over the phone or face to face
• is not a contractor or labour hire staff
• is not a contracted interpreter or translator for Services Australia

Does staff member meet initial eligibility?

• Yes, and:
• staff member initiated the application, go to Step 2
• Line Manager initiated the application, go to Step 3
• No, and:
• staff member initiated the application. Discuss reasons why eligibility was not met and document in writing within 21 days of receiving their application. Procedure ends here
• Line Manager initiated the application, procedure ends here

Line Managers are responsible for assessing if there is an ongoing business need for the staff member’s language skills.

They must consider a range of factors including local business needs and are encouraged to refer to local resources and reports.

Is there a clear, ongoing business need for the staff member’s language skills?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, discuss with staff member, document, and provide them with the reasons in writing within 21 days of receiving CLA application. Procedure ends here

Line Managers must:

• confirm the staff member has proof of their language skills to receive CLA
• ask the staff member if they have a formal language certification or recognition, such as:
• National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) certification at the certified provisional interpreter level or higher, or
• NAATI recognition as a practicing or recognised interpreter (only where NAATI certification is not available in that language), or
• Certificate II in Auslan from TAFE, State Deaf Society or a Services Australia approved equivalent organisation

Does staff member have a formal certification or recognition of their language skills?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Staff who do not have formal proof of their language skills, can sit a CLA Proficiency test. Line Managers are responsible for arranging this test.

The National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) conduct the CLA Proficiency test on behalf of Services Australia.

To arrange the test, Line Managers must:

• complete the Request for Community Language Allowance Proficiency test (PP015) form (see link on Resources page)
• ask the staff member to sign the completed PP015
• email the completed PP015 to NAATI: clainfo@naati.com.au and cc Language Services. Staff must not email the form
• encourage staff to prepare for the test and refer to the following, (see Resources for link):
• NAATI CLA test overview and practice material
• CLA Knowledge Competency Course
• make sure the staff member sits the test at the agreed date and time

NAATI will:

• contact the Line Manager and staff member to arrange a test date and time. The test is conducted using MS Teams
• advise if no testing is available in the requested language. If this happens, Line Managers must email Language Services as soon as possible

Did the staff member pass the CLA Proficiency test?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, discuss with the staff member the option of sitting a re-test:
• Services Australia may pay for a re-test if taken 3 months or more after the most recent test, (maximum of 2 re-tests), or
• staff can pay for a re-test if within 3 months of the latest test, or after 3 failed attempts
• procedure ends here

Note: Line Managers are responsible for organising re-tests. Services Australia will reimburse the cost of the re-test if the staff member passes.

After CLA eligibility is met, Line Managers must notify staff:

• in writing within 21 days of receiving their application
• to start using their language skills in their duties
• CLA will be paid from the first pay after it is approved in ESSentials
• CLA will be paid during periods of paid leave. If they are on leave at half-pay, CLA will be paid at half the rate

To enter and approve CLA in ESSentials, Line Managers:

• are encouraged to review the Allowances - Team Leader (ESS) task card
• must enter an end-date that is no longer than 3 years from the start date
• must enter CLA2 as the allowance rate
• must update the staff member’s skill tag, once approved in Essentials

The Line Manager is responsible for reviewing overall language usage on a periodic basis.

This helps determine if there is an ongoing and identified business need for the staff member’s language skill. If the staff member’s role changes, conduct a review of their need for CLA.

To keep CLA, staff must maintain their skills in their relevant business line.