Online Diary 001-02060020

To:

• link a job seeker with a Workforce Australia, Workforce Australia - Transition to Work (TtW) or Community Development Program (CDP) provider and make an appointment, go to Step 2
• make a referral to a Disability Employment Services (DES) provider, see Referring a job seeker to Disability Employment Services (DES). Procedure ends here
• view a job seeker's current appointments and historical appointments, access the Online Diary screen. Procedure ends here

In Process Direct:

• If the job seeker is re-registering within their allowable break in registration and was previously connected to a provider:
• there is no change in the registration date, and
• they are reconnected to the same provider
• For a new claim:
• once in the claim, select > Participation Interview > Job seeker registration & provider referral information > Start job seeker registration
• If the job seeker is currently receiving a payment:
• select Customer Summary from the Process Direct Landing page
• enter the Customer Reference Number (CRN) in the CRN field, select Go
• in the customer's record select > Participation Summary > Job seeker registration & provider referral information > Start job seeker registration
• Read information on the Provider Information screen to the job seeker
• Select Continue to go to the List Providers screen for the job seeker to choose a provider

For:

• CDP referrals, tell the job seeker the CDP provider for that remote region
• Workforce Australia referrals – give the job seeker:
• any details of specialist services, such as assistance for the homeless or at risk of homelessness
• provider information in this period, such as pamphlets, if made available by local providers
• provider performance ratings, which may help them choose a provider. The Resources page contains a link to Workforce Australia - Services Provider Performance Ratings
• Note: it is important that Service Officers also tell the job seeker that specialist providers provide services to all job seekers, not just those who need specialist advice
• TtW referrals - tell the job seeker of the TtW providers for that region.
• If a TtW provider exists in the job seeker's local area, but no appointments are available in the Online Diary, the provider's contact details will still display. Phone the TtW provider and ask them to create an appointment timeslot, to allow the job seeker to be referred. Select Refresh in the Online Diary to display the appointment for selection
• If there are no TtW providers in the local area, extend the search by selecting Show Advance in the Online Diary to widen the customer's local area. If there are still no TtW providers available, or they are unable to open more appointment timeslots within 14 days, refer the job seeker to Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider. For more information see Workforce Australia - Transition to Work (TtW)

If a job seeker is unable to choose a Workforce Australia provider and they are not RapidConnect eligible, go to the List Providers screen and select Random Allocation to refer the job seeker to an available provider.

Contact the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations:

• Employment Services Helpdesk, to correct a referral made to the wrong provider
• National Customer Service Line, for requests to change a provider

Once a Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider or TtW provider is selected, or the CDP provider is displayed, use the information on the Available Appointment screen to arrange a suitable appointment.

Job seekers who are subject to RapidConnect provisions should have an appointment booked within 2 working days. This includes job seekers with certain RapidConnect exemptions.

If no suitable appointments are available within 2 working days, an appointment should be booked within the next 14 calendar days. Note: the job seeker must receive proper notification and reasonable notice of the appointment.

If there is no available appointment within the next 14 calendar days:

• contact the provider and ask them to make additional initial sessions available
• then select Refresh at the bottom of the screen to view the additional appointments

If additional provider sessions cannot be arranged with any providers in the job seekers local area within 14 calendar days, the job seeker is exempt from RapidConnect. However, they must still have the next available appointment booked.

Job seekers may also have circumstances which meet RapidConnect exemption requirements.

Transition to Work (TtW) eligible job seekers must not be disadvantaged by a delayed payment start date due to RapidConnect rules. If there is a TtW provider in a job seeker's local area unable to offer any appointments within 14 days, refer the job seeker to a Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider. TtW eligible job seekers will not be penalised under RapidConnect rules for being referred to a TtW provider within 14 days, when a local Employment Services Provider appointment is available within two days. The system only considers TtW appointment availability in this scenario when determining RapidConnect payment date of commencement.

Does the job seeker need to be exempted from RapidConnect?

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

Job seekers are automatically exempt from RapidConnect provisions for reasons including:

• when they have been referred to other programs (for example, DES)
• they are principal carers, mature age 55+ or assessed as having a partial capacity to work and already fully meeting their mutual obligation requirements. Note: if these job seekers do not want to volunteer for employment services during this period, they should be registered as a Job Seeker Registration Only (JSRO)/No Remote Referral Required (NRRR) job seeker
• when there are no suitable available appointments with a provider within 14 days
• when the job seeker is already connected to a Workforce Australia provider, and is currently in, or suspended from, Employment Provider Services

A manual option for exemption is also available. Service Officers can select Exempt from RapidConnect on one of the following:

• List Providers screen
• Available Appointment screen
• Provider Information screen

When the RapidConnect Manual Exemption screen displays, select the appropriate exemption reason.

Depending on the exemption reason, the Service Officer will be advised:

• if the job seeker needs an appointment with a provider, or
• if no appointment is needed at this stage

See Processes for Rapid Connect appointments.

Select Continue to progress to the next screen in the workflow.

Once the job seeker has chosen a suitable appointment, the Appointment Detail screen displays. Confirm details of the appointment shown with the job seeker.

Check the Additional Requirements field and update (where required) to identify job seekers with the following conditions:

• Interpreters. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) ESS is populated automatically with interpreter needs that are already recorded on the job seeker's record. Do not make any interpreter arrangements
• Other requirements. For example, for job seekers with remote servicing arrangements, key 'job seeker lives 50 kms from office' or 'please contact by phone to discuss appointment' (limit of 50 characters)
• Job seekers referred to complementary programs. For example, record job seeker referrals to a complementary program such as Skills for Education and Employment (SEE), so the provider is aware of it

Note: when booking an appointment, continue the process until completed. If the process is terminated halfway, this has the same effect as booking the appointment. The system functions as if an appointment has been booked. Any attempt to complete it later or to book another appointment will fail.

If the appointment is made on a smart centre call:

• verbally tell the job seeker the appointment requirements, and
• ensure there is a record of the contact made

If the appointment is made at a service centre:

• Select 'Face-to-Face' or 'Phone' for appointment notification, whichever applies
• If selecting the 'Face-to-Face' option:
• give the job seeker the appointment information, including the provider details
• select Book Appointment and the Appointment Outcome screen will display
• select print to print the appointment details. Note: a letter will not automatically issue to the job seeker from the system for the Employment Services Provider appointments

If the appointment is being booked through Process Direct, in Customer First, record a DOC using the Fast Note - select Auto text > Jobseekers > Update > Provider Appointment Booked. The DOC is to make sure:

• there is a record of contact with the job seeker, and
• verbal notification has been given

If an Initial or RapidConnect appointment was made, and the job seeker contacts later to change the date or time, it can be rescheduled provided the appointment date has not passed and the provider has not already recorded a result.

In Process Direct, for customers who:

• submit an online claim or a Service Officer has completed the Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) workflow:
• once in the claim, select > Participation Interview > Job seeker registration & provider referral information > Start job seeker registration
• currently receive a payment and are RapidConnect Exempt, or RapidConnect does not apply, rebook or reschedule their appointment. To do this:
• select Customer Summary from the Process Direct Landing page
• enter the Customer Reference Number (CRN) in the CRN field, select Go
• in the customer's record, select > Participation Summary > Online diary

Select Reschedule Appointment and tell the job seeker the details of the appointment verbally or in writing.

If a job seeker asks to reschedule a Workforce Australia – Transition to Work appointment, the job seeker should contact the provider to arrange a new appointment. Payments may be suspended or cancelled if they fail to attend a compellable Transition to Work appointment.

Special considerations for RapidConnect appointments

If a job seeker is subject to the RapidConnect provisions, rescheduling their RapidConnect appointment may affect their income support payment. Service Officers must:

• determine whether a request to reschedule a RapidConnect appointment is for an acceptable reason
• record the reason that the appointment is being rescheduled (from the list of reschedule reasons displayed on the Appointment Outcomes page), and
• ensure that the new appointment is booked within 14 days from the date the Online Participation Workflow was run

If the RapidConnect appointment date has passed, or an appointment result is already keyed, the RapidConnect appointment can no longer be rescheduled and the appointment will need to be rebooked.

See Processes for Rapid Connect appointments to rebook RapidConnect appointments.