Participation Interview 001-03020100

The Participation Interview uses information provided by customers in their claim and responses within the Participation Interview to assess their eligibility for income support, their job readiness and to make referrals if appropriate.

The Participation Interview:

• interacts with Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) through web services
• enables registration of job seekers in the DEWR system
• loads information from the customer's online claim or ACC into certain Participation Interview questions where DEWR requires these questions to be asked. This information can be edited if required by Services Australia staff
• identifies long term mutual obligation requirements exemptions prior to running the Job Seeker Snapshot including principal carers with possible long term exemptions and women eligible for the Sunset Widow Allowance (SWA) exemption
• displays the result of the Job Seeker Snapshot where it has been completed online during the new claim process
• facilitates staff access to the DEWR system to conduct the Job Seeker Snapshot
• establishes RapidConnect eligibility or exemption for JSP and YA new claimants
• enables booking appointments with Workforce Australia Employment Services Providers, including booking and rebooking RapidConnect appointments
• allows staff to flag potential referrals of job seekers for Employment Services Assessments (ESAts) where recommended by the Job Seeker Snapshot

The Participation Interview can only be accessed when a job seeker or PP customer with mutual obligation requirements has lodged a claim online or where ACC has been completed.

The Participation Interview includes the following individual processes:

• Job seeker registration
• Job Seeker Snapshot
• Referrals to ESAts, Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) and Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
• RapidConnect questions, referral and appointment rebooking
• Deferred referrals
• Online Diary
• Reapply Job Seeker Snapshot functionality
• Activity Management (JSR/UPD activities etc.)
• Discuss the security benefits of recording a voiceprint and voice biometrics technology

Note: preferred service centre defaults to the one closest to the customer's location.

Job seekers eligible for services from Employment Services Providers must register to access these services. The Participation Interview registers JSP, YA (other) and PP customers who have submitted an online claim or have had ACC completed. The JSR will auto-finalise for:

• JSP
• YAL (other)
• Special Benefit (SpB) with JSP conditions
• Parenting Payment Single (PPS) job seekers whose youngest child is older than 6, and
• job seekers who completed the Job Seeker Snapshot online during the new claim process

Their claim information and responses to the JSR questions are used to determine if the Job Seeker Snapshot needs to be completed.

Job Seeker Registration only (JSRO)/No Remote Referral Required (NRRR)

The Participation Interview helps Service Officers identify potential JSRO and NRRR job seekers.

Job seekers who are registered as JSRO/NRRR are not required to have the Job Seeker Snapshot completed, the Participation Interview workflow will allow it to be skipped and completed as required.

If a customer is identified as a JSRO/NRRR job seeker, Service Officers can still complete the Job Seeker Snapshot if the job seeker wants to access a Workforce Australia or Community Development Program (CDP) provider or other assistance. For example, SEE and AMEP.

If this is the case, register the job seeker as a Fully Eligible Participant (FEP), complete the Job Seeker Snapshot and refer them to a provider using the Participation Interview workflow.

Mature age 55+ job seekers undertaking an approved activity to fully meet their mutual obligation requirements do not require the Job Seeker Snapshot to be completed or a referral made to an Employment Services Provider. These job seekers can, however, voluntarily elect to access FEP services with a Workforce Australia provider.

YA (job seekers)

Job seekers aged 15 to 22 will be presented with questions to identify if they are Vulnerable Youth (VY).

See Registering a customer as a job seeker.

The Job Seeker Snapshot questions and responses determine the level and type of employment assistance the job seeker may be eligible to receive. Be mindful that this information is personal and sensitive. Ensure the job seeker understands the importance of disclosing information relevant to their personal circumstances to facilitate the most appropriate service offer.

The Participation Interview will load the answers to certain questions into the Job Seeker Snapshot from the online claim:

• Are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?
• Indigenous status?
• What is the date of birth of your youngest child?

YA (job seeker) specific questions:

• What is the highest level of schooling you have completed?
• Have you completed any other qualification(s)?
• If yes, what qualification(s) have you completed?

Job seekers who have completed the Job Seeker Snapshot online will bypass the Job Seeker Snapshot questions during the Participation Interview and go straight to the Job Seeker Snapshot Results screen if they are receiving:

• JSP
• YAL (other)
• Special Benefit (SpB) under JSP conditions, or
• PPS as a job seeker whose youngest child is older than 6

If the job seeker says the information is incorrect or has changed since they completed it online, correct it as part of the interview by running the Job Seeker Snapshot questions again.

See Conducting a Job Seeker Snapshot interview.

Based on answers to the Job Seeker Snapshot questions, the system may display a recommendation for the job seeker to be referred for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt). Using the Participation Interview workflow, a Service Officer can agree with this recommendation and trigger a referral, or decide that it is not appropriate. A job seeker may have an existing assessment of their work capacity from a previous ESAt.

See Determining when an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) is required.

A job seeker's referral to a Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider or Disability Employment Services provider may need to be deferred in some circumstances. This is usually due to a job seeker firstly needing a referral for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt). Once the ESAt is finalised, and the job seeker's employment service eligibility is determined, they will be referred as necessary.

Deferred referrals to Employment Services Providers are either recorded automatically by the system or manually by Service Officers where appropriate.

RapidConnect questions and referral

RapidConnect is a referral process that gives unemployed people early access to assistance through Employment Services Providers. Job seekers claiming JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) may be referred directly to these services for registration before their income support claim is finalised. Meeting RapidConnect requirements may also affect the date a job seekers payments can start.

The Participation Interview will use information provided by the job seeker to determine if they are subject to RapidConnect requirements or have a RapidConnect exemption. In some circumstances, a RapidConnect exemption will be automatically applied where appropriate. Additional questions relating to RapidConnect eligibility may also be asked during the Participation Interview to determine if the job seeker has a RapidConnect exemption.

Some job seekers who are exempt from RapidConnect requirements, must still be referred to employment services. However, their payments will not be delayed pending their attendance with a provider or agreeing to a Workforce Australia online Job Plan.

• Most job seekers who are subject to RapidConnect are automatically referred to Workforce Australia Online for Individuals during the Participation Interview. These job seekers are not required to attend a RapidConnect appointment with a provider. Instead, they will meet their RapidConnect obligation by agreeing to their Job Plan online. Job seekers who are referred to Workforce Australia Online under RapidConnect provisions will need to complete their Career Profile before they can agree to their Job Plan online
• If a job seeker who is subject to RapidConnect is not automatically referred to Workforce Australia Online during the Participation Interview, an appointment will need to be booked for them with a provider. They will need to attend this appointment to meet their RapidConnect obligation

RapidConnect appointment rebooking

Customers who are required to attend a RapidConnect appointment can have their RapidConnect appointment rebooked if:

• they have missed their appointment, and
• are still within 14 days of RapidConnect determination

However, the job seeker's payment start date may be affected if the reason the appointment was missed was not for an acceptable reason.

To initiate the appointment rebooking, select the Participation Interview workflow under Staff Workflows. Select Rebook appointment to start the RapidConnect Online Diary appointment workflow.

To reschedule and rebook an appointment, see RapidConnect.

Use the Online Diary to initiate referrals, check current appointments and view the job seeker's full appointment history and appointment outcomes.

During the interview, the Online Diary may be required to book appointments for job seekers with Employment Services Providers. This includes Workforce Australia Services Providers, Workforce Australia Transition to Work (TtW), Disability Employment Services (DES) and Community Development Program (CDP).

The Online Diary will not feature in registration and referral workflows for job seekers selected for Workforce Australia Online for Individuals. They will be automatically connected to the Workforce Australia Online and given instructions by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) on how to participate and meet their mutual obligation requirements.

Where a job seeker is being referred for an ESAt, the Online Diary is not to be used to book an ESAt appointment. This will be automatically handled by the system or if needed manually by Assessment Services.

When an online claim or ACC is re-indexed, the Participation Interview may present as already being completed or required.

The workflow must still be run before finalising the claim, see Table 3 on the Process page.

To be eligible for income support, job seekers eligible for services from Employment Service Providers must answer the questions in the Participation Interview and be linked with the Workforce Australia Online or an appropriate provider.

Reject claims using reason code JRC (job seeker registration cancelled), if the job seeker declines to complete the Participation Interview or to be linked with Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider/Disability Employment Services.

Correspondence nominees can submit an online claim on behalf of the customer. The nominee cannot complete the Participation Interview on behalf of the customer, but can attend the interview with the customer. For more information, see Obligations of nominees.

In exceptional circumstances, a customer may not be able to complete the interview. This could be due to a speech impediment or other medical incapacity. In these cases, use discretion to allow the nominee to complete the interview on the customer's behalf.