Identifying barriers to participation for prison release customers 001-09020130

The challenges faced by this group of job seekers will vary depending on factors such as:

• how long they were in prison
• whether they have a recent work history, vocational qualifications, and their level of education
• whether they are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• friends and/ family support structures upon release
• their age

Most job seekers who have been recently released from prison will face one or more of the following issues or challenges:

• re-establishment after release, including accommodation issues
• parole or court order requirements (a restrictive order)
• stigma as a convicted offender or ex-prisoner
• health issues including mental illness intellectual disability or substance abuse
• limited literacy or education
• impact of being institutionalised such as poor social skills/anger management, low self-esteem, poor motivation and poor living skills
• outstanding Commonwealth debts
• identity confirmation and other issues related to maintaining correct documents
• for job seekers taking part in Community Service Orders, a lack of flexibility and difficulty with establishing a routine can also impact on employment and training opportunities

The Process page contains more information.

The TWES programme enables eligible adult Indigenous prisoners to volunteer to receive in-prison servicing by a TWES provider 2 to 4 months prior to their release to help them prepare to reintegrate into the community and find employment following release from prison.

All TWES participants have a Job Seeker Snapshot conducted by the TWES provider, who offers them for an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) regardless of the Job Seeker Snapshot outcome. Both assessments are conducted pre-release, enabling early identification of barriers to participation.

As part of the new claim process, the First Contact Service Offer (FCSO) or Participation Interview will determine a customer's job readiness, any barriers to participation and capability to look for and accept work.

This will result in an appropriate job readiness pathway being identified for the job seeker and may include an appointment with a Service Officer or specialist officer (for example, a social worker).

Where the prison-release customer has had a Job Seeker Snapshot conducted in prison they do not require one at new claim unless they have had a change in circumstances that would affect the outcomes of the Job Seeker Snapshot.

Customers exiting prison are exempt from the RapidConnect process.

Job seekers may be eligible for a temporary exemption from their mutual obligation requirements upon release from prison. However, an ex-offender who has participated in the Time to Work Employment Service (TWES) programme is not eligible for a Major Personal Crisis (MPC) exemption solely on the basis of prison release. If the TWES participant is experiencing other forms of crisis, not solely prison release, an MPC exemption may still be granted at the discretion of the Service Officer.

For information about the service offer and interviews with prison release customers, see Centrelink service standards and procedures for pre-release and post-release prison customers.

An appropriate amount of time should be allocated for a new claim interview where barriers have been identified to ensure thorough assessment of the customer's situation. Effective interviewing, preparation before interviews and the ability to rapidly build rapport with the customer will always be the key to identification of any challenges and issues faced by the job seeker.

Service Officers must conduct a thorough, detailed and accurate assessment of a job seeker's situation and their needs, including their individual and family circumstances, to ensure they are offered the right help and support as early as possible.

Where a job seeker returns to payment after imprisonment, add a new circumstances category on the Circumstances Impacting Compliance screen. Where the job seeker has been imprisoned for:

• less than 14 days, a Job seeker in transition category is appropriate
• 14 days or more, and evidence such as prison release papers have been provided, record a Recent Prison Release category

The circumstance will be shared with the job seeker's provider as a Vulnerability Indicator. This will ensure the provider considers the circumstance when negotiating compulsory requirements or considering non-compliance events.

Add or review other job seeker circumstances that may affect capacity to comply with compulsory requirements.

When a participation payment is restored or re-granted, the Employment Services System will automatically retrigger a Capability Assessment if it is required.

Where a Capability Assessment is retriggered the job seeker must be referred to the Participation Solutions Team. A contact trigger will prevent the job seeker from finalising their reporting until the Capability Assessment is completed.