Negotiating Job Plans for refugee appointments at 12 weeks, and conducting circumstance reviews at 12 months 005-18101149

If the refugee customer requires an interpreter and an onsite interpreter is not available:

• Use the On Demand interpreter arrangements, and
• Select 30 minutes duration for interpreting services

See Contacting an on-demand telephone interpreter (Interpreter Connect).

At the appointment, the Service Officer conducting the interview must:

• Confirm address, accommodation and phone number
• Update and confirm Identity Confirmation Dashboard, see Coding identity documents
• Check Other Contact Details (OCD) screen has been coded with preferred language
• Check Tax File Number (TFN) is recorded:
  • If TFN is not recorded, ask the customer if they have received the TFN. Manually code TFN on the Tax File Number Authority (TFN) screen for the customer (and partner if applicable). Make sure the TFN Authorisation Details are coded with 'Y' in the Authorisation field
  • If the customer has not received the TFN in the mail, tell the customer to contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and provide the TFN to Centrelink when received
  • If the customer has completed an Australian Taxation (ATO) Individual Auto Registration (IAR) and is providing a receipt summary:
    - upload or scan the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) TFN application receipt summary to the customer’s record
    - DOCument the customer’s record with the ATO Receipt ID and date submitted
    - key TFN exemption CAT - TFN requested from ATO
  • If the customer does not have a TFN or TFN application evidence is not provided:
    - for JSP/YAL customers, key TFN exemption HOP - Homeless Person
    - for PP customers, key TFN exemption CAT - TFN requested from ATO
    - tell the customer to apply for a TFN:
    * online via the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website. See Resources page for ATO > Individual Auto-Registration help link
    * paper application (this is not the preferred method)
    * tell the customer to supply their TFN or TFN application receipt summary when they receive it
  • See Obtaining and coding a Tax File Number (TFN)
• If FTB status is FTB/CNP-NTC or NTP or NTB, tell the customer their FTB will be restored once the TFN is provided
• Tell the refugee customer the importance of the reporting and notification requirements, such as:
  • declaring employment income correctly every fortnight
  • notifying changes in circumstances
• Address issues associated with reporting of income
• Discuss the impact of not taking maintenance action on customers receiving FTB and eligible to collect child support. Make necessary updates and referrals as needed. See Maintenance Action Test (MAT) for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) customers
• Check the education details for children over 16 years old. If an exemption has been coded, confirm if they are enrolled in school and update details. See Study requirements for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) children aged 16 years or over
• Check the Medicare number (and IRN) have been recorded for them and no errors are displaying. See Establish a Family Tax Benefit (FTB) link for a child between Centrelink and the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
• Check the child's immunisation status is up to date via Workspace > Families Benefits > Child Immunisation Summary. See Immunisation requirements for Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A from 1 July 2018
• Consider a referral to specialist services:
  • Social Worker
  • Specialised and Intensive Services (SIS), and/or
  • Multicultural Service Officer
  • Make sure the refugee customer is registered for self service options

Go to Step 2.

Service Officer needs to:

• Re-run Job Seeker Snapshot, if required
• Request an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt), if the refugee customer:
  • has an illness, injury or disability that affects the type of work or number of hours they can work has appropriate medical evidence, and
  • does not already have a current and valid assessment of their work capacity
• Check ESAt Outcome on Document List (DL) screen for referral recommendations to employment service provider
• Determine if refugee customer qualifies for an exemption from mutual obligation requirements. See Mutual obligation requirements exemptions

Go to Step 3

Go to the Participation Summary page and check the refugee customer's action items.

If the Participation Summary page advises the refugee customer:

• requires a referral to Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA), Transition to Work (TtW) or Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES). Go to Step 4
• is in the BTSR measure and requires their Activity and Exemptions Summary (AEX) screen to be updated and a Centrelink Managed Job Plan. Go to Step 5

Go to the Online Diary Provider Summary page and refer the refugee customer to the appropriate employment services provider as advised on the Participation Summary page.

For more information, see:

• Referring a customer to Inclusive Employment Australia (IEA)
• Workforce Australia - Transition to Work (TtW)
• Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES)

Provide the refugee customer with documentation and a clear explanation of the first employment services provider appointment. The refugee customer's Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) case worker or Community Refugee and Integration Settlement Pilot (CRISP) community support group's representative must accompany them when they attend this appointment.

Go to Step 9.

Discuss with the refugee customer which activity they will undertake to ensure they meet their mutual obligation requirements.

To be eligible for Refugee Activities (RAC) activity the refugee customer must be participating in one or more of the following:

• the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) or Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP)
• the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)
• Workforce Australia on a voluntary placement

Refugee customer may be meeting their mutual obligation requirements by another approved activity e.g. Skills for Education and Employment, part-time work or voluntary work. See Approved mutual obligation requirements for Centrelink managed Job Plans.

Note: refugee customers are not required to provide proof of participation in a suitable activity that is to be included in their Job Plan.

If refugee customer is participating in AMEP consider variable reporting if applicable. See Reporting requirements for customers receiving a payment with mutual obligation requirements.

Go to Step 6.

Refugee customers who are eligible for the Better Targeting of Support for Refugees (BTSR) measure must have an activity recorded on the Activity and Exemptions Summary (AEX) screen with an end date 12 months after their date of arrival in Australia.

In most cases, this will be the Refugee Activities (RAC) activity.

Coding the RAC:

• Start date is REF - Refugee in first 13 weeks in Australia end date + 1 day (that is, the reporting date)
• End date is 12 months from arrival date minus 1 day (that is, BTSR end date in the Participation Summary > Online diary tab in Process Direct)
• The Key Information tab will display a new Action Item to negotiate a new Centrelink Managed Job Plan (if required). Once the AEX screen coding is completed and all QMA checks are completed (if applicable)

Go to Step 7.

Coding an Approved Activity other than RAC:

• Code the AEX screen and negotiate a suitable Job Plan

Go to Step 8.

• Once the Refugee Activities (RAC) is updated on the Activity and Exemption Summary (AEX) screen, a message advising 'this customer is eligible for the BTSR measure' will display on the Job Plan cover page
• Staff must negotiate a Centrelink Job Plan. See Table 4 > Step 4 in Negotiating Centrelink managed Job Plans
• The Job Plan:
  • will automatically default the RAC activity code and activity start/end dates recorded on the AEX screen
  • item will auto-populate with the following text:
    'I agree to undertake refugee activities to help adjust to life in Australia and to increase my chances of finding work from [Start date] to [End date] to include participation in VAR01'
  • Staff need to update the Variable field VAR01 by selecting the Edit icon and manually enter the activities which will be undertaken in the Program field.
    If this is not completed the error code and message SR217PA - Please finalise incomplete activities will display. Once the variable field (Program) is completed, Service Officer can continue
• Note: customers participating in:
  • RSSP, select the Humanitarian Settlement Program as the Program
  • Workforce Australia, select jobactive on a voluntary basis

Quality Management Application (QMA) check

If the AEX activity coding is subject to a QMA check:

• the system will not auto-populate the Job Plan until the Quality Management Officers (QMO) check is completed
• Service Centre staff, see Team Leader for local escalation process to request an urgent QMA
• Smart Centre staff, see Urgent QMA process for Smart Centre, Face to Face Services and Service Delivery Partners

If a refugee customer requests to claim a student payment for participation in AMEP, Services Australia may consider this if:

• it benefits the customer, and
• all eligibility criteria for a student payment are met. See Participation in Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

Go to Step 8.

Staff must not discourage refugees from accessing Workforce Australia as a voluntary participant.

Refugee customers:

• can ask for a voluntary referral to a Workforce Australia provider during their Centrelink managed period
• will get full Workforce Australia servicing
• who volunteer for Workforce Australia attendance will have no compliance measures

To book an appointment with a Workforce Australia provider, see Online Diary.

Go to Step 9.

Tell the customer that they should contact the AMEP provider directly to have their referral and placement recorded and that Services Australia generally do not record these referrals.

See Connecting customers to Adult Migrant English Program.

Go to Step 9.

Document all the interview information using the Fast Note - select Auto text, use Multicultural > Refugee Servicing > 12W post exemption appointment.

Finalise the appointment

• Go to the Appointments (APPT) screen
• Select the Refugee Appointment
• Select
• Change Appointment screen displays. To change the appointment:
  • Select Completed from the New Status dropdown menu
  • Select Save to complete the booking

Do not book a 12-month refugee circumstance review appointment for the refugee customer. The system will automatically book the 12-month refugee circumstance review appointment at 11 months from date of arrival in Australia. Tell the refugee customer they will receive notification about the appointment from Services Australia, and that attendance is important.

Go to Step 10.

• When a refugee customer needs help for complex issues, contact the local Multicultural Service Officer (MSO)
• When AMEP hours have been completed, the Service Officer will discuss next steps and information, including possible referral to Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program
• Discuss Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) if appropriate