Dennis Batty Jobs Australia Indigenous Network

Dennis Batty

Jobs Australia Indigenous Network

What is RJCP (1)

What is RJCP (2)
 A single service provider with a permanent presence in each remote region delivers the
  RJCP on behalf of the Australian Government. On 18 September 2013, responsibility for
  this program was transferred to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

 The design of the RJCP reflects the Government’s view that everyone who can work should
  work. Remote job seekers, including those on CDEP wages, are given the personalised
  support they need to take up opportunities. Those who cannot get a job, participate in
  meaningful activities that contribute to their communities as well as making them more
  work ready.

 Key features of the new program are:
    • Employment and participation activities, including personalised support for job seekers;
    • The Remote Youth Leadership and Development Corps (Youth Corps) to help young
    people move successfully from school to work;

 Remote Jobs and Communities Program operates in 60 remote regions

What is IAS (1)
 On Google, IAS came up as:

What is IAS (2)
But nowhere did it come up as this, which is what it actually is in this context:

What is RSAS (1)
 The Remote School Attendance Strategy is about school attendance officers working with
  schools, families, parents, and community organisations to ensure all children go to school
  every day.

 Getting children to school is the Government’s number one priority for Aboriginal and
  Torres Strait Islander children and their families. That’s because going to school and being at
  school every day gives every child the best chance for a good start in life.

 RSES started in Term 1, 2014, and is being implemented in partnership with communities
  and schools in locations in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia,
  Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is designed to be driven by the community to suit
  local needs.

 Many children in remote communities are not going to school every day, with attendance in
  some communities very low. It is just as important for children living in remote Australia to
  go to school every day as it is for those in the city. We need to increase attendance rates in
  remote schools so all children get a good education.

What is RSAS (2)
 RSES works with local providers to employ school attendance supervisors and school
  attendance officers to help kids get to school. These people may have different names in
  different places, but together they make up the school attendance teams in each community.
  These teams will work with schools to help parents and families make sure kids have what they
  need to go to school each day.

 Team members are local people from the community. They may be mums, dads, caregivers,
  aunties, uncles or grandparents who want to help kids in the community get to school. These
  teams work closely with teachers, parents and the community to develop a community plan to
  identify ways to ensure all children in the community go to school every day.

 They can help with things like:
          • Talking to children and families about the importance of regular school attendance.
          • Working with families where children are not attending school to find out why and what can
          be done to help them get there.
          • Providing practical support like driving children to school or helping to organise school
          lunches, uniforms, homework and after-school care.
          • Working with the school to monitor attendance and follow up on student absences.
          • Celebrating and rewarding improved attendance.

What is changing?

Funding

Payments

Participation Account
 Participation account has been removed.

 This means that:
   • Projects/activities, supervisors and mentors are no longer funded.
   • Work preparation no longer funded.
   • Training courses no longer funded.

Remote Employment
Participation Activities

Performance Management (1)

UNREALISTIC TARGETS

 While all job seekers should be offered high quality, timely and individualised services,
  some Key Performance Indicators in the draft framework are set at 100% and appear
  unrealistic. KPIs set at 100% are Work for the Dole attendance, non-Work for the Dole
  activity attendance, skills and training, support services, same-day follow-up of non-
  attendance, and 26-week outcome targets.

 These targets are likely to result in providers being regularly in scope for action under
  the Performance Management Framework. The proposed 100% targets for Activities
  and Work for the Dole attendance do not appear to adequately take account of service
  delivery factors outside of a provider’s control, which impact upon employment and
  participation and can negatively affect performance.

Performance Management (2)
 These factors include job seeker characteristics, behaviour and unique community factors like:
        the local labour market;
        travel over long distances;
        cultural business;
        seasonal weather conditions;
        limited infrastructure including accommodation;
        limited access to services including mentoring, training and the SEE programme;
        community leadership and conflict;
        internet and mobile phone coverage; and
        local laws such as those that prevent drivers licenses being granted due to unpaid fines.

 All of these factors mean that there is not a level playing field across all regions, so a flexible
  approach and very careful consideration needs to be paid to local conditions. It is important
  that all Performance Measures, including Regional Employment Targets and WFD attendance
  targets, are set at levels that are realistic and achievable, tailored to local circumstances.
  While the focus on the achievement of 26 week employment outcomes is admirable, even the
  best providers can find this difficult in weak labour markets. The draft framework indicates
  that each region’s demographic and economic profile will be taken into account, but it is very
  important that communities have input into this process.

The Deed of Variation (1)
REMOTE ACTIVITY CONDITIONS
1 - Comparison with Draft Deed March 2015 Remote Employment and Participation Activities
OPERATIVE PROVISIONS
PART A APPLICATION AND GENERAL OBLIGATIONS
1 Application Now 1. Significant changes
2 General obligations Deleted. Seems to have been changed and included in 1 Application
PART B ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
3 Engagement with Employers Some significant changes
4 Workforce Development Strategy Deleted
5 Engagement with other programs, services and organisations in Your Region(s) Now 11. Slight changes incl. re CDF
PART C INTEGRATED CASE MANAGEMENT
6 Referral and Registration of Eligible Job Seekers Now 2. Slight changes re Participation Account
7 Appointments with Eligible Job Seekers Now new 3-8. Some changes re WFD, CDEP. Subject to further changes
consistent with national job seeker compliance framework.
8 Initial Interviews
9 Ongoing Contacts
10 Content of ongoing Contacts
11 Mode of Contacts
12 Assessments
13 Jobsearch Facilities Now 12.
14 Individual Participation Plans See new section 9 Job Plan. Significant changes re WFD, CDEP

The Deed of Variation (2)
PART D EMPLOYMENT AND PARTICIPATION ACTIVITIES
15 Employment and Participation Activities Renamed. Now in new Part D and 35 Jobs Seeker Support Activities -
General
16 Employment and Participation Activity Hosts Renamed with some changes. See new section 19 Hosts
17 Limiting liability Now 20. Changes re WFD
18 Supervision of Employment and Participation Activities See new section 33 Supervision of WFD Activities
19 Directions by Us Now 34. Significant changes re WFD
20 RJCP Structured Activities Deleted. See new Part C and 31 Work for the Dole Projects
21 Unpaid Work Experience Placement Activities Now 36.
22 Voluntary Work Activities Now 37.
23 Training Now 38. Some changes, particulary re WFD and meeting needs of employer.
24 Mentoring Now 39.
25 Community participation activities Now 40 Community activities. Change re ending of CAPs.
26 Community Volunteers Now 21
PART E EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
27 Employment Assistance Now 13. Slight change re removed reference to support for Social Enterprises
28 Job matching, referral and placement Now 14. Significant changes re ending of job placement payments
29 Post-placement Support Now 15. Minor change re ending of Education outcomes
30 Relocation Assistance Now 16. Significant change re ending of Participation Account
31 Small business support Now 17.

The Deed of Variation (3)
PART F ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ELIGIBLE JOB SEEKERS WITH DISABILITY
32 Additional Activities for Eligible Job Seekers with disability Now 22. Significant change re ending of Participation
Account
33 Employment Assistance Fund Now 23.
34 Supported Wage System Now 24. Minor changes.
PART G PARTICIPATION ACCOUNT
Section deleted, reflecting abolition of Participation Account. This is a significant change.
35 General
36 How amounts are credited to the Participation Account
37 Reimbursement
38 PA Advances
39 Wage subsidies
40 Administration of the Participation Account
PART H PARTICIPATION MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING
41 Monitoring and support Now 25. Slight changes re WFD
42 Failure and reporting for SS Activity Tested Eligible Job Seekers Now 26.
43 Compliance Activities Now 27.
44 Social Security matters Now 28.

The Deed of Variation (4)
PART I ELIGIBLE JOB SEEKER SUSPENSION AND EXIT
45 Suspensions Now 29. Slight change
46 Exits Now 30. Slight change
PART J ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED TO COMMUNITIES IN YOUR REGION(S)
47 General Now 41 Assistance to Be Provided to Communities in Your Region(s) - General
48 Community Action Plan Deleted
49 Community Development Fund Deleted
50 Other funding sources Now 42.
PART K Payments Now PART E
51 General Now 43 General - Applicable to all Payments and Funding. Significant changes re WFD, axing of job
placement payments, Employer Incentive Funding,
52 Activity Payments Deleted
53 Advance payment of Activity Payments Deleted
54 Job Placement Payments Deleted
55 Outcome Payments Now 46 Employment Outcome Payments. Significant changes, including abolition of
outcomes for education, 7 weeks employment, participation.
56 Community Volunteers Now 21. Significant changes.
ANNEXURE 1 TO REMOTE ACTIVITY CONDITIONS 1 – REMOTE EMPLOYMENT AND PARTICIPATION
ACTIVITIES - Section Deleted PAYMENTS AND PARTICIPATION ACCOUNT CREDITS Deleted

What is Remote
                    Work for the Dole?
 It is 5 hours a day; 5 days a week; for a whole year.

 It differs from urban Work for the Dole.

 Can be a range of activities but can be banked.

 Can be internal to the provider, or external.

Key Recommendations
1. The process of reform needs to slow down.
 Government needs to properly consult and engage in order to come up with changes that
    are more likely to succeed.

2. Full time continuous Work for the Dole is impractical and inflexible for providers, job
seekers and communities.
 Government needs to take a more realistic and fairer approach to participation
    requirements in remote regions.

3. The increased Work for the Dole requirements and new compliance frameworks are likely
to increase financial disadvantage for individuals, families and communities.
 Care must be exercised to ensure that changes to the policy settings don’t do more harm
    than good.

4. Any changes to the funding model need to ensure that they avoid unintended
consequences and create the right incentives to help job seekers get the support they need to
move into employment.