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Initiatives targeting Recommendation 19CommonwealthAustralians Working Together - Indigenous Education and Training Under Australians Working Together, DEST will consult with ECEF regarding the development of projects to encourage increased vocational learning opportunities for Indigenous secondary school students. Target Group: Indigenous Young People Coverage: National Timeframe: Contact: Branch Manager Responsible Agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Website: www.dest.gov.au Indigenous Ambassadors Programme Under the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, the Indigenous Ambassadors Programme promotes the importance of education, literacy and numeracy to Indigenous students, their parents and teachers. Ambassadors are involved in a range of targeted activities, across all sectors of education and community groups, to impart knowledge and understanding of the issues facing Indigenous students and the barriers to their education. Target Group: Indigenous Young People Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact: Branch Manager Website: www.dest.gov.au/schools/indigenous/ambassadors.htm Responsible Agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Career and Transition (CATS) Pilots During the 2002 school year, twenty three Career and Transition Pilot (CATS) projects across Australia are exploring methodologies for and testing ways to enhance career and transition support to young people aged 13-19 years. The pilot projects will offer improved career and transition information, support, guidance and advice and will include the development of individual learning pathways plans focusing on young peoples transitions through school and from school to further education, training and work, prepared with the support of dedicated Transition Advisors. Local partnerships between schools, the community, government and industry as well as links with families are an integral part of these projects. The CAT projects have been developed as part of the Government's response to the Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce's Report Footprints to the Future, in particular to recommendations 4,5 and 6. The Career and Transition (CAT) Pilots contain four major components:
Target Group: Young people aged 13-19 Geographical Coverage: 23 projects will operate across a variety if setting in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia. Timeframe: 12 months from April 2002 Contact details: Responsible Agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Website: www.dest.gov.au Career Counselling Programme The purpose of the Career Counselling Programme is to help people establish or redefine their employment, education and training goals and develop career management, research and decision making skills, against a background of self knowledge and a realistic understanding of the world of work. Job seekers who are having trouble deciding what they want in a career and needing direction--whether it is deciding on a course of study, upgrading their existing skills or just finding the right job--can receive assistance through Career Counselling. Career counselling involves attending a group counselling session and/or an individual counselling session with professional counsellors, informed about labour market opportunities, taking a pro-active approach in assisting unemployed people through a range of activities which can include:
Target Group:
Geographical Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Initiative Website address: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/services/career_counselling.htm Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme (LLNP) The objective of the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme is to improve job seekers' English language, literacy and numeracy skills to assist them in securing sustainable employment or to participate in further education and training. Gains in language, literacy and numeracy skills also improve the quality of participants' daily lives. The LLNP provides basic English language, literacy and numeracy training and advanced English language training. Face to face training is available from over 330 locations around Australia. For those job seekers with carer responsibilities or who are unable to access a face to face provider, training can be undertaken anywhere in Australia by distance education. For job seekers subject to Mutual Obligation arrangements, participation in the LLNP satisfies Mutual Obligation requirements. Training can be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis, between 6 and 20 hours a week. Job seekers are allocated up to 400 hours of training, some of which can be undertaken on a one-to-one basis or in groups of two or three people. Target Group: Job seekers aged 15 to 64 years who are in one of the eligible categories below and whose language, literacy and numeracy skills are below the level considered necessary to gain a job. Job seekers aged 15 to 20 can access this assistance if they are registered with Centrelink as looking for work - there is no need to be in receipt of a payment from Centrelink. Job seekers over 21 need to be in receipt of Youth Allowance, Newstart Allowance, Disability Support Pension or Parenting Payment or participating in a Community Development Employment Project to access the assistance. Migrants who are subject to the two year waiting period or holders of one of the temporary or provisional visa subclasses: 309, 310, 445, 450, 820, 826, 850, 437, 781, 783 and 784 can access basic English language training. In addition, job seekers whose first language is not English and who are citizens or permanent residents or holders of any of the above visa subclasses can access advanced English language training, irrespective of whether they are on income support. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: https://llnp.dest.gov.au Stronger Families and Communities Strategy The Stronger Families and Communities Strategy is a program intended to strengthen local communities and families through a range of linked initiatives. Youth are targeted under the Strategy, particularly through the following measures:
53 local projects directly benefit young people. These projects have been funded under the Potential Leaders initiative (19 projects), the Local Solutions initiative (16 projects) and Early Intervention Parenting and Family Relationship Support (11 projects). The 53 projects also include 6 projects of national significance. Target Group: Families and communities generally; youth are targeted as described above. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au/sfcs/index.htm Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Reconnect' (formerly Youth Homelessness Early Intervention Program) Reconnect provides early intervention support to young people aged 12 to 18 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and their families. The objectives of Reconnect is to improve the level of engagement of homeless young people, or those at risk of homelessness, with family, work, education, training and the community. As at March 2002, 93 Reconnect services are operating nationally and a further 7 are being established through community development processes. This will bring the total number of Reconnect services to 100. Six Reconnect services specifically focus on Indigenous young people, their families and communities. The Department is working with an additional seven Indigenous communities in remote, rural and metropolitan areas to establish specific services to address the needs of local young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families. Target Group: Young people aged 12 to 18 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and their families Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) SAAP is a joint Commonwealth and State/Territory program. 477 of its 1,238 services across Australia are tailored to supporting young people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless, providing transitional accommodation and/or related support services, aiming to achieve the maximum possible degree of self-reliance and independence. In 2000-01, approximately 37% of SAAP clients were aged 25 years and under. The most common reason given by young people (under 25) for seeking assistance was relationship/family breakdown. Children also enter SAAP services accompanying an adult. Target Group: People who are homeless or at risk of being homeless Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/house-saap_nav.htm Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services SAAP services targeted for young people SAAP services targeted at young people are predominantly crisis accommodation services which are able to make support and referrals across a range of needs, including counselling, advocacy, financial and employment and health and medical services. In 2000-01 for both young women and young men the most common reason for seeking assistance from SAAP was relationship or family breakdown (16.9% for men under 25 and 20.5% for women under 25). Target Group: Young people Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/aboutfacs/programs/house-saap_nav.htm Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Redevelopment of the Youth Protocol The Protocol for the Case Management of Unsupported Young People (the Youth Protocol) has been in place since 1994. Since its inception, the Youth Protocol has helped to clarify the responsibilities of Commonwealth and State/Welfare agencies in relation to homeless young people. FaCS initiated the Youth Protocol re-examination process following agreement about the need to review the Youth Protocol at a meeting between Commonwealth and State/Territory Welfare departments on adolescents in state care, held in May 2000.
Target Group: Unsupported young people under the age of 18 who are:
Coverage: 1363 protocol referrals were made during the period of January 2000 to December 2000. Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Collaborative Youth Services Trials The Collaborative Youth Services Trials focus on service delivery to disconnected young people or those at risk of becoming disconnected. The purpose is to test the processes by which local needs are identified and collaborative approaches to the provision of existing, or new, services can be developed to meet those needs effectively. Target Group: The target group is generally 12-25 years who are disconnected young people or those at risk of becoming disconnected. Individuals supported through these trials will be drawn from the following groups:
Coverage: The localities involved are:
Timeframe: 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Innovative and Collaborative Youth Servicing Pilots (ICYS) The ICYS Pilot Projects will promote more effective collaboration among service providers at the local community level and encourage greater ownership and accountability by communities for initiatives designed to assist young people. Projects will be required to test avenues of cooperation between and across Commonwealth/State/local government policies and programmes and community initiatives in order to deliver more effective services and improved outcomes for young people. Target Group: Young people aged 12-25 are the target group for the pilots, although variation to the age range will be considered in response to local conditions. Coverage: Around 25 pilots in a variety of urban, rural and remote locations across Australia. Timeframe: Pilots are planned to commence in May/June 2002 Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Job Placement, Employment and Training Programme (JPET) JPET provides a holistic approach to assisting young people overcome problems preventing them from maintaining stable accommodation and entering into full-time education, training or employment. JPET offers ongoing support and referral services to young people to help them overcome a range of problems, including housing, substance abuse, family difficulties, sexual or other abuse, lack of self esteem, income support, and other barriers to employment, education or training. The most common strategies implemented across all target groups were personal support, job search assistance and training assistance. Income advocacy and financial assistance were also common strategies. 136 agencies are contracted to deliver services throughout Australia Target Group: JPET assists students and unemployed young people between 15-21 years who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (with priority to be given to those aged 15-19 and to homeless young people). Assistance is also provided to young people who are/or have been wards of the State, are refugees or have been in the juvenile justice system. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: http://jpet.facs.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Australian's Working Together - Personal Support Programme The Personal Support Programme will provide funding to assist people who have multiple barriers to employment. The new programme will replace and expand the Community Support Programme (CSP) that is administered through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The Personal Support Programme will provide assistance to the most vulnerable job seekers, including people with barriers such as homelessness, drug and alcohol problems, psychological disorders and domestic violence problems. Centrelink will refer people with significant non vocational employment barriers to service providers funded under the programme. Service providers will provide them with assistance or link them to other government or community organisations that provide the sorts of help they need. By 2004-2005 the new programme will be assisting 45,000 people. The new programme will help people to stabilise their circumstances and enable them to achieve outcomes that match their abilities and capacity. These will include social as well as economic outcomes. Participants will have up to two years of support and assistance in the Personal Support Programme. For many participants, an appropriate outcome will be to transfer to Intensive Assistance to get help to find work. Others will undertake study or training or volunteer activities. For others with more severe barriers, the Personal Support Programme will help them to address their personal barriers (e.g., find stable accommodation, attend drug or alcohol or other counselling services) and increase their involvement in the community. Target Group: People with non-vocational barriers to employment such as homelessness, drug and alcohol problems, psychological disorders and domestic violence problems. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.together.gov.au/PSP/Default.asp Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services, Centrelink Australians Working Together Australians Working Together - Helping people to move forward is a major package of initiatives offering significant support and services to help people to help themselves. Young job seekers will benefit from many Australians Working Together (AWT) initiatives announced in the 2001-02 Budget. Young people will also benefit from the improvements to employment services under AWT. AWT builds on the Government's employment assistance and mutual obligation policies that have attracted widespread support amongst participants and the broader community. The new system is providing improved personalised assessment and service, more opportunities for training and work experience, better incentives, and reasonable requirements for people to find work, increase their earnings or contribute to their communities. Centrelink will be the gateway to the new system. Centrelink Personal Advisers will provide a high level of service to people needing additional help to overcome personal or other barriers. Under AWT young people will have access to more places in Literacy and Numeracy Training, Job Search Training, and Work for the Dole and can earn Training Credits by participating in Work for the Dole and Community Work. Vulnerable and at risk young people will benefit from the better assessment processes in Intensive Assistance and the linkages between Intensive Assistance and other programmes. Young people will also benefit from other initiatives such as the Working Credit (which encourages people on income support to take up full-time, substantial part-time or casual work) and the new Personal Support Programme (designed to help people with problems such as homelessness, and drug and alcohol addiction) that replaces the Community Support Programme. Coverage: National Timeframe: July 2001 - June 2005 Contact details: together@dewrsb.gov.au Initiative Website address: http://www.together.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Shared policy responsibility between Family and Community Services, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and Department of Education, Science and Training National Awards for Local Government - Youth Services Category The National Awards for Innovation in Local Government foster and acknowledge innovation and leading practice in local government. The awards identify and reward local government bodies, associations and other collaborating organisations who are developing and implementing innovative, resourceful practices that improve local government outcomes and help build sustainable Australian communities. The Youth Services Category Award acknowledges innovation and excellence in the provision of youth services and amenities with an emphasis on the degree to which young people are actively engaged in their communities and encouraged to participate in policy decision-making that affects them. The Award showcases innovations and excellence that benefit young Australians where they live, study, work and play. It also highlights projects that help young people participate actively in their communities and in the democratic institutions that service those communities as respected young citizens. Target Group: Local government organisations. Coverage: National Websites: www.facs.gov.au and www.dotrs.gov.au Responsible Agencies: Department of Family and Community Services and Department of Transport and Regional Services Centrelink Community Officers and the Homebound Program Centrelink has 33 Community Officers (CCO) who ensure that homeless and marginalised customers have equitable access to and maintenance of income support and services provided by Centrelink The role of the Centrelink Community Officer (CCO) is to provide alternative services to homeless people who may not be able to access the mainstream services provided by Centrelink. This service is provided out of office in locations that are more convenient or where customers feel more comfortable. CCO's provide out servicing to customers in locations such as detoxification and rehabilitation centres, refuges, hostels for the homeless, psychiatric hospitals and drop in centres. Out servicing by CCO's provides community agencies with a reliable and effective means of ensuring that customers have access to appropriate income support. Under the National Homelessness Strategy, Centrelink is hosting "Homebound" - a two and a half day placement in Centrelink offices for homelessness service providers to improve the co-operative working relationship between those services and their local Customer Service Centre. Target Group: Homeless people Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.centrelink.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Department of Family and Community Services and Centrelink Centrelink Personal Advisers Under Australians Working Together a range of initiatives will be available to those young jobseekers that are indigenous or have special needs. AWT draws on Centrelink's capability to provide a range of assessment tools and its brokering role to assist individuals to improve their economic and social participation in the community. It is recognised that a vast majority of programs are delivered by non-government organisations. A major change with the implementation of AWT is the introduction of 850 new Centrelink Personal Advisers, in order to ensure people's needs are assessed better, so that they get the right assistance. Centrelink Personal Advisers will provide extra help to assist some young people with special needs to get a job or participate as possible in their community. This will involve the formation of partnerships with non-government groups, outside experts and its customers to provide the right help. Target Group: Various Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.centrelink.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services and Centrelink Centrelink/South Australia - Youth Connect In South Australia, Centrelink is working directly with the State welfare department, Family and Youth Services (FAYS), to provide a "joined up" State and Commonwealth service response to young people exiting secure accommodation by collocating Centrelink services in the FAYS office. This service is aimed at developing appropriate activity agreements with young people who are marginalized to minimise their disengagement with services and education, training and employment. This program is regarded as a trial for evaluation for possible implementation in other States to target assistance at our mutual customers. Target Group: Youth Coverage: Local, Adelaide Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.centrelink.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Centrelink Innovative Health Services for Homeless Youth (IHSHY) Program To provide innovative health services to homeless and otherwise at risk young people to enable this group to maintain their health while homeless or at risk of homelessness. These young people tend not to utilise mainstream health services effectively and therefore continue to be at significant health risk. Funding is provided to States and Territories on a matched dollar:dollar basis for a range of service based activities including advocacy and counselling, referral to other health services, health prevention and promotion and mobile outreach services. This program complements the Reconnect (Early Intervention into Youth Homelessness project) administered by the Department of Family and Community Services. Target Group: Young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Coverage: National Timeframe: Four years to 2002-2003. Contact Details: Website: www.mentalhealth.gov.au Responsible Agency: Department of Health and Ageing National Crime Prevention Program The National Crime Prevention Program's objectives are to identify and promote innovative ways of reducing and preventing crime and the fear of crime. The program includes both research and practical initiatives including national pilot projects, local prevention activities and communication and training initiatives. Priority issues include property crime; domestic and family violence and violence in Indigenous communities. A significant proportion of National Crime Prevention Program (NCP) funding is for early intervention initiatives with young people and their families under the Youth Crime and Families Strategy. National projects focusing on young people include those addressing public space, public events, domestic violence, truancy, bullying, early intervention and homeless youth. Research reports are already available on the domestic violence, early intervention, homelessness and use of public space. To date key youth related initiatives under the programme include:
Target Groups: Groups vary from project to project. Coverage: National Timeframe: 2000 - 2003 Responsible Agency: Attorney-General's Department Website: www.ags.gov.au Commonwealth Community Legal Services Programme (CCLSP) CCLSP purchases general and specialised legal services on behalf of the most needy members of the Australian community who are unable to afford a private lawyer. These services are purchased from community legal services located across Australia. While each community legal service assists young people who require legal services, the CCLSP recognises the importance of providing services that specialise in both assisting with and educating youth about their legal rights and responsibilities. The CCLSP funds five Youth Legal Services as follows:
Youth legal services provide assistance in a range of important areas, including but not limited to: school suspensions/expulsions, school bullying, disability discrimination in schools, victims compensation applications, family law, consumer rights, sexual harassment, social security problems, youth casual employment practices and mandatory sentencing. The range of service types delivered includes legal advice and casework, information, education and law reform. In addition, the CCLSP funds the National Children's Youth Law Centre (NCYLC) to provide legal services. This innovative and successful service has a national focus and targets metropolitan and rural youth via the Internet, http://www.lawstuff.org.au/. Target Group: Young people under 18. Coverage: Individual Youth Legal Services providing coverage in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland with the NCYLC providing national internet based coverage. Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible Agency: Attorney-General's Department Website: www.ags.gov.au Northern Territory Diversionary Scheme
Under the Agreement the Commonwealth is providing funding over four years for a juvenile pre-court diversion scheme and to jointly fund an Aboriginal interpreter service. This enables funding for:
Target Group: Young people in contact with the juvenile justice system Coverage: Northern Territory Timeframe: 2000-04 Responsible Agency: Attorney-General's Department Website: www.ags.gov.au |
