Preparing for an Ongoing Support Assessment Advice
V 1.2
Disclaimer
This document is not a stand-alone document and does not contain the entirety of Job Services Australia Providers' obligations. It should be read in conjunction with the Employment Services Deed 2013-2015 and any relevant guidelines or reference material issued by DEEWR under or in connection with Disability Employment Services Deed 2012-2015.
DMX-XXXXXX / Effective Date: XX Full MonthXXXX
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Table ofContents
Table of Contents
Document Change History
Introduction
Ongoing Support Assessment Allocations
Accepting or rejecting the Allocation
Information for the Ongoing Support Assessor
DES provider’s information for the Participant
Interviews
When a telephone or video-conference interview is appropriate
Arranging multiple DES provider or employer interviews
Interview Location
Special Interview Requirements
Advocates and other third parties
Special interviewer requirements
Arranging Auslan or other language interpreters
Who can perform interpreting services?
Bilingual assessors used in lieu of interpreters
An interpreter cannot be arranged, or does not attend
Conflict of interest for interpreters
Managing Attendance
Adequate notice for Ongoing Support Assessment Interviews
Non-attendance by Participants
Participant does not wish to participate in an interview.
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest where the Ongoing Support Assessor knows the Participant
Preparing for an Ongoing Support Assessment Advice
Document Change History
Version / Start Date / Effective Date / End Date / Change & Location1.3 / 16 Feb 15 / Document updated to meet Accessibility requirements
1.2 / 1 Jul 13 / 1 July 13 / References to remote fees has been removed due to introduction of RJCP program.
1.1 / 15 Jul 11 / 15 Jul 11 / 1 Jul 13 / Miscellaneous:Additional information provided on Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) and the Code of Ethics followed by interpreters (p.7)
1.0 / 23 Sep 10 / 23 Sep 10 / 15 Jul 11 / Original version of document
Introduction
The purpose of this document is to provide advice to the Ongoing Support Assessor about pre interview preparation for an Ongoing Support Assessment (OSA).
Further advice can be found in the Conducting an Ongoing Support Assessment Advice, and Completing an Ongoing Support Assessment Advice.
The Ongoing Support Assessor should work together with the DES provider to minimise any potential for disruption or inconvenience to the Participant and Employer during the Ongoing Support Assessment.
Ongoing Support Assessment Allocations
Accepting or rejecting the Allocation
Allocation of an Ongoing Support Assessment Work Order is initiated by the Disability Employment Services (DES) provider using DEEWR’s IT Systems. The Ongoing Support Assessor should accept or reject the Work Order within one business day by selecting ‘Accepted’ or ‘Not accepted’ on the Work Order tab of the Assessment Report in DEEWR’s IT Systems.
If the Work Order is accepted, the Assessor should then start to make arrangements for the Ongoing Support Assessment interviews and identify any special interview requirements, such as an Auslan Interpreter.
The OSA Assessor may contact the DES provider for assistance to arrange relevant interviews and access to relevant information to assist them to conduct a File Assessment.
If the Work Order is rejected, the reason for the rejection should also be selected from the ‘drop down list’ provided on the Work Order tab of the Assessment Report.
Information for the Ongoing Support Assessor
When the Ongoing Support Assessor receives a Work Order it will be pre-populated with the following information:
Assessment Details - identify the reason and due date for the Assessment.
Participant Details - include the name and contact details of the relevant Participant.
DES provider Details - identify the DES provider that initiated the Assessment Allocation, the date the Allocation was made and the DES provider contact details.
The ‘Provider comments’ field on the Assessment Overview tab will also include any other information the DES provider deems to be relevant, including:
- Whether the Participant has any special interview needs
(see Special Interview Requirements section) - Whether an interpreter is required and if so, the relevant language
(see Arranging Auslan or other language interpreters section)
This information will help the Ongoing Support Assessor prepare for the interview and accommodate Participant’s specific needs.
Employer Details - identifies the Participant’s employer address and contact details. The ‘Provider comments’ field on the Assessment Overview tab will include any other information the DES provider deems relevant, such as information on multiple Job Placements, and who is the best employer contact for obtaining relevant information.
Please note: The Ongoing Support Assessor should contact the DES provider before arranging any interviews, to gather other relevant information not already pre-populated in the Assesment Report and seek assistance to arrange interviews.
DES provider’s information for the Participant
Prior to the Assessment Allocation, the DES provider will inform the Participant of the upcoming Ongoing Support Assessment, including:
- The reason for the Assessment (i.e. to determine the level of Ongoing Support to help maintain employment);
- The nature of the Assessment (i.e. a discussion to talk about past and future Ongoing Support requirements);
- The requirement to bring any relevant evidence or documents to the Assessment interview; and
- The compulsory nature of the Assessment for Activity Tested Participants.
This information can be complemented by the Informing the Participant of the Ongoing Support Assessment interview Fact Sheet.
Interviews
The majority of interviews will be conducted in person, i.e. ‘face to face’. Ongoing Support Assessors are expected to make every effort to arrange face to face interviews unless this is clearly inappropriate.
When a telephone or video-conference interview is appropriate
A telephone or video-conference interview may be required when an Interviewee’s circumstances prevents them from attending a face to face interview.
Generally, telephone or video-conference interviews can replace face to face interviews only where:
- The Participant has severe mobility restrictions due to disability, illness or injury;
- The Participant is confined to hospital, home or residential service due to a medical condition or legal requirement;
- The Participant is unwilling to participate in a face to face interview, but will agree to a telephone interview;
- The Interviewees would be required to travel for more than 60 minutes to attend an interview and there are no suitable facilities for the Ongoing Support Assessor to conduct an interview in the local area;
- Travel for both the Interviewees and Ongoing Support Assessor is impossible, or unreasonable, for other reasons (e.g. Natural disaster).
- The employer is unavailable due to business constraints.
Rescheduling or not attending previous interviews is not a sufficient reason for a telephone interview unless non-attendance is due to the Participant’s condition, or other extenuating circumstances.
The Ongoing Support Assessor should determine whether to undertake a telephone or video-conference interview based on advice or documentation provided by the DES provider, the employer, or Participant. The decision to undertake a telephone or video-conference interview should be made by the Ongoing Support Assessor on a case-by-case basis.
Ongoing Support Assessors are required to record the reason for not conducting a face-to-face interview in the drop down list provided on the Participant, Provider or Employer Report tabs of the Assessment report.
DEEWR will monitor the number of, and reasons for telephone or video-conference interviews. Excessive or inappropriate use of these media will be discussed with Ongoing Support Assessors as part of performance management and quality assurance arrangements.
Arranging multiple DES provider or employer interviews
There may be cases where a Participant has recently transferred between DES providers, with the Participant’s previous DES provider having significant additional information on the Participant’s Ongoing Support needs. In this case, the Ongoing Support Assessor may choose to contact and interview the previous DES provider. This decision is at the discretion of the Ongoing Support Assessor and should be determined on a case by case basis.
There may also be cases where a Participant has multiple Job Placements. When this occurs, the Ongoing Support Assessor should determine which Job Placement(s) the Participant present the highest barriers or support needs to maintain their employment. This can be determined by gathering information from the DES provider and/or the Participant. The Ongoing Support Assessor may interview more than one employer if they consider this is in the Participant’s best interest and would produce the most appropriate Ongoing Support Assessment Recommendation.
Interview Location
The time and location of interviews are negotiated between the relevant parties and could result in all interviews being conducted at the same time and location.Aternatively, it may be possible for all interviews to be conducted in different locations for example the DES provider’s site, the Participant’s workplace or another location preferred by the Participant. Travel, access and other requirements of the Participant and Employer should be considered when determining the best location to conduct interviews Where a Participant has given permission for the employer interview to be conducted, a workplace assessment is required under the Deed of Standing Offer for Disability Employment National Panel of Assessors 2010-12.
Special Interview Requirements
Some Participants will require special interview arrangements. The Ongoing Support Assessors should view the ‘Provider comments’ field on the Assessment Overview tab in DEEWR’s IT Systems to check whether the DES provider has advised any special interview requirements. If the DES provider has not recorded any information, the Ongoing Support Assessor should check whether the Participant has any special interview requirements when arranging interviews.
Advocates and other third parties
Participants may wish to have an advocate, DES provider, friend, or family member attend the interview with them. If this is the case, the Ongoing Support Assessor should ensure that the third party is accommodated. In some cases, the DES provider may also advocate on the Participant’s behalf.
Special interviewer requirements
Occasionally, for religious, cultural, or personal reasons, a Participant will require an Ongoing Support Assessor of a particular gender. If a DES provider indicates this, assessors should make every effort to ensure that a suitable assessor is assigned. If this cannot be arranged, consider either having a third party attend the interview with the Participant or reassigning the assessment to another provider.
Arranging Auslan or other language interpreters
Participants may require an Auslan or other language interpreter. The requirement for an interpreter will be flagged by the DES provider in the ‘provider summary’ field in the Assessment overview tab, with details of the relevant language.
As the DES provider is likely to have existing arrangements in place as part of providing Ongoing Support, a DES provider is usually best placed to arrange for an Auslan or other language interpreter. However, this arrangement should be confirmed on a case by case basis between the DES Provider and OSA assessor.
DES Providers, employers, employees and individuals with disability may seek financial assistance from the Employment Assistance Fund (EAF) for Auslan interpreting costs. Providers apply for the EAF via the JobAccess website, and more information about the EAF may also be found in the Applying for Employment Assistance Fund – DES and JSA Provider Guidelines.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) provides the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National interpreting service for people who do not speak English and for the English speakers who need to communicate with them. More information on TIS National is available at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship – Living in Australia.
Who can perform interpreting services?
Ongoing Support Assessors should ensure that interpreter services used are accredited to National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) standards wherever possible.
The use of family members, friends of the Participant or other unqualified interpreters is not generally acceptable, though Participants may wish to have a family member or advocate attend in addition to the interpreter.
DEEWR recognises that in some cases it may be impossible to secure an accredited interpreter, for example when an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Participant requires an interpreter in a regional area, and a telephone interview with an interpreter is inappropriate. In these cases the Ongoing Support Assessor should make every effort to secure an interpreter for the relevant language. The Ongoing Support Assessor should note in their report that, while the interpreter was not accredited, they were the only available resource.
Bilingual assessors used in lieu of interpreters
If a Participant with interpreter requirements is referred to an Ongoing Support Assessor and the provider has an available assessor that is proficient in the relevant language, there may be no need to engage an interpreter.
An interpreter cannot be arranged, or does not attend
It may not be essential for an interpreter to physically attend an interview. The Ongoing Support Assessor may be able to arrange for telephone or video interpreting services.
If an interpreter does not attend and the Ongoing Support Assessor is unable to proceed, the interview should be rescheduled with minimum inconvenience to the Participant.
Conflict of interest for interpreters
Interpreters are subject to privacy provisions and Codes of Ethics as required by the Australian Translators and Interpreters Peak Body to protect Participant information and will be required to declare any conflict of interest in providing services for a particular Participant. Participants will be able to request that an interpreter not be used if there is a conflict of interest, for example a personal connection or relationship.
In smaller communities it may be difficult to secure a suitably independent face to face interpreter. In cases where it is impossible or inappropriate to secure a locally available interpreter, a telephone interpreting service could be used with an interpreter selected from anywhere in Australia.
Managing Attendance
Adequate notice for Ongoing Support Assessment Interviews
Where possible, the OSA Assessor should consult with the DES provider who can help arrange relevant interviews, particularly with the Employer and Participant. It is recommended that interviews are arranged by phone and organised at the earliest convenience for the DES provider, employer and the Participant.
Notification of interviews may be given to the Participant and employer either verbally or in writing. For any interviews which must be scheduled by letter, the interview should be made for at least five working days after the date of the notification.
Non-attendance by Participants
If a Participant does not attend their scheduled Ongoing Support Assessment interview, the Ongoing Support Assessor should, in the first instance, phone the DES provider to assist in re-scheduling another interview with the Participant.
If the Participant does not wish to schedule a new interview, the Ongoing Support Assessor should record details of the Participant notification in the ‘Details of contact/Attempts to contact’ field on the Participant Report Tab and contact DEEWR to cancel the report.
Participant does not wish to participate in an interview.
If the Participant refuses to participate in the interview, the Ongoing Support Assessor should note the details of the Participant’s refusal in the ‘Summary of participant Interview’ field of the Participant Report section of the Assessment and notify the Participant’s DES provider of all non-attendance. The DES provider should discuss with the Participant the benefits of participating in an interview and consequences of non-attendance and then take appropriate action.
If a Volunteer (Non - Activity Tested) Participant decides not to undertake an OSA they are not eligible to participate in DES and the DES provider should action a provider exit.
If a Volunteer (Activity Tested) Participants decides not to undertake an OSA they are not eligible to participate in DES and the DES provider must end the volunteering period, therefore re‐instating the suspension period.
If an Activity Tested Participant does not attend an OSA interview they must attend the subsequent scheduled interview. Failure to attend a second scheduled interview without notifying the OSA provider with a valid excuse will result in a follow‐up contact from Centrelink. Centrelink will suspend the Participant’s income support payment pending the Participant’s contact with Centrelink to re‐schedule the interview. If the Participant attends the rescheduled Centrelink interview their payments may be restored including any missed payments. Failure to attend the Centrelink scheduled appointment may result in cancellation of the Participant’s income support payment if they do not contact Centrelink and attend the OSA after missing the scheduled interview. Refer to the Disability Employment Services Participant Compliance Guidelines for further information.
Please note: In most instances, if the Participant Intervioew section of the report cannot be completed for any reason, the report should be cancelled by the Department and no fee is payable for the Assessment
Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest where the Ongoing Support Assessor knows the Participant
If an Ongoing Support Assessor is assigned an Assessment (for a Participant, employer or DES provider) with whom they have a personal history, connection or relationship, they should consider if this could represent, or be perceived to represent, a conflict of interest should the interview proceed. If a conflict of interest is identified, the Ongoing Support Assessor should attempt to have the interview assigned to another assessor within their organisation without changing the interview details.
If no other Ongoing Support Assessor is available at the scheduled time, the assessor will need to advise DEEWR at the earliest opportunity so that DEEWR can re-allocate the assessment to another NPA provider.
Preparing for an Ongoing Support Assessment AdviceD06-2345450 / Effective Date: 1 July 2013
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