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DIMIA Annual Report 2001-02

OVERVIEW OF OUTCOME TWO DEPARTMENTAL OUTPUTS

OUTPUT 2.1 SETTLEMENT SERVICES

2.1.1 Settlement planning and information delivery

Objective

To provide a planning framework for the delivery of settlement services and information for recently arrived migrants and humanitarian entrants which complement the services governments direct to all Australian residents.

Description

This output component supports the delivery of settlement plans addressing national and local settlement priorities, and provision of information to assist the settlement of migrants and Humanitarian entrants.

Key results

  • in April 2002 the Ministerial Council for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs endorsed a report on the progress of state and territory settlement planning committees in addressing national and local settlement priorities and the National Settlement Project for 2002 - Promoting Awareness of the Needs of Newly Arrived Young People, Particularly Refugees

  • settlement planning committees reported on initiatives taken to promote settlement information and rural and remote issues and to acknowledge the contribution made by volunteers to settlement.

    Settlement planning committees were also responsible for developing several initiatives in relation to health, language services and newly arrived youth

  • the Settling in Australia website (www.immi.gov.au/settle) continued to be promoted by all settlement planning committees. The committees reported that:

    • over 24,000 promotional materials were distributed

    • a list of over 1,000 locations was compiled where the Internet could be accessed by the general public

    • over 90 workshops and information sessions were conducted nationally

    • the website was generally seen as a useful tool by service providers

  • Settlement Information Kits, within the Settling in Australia website, contain information for prospective and newly arrived migrants on the types of services available to them and about where to go for help.

    There is a different version of the kits for each State and Territory and they are updated twice a year. Three new languages have been added to the translation set this year, bringing the total number of community languages to 21

  • the website and the kits were promoted via a national SBS radio campaign between October 2001 and June 2002.

    The campaign was run over six fortnightly periods in 18 different community languages

  • there was a significant increase for all states and territories during 2002 in the number of times the kits were accessed.

    The increase can be partly attributed to the SBS national radio campaign, the upgrade of the website in August 2001 and on-going distribution of promotional material (Fig. 18)

  • an on-line settlement data facility was linked to the Settling in Australia website in 2001-02. In six full months of operation it has averaged 470 report requests per month

Fig. 18: Settlement Information Kits

  • the kits were accessed 123,723 times between 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002

  • the Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council (RRAC) continued to provide advice to the Minister on a wide range of settlement issues in 2001-02 including the delivery of the IHSS, issues relating to refugee youth and a number of cross portfolio initiatives

  • RRAC began its third term in November 2001. A new member, Ms Maritsa Eftimiou, joined to the Council to fill the position left vacant by the departure of Mrs Ellen Goodman. RRAC's third term will run until March 2004.

2.1.2 Humanitarian Settlement Services

Objective

To provide settlement services to refugees and humanitarian entrants under the IHSS.

Description

This output component supports the provision of initial settlement services to newly arrived refugee and humanitarian entrants who are admitted under the Humanitarian Program.

The IHSS helps these entrants to rebuild their lives in Australia by providing support designed to meet their initial settlement needs. Provision of these settlement services are contracted to a number of providers in each state and territory.

IHSS support is intended for the initial settlement period, which, in most cases, is around six months. Once entrants exit the IHSS, and if need arises, they can access general settlement services provided under the CSSS.

Key results

  • the new IHSS model was officially launched in October 2001

  • 7,885 humanitarian entrants accessed IHSS services in 2001-02 including information/orientation, accommodation, household formation support and early health assessment and intervention services

  • a total of 38 contracts have been signed to deliver services in all states and territories under the IHSS model

  • a Central Referral Unit was established at DIMIA's central office to monitor and report on the flow of humanitarian entrants to the states/territories

  • the department publicly recognised the work of the volunteers while celebrating the theme Celebrate the Diversity of Volunteering for the International Year of Volunteers in May 2002.

    Approximately 1,200 volunteers were invited by the department's state and territory offices to mark the occasion

  • an IHSS conference was held in Canberra on 8 November 2001, providing opportunities for service providers and DIMIA staff to address issues and exchange ideas on best practice in assisting humanitarian entrants and managing IHSS contracts

  • to secure the viability of non-profit organisations delivering IHSS services, minimum business levels have been guaranteed to service providers for 2002-03.

    The department also paid establishment fees to some IHSS contractors to support their structure in the first years of the operation.

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