Output 2.1 - Settlement services
This output has five components:
2.1.1 Settlement planning and information delivery
2.1.2 Humanitarian settlement services
2.1.3 Support for community services
2.1.5 Free translating and interpreting services
Highlights
In April 2006 an interdepartmental committee (IDC) was convened to develop a whole-of-government strategy to improve settlement outcomes for humanitarian entrants. The IDC on Humanitarian Settlement, which involved 16 Australian government agency heads, developed a range of recommendations to strengthen government support for humanitarian entrants.
The 2007-08 Budget provided $209.2 million over four years to six agencies to implement key recommendations of the IDC on Humanitarian Settlement. The Budget allocated $62.7 million over four years to the department to introduce:
- complex case support services for recently arrived humanitarian entrants with exceptional needs
- minimum requirements for those seeking to propose people under the Special Humanitarian Programme (SHP)
- a proposer-support programme for SHP proposers who do not meet minimum requirements, to strengthen their capacity to support entrants they have proposed
- increased help for humanitarian entrants to help them meet rental, utilities and transport costs in the first month after arrival in Australia
- increased support for refugees settling in regional areas, particularly where there are employment opportunities
- incentives for new interpreters in languages where there is short supply and development of a guide to encourage positive relationships between police and recently arrived humanitarian groups.
Other agencies received funding to increase the provision of intensive English language tuition for humanitarian entrant students in primary and secondary schools; provide additional torture and trauma counselling; and provide additional direct income support for humanitarian entrants on arrival in Australia.
Settlement grants programme
The department provided $30.8 million in grants 2006-07 to support the settlement needs of migrants. The department administered 210 grants under the Settlement Grants Programme (SGP) and 99 under the Community Settlement Services Scheme (CSSS).
Adult Migrant English Programme
The Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP) continued to expand in 2006-07, providing tuition to 50 218 clients.
Regional settlement
The department established two new regional settlement locations for humanitarian entrants in Ballarat, Victoria in May 2007 and in Mount Gambier, South Australia in June 2007.
An evaluation of the 2005-06 regional humanitarian settlement pilot in Shepparton, Victoria indicated that new entrants and the community benefited from the pilot.
Planning and information
A range of information materials have been developed to help stakeholders plan for and settle new entrants, including community profiles on new humanitarian caseloads and annual reports on the settlement patterns of new arrivals and their needs.
In February 2007, the department started receiving updated address data from Medicare Australia. Access to the Medicare data has contributed to improving the integrity of settlement data, particularly in providing up-to-date settlement location data.
Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy
The department developed a quality assurance programme for the IHSS that focuses on contract performance requirements and management controls. Quality assurance reviews have been conducted in cooperation with service providers in all 20 contract regions. These indicate that IHSS providers are delivering services to clients in accordance with the contracts.