2.1.2 Humanitarian settlement services

Objective

  • Provide intensive initial settlement support to refugees and Special Humanitarian Programme (SHP) entrants through the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS) which provides services designed and administered to assist humanitarian entrants to start building a life in Australia.

Description

This output component supports the provision of intensive settlement services to newly arrived refugees and SHP entrants under the IHSS.

IHSS services are generally provided for around six months but may be extended in cases of particular need. As SHP entrants have the support of a proposer to assist them with their settlement, they do not always need the full range of IHSS services.

The IHSS includes the following services:

  • case coordination, information and referrals - includes a case coordination plan based on an initial needs assessment, information about, and referral to, other service providers and mainstream agencies and help for proposers to fulfil their role of assisting SHP entrants
  • on arrival reception and assistance - includes meeting eligible entrants on arrival, taking them to suitable accommodation and providing initial orientation and meeting any emergency needs for medical attention, clothing or footwear
  • accommodation services - helps entrants to find appropriate and affordable accommodation and provides them with basic household goods to start establishing their own household in Australia
  • short term torture and trauma counselling services - provides an assessment of needs and a case plan and referral for torture and trauma counselling and raises awareness among other health care providers of health issues arising from torture and trauma counselling.

Performance

In 2006-07, 12 307 people were assisted under the IHSS, compared with 12 036 in 2005-06.

The department helped 6230 refugees under the IHSS in 2006-07 compared to 5168 in 2005-06 and 5993 SHP entrants in 2006-07 down from 6814 in 2005-06. The department also helped 84 protection visa holders under the IHSS in 2006-07, compared to 54 in 2005-06.

The top five nationalities who accessed IHSS services during the year by country were Sudan (24 per cent), Iraq and Afghanistan (14 per cent each), Myanmar (12 per cent) and Burundi (6 per cent).

Of the total number of people who accessed IHSS services 52 per cent were female, 48 per cent were male and 56 per cent were under the age of 20 years.

top ↑