Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS)

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Settlement support for humanitarian clients
HSS service delivery principles
Services provided under the HSS program
Where can I obtain HSS assistance?
HSS Regional Profiles
Other settlement programs
Further information

Settlement support for humanitarian clients

The Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) program provides early practical support to humanitarian clients to help them settle into the community. The HSS program is delivered by service providers on behalf of the Australian Government.

Services under the HSS program provide initial practical support designed to build the independence of newly arrived refugees and humanitarian entrants, generally for the first six to 12 months. The HSS case manager will help clients to access other services or programs if needed. A client does not have to participate in the HSS program if they do not want to.

The objectives of the HSS program are to:

provide clients with tailored support to begin a new life in Australia
strengthen a client's ability to fully participate in the economic and social life of Australia
give clients the skills and knowledge to independently access services beyond the HSS program
provide services in accordance with the program's principles.

HSS service delivery principles

HSS service providers are guided by and promote the following principles:

respect the human worth and dignity of clients and their cultural and religious diversity
protect the health and wellbeing of clients
ensure clients are involved in decisions that affect them and have influence over their settlement pathways
deliver services flexibly through a tailored case management approach which prioritises need and early intervention strategies
give particular attention to the needs of children and young people
ensure services build on individual strengths and promote capability and independence
work together with other community and government agencies in the best interests of the client
deliver services to a high standard
be accountable to the users of services and the Australian Government.

Services provided under the HSS program

HSS providers work with clients to identify their needs and develop a case management plan to deliver a tailored package of services to meet these needs.

Initial services to clients may include:

arrival reception and assistance
assistance with finding accommodation (short and long term)
property induction
providing an initial food package and start-up pack of household goods
assistance to register with Centrelink, Medicare, health services, banks and schools
linking with community and recreational programs.

Services are provided to clients based on their needs, therefore not all clients will require or receive all services available under the HSS program. Clients may have other needs that are not met by the HSS program. These may be met by other settlement programs or by general services available to the broader Australian community.

HSS providers also work with other settlement and mainstream services to assist clients with their settlement needs beyond the HSS period.

A brochure on the HSS program is also available.
See: Humanitarian Settlement Services (333KB PDF file)

Onshore Orientation Program

The HSS also features an Onshore Orientation Program, available to all refugees and humanitarian entrants aged 15 years and over, to assist new arrivals to understand Australian society, laws and culture.

A booklet on the HSS Onshore Orientation Program is available which provides a broad overview of the program. It also includes personal accounts of new arrivals who have attended the program, profiles of local organisations who deliver settlement information sessions and examples of government agencies which have developed resources to support the program. A short brochure about the program is also available.
See:
Humanitarian Settlement Services – Onshore Orientation Program Booklet – 2011 ( 814KB PDF file)
Humanitarian Settlement Services – Onshore Orientation Program Brochure – 2011 ( 249KB PDF file)

Where can I obtain HSS assistance?

The following provides information about contracted service providers assisting the settlement of refugees and humanitarian entrants through the HSS program.
See: Where can I obtain HSS assistance? ( 58KB PDF file)

HSS Regional Profiles

Further information on regional settlement can be found at Humanitarian Settlement in Regional Australia.

Other settlement programs

In addition to the HSS program, clients can also access services from a number of other settlement programs. Clients are able to access more than one settlement service simultaneously, as long as there is no duplication of service.

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) – provides interpreting services 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Settlement Grants Program (SGP) – delivers targeted services to communities and locations in greatest need of settlement assistance
Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) – delivers up to 510 hours of basic English tuition to eligible migrants and humanitarian clients who do not have functional English
Complex Case Support (CCS) program – delivers intensive case management services to humanitarian clients with exceptional needs.

Use the Settlement Services Locator below to find the locations of English language classes, community organisations and settlement service providers.
See: Settlement Services Locator

Further information

The following are useful sources of information on refugee and humanitarian settlement issues.

Fact Sheets

See:
Fact Sheet 66 – Humanitarian Settlement Services
Fact Sheet 96 – Eligibility for Settlement Services
Fact Sheet 97 – Humanitarian Settlement in Regional Australia
Fact Sheet 98 – Settlement Services for Refugees
Humanitarian Settlement Services: Reduced Services For Former Bridging Visa E Holders

Publications

See: The Settlement Journey: Strengthening Australia through migration ( 3.3MB PDF file)

Living in Australia

Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS)

Settlement support for humanitarian clients

HSS service delivery principles

Services provided under the HSS program

Onshore Orientation Program

Where can I obtain HSS assistance?

HSS Regional Profiles

Other settlement programs

Further information

Fact Sheets

Publications

Other useful links

Advisory bodies

Peak bodies

Online Services

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