5. Participation requirements

Participation settings, meaningful engagement, appointments, activities and job search.

Department wording, reformatted for the web

Supporting Documents for this Chapter

Supporting Documents (sign-in required)

Mutual Obligation Requirements

Formal Notifications
Types of Exemptions

Meaningful Engagement Requirement

Provider Actions – Program Summary
Meaningful Engagement Provider Information Pack
Meaningful Engagement Fact Sheet – For Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirement)
Meaningful Engagement Fact Sheet for Volunteers – For Participants (Voluntary)

Job Search

Provider Actions – Tailoring a Participant’s Job Search Target
Manual Job Search Reporting Form

Tools to assist in supporting Participants

Capability Management Tool
Personal Events Best Practice Guide
Personal Events Participant Fact Sheet

5.1 Chapter Overview

This Chapter explains what participation requirements each Participant may have under Social Security Law and the role of Providers in helping Participants to understand and meet their participation requirements.

Participation requirements will vary depending on the type of Participant — i.e. if they are a Participant (Mutual Obligation), DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements), Volunteer (Mutual Obligation) or Volunteer (Non-Mutual Obligation).

Participation requirements will also vary depending on whether the Participant is meeting their requirements through the Meaningful Engagement Requirement specified in their Meaningful Engagement Job Plan or has compulsory requirements specified in their Detailed Job Plan.

When setting tasks and activities, either in the context of the Meaningful Engagement Requirement or in a Detailed Job Plan, it is considered best practice to review the:

ESAt report, where relevant, and
Capability Management Tool (see Section 5.4 Capability Management Tool).

For the purposes of this Chapter in these Guidelines:

self-reporting means the Participant recording attendance themselves online, and
reporting means the Participant contacts their Provider to report their attendance when/if they are unable to record it online.

This Chapter should be read in conjunction with Chapter 4: Job Plans and Chapter 12: Compliance.

5.2 What are participation requirements?

Most Inclusive Employment Australia Participants will have participation requirements that they need to meet under Social Security Law. This generally means they must attend the Initial Interview, agree to their Job Plan, attend Appointments when requested to do so, and participate in compulsory tasks and activities outlined in their Job Plan.

Participation requirements reinforce that a Participant (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) must be willing to look for and accept suitable work as a condition of receiving their Income Support Payment.

The type of participation requirements a person has depends on the Income Support Payment they receive. Participation requirements may be either:

Mutual Obligation Requirements — the requirements that a Participant (Mutual Obligation) must meet in return for receiving their Income Support Payments from Services Australia, or
compulsory participation requirements — the requirements that a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) has in return for receiving the DSP from Services Australia.

Note: The Department’s IT Systems will show if a Participant has participation requirements.

System step — A Participant’s participation requirements are listed on the ‘Participation’ screen in the Department’s IT Systems.

Participants (Voluntary) do not have participation requirements. If the Participant is not in contact with the Provider or not engaging appropriately with Services, the Provider must either Suspend or Exit the Participant in accordance with the guidance in Chapter 3: Commencements, Transfers, Suspensions and Exits.

At any time, a Participant (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) may no longer need to participate in employment services as:

Services Australia applies an Exemption, or
they have a temporary reduced work capacity:
- between 0-14 hours for 12 weeks or more, if a Participant (Mutual Obligation), or
- less than 8 hours, if a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements).

As noted in Section 3.5 Suspensions and Volunteer Periods, the Participant will be Suspended for the duration of this period, unless they are receiving Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support, or if they volunteer to continue receiving Pre-Employment Support.

Note: During a Volunteer Period, a Participant (Mutual Obligation) continues to receive support as a Volunteer (Mutual Obligation) and a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) continues to receive support as a Volunteer (Non-Mutual Obligation).

Once the Exemption or temporary reduced work capacity period has ended, the Provider must resume delivery of Services. This would include a face-to-face Contact Appointment with the Participant as part of the Re‑engagement process (unless conducting the appointment face-to-face would be unreasonable) and ensuring the Participant understands their participation requirements. It may also be appropriate to ask the Participant to agree to their Job Plan again, depending on when the Job Plan was last approved.

5.2.1 Mutual Obligation Requirements

This Section applies to Participants (Mutual Obligation).

Whether a Participant has full-time or part-time Mutual Obligation Requirements is determined by Services Australia, and will generally be based on:

the Participant's age
the Participant’s assessed work capacity, and
if the Participant has primary responsibility for the care of a child.

Due to the eligibility criteria for Inclusive Employment Australia (see Section 1.2 General eligibility criteria), typically Participants will have part-time requirements.

Services Australia may determine that a Participant (Mutual Obligation) is Fully Meeting their requirements if they are undertaking an approved Activity or combination of approved Activities for enough hours each fortnight. Those who are Fully Meeting their requirements are not required to participate with employment services but may choose to volunteer for employment services.

A Participant may have a temporary reduction in their requirements because of a temporary reduced work capacity.

The interaction between a Participant’s assessed work capacity, Mutual Obligation Requirements and Employment Benchmark is outlined in the following table.

Participation levels

Work Capacity	Employment Benchmark	Mutual Obligation Requirements	Fully Meeting (Approved Activities)
30+ hours per week *	30 hours per week	Full-time	70 hours per fortnight *
23-29 hours per week	23 hours per week	Part-time	30 hours per fortnight
15-22 hours per week	15 hours per week	Part-time	30 hours per fortnight
8-14 hours per week	8 hours per week	Quarterly interviews with Services Australia	Attendance at quarterly interviews
0-7 hours per week	0 hours per week	Quarterly interviews with Services Australia	Attendance at quarterly interviews

Example of a table styled with the second of the two DSS table styles. It is populated with food-related dummy data.

* Note: Individuals with an assessed work capacity of 30 hours or more per week are ineligible to Commence in Inclusive Employment Australia, but Participants who Commenced in DES prior to 1 July 2021 may have an Employment Benchmark of 30 hours per week. Fully Meeting requirements through 70 hours per fortnight does not apply to Inclusive Employment Australia Participants. A Principal Carer Parent or Mature Age Participant (aged 55 years of over) with an assessed work capacity of 30 hours or more per work is also able to Fully Meet their requirements through 30 hours per fortnight participation in approved Activities.

Under Social Security Law, Participants with Mutual Obligation Requirements are generally required to enter into a Job Plan, attend Appointments with their employment services provider and demonstrate that they are actively looking for work and/or maintaining their employment. In addition, those with Mutual Obligation Requirements must accept any offer of suitable work and not voluntarily leave a suitable job.

Providers must ensure that the Job Plan for a Participant (Mutual Obligation) will enable them to meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements.

A Participant (Mutual Obligation) with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan is set the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, through which they can meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements. This is the only compulsory requirement in their Job Plan.

A Participant (Mutual Obligation) with a Detailed Job Plan is expected to have been set the following compulsory tasks and activities, which must be completed to meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements:

the compulsory requirement to take personal responsibility for self-reporting, unless the Provider has assessed that the Participant is not capable of self-reporting
the compulsory requirement to willing accept any offer of suitable paid work and not leave suitable paid work voluntarily
the compulsory requirement to act on Job Referrals, where appropriate
a compulsory Job Search Requirement, noting that this may be set to zero where appropriate as outlined in these Guidelines
a compulsory requirement to attend Appointments with their Provider
a compulsory Activity, where the Provider considers mandatory attendance is required to improve their Work Readiness or prospects of finding and/or maintaining Employment, and
the compulsory requirement to attend Job Interviews, where appropriate.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 134.8, 134.9)

Where a Participant (Mutual Obligation) has a repeatedly failed to satisfactorily meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, as evidenced by a Pattern of Disengagement, they will be required to enter into a Detailed Job Plan.

Where a Participant (Mutual Obligation) is not complying with their requirements in a Detailed Job Plan, their non-compliance is managed under the Targeted Compliance Framework (TCF) in accordance with the relevant Sections in Chapter 12: Compliance.

A Participant (Mutual Obligation) with a Detailed Job Plan may also agree to other voluntary tasks and activities that address Vocational and Non-Vocational Barriers or otherwise would help them achieve their Employment Goal. These voluntary activities are not compulsory and not completing them will not result in any compliance action.

Reduced capacity due to injury or temporary medical conditions

A Provider may adjust a Participant’s requirements to reflect a short-term or temporary change in circumstances that impacts their ability to meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements but will not have a significant long-term impact on the Participant’s ability to work or participate in employment services. Where the Participant is receiving Pre-Employment Support, Providers must also consider if the Participant’s service offer should be adjusted (see relevant Sections on the service offers and movement between the phases in Chapter 6: Pre-Employment Support for more information).

A Participant can have been assessed as having a temporary reduced work capacity because of an injury or temporary physical or mental health condition. Participants may have reduced requirements for the period of the temporary reduced work capacity.

Note: If the temporary reduced work capacity is between 0-14 hours per week and for a period longer than 12 weeks, a Participant (Mutual Obligation) receiving Pre-Employment Support will be Suspended from Services and become Centrelink Managed. As was noted earlier in this Section, the Participant may choose to volunteer to continue to receive assistance during this period.

Exemptions from Mutual Obligation Requirements

If a Participant is temporarily unable to meet any of their Mutual Obligation Requirements, Services Australia may grant an Exemption for a specified period. If a Provider believes that the Participant does not temporarily have the capacity to meet any of their Mutual Obligation Requirements, the Participant must be advised to contact Services Australia to test their eligibility for an Exemption, on their regular payment line (which can be found on the Services Australia website). Encouraging the Participant to seek an Exemption is important as they may be eligible for additional allowances, such as Pharmaceutical Allowance, depending on their circumstances.

A guide to the situations in which a Participant may be granted an Exemption from their Mutual Obligation Requirements, is included on the Provider Portal as the Types of Exemptions (sign-in required) support document.

At the same time, a Provider should also seek to reduce a Participant’s requirements and consider if the Flexible Service would be more appropriate. Movement into the Flexible Service while the Participant progresses with applying for an Exemption recognises the lower capacity to engage.

Regardless of whether an Exemption is granted, Providers must not set tasks and activities (either as part of meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement or as a compulsory requirement in a Detailed Job Plan) that the Participant would be unable to meet, or that are inappropriate for their circumstances.

Note: Participants granted an Exemption will be Suspended from a Provider’s Caseload for the period of the Exemption. These Participants may voluntarily choose to continue participating in employment services as a Participant (Voluntary). Some Participants with longer-term Exemptions may be Exited from a Provider’s Caseload.

Pause of obligations

At any time, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations may pause Mutual Obligation Requirements for Participants (Mutual Obligation) in a certain location — for example, because of a natural disaster or State and Territory Health Orders.

During this period, no payment suspensions will apply to Participants who do not meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements. Participants will also not receive Demerits under the TCF or be required to meet a Re-engagement Requirement.

Note: No change to a Participant’s Job Plan is required to enable the pause of requirements.

During a pause, Providers must support Participants to understand:

what the pause of obligations means
how long the pause will last
what happens during the pause
what they will need to do when the pause ends.

Participants can choose to continue to participate in Appointments and Activities on a voluntary basis. Appointments and Activities scheduled prior to the pause may still appear in their Electronic Calendar and they may still get reminder notifications, but no compliance action is applied if they do not attend. Providers may encourage Participants to remain in contact and participate in tasks and activities where it is safe to do so.

Providers must not draw upon evidence of any disengagement from this period as part of their assessment of whether a Participant has failed to meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement. A Provider, however, may consider the level of engagement during this period for a Pattern of Renewed Engagement.

Participants will still need to meet their Job Search Requirement if it is due after the pause ends. Providers should consider the participant’s ability to meet their Job Search requirement if it is due soon after the pause ends.

Note: Participant’s must still report their income to Services Australia each fortnight, using their Centrelink online account.

Fully Meeting Mutual Obligation Requirements

All Participants (Mutual Obligation) in Inclusive Employment Australia can Fully Meet their requirements through sufficient participation, of at least 30 hours per fortnight, in an approved Activity or a combination of approved Activities. A summary of circumstances in which an Inclusive Employment Australia Participant would be Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements is included in the table below. Details on approved study are included under Section 7.7.2 Education and Training and details on approved Voluntary Work are included under Section 7.6.1 Provider Sourced Voluntary Work and Section 7.7.3 Participant Sourced Voluntary Work.

Note: All Inclusive Employment Australia Participants have a Partial Capacity to Work (PCW) as those with an assessed work capacity of 30 hours or more per week are ineligible to Commence in Inclusive Employment Australia. Therefore, at a minimum, Inclusive Employment Australia Participant can Fully Meet their requirements under the arrangements for PCW Participants.

A guide to when a Participant can be recorded as Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements, can be found in the Social Security Guide — see 3.11.6 Fully meeting requirements | Social Security Guide.

If the Participant has confirmed they are going to undertake an approved Activity but has not yet commenced, they must still participate in Inclusive Employment Australia until they commence the Activity.

Providers can record that Participants are Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements through recording their participation in the approved Activity. The Activity does not need to be in their Job Plan for the Participant to be Fully Meeting their requirements, however, it is considered best practice to capture the Activity in the Participant’s plan for meaningful engagement or Detailed Job Plan as soon as the Provider arranges the Activity or is advised that the Participant is undertaking the Activity.

Providers must assess and record that a Participant is participating in an activity that is Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements in the Department’s IT Systems rather than sending the Participant to Services Australia to action.

System step — Detailed instructions on recording activities as Fully Meeting are available in the Recording participants as Fully Meeting mutual obligations task card.

Requirements to be Fully Meeting Mutual Obligation Requirements

Example of a table styled with the second of the two DSS table styles. It is populated with food-related dummy data.
Participant Cohort	Requirements
PCW Participants (15-29 hours per week)	By undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of: paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment approved study, or a combination of the above.
Principal Carer Parents (youngest child is under 16 years of age)	By undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of: paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment approved study, or a combination of above. By undertaking approved Voluntary Work with at least 15 hours of approved study and/or paid Employment, for 30 hours per fortnight.
Participants in receipt of a Carer Allowance	By undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of: paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment approved study, or a combination of above. By undertaking approved Voluntary Work with at least 15 hours of approved study and/or paid Employment, for 30 hours per fortnight.
Mature aged Participants (55 years or older)	By undertaking 30 hours per fortnight of: paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment approved Voluntary Work, or a combination of above. Note: If aged 55-59 years and in their first 12 months of receiving Income Support Payments, Voluntary Work must be combined with at least 15 hours of approved paid work.

Example of a table styled with the second of the two DSS table styles. It is populated with food-related dummy data.

Note: Once a Provider or Services Australia determines that a Participant is Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements, a Participant receiving Pre-Employment Support will be Suspended from the Provider's Caseload and become Centrelink Managed. If the Participant is expected to continue to Fully Meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements for more than 13 weeks they will be Exited unless they choose to remain in Inclusive Employment Australia as a Volunteer (Mutual Obligation) — refer to Section 3.5 Suspensions and Volunteer Periods, Section 3.6 Exits and Section 4.6.3 Arrangements for Participants (Voluntary) for more details.

If a Participant ceases to Fully Meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements, the Provider will resume delivery of Services. This would include discussion with the Participant following the period of Exemption to ensure they understand their Mutual Obligation Requirements and identifying appropriate tasks and activities that the Participant can undertake to meet their requirements.

Participants undertaking residential treatment programs

If a Participant is undertaking intensive drug and alcohol treatment or rehabilitation (such as a full-time residential program) they are considered as meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements and do not have to complete additional requirements.

Note: Participants in residential programs for drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation can have an ‘authorised correspondence nominee’. Nominees can let the Provider know the Participant is in a residential program and arrange to get access to all correspondence and notifications the Provider sends to the Participant. With the consent of a Participant, residential rehabilitation facilities can also advise a Provider that a Participant has entered a residential program, as Participants generally will not have access to communication devices.

Pregnant Participants

Providers must consider a pregnant Participant’s personal circumstances when setting their Mutual Obligation Requirements.

From 6 weeks before the expected due date and until 6 weeks following the birth of the child, the Participant can have an Exemption from all their Mutual Obligation Requirements.

5.2.2 DSP compulsory participation requirements

This Section applies to DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements).

DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) have agreed to take part in Inclusive Employment Australia to meet the requirements set out in their Participation Plan with Services Australia.

There are other methods by which a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) may be able to meet their participation requirements, such as Apprenticeships, Traineeships, NDIS employment supports, work experience and voluntary work. If a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) raises the option to meet their participation requirements through a different activity, the Provider should advise the Participant to raise this at their next participation interview or call Centrelink on 132 717.

A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) does not need to participate in employment services if they are working in Supported Employment or work under the Supported Wage System. Where a Provider is aware that a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) would no longer be required to participate in Inclusive Employment Australia, the Provider should advise the Participant to contact Services Australia and ask for a review of their Participation Plan. Following a change to their Participation Plan, the DSP recipient may continue to volunteer for Inclusive Employment Australia.

Under Social Security Law, Participants with compulsory participation requirements for their DSP referred to employment services are generally required to sign a Job Plan, attend appointments with their provider, do any compulsory tasks and activities agreed to, and attend participation interviews with Centrelink).

Providers must ensure that the Job Plan for a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) will enable them to meet their compulsory participation requirements.

As noted in Chapter 4: Job Plans, DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) must have at least one compulsory requirement in their Job Plan.

A DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan is set the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, through which they can meet their compulsory participation requirements. This is the only compulsory requirement in their Job Plan.

A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) with a Detailed Job Plan is expected to have been set:

any Interventions as specified by Services Australia in the Capability Management Tool
compulsory attendance at Appointments with their Provider, and
a compulsory Activity, including job search activities, work preparation activities and/or Job Interviews, where appropriate.
other voluntary tasks and activities that address Vocational and Non-Vocational Barriers, which may include a Job Search Requirement, work preparation activities or job search activities.

Where a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) has a repeatedly failed to satisfactorily meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, as evidenced by a Pattern of Disengagement, they will be required to enter into a Detailed Job Plan.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 134.11, 134.12, 134.13)

It is the responsibility of DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) to meet their participation requirements. However, it is important that Providers provide appropriate assistance, depending on the Participant’s circumstances and issues, to ensure they can maintain their attendance and participation.

If a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) is not complying with their requirements, their non-compliance is reported to Services Australia in accordance with Section 12.7 DSP non-compliance and associated compliance actions.

Note: DSP recipients with compulsory participation requirements may volunteer for Inclusive Employment Australia but be meeting their requirements via another work focused activity — such as, Supported Employment or NDIS employment supports. DSP recipients not subject to compulsory participation requirements can also volunteer to participate in Inclusive Employment Australia. In these cases, the Participant will be identified on the Department’s IT Systems as a Participant (Voluntary).

Where a Participant cannot meet their compulsory participation requirements

A Provider should adjust a Participant’s requirements to reflect a short-term or temporary change in circumstances.

A Participant may also be assessed as having a temporary reduced work capacity because of an injury or temporary physical or mental health condition.

Note: If the temporary reduced work capacity is less than 8 hours per week, a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) will be Suspended from Services. As was noted earlier in this Section, the Participant may choose to volunteer to continue to receive assistance during this period.

Services Australia may grant Exemptions for a specified period if a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) is temporarily unable to meet their requirements. If a Provider believes that the Participant is eligible for an Exemption, the Participant must be advised to contact Services Australia on their regular payment line (which can be found on the Services Australia website).

Services Australia can grant temporary incapacity Exemptions for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) for up to 2 years based on a medical practitioner’s advice on a medical certificate. Other exemptions may be granted up to 13 weeks, depending on individual circumstances.

A guide to the situations in which a Participant may be granted an Exemption from their compulsory participation requirements is included on the Provider Portal as the Types of Exemptions (sign-in required) support document.

Pause to requirements

At any time, the Department may pause compulsory participation requirements for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) in a certain location — for example, because of a natural disaster or State and Territory Health Orders.

During this period, Providers do not need to report any non-compliance to Services Australia. No financial penalties will apply to DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) who do not meet their participation requirements. All existing compulsory requirements will become voluntary requirements. All Participants will be meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Note: No change to a Participant’s Job Plan is required to enable the change in requirements.

During a pause, Providers must support Participants to understand:

what the pause to compulsory participation requirements means
how long the pause will last
what happens during the pause
what they will need to do when the pause ends.

Participants can choose to continue to participate in Appointments and Activities on a voluntary basis. Appointments and Activities scheduled prior to the pause may still appear in their Electronic Calendar and they may still get reminder notifications. Providers may encourage Participants to remain in contact and participate in tasks and activities where it is safe to do so.

Note: Participant’s must still report their income to Services Australia each fortnight, using their Centrelink online account.

5.2.3 Requirements for Participants undertaking a Program of Support

Participants may be participating in Inclusive Employment Australia as part of a Program of Support requirement. That is, as part of their eligibility for DSP they have been informed that they need to demonstrate that they have actively participated in a program that helps them to prepare for, find and keep a job.

As Inclusive Employment Australia will often be the most appropriate employment service for people applying for the DSP, people with Program of Support requirements may have Directly Registered for Inclusive Employment Australia, subject to meeting general eligibility criteria or special eligibility criteria (see relevant Sections in Chapter 1: Eligibility, Referrals and Direct Registration).

To show that they have participated in a Program of Support, the person needs to have participated in employment services for at least 18 months in the 3 years before they make the DSP claim. Generally, they will meet this requirement if they remain connected with their Provider and do not Exit for more than 13 weeks. If they fail to participate, they may jeopardise their eligibility for DSP.

Note: A person who is participating to meet the Program of Support requirement may be a Participant (Mutual Obligation) or Participant (Voluntary). If they are a Participant (Mutual Obligation), they are subject to the relevant participation requirements and compliance actions linked to their Income Support Payment. If they are a Participant (Voluntary), the Provider can Exit the Participant if they disengage.

There is no flag in the Department’s IT Systems that identified if a Participant has a Program of Support requirement. Therefore, it is only when a Participant discloses that they are participating as part of a Program of Support requirement, that Providers must ensure that they understand their requirements for the Program of Support as required in the Deed and these Guidelines.

5.3 Provider obligations

Provider staff have delegated powers under Social Security Law to notify Participants (Mutual Obligation) of their participation requirements.

Providers must work with Participants to set an appropriate mix of tasks and activities, tailored to the individual’s circumstances, to support full participation in Inclusive Employment Australia Services.

Under Social Security Law, Participants must be given appropriate notice of any compulsory requirement. The Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has delegated to Provider staff the power to give Participants formal notification of their requirements.

The Provider’s main obligations relating to participation requirements include:

ensuring that Job Plans for Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) are suitable to the Participant’s personal circumstances and capacity to comply with their obligations under Social Security Law
ensuring any tasks and activities agreed to are suitable and tailored to the Participant’s Employment Goal(s), assessed work capacity, personal circumstances, and work or study commitments (whether these tasks and activities are part of meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement or specified in a Detailed Job Plan)
ensuring each Participant (Mutual Obligation) understands their Mutual Obligation Requirements and what they must do to meet their Mutual Obligation Requirements
ensuring each DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) understands their obligations under Social Security Law
ensuring each Participant undertaking a Program of Support understands their obligations
assessing a Participant’s capability to self-report their own attendance, and reviewing their capability to self-report as required
notifying Participants of their requirements, including how they can meet each requirement and the consequences of not meeting the requirement
actively checking and recording each Participant’s level of engagement against the plan for meaningful engagement
actively monitoring and recording each Participant’s compliance with their requirements and capacity to meaningfully engage — refer to Chapter 12: Compliance, and
notifying Participants when they are at risk of not meeting a requirement or have failed to meet a requirement.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 114.1, 138, 139, 140)

5.3.1 Training

It is essential that each staff member understands how to set participation requirements, to ensure that Participants are meeting their requirements under Social Security Law.

Providers are encouraged to adopted shared decision-making processes, giving Participants choice and flexibility over the assistance they receive. Providers should seek to ensure that staff understand the principles of shared decision making and supported decision making.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 143)

5.3.2 Notifying Participants of their requirements

When a Participant is set a compulsory requirement, the Participant needs to be provided with information about that requirement. That is, the Participant needs to be issued a formal notification.

Note: Notifications may also be sent for voluntary activities, but these are for informational purposes (i.e. include details such as the location, date/days, and time of the activity).

There are a range of modes of communication available for notifications which are automatically sent by the Department’s IT Systems. Providers must ensure that Participants are notified of their upcoming requirements using a mode that considers their preferred contact method.

If the Participant does not have a notification preference recorded in the Department’s IT Systems, Providers may need manually issue notifications — by printing and sending the notification to the Participant’s residential address.

System step — A Participant’s preferred contact method is listed in the Department’s IT Systems under the ‘Personal details’ screen of the Participant’s profile.

The Department’s IT Systems will automatically create the relevant notification type to be issued when a Provider:

schedules an Appointment in the Participant's Electronic Calendar
schedules a compulsory Activity in the Participant's Electronic Calendar
schedules a Job Interview in the Participant's Electronic Calendar
negotiates a Job Plan with the Participant, and
creates a Job Referral or Job Opportunity task.

Evidence requirement — A hard copy of any manually prepared notification of a requirement must be kept by the Provider.

Notifications generally include:

the reason for any Appointment, if sent in relation to an Appointment
if the task or activity is for the purpose of a Re-engagement Requirement
the date and start time an Appointment, Activity or Job Interview has been scheduled in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar
the location or address of the Appointment, Activity or Job Interview, if the format is face-to-face
the dial in or dial out details for the Appointment, Activity or Job Interview, if the format is via a phone call or videoconference
if the Participant must record their own attendance, and, if so, details of when they need to record their attendance
details of a Job Referral or Job Opportunity task
any evidence the Participant needs to show to confirm their participation
advice that the Participant must contact their Provider, if they become aware of any reason that would prevent them from doing the task or activity
advice that the Participant must contact their Provider if they fail to complete the task or activity, to inform the Provider of the reason why they could not attend
advice about possible consequences for Participants if they do not meet their requirement
advice that the Participant must complete the requirement in return for Income Support Payments, and
if a formal notification, must include a statement that the notification is a notice under Social Security Law.

For formal notifications, the Provider must issue the notification within an appropriate timeframe before the requirement is scheduled to occur. If reasonable notice timeframes are not met, the Participant’s Electronic Calendar will not allow the requirement to be booked, unless the Provider is in direct contact with the Participant and records in the Department’s IT Systems the Participant has agreed to meet this requirement.

The Department’s IT Systems will not allow a formal notification to be issued if reasonable notice timeframes cannot be met.

Where a Participant has an authorised correspondence nominee, the nominee will receive copies of all notifications sent from the Provider to the Participant.

For more information on formal notifications, refer to the Formal Notifications (sign-in required) supporting document on the Provider Portal.

5.3.3 Capturing Personal Events

Personal Events are a way of communicating a period when a Participant has a personal commitment which could prevent them from attending a compulsory requirement. Personal Events can be created for anytime between 6:00 am and 9:00 pm, and can be booked recurringly, up to 8 weeks in advance.

A Participant can create their own Personal Events in their Electronic Calendar, where a Mutual Obligation Requirement is not already scheduled for that time. Providers must encourage Participants to create relevant Personal Events in their Electronic Calendar while receiving Pre-Employment Support and must help to do this when necessary. A Personal Events Participant Fact Sheet (sign-in required) available on the Provider Portal helps Participants understand what they need to do have their time for other commitments captured in the Electronic Calendar.

Providers must record a Participant’s hours of paid work as a Personal Event on behalf of the Participant, where the hours are regular and it is reasonable to do so. Providers may also create Personal Events on behalf of a Participant for regular commitments such as caring commitments or medical appointments.

If a Participant is receiving Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support and the Participant’s Personal Events would create a conflict with the Provider’s business hours, the Provider may speak to the Participant to negotiate a suitable, reoccurring day during the week where the Provider would organise Contacts with the Participant either at or near their place of Employment. The Participant would not capture their paid work as a Personal Event for this time.

Providers must regularly review Personal Events added by Participants, including information from the Participant about the personal commitment, and must decide whether to confirm the Personal Event. The Provider must consider the nature of the Personal Event, the Participant’s personal situation and the current phase or service offer they are receiving.

It is best practice to incorporate a review of Personal Events into regular Contacts with the Participant.

If a Provider confirms a Personal Event, the Provider must:

advise the Participant that compulsory requirements may still be scheduled for that time, unless the Personal Event is paid Employment, but
not schedule any compulsory requirements that conflicts with the confirmed event unless they first discuss the clash with the Participant.

If a Provider leaves a Personal Event unconfirmed, the Provider must contact the Participant to:

advise the Participant that the Personal Event has not been confirmed
advise the Participant about what is needed to change the Personal Event to confirmed, and
request more information about the Personal Event, if needed.

A confirmed Personal Event is considered prior notice that the Participant is unable to attend a requirement at that time. A Provider must not book a conflicting requirement at that time unless the Provider:

contacts the Participant to explain why the requirement is necessary and to check that the Participant can make alternative arrangements for the Personal Event
enters a justification for setting the conflicting requirement, as a comment in the Participant’s Summary on the Department’s IT Systems, and
formally notifies the Participant in advance of the requirement.

Providers should refer to the Personal Events – Best Practice Guide (sign-in required) on the Provider Portal for more information on the types of Personal Events that can be captured and how Personal Events work in the Department’s IT Systems for Providers and Participants.

5.4 Capability Management Tool

The Capability Management Tool available via the Job Plan screen in the Department’s IT Systems is a supporting tool for Providers. The Capability Management Tool combines information collected from ESAts, any Capability Interviews and/or Capability Assessments, and self-reported barriers entered by the Participants via Workforce Australia Online for Individuals.

The tool allows a Provider to identify any personal circumstances that could affect the Participant’s ability to meet their participation requirements and find employment, and record how barriers are being addressed (or are not being addressed, as Participant has exercised choice in the services and support received).

The Capability Management Tool can help Providers to:

find current vulnerabilities and barriers that may affect a Participant’s ability to meet their participation requirements, including any issues self-identified by the Participant
find ESAt recommended Interventions, and
find recommendations by Services Australia following a Capability Assessment to consider when updating the Participant’s Job Plan, where relevant.

The Provider should also record any information about the Participant’s participation (or refusal to participate) in Activities in the Capability Management Tool.

If a Provider finds or becomes aware that a Participant’s ongoing ability to meet their requirements is affected by a drug or alcohol dependency, the Provider should seek to source, offer and arrange treatment services and record in the Capability Management Tool if:

the Participant has accepted and is currently participating in treatment or rehabilitation services
treatment or rehabilitation services are not available in the Participant’s area of residence
there is a waiting list to participate in treatment, or
the Participant has refused to participate in treatment or rehabilitation.

For more information on the Capability Management Tool, including its usage as part of the Targeted Compliance Framework, refer to the (sign-in required) Capability Management Tool (sign-in required) supporting document.

5.5 Meaningful Engagement Requirement

Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) can meet their participation requirements through the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Participants (Voluntary) are expected to engage in order to continue receiving support, which is also reflected through the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

As noted in Section 4.6 Contents of a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan, the Meaningful Engagement Job Plan will pre-populate to include Code PA19 [Meaningful Engagement Requirement], as:

the only compulsory requirement for Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements), and
the default voluntary requirement for Participants (Voluntary).

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 134.8)

Providers should work with each Participant to identify suitable tasks and activities that they will undertake to meaningfully engage.

An appropriate mix of tasks and activities for a Participant would be tailored to the Participant’s Employment Goal(s), areas of interest, assessed work capacity, personal circumstances, barriers to finding and maintaining sustainable work, and current work or study commitments.

The mix of tasks and activities for each Participant should be dependent on their phase (Pre‑Employment Support, Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support) and service offer (Intensive Service Work Preparation, Intensive Service Job Search or Flexible Service).

Providers should adopt a process of shared decision making with the Participant. Shared decision making seeks to ensure the Participant feels invested in, and has shared ownership of, the tasks and activities they will do as part of the agreed approach for meaningful engagement.

To ensure that the terms of meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement are clear, agreed tasks and activities (i.e. the agreed approach) must be included in a ‘plan’ for meaningful engagement — with a copy of the plan given to the Participant. This should be done during the Contact, if possible, and must be done by close of business the same day as discussed with the Participant. A record of the agreed tasks and activities may be captured on the Department’s IT Systems in the Program Summary.

There are no requirements on how the copy for a Participant is formatted, but Providers should ensure any handwritten or electronic document (printed hardcopy or electronic version) provided to the Participant considers general principles for creating accessible documents and will meet the needs of the Participant.

The Meaningful Engagement Provider Information Pack (sign-in required), which can be found on the Provider Portal, includes advice on the contents and form of the plan for meaningful engagement.

Guidance on how to capture the agreed approach in the Program Summary is including in the Provider Actions – Program Summary (sign-in required) supporting document on the Provider Portal.

Where appropriate, if a Participant is not fully satisfying the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, Providers should change the agreed approach and/or ensure that the Participant understands why tasks and activities have been included in the plan for meaningfully engaging.

Evidence requirement — Providers must retain records of the tasks and activities the Participant has currently agreed to undertake, as this will form part of the Documentary Evidence requirements for a Pattern of Disengagement.

System step — Providers may record the tasks and activities that the Participant has agreed to participate in using comment functionality in the Program Summary on the Department’s IT Systems. If using the Program Summary, Providers should add a new comment, rather than edit existing comments, when the agreed approach changes — to ensure there is a historical record of all tasks and activities that have formed part of the plan for meaningful engagement.

System step — Providers can record information about agreed Activities and Interventions in the Capability Management Tool.

An appropriate mix of individual, group and self-directed tasks and activities for a Participant may include:

Contacts and Appointments
Activities to address Vocational Barriers, noting that this may include both formal and informal Activities such as:
- work preparation activities
- job search activities, and
- work experience placements
Activities and Interventions to address Non-Vocational Barriers
Job Search
Job Referrals
Job Interviews
Education and Training
Employment, and/or
Work Trials.

Guidance is provided in the Sections that follow on considerations for setting tasks and activities, as part of the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, for Participants (Mutual Obligation), DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) and Participants (Voluntary).

Note: A Participant may exercise choice about the Services they receive however the Provider may direct the Participant to complete certain tasks and activities to ensure that they are looking for work.

Providers must ensure that the level of engagement does not exceed the Participant’s assessed work capacity when setting tasks and activities under the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Providers should seek to regularly discuss engagement levels, outcomes for each task and activity and progress overall against the agreed approach with each Participant This ensures each Participant is aware of whether they are meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

A Participant is meaningfully engaging — i.e. fully satisfying the Meaningful Engagement Requirement - while the Provider determines that the Participant is completing tasks and activities in an appropriate manner.

If a Participant is not meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement (as outlined in Section 5.5.4 Determining if a Participant is meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement), and the Provider determines that there has been a Pattern of Disengagement (as outlined in Section 12.2 Steps when a Participant has failed to meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement), Providers must:

enter into a Detailed Job Plan for Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) — refer to Chapter 4: Job Plans, or
Suspend or Exit a Participant (Voluntary) — refer to Chapter 3: Commencements, Transfers, Suspensions and Exits.

Note: Participants cannot be compelled to attend or complete tasks and activities as part of the Meaningful Engagement Requirement. However, there are options for a Provider to compel a Participant to attend a compulsory Appointment if they are disengaged as outlined in Section 12.2.2 Compellable Contact Appointment.

More detailed information on what tasks and activities can form part of agreed approach for the Meaningful Engagement Requirement is included in the Meaningful Engagement Provider Information Pack (sign-in required), which can be found on the Provider Portal.

The Meaningful Engagement Fact Sheets — Meaningful Engagement Fact Sheet – For Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirement) or Meaningful Engagement Fact Sheet – For Participants (Voluntary) (sign-in required), which must be given to each Participant during their Initial Interview — and Participant Information Pack include information to help Participants understand what they need to do as part of their commitment to meaningfully engage. These documents are published on the Department’s website as well as being available on the Provider Portal.

5.5.1 Arrangements for Participants with Mutual Obligation Requirements

Throughout the Participant’s Period of Service, Participants (Mutual Obligation) will need to agree to Appointments and Contacts with their Provider. This agreement would include the frequency and Engagement Methods, and a possible schedule for Contact Appointments booked in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

By the end of the Initial Engagement Period, it is expected that most Participants (Mutual Obligation) will be undertaking a range of different tasks and activities to demonstrate they are meaningfully engaging and satisfying their requirements under Social Security Law, unless they are receiving the Flexible Service, Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support.

Depending on what is right for the Participant’s circumstances and phase, the tasks and activities agreed to would generally be aimed at helping the Participant to find and/or maintain work. Tasks and activities included would either:

help them learn to manage or overcome Vocational and Non-Vocational Barriers that are impeding their progress towards sustainable Open Employment
demonstrate that they are actively looking for work — such as tasks related to Job Search, Job Interviews and actioning Job Referrals
be selected to help the Participant in achieving their Employment Goal, and/or
reflect they are in Open Employment.

5.5.2 Arrangements for DSP Recipients with compulsory participation requirements

Throughout the Participant’s Period of Service, DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) will need to agree to Appointments and Contacts with their Provider. This agreement would include the frequency and Engagement Methods, and a possible schedule for Contact Appointments booked in advance in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

Whether a DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) has other tasks and activities will depend on if they are right for the Participant’s circumstances and phase.

By the end of the Initial Engagement Period, it is expected that most DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) will be undertaking work preparation activities or job search activities to demonstrate they are meaningfully engaging and satisfying their requirements under Social Security Law, unless they are receiving the Flexible Service, Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support.

Other tasks and activities agreed to would generally be aimed at helping the Participant to achieve their Employment Goal, prepare for work and/or look for work.

5.5.3 Arrangements for Volunteers

Throughout the Participant’s Period of Service, it is expected that Participants (Voluntary) will agree to the frequency and Engagement Methods for staying in Contact with their Provider.

Other tasks and activities agreed to should be based on each Participant’s individual circumstances and reasons for registering for Inclusive Employment Australia. This could include work preparation activities, job search activities, Education and Training, and/or other tasks and activities that will improve the Participant’s employability.

5.5.4 Determining if a Participant is meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement

Providers have discretion to determine whether a Participant is satisfying the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Providers will need to conduct a regular review of the tasks and activities that are in the recorded, current plan for meaningful engagement to determine if the Participant is meaningfully engaging.

A Participant is fully engaged while they are participating appropriately and undertaking the agreed tasks and activities as planned.

If the Participant does not engage (i.e. does not do a task or activity that they agreed to) or has acted in an inappropriate manner during an Appointment or Activity (i.e. demonstrates misconduct), the Participant may have failed to meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement — refer to Section 12.2.1 Confirming failure to meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Providers have discretion in investigating instances of disengagement — to confirm if the Participant had a good reason for a failure to meet the Meaningful Engagement Requirement — based on overall levels of engagement and knowledge of the Participant’s circumstances, including barriers that may be impacting their level of engagement.

Participants might do tasks and activities that were not included in their plan for meaningful engagement. When assessing overall levels of engagement:

Providers can consider additional tasks and activities the Participant completed.
Providers must not consider additional tasks or activities that the Participant did not complete, even if the Provider asked the Participant to undertake the task or activity.

More detailed information on how to monitor a Participant’s level of engagement and assessment of the Meaningful Engagement Requirement is included in the Meaningful Engagement Provider Information Pack (sign-in required), which can be found on the Provider Portal. As general guidance, the supporting document includes scenarios that capture when a Participant may have been found to have failed to meet their Meaningful Engagement Requirement, leading to a Pattern of Disengagement.

5.6 Attendance-based Engagements

A core element of participating in Inclusive Employment Australia is:

maintaining Contact with the Provider, which includes attendance at Appointments, and
participating in Activities.

This Section outlines general considerations for the delivery of Appointments, Contacts and Activities, as part of a Participant’s engagement with Inclusive Employment Australia.

5.6.1 Appointments

Contacts and Contact Appointments

Providers are expected to have regular contact with their Participants to ensure the Participant is meaningfully engaged. The timing and duration mode of for each Contact should depend on the individual circumstances of each Participant, as determined by the Provider.

Providers are encouraged to tailor Contact arrangements to match the Participant’s circumstance and phase. Contacts may be one-on-one Appointments (i.e. Contact Appointments) with the Participant or may be group-based activities (such as, employment-related information sessions or training sessions delivered by the Provider for their Participants). Group-based activities may be one-off or reoccurring. Providers can offer to deliver Contacts via a range of communication modes such as videoconferencing, online audio or chat software, phone calls, SMS and email correspondence, where this meets the needs of the Participant and is agreed to by the Provider and Participant.

The frequency of Contact should reflect the current phase and service offer. Refer to the relevant Sections in Chapter 6: Pre-Employment Support, Chapter 9: Post Placement Support and Chapter 10: Ongoing Support.

When scheduling a Contact Appointment, Providers should consider which Engagement Method is right for the Participant, especially for those who are Employed or undertaking Education and Training. Providers should also consider whether to hold face-to-face Contacts at their Site offices, an Outreach Site or at an alternative location that is mutually agreed upon — noting that Providers are not permitted to be on Private Property, such as the home of the Participant or a Participant’s Family Member.

System step — Providers must schedule Contact Appointments in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

For Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan, a core element of satisfying the Meaningful Engagement Requirement is attendance at Appointments with the Provider. As such, Providers must ensure that each Participant has a good understanding of how and when they will be expected to attend Contact Appointments. Participants can also meaningfully engage via the other forms of Contacts.

Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan should also be informed of the circumstances in which they may be compelled to attend Appointments, and the consequences should they fail to attend when formally notified of the requirement to do so.

Note: Providers can compel attendance at a Contact Appointment while a Participant has a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan in a limited number of circumstances. This process does not rely on a compulsory requirement to attend appointments being in the Job Plan. The process is outlined in Section 12.2.2 Compellable Contact Appointment.

Participants with a Detailed Job Plan would be expected to have compulsory Contact Appointments, or some other form of compulsory Contact with their Provider, regardless of their current phase and service offer.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code AI16 [Compulsory Notified Appointments] will pre-populate in a Detailed Job Plan. This must not be removed to reinforce the requirement to attend any compulsory Appointment.

Contacts can be captured as either a voluntary or compulsory requirement in a Participant’s Detailed Job Plan by using:

AI12 [Provider Contact Appointment] — for Contact Appointments held face-to-face, by phone or videoconferencing during the Pre-Employment Support phase
AI17 [Provider Contact Group Activity] — for meetings or group-based activities that meet the requirements as a Contact
AI18 [Provider Contact Other] — for exchanges via SMS and emails, and
AI19 [Provider Contact Appointment – Employment Support] — for Contact Appointments held face-to-face, by phone or videoconferencing during the Post Placement Support and Ongoing Support phases.

The codes listed above should be included in addition to the requirement to attend any compulsory Appointment — Code AI16 [Compulsory Notified Appointments] — as they are more explicit in relation to expectations around how a Participant will maintain contact with their Provider.

Note: While a Participant can have a compulsory requirement to engage via exchange of email or text messages set in a Detailed Job Plan — Code AI18 [Provider Contact Other] — lack of contact via these Engagement Methods will not be subject to the application of the TCF as the Contact is not attendance-based (i.e. is not scheduled in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar).

Third-Party Appointments

Third-Party Appointments are any appointments with an organisation other than the Inclusive Employment Australia Provider. For example, a Third-Party Appointment may be scheduled as part an Activity or Intervention (for example, an appointment with a doctor or psychologist) or assessment process.

Attendance at Third-Party Appointments is voluntary — this includes as part of any plan for meaningful engagement. A Provider must not schedule a Third-Party Appointment without the consent of the Participant, and a Participants can refuse to attend.

System step — Providers should schedule Third-Party Appointments in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

As the requirement is voluntary, a Participant’s attendance at Third-Party Appointments does not have to be recorded. However, if a Provider becomes aware of attendance issues it is considered best practice to record the non-attendance in the Participant’s Summary on the Department’s IT Systems.

If a Participant has a Detailed Job Plan and:

the Third-Party Appointment is reoccurring, this activity should be included in the Job Plan, or
the Third-Party Appointment was a one-off appointment or already captured by an Activity within the Job Plan, it would be appropriate not to include in the Job Plan.

The Provider can add a voluntary requirement to attend Third-Party Appointments in a Detailed Job Plan using Code AI15 [Attend third-party appointments]. A one-off appointment may also be recorded using Code AI01 [Attend appointment].

Note: DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) and some Participants (Voluntary) may have compulsory appointments with Centrelink — in their Participation Plan or Centrelink Job Plan, respectively. Including appointments with Centrelink as part of the plan for meaningful engagement is appropriate for these participants, as a reminder of their other requirements. Attendance will be managed by Services Australia.

Re-engagement Appointment

Re-engagement Appointments are triggered in the application of the TCF. Guidance on scheduling Re-engagement Appointments is included under Section 12.4.6 Re-engagement Requirements. Information is also available in the Finalising Re-engagement Requirements (sign-in required) supporting document available under Chapter 12: Compliance.

5.6.2 Activities

Activities help Participants to address their individual Vocational and Non-Vocational Barriers and progress toward sustainable Open Employment.

Providers must work with each Participant to identify and facilitate suitable Activities that will help Participants to achieve their identified employment goals and align with the current service offer while receiving Pre-Employment Support, as detailed in Section 6.5 Support to be provided to Participants and Chapter 7: Activities. This includes arranging Activities listed as recommended Interventions in the Capability Management Tool.

An Early School Leaver would be expected to participate in Education and Training, including Certificate I and II level courses, or a combination of approved study and paid work for 15 hours or more per week. No further tasks or activities need to be undertaken if an Early School Leaver.

DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) may be referred to Complementary Activities where it is agreed upon as part of participation in Inclusive Employment Australia.

All Participants may be referred Education and Training courses or other government programs that will help build their skills and knowledge, noting that such programs may have their own eligibility criteria.

Note: An Activity must be considered unsuitable if it would place unreasonable demands on a Participant.

Activity management (e.g. arranging, scheduling and monitoring of Activities) must be undertaken in accordance with Chapter 7: Activities.

System step — Providers must schedule Activities in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

System step — Providers must ensure attendance at scheduled Activities is recorded (see relevant task cards on recording activity attendance on behalf of a Participant).

Once a Participant starts receiving Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support, their paid Employment is no longer considered an Activity but a Job Placement. It is no longer appropriate for the Participant to be referred to other Activities once Employed, noting that some Non-Vocational Interventions may still be appropriate if supporting the Participant with their Employment.

It is a requirement that Providers ensure that known paid Employment, where the hours are regular and it is reasonable to do so, are scheduled in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar as Personal Events. Providers should encourage, and help where necessary, the Participant to create Personal Events in their Electronic Calendar for this purpose (see Section 5.3.4 Capturing Personal Events).

If a Participant is on a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan, Providers must include Activities agreed to in the plan for meaningful engagement. Providers should seek to outline start and end dates for participation in the Activity within the plan, to make sure details are clear to the Participant. There are no time limits for the duration of an Activity included as part of the plan for meaningful engagement.

If a Participant reports participation in a self-initiated Activity after the Activity has ended, thereby not having it included in the agreed approach for meaningful engagement, Providers can consider the Activity when assessing a Participant’s overall level of engagement.

If a Participant is on a Detailed Job Plan, any requirement to undertake an Activity must be captured in the Participant’s Job Plan, using the correct code for the Activity.

All Activities can be included in a Detailed Job Plan as a voluntary requirement.

Note: If an Activity is recorded as voluntary, the Participant’s Income Support Payment is not affected if they fail to participate in the Activity.

A requirement to participate in a Mandatory Activity should only be set in a Detailed Job Plan for a Participant receiving Pre-Employment Support where the Provider considers mandatory attendance is required to improve their Work Readiness or prospects of finding and/or maintaining Employment. The Job Plan Codes by phase and participant type (sign-in required) supporting document, referred to under Chapter 4: Job Plans, includes details on which Activities may be included as compulsory in a Detailed Job Plan.

5.7 Job Search

Job Search is appropriate for a Participant if they:

are capable of looking for work, and/or
are not already working enough hours in a suitable job (referred to as the ‘sufficient work test’ in Social Security Law).

Note: Job Search can be included as a task if the Provider believes it will benefit the Participant if receiving Pre-Employment Support, regardless of the service offer, or Post-Placement Support.

Providers are responsible for setting an appropriate Job Search Target for each Participant, whether as part of the Meaningful Engagement Requirement or Job Search Requirement.

Job-ready Participants may have up to 12 Job Searches each Job Search Reporting Period. An appropriate Job Search Target is dependent on Participant’s capacity. Guidance on setting a Job Search Target is included in Section 5.7.1 General considerations for Job Search and the Provider Actions – Tailoring (sign-in required) a Participant’s Job Search Target supporting document on the Provider Portal.

The minimum Job Search Reporting Period is a month (28 days).

Considerations for Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan

If Job Search is to be part of the plan for meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement, Providers must ensure that both the Job Search Target and Job Search Reporting Period are agreed to with the Participant.

The Job Search Reporting Period may start from when the plan for meaningful engagement was agreed or delayed (for example, the start of the week or month). Providers have discretion to extent the Job Search Reporting Period (for example, a quarter), noting that the maximum Job Search Target would still be 12.

Providers have discretion in terms of monitoring whether a Participant is undertaking appropriate Job Search to meet their Meaningful Engagement Requirement.

Note: Participants (Voluntary) should not be set any Job Search Target, if possible — noting the additional considerations for those who are eligible for Mobility Allowance as outlined in Section 4.6.4 Arrangements for Participants eligible for Mobility Allowance may mean that they need to undertake job search activities.

Considerations for Participants with a Detailed Job Plan

If a Participant (Mutual Obligation) or DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) has a Job Search Target set in their Detailed Job Plan this is called a Job Search Recruitment. Providers capture the Job Search Requirement using the appropriate Job Plan Code(s) outlined in Section 5.7.2 Arrangements for Participants (Mutual Obligation) and Section 5.7.3 Arrangements for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements), noting the number of Job Search efforts cannot exceed 12 each Job Search Reporting Period.

The Department’s IT Systems will automatically capture the Job Search Reporting Period for Participants with a Job Search Requirement.

Providers must determine if a Participant (Mutual Obligation) or DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) is satisfactorily meeting their Job Search Requirement.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 140)

5.7.1 General considerations for Job Search

Setting a Job Search Target

Providers may adjust the Job Search Target whenever appropriate during a Period of Registration.

Providers must tailor the number of Job Searches they require a Participant to undertake based on:

the Participant’s assessed work capacity
the Participant’s age
the impact of physical, intellectual or psychiatric impairment
the impact of any family and caring responsibilities on the Participant's ability to look for work
current Employment status (part-time or casual work)
the state of the labour market
the financial costs (such as travel costs) associated with any Job Search efforts and the Participant's capacity to pay for these costs
current phase and service offer, and
to account for any Activities being undertaken.

Providers must not require a Participant to undertake Job Search or must reduce the Job Search Requirement to zero in the Department's IT Systems for Participants on a Detailed Job Plan for any Participant (Mutual Obligation) or DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) who is:

undertaking an approved Education and Training course for 15 hours or more per week that will improve their Work Readiness or prospects of finding Employment — refer to Section 7.7.2 Education and Training
an Early School Leaver and undertaking full-time Education and Training, including Certificate I and II level courses, or a combination of approved study and paid work for 15 hours or more per week
undertaking a full-time residential or intensive drug and/or alcohol treatment or rehabilitation program
undertaking a Defence Force Reserves training camp
undertaking Self-Employment Assistance Small Business Training
undertaking Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) or the Adult Migrant Education Program (AMEP)
pregnant and within 3 months of the expected due date
relocating for job
receiving Post Placement Support and working at their Employment Benchmark, or
receiving Ongoing Support.

Providers must consider the local labour market when tailoring the Job Search Target. Providers must reduce the number of Job Search efforts required for Participants in a poor or below average labour market, or where the person’s skills or other circumstances reduce the likelihood of finding work.

Providers are also expected to reduce the Job Search Target in circumstances where a Participant has a personal disruption or crisis, during which time they may be waiting on the outcome of an application for an Exemption from their participation requirements. Such circumstances include:

significant caring responsibilities or temporary caring responsibilities
short term family or other emergency
experiencing domestic violence (including family violence)
homelessness and/or emergency housing, or
approved cultural commitments.

Providers must capture the current Job Search Target in the Participant’s plan for meaningful engagement.

Providers must update the Participant’s Detailed Job Plan to adjust the Job Search Target.

System step — Providers must manually adjust the number of Job Searches required in the Participant’s Detailed Job Plan by updating Code JS09 [Job Search – Monthly].

Evidence requirement — The Provider must record the reason/s for the reduction of the Job Search Requirement as a comment in the Participant’s Summary on the Department’s IT Systems, using the Participant’s Summary screen.

Detailed information on setting an appropriate Job Search Target is included in the Provider Actions – Tailoring a Participant’s Job Search Target (sign-in required) supporting document on the Provider Portal.

Recording Job Search efforts

Participants are required to report their Job Search efforts.

A Job Search effort includes:

contacting an Employer by phone, in writing or in person
submitting a written or online job application
attending a Job Interview – refer to Section 5.8 Job Interviews, and
acting on a Job Referral — refer to Section 5.9 Job Referrals.

Note: A Job Search effort may occur during an Activity, if the Activity included a Job Interview or resulted in an offer of paid work. For example, this might occur as part of:

Employer meet and greet sessions
job fairs or job expos, or
work experience opportunities, paid or unpaid, such as:
- an Observational Work Experience placement
- a Provider Sourced Voluntary Work placement
- a Work Trial, or
- work within a social enterprise.

For the purposes of Social Security Law, a Participant is considered to have undertaken a Job Search effort if the Participant makes contact with another person or body (i.e. Employer) in relation to, and for the purpose of, obtaining paid work with the Employer:

whether or not the contact is in relation to particular paid work, and
whether or not the other person or the body has advertised any paid work.

Participants who are Employed can declare Job Search efforts that relate to the same Employer, to count towards Job Search efforts, if it would result in:

an increase in hours or earnings
an extension or new period of short-term seasonal, project-based or contract work
a move from Supported Employment to Open Employment, or
changing from casual work to permanent Employment.

Participants who are freelance workers or self-employed can also report Job Search efforts for contacting a potential Employer or person for paid work opportunities related to their field of self-employment.

This can include project-based work or short-term contracts such as:

applying for a grant
applying or submitting a portfolio for a creative arts project
contacting an individual who is seeking to hire a tradesperson for renovation works
contacting a potential client about their advertisement for web design work, and
contacting the owner of a local venue for a music gig
applying to run a food stall at a market or a food truck at a festival or event.

Participants can:

self-report their job applications on the Workforce Australia website and/or App, or
provide evidence of their efforts to their Provider to record on their behalf.

Note: If a Participant applies for jobs on Workforce Australia, they do not need to manually report the job application as the Department’s IT Systems will automatically capture the Job Search effort.

Evidence requirement — Providers must retain copies of all fully and partially completed Job Search efforts given by a Participant for the current and previous Job Search Reporting Period.

System step — If a Participant submits their Job Searches to their Provider, the Provider must only upload Job Search efforts considered to be satisfactory. Detail instructions on uploading Job Search efforts manually reported are available in the Reporting Job Search on behalf of a Participant task card.

When recording Job Search efforts that are submitted directly, Providers must check that each submitted Job Search effort:

includes clear details of the job title or occupation
include clear details of:
- the person contacted if the Employer is an individual and not a business — note, that if the individual does not wish for their details to be disclosed, the Participant may list the Employer as ‘private citizen’
- the employing business, or
- the platform where the position was found (e.g. SEEK, Aduna) if neither the name of the individual or business was available
is dated, and that date is from the relevant Job Search Reporting Period
is for a role the Participant is qualified for and/or able to undertake
is for suitable, paid work roles
has not been deliberately sabotaged, and
is not the exact same job duplicated within the Job Search Reporting Period.

A Manual Job Search Reporting Form (sign-in required) template is available on the Provider Portal. Participants can submit this form directly or upload it via their Workforce Australia account.

Educating Participants on Job Search

Where the Provider determines Job Search efforts are unsatisfactory, either as the Participant did not meet the target number or there were quality issues, the Provider must:

discuss the reason(s) why any Job Search efforts were found to be unsatisfactory
educate the participant on how to improve their Job Search efforts to achieve quality
discuss what tailored support is available to help the Participant improve their future Job Search efforts
ensure a Participant (Mutual Obligation) with a Detailed Job Plan submits additional Job Search efforts to meet their requirements before the end of their Job Search Reporting Period, where possible, and
discuss the consequences of not undertaking satisfactory Job Search efforts, including:
- how Job Search efforts contribute to meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement
- how Job Search efforts contribute to meeting the compulsory Job Search Requirements in their Detailed Job Plan, or
- the application of the TCF for Participants (Mutual Obligation) who are on a Detailed Job Plan for unsatisfactory job search.

Where possible, Providers should seek to have a conversation about the Participant’s Job Search efforts submitted directly during the same Contact as they were reported, rather than waiting until they have been entered into the Department’s IT Systems.

Providers are also expected to be regularly discussing with the Participant if they have any concerns or issues in identifying appropriate job vacancies or possible job opportunities.

Providers may wish to consider changing a Participant’s Job Search Target if a Participant is struggling to achieve the number set or meet the standards expected for quality of their job search.

5.7.2 Arrangements for Participants (Mutual Obligation)

A Participant (Mutual Obligation) on a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan is expected to have Job Search included as part of meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement unless it would be unsuitable for the Participant based on their personal circumstances or inappropriate based on their current phase and service offer.

A Participant (Mutual Obligation) on a Detailed Job Plan must have a Job Search Requirement included in their Job Plan, including when it has been set to zero Job Search efforts.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code JS09 [Job Search Contacts – Monthly] should not be removed from a Detailed Job Plan for a Participant (Mutual Obligation). Participants (Mutual Obligation) are expected to have their Job Search Requirement captured in their Detailed Job Plan using Code JS09 [Job Search Contacts – Monthly].

The Job Search Requirement for a Participant (Mutual Obligation) may be adjusted based on their circumstances, phase and service offer. This can include:

reducing Job Searches for a Participant (Mutual Obligation) who is not ready to look for work or has limited capacity to look for work, or
reducing Job Searches for a Participant (Mutual Obligation) who is in paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment, at their Employment Benchmark.

For Participants with a Detailed Job Plan, Providers must:

ensure the Participant is aware at all times of:
- their Job Search Requirement
- how to upload and record their Job Search efforts and related details via their Workforce Australia account
- how to provide details of their Job Search efforts if submitted directly
- when their Job Searches must be recorded by, and
- how many Job Searches they have undertaken and how many still need to be undertaken, and
monitor the number and quality of Job Searches the Participant undertakes, including:
- recording Job Search efforts submitted to them by no later than close of business on the day the Participant reports the Job Search effort to them, and
- reviewing and confirming the quality of Job Search efforts submitted:

directly, by no later than close of business, or
online, by no later than five Business Days after the end of each Job Search Reporting Period.

To meet their Job Search Requirement, the Participant must undertake sufficient Job Searches of satisfactory quality.

As noted in the previous section, Providers must adjust the number of Job Searches to reflect each Participant’s circumstances. This is important as failure to meet a compulsory Job Search Requirement within a Detailed Job Plan is subject to the application of the TCF and can result in the Participant’s Income Support Payment being suspended (see relevant details in Section 12.4 Compliance actions - Mutual Obligation Failures).

Note: A Participant (Mutual Obligation) on a Detailed Job Plan must also have Code JS13 [Accept and retain suitable work] in their Job Plan as a compulsory requirement regardless of their current phase or service offer.

Determining if a Participant is meeting their Job Search Requirement

The Department’s IT Systems will identify whether a Participant has met the number of Job Search efforts required to meet their Job Search Requirement as set out in their Detailed Job Plan.

Where the Job Search Target has been met, the Department’s IT Systems will prompt a review of the quality of Job Search efforts submitted.

Providers must review the quality of all Job Search efforts submitted by Participants (Mutual Obligation) with a Detailed Job Plan.

As part of this review, Providers must confirm if the Job Search effort:

is for a role the Participant is qualified for and/or able to undertake
is for suitable, paid work roles
has not have been deliberately sabotaged, and
is not the exact same job duplicated within the Job Search Reporting Period.

If a Participant contacts an Employer regarding a single job more than once or contacts a potential Employer multiple times asking if any jobs are available, only one of these Job Searches would be found satisfactory.

Note: Job Searches manually reported to the Providers are to be assessed as satisfactory or unsatisfactory before uploading into the Department’s IT Systems. Only those assessed as satisfactory are uploaded.

System step — Providers assess the quality of Job Searches available for assessment within the Department’s IT Systems, marking each Participant submitted Job Search effort as ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’, no later than 5 Business Days after the Participant’s Job Search Reporting Period has ended. Providers must state why any Job Search efforts have been assessed as ‘unsatisfactory’ and leave comments detailing how quality issues have, or will be, addressed. Detailed instructions on recording the assessment are available in the Assessing Job Search Quality task card.

Under Social Security Law, Providers are required to consider whether Job Search efforts submitted by the Participant were:

at a variety of levels of seniority or remuneration that is suitable for the participant
in a variety of fields and occupations in which the participant is suitably qualified or has experience, and
applied for using a variety of methods to contact potential Employers.

However, Participants do not need to meet these criteria in every instance, or at all if not appropriate for their circumstances.

Note: The Social Security Guide provides some examples of the assessment of quality against these criteria — see 3.11.1.30 Adequate job search | Social Security Guide.

Providers must also consider a Participant’s Job Search efforts more holistically over time, including:

labour market restrictions, as the type and number of vacancies available in each Job Search Reporting Period may differ, and
the most appropriate pathway for the participant to obtain sustainable Employment.

5.7.3 Arrangements for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements)

A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) on a Meaningful Engagement Job may have Job Search included as part of meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement. Job Search would not be part of the tasks and activities agreed to for meaningful engagement if it was unsuitable for the Participant based on their personal circumstances or inappropriate based on their current phase and service offer.

A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) on a Detailed Job Plan is expected to have a Job Search Requirement included in their Detailed Job Plan.

A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) can have their Job Search Requirement captured in their Detailed Job Plan using:

Code JS04 [Job Search Contacts Voluntary], as a voluntary requirement, or
Code JS09 [Job Search Contacts – Monthly], as a compulsory or voluntary requirement.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code JS09 [Job Search Contacts – Monthly] pre-populates but is removable from a Detailed Job Plan for a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements).

The Job Search Requirement may, for a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements), be:

replaced with work preparation activities or job search activities for a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) who is not ready to look for work, or
removed for a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) who is in paid Employment, including Unsubsidised Self-Employment.

If a DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) does not have a Job Search Requirement, and is receiving Pre-Employment Support, it is expected that they have Code ET64 [Work Preparation] included as a compulsory requirement in their Detailed Job Plan.

Note: A DSP Recipient (Compulsory Requirements) on a Detailed Job Plan is also expected to have Code JS13 [Accept and retain suitable work] in their Job Plan as a compulsory requirement if receiving Pre-Employment Support. However, Providers do have discretion to remove this requirement if they believe it is inappropriate to the Participant circumstances or current phase and service offer.

5.8 Job Interviews

Providers should consider tasking Participants to undertake Job Interviews if the Participant is capable of looking for work.

Providers should not arrange Job Interviews for any Participant who is already Employed at their Employment Benchmark and receiving Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support.

Where the Provider arranges the Job Interview, the Provider must ensure the Participant receives proper notification and reasonable notice by capturing the Job Interview in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar.

System step — Detailed instructions on how to schedule the Job Interviews in the Participant’s Electronic Calendar are available in the Scheduling Job Interview task card.

If a Provider arranges the Job Interview, the Participant is required to confirm that they attended either by reporting through their Workforce Australia account or by contacting their Provider.

System step — Detailed instructions on recording attendance for a scheduled Job Interview are available in the relevant task cards on recording job interview attendance on behalf of a Participant.

Participants should be encouraged to report Job Interviews that they have arranged on their own behalf, noting that they count towards any Job Search Target.

Participants can add Job Interviews in their Electronic Calendar as Personal Events (see Section 5.3.4 Capturing Personal Events).

The format of a Job Interview can vary depending on the type of work. For example, it could include an audition for paid acting role, meetings with clients to get one-off projects or job and meetings with a publisher to discuss a manuscript.

For Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan, Providers should seek to ensure that the plan for meaningful engagement includes Job Interviews before they schedule any Job Interviews on behalf of the Participant. Job Interviews may only be considered when assessing a Participant’s level of engagement if Job Interviews are part of the agreed tasks and activities for meaningful engagement.

Under the requirement set in a Detailed Job Plan, Participants must attend and act appropriately at Job Interviews. Participants are expected to present and conduct themselves in a way that gives them the best opportunity to secure employment.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code JS10 [Job Interview] will pre-populate in a Detailed Job Plan. Providers should consider if the inclusion of this compulsory requirement is appropriate based on the Participant’s current phase and service offer.

5.9 Job Referrals

Job Referral tasks can connect Participants with suitable work. The Participant must follow up on any suitable job opportunities they are referred to by their Provider.

Providers should consider tasking Participants to follow up on job opportunities if the Participant is:

capable of looking for work, and/or
not already working enough hours in a suitable job (referred to as the ‘sufficient work test’ in Social Security Law).

Providers should not set Job Referral tasks for any Participant who is already Employed at their Employment Benchmark and receiving Post Placement Support or Ongoing Support.

In determining if a Participant will be offered job opportunities, Providers are expected to consider how well they match to the Employer’s needs and/or Vacancy details.

Providers must only set Job Referral tasks for suitable work. Providers must also only set Job Referrals tasks for work which within the assessed work capacity bandwidth for the individual.

Where the Provider identifies a job opportunity for the Participant, the Provider must set a Job Referral task for the Participant to action. The types of Job Referral task a Provider may set are:

applying for a specific job
accepting a Job Interview
contacting an Employer to arrange and accept a Job Interview
providing personal details to support a job opportunity, or
a combination of the above.

Providers must only set Job Referral tasks for a Participant where the Participant would be able to successfully undertake the task by the due date.

For Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan, Providers should seek to ensure that the plan for meaningful engagement includes acting on job opportunities before tasking Participants to action a Job Referral. Job Referrals may only be considered as part of assessing a Participant’s level of engagement if the Job Referral was part of the agreed tasks and activities for meaningful engagement.

Providers will need to ensure that they provide clear instructions for the Participant to follow (either handwritten, electronic document or printed hard copy).

System step — Providers may record details of the Job Referral task using comment functionality in the Participant’s Summary on the Department’s IT Systems. Providers must not use the Program Summary due to the risk of a privacy breach.

Under the requirement in a Detailed Job Plan, Participants must act and follow up on any Job Referral set by their Provider, by the due date set.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code PA12 [Actioning Job Referrals and Job Opportunities] will pre-populate in a Detailed Job Plan. Providers should consider if the inclusion of this compulsory requirement is appropriate based on the Participant’s current phase and service offer.

Providers must ensure that any compulsory Job Referral task is recorded in the Department’s IT Systems. The Participant must report back to their Provider as to whether they or not they have completed the Job Referral tasks.

Note: Providers do not need to include specific Job Referral tasks in the Participant’s Detailed Job Plan.

System step — Detailed instructions on setting a Job Referral task for a Participant on a Detailed Job Plan is available in the Creating a Job Referral task card.

The Department’s IT Systems does not limit the number of Job Referral tasks that can be set for a Participant. Providers must ensure they do not set a number that exceeds the Participant’s maximum Job Search Requirement in a Detailed Job Plan.

5.10 Personal responsibility for reporting attendance

Attendance results must be recorded in the Department’s IT Systems to determine if Participants are complying with their participation requirements. Either the Participant, if capable, or the Provider can record attendance at Activities and Job Interviews. Providers must record attendance at Appointments.

Participants (Mutual Obligation) and DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements) should be encouraged to self-report their attendance, via their Workforce Australia homepage, if they are capable of doing so.

As outlined in Section 3.3.1 Connecting Participants to Workforce Australia Online profiles, Providers must confirm if the Participant has a myGov account that is linked to the Workforce Australia online platform during the Initial Engagement Period. If the Participant does not, then the Provider should support them to establish this link.

For Participants with a Detailed Job Plan, the Provider must determine if the Participant is capable of taking personal responsibility for self-reporting their attendance against Activities and Job Interviews in their Electronic Calendar.

As noted in Section 4.7 Contents of a Detailed Job Plan, Code PA03 [Personal Responsibility to Report and Record Attendance] will pre-populate in the Detailed Job Plan. This responsibility must be included if the Participant is capable of self-reporting and must be removed if the Participant is not capable of self-reporting.

System step — If the personal responsibility requirement is not included in the Detailed Job Plan, Providers must record their assessment as a comment in the Participant’s Summary on the Department’s IT Systems.

If a Participant is not capable of self-reporting online, the Provider will be responsible for recording Participant attendance and must ensure that the Participant understands how to report their attendance to their Provider. The Provider must also work with the Participant to improve their capability to accurately navigate online and self-report their attendance.

The determination of whether or not a Participant can self-report is important as failure to report attendance at compulsory Activities and Job Interviews can result in the Participant’s Income Support Payment being suspended (see relevant Sections in Chapter 12: Compliance).

If a Provider observes a Participant that has personal responsibility to self-report attendance is not routinely recording their attendance, the Providers should confirm if the Participant can still self-report their attendance.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 136)

5.10.1 Determining a Participant’s capability to self-report attendance online

In determining whether a Participant can self-report their attendance online, the Provider must consider if a Participant is capable of reporting attendance via their Workforce Australia homepage or Workforce Australia App and has reliable access to technology to do so.

This would include if the Participant has:

connected their myGov profile to their Workforce Australia account or is willing to do so — refer to Section 3.3.1 Connecting Participants to Workforce Australia Online profiles
an ability to:
- log on to the Workforce Australia website and/or App
- view their homepage, and
- report their own attendance at Activities and Job Interviews
reliable access to technology — such as a computer or smartphone and connection to the internet — that would allow them to self-report, and
an understanding of:
- how to self-report their own attendance
- that they must self-report by close of business on the day of the requirement
- what to do and who to contact if they cannot record their own attendance on a given day, and
- the consequences of not self-reporting their own attendance if they are required to do so.

5. Participation requirements

IEA Guidelines · Part B v1.1

Supporting Documents for this Chapter

5.1 Chapter OverviewCopy citation · §5.1

5.2 What are participation requirements?Copy citation · §5.2

5.2.1 Mutual Obligation RequirementsCopy citation · §5.2.1

Reduced capacity due to injury or temporary medical conditions

Exemptions from Mutual Obligation Requirements

Pause of obligations

Fully Meeting Mutual Obligation Requirements

Participants undertaking residential treatment programs

Pregnant Participants

5.2.2 DSP compulsory participation requirementsCopy citation · §5.2.2

Where a Participant cannot meet their compulsory participation requirements

Pause to requirements

5.2.3 Requirements for Participants undertaking a Program of SupportCopy citation · §5.2.3

5.3 Provider obligationsCopy citation · §5.3

5.3.1 TrainingCopy citation · §5.3.1

5.3.2 Notifying Participants of their requirementsCopy citation · §5.3.2

5.3.3 Capturing Personal EventsCopy citation · §5.3.3

5.4 Capability Management ToolCopy citation · §5.4

5.5 Meaningful Engagement RequirementCopy citation · §5.5

5.5.1 Arrangements for Participants with Mutual Obligation RequirementsCopy citation · §5.5.1

5.5.2 Arrangements for DSP Recipients with compulsory participation requirementsCopy citation · §5.5.2

5.5.3 Arrangements for VolunteersCopy citation · §5.5.3

5.5.4 Determining if a Participant is meeting the Meaningful Engagement RequirementCopy citation · §5.5.4

5.6 Attendance-based EngagementsCopy citation · §5.6

5.6.1 AppointmentsCopy citation · §5.6.1

Contacts and Contact Appointments

Third-Party Appointments

Re-engagement Appointment

5.6.2 ActivitiesCopy citation · §5.6.2

5.7 Job SearchCopy citation · §5.7

Considerations for Participants with a Meaningful Engagement Job Plan

Considerations for Participants with a Detailed Job Plan

5.7.1 General considerations for Job SearchCopy citation · §5.7.1

Setting a Job Search Target

Recording Job Search efforts

Educating Participants on Job Search

5.7.2 Arrangements for Participants (Mutual Obligation)Copy citation · §5.7.2

Determining if a Participant is meeting their Job Search Requirement

5.7.3 Arrangements for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements)Copy citation · §5.7.3

5.8 Job InterviewsCopy citation · §5.8

5.9 Job ReferralsCopy citation · §5.9

5.10 Personal responsibility for reporting attendanceCopy citation · §5.10

5.10.1 Determining a Participant’s capability to self-report attendance onlineCopy citation · §5.10.1

On this page

5.1 Chapter Overview

5.2 What are participation requirements?

5.2.1 Mutual Obligation Requirements

5.2.2 DSP compulsory participation requirements

5.2.3 Requirements for Participants undertaking a Program of Support

5.3 Provider obligations

5.3.1 Training

5.3.2 Notifying Participants of their requirements

5.3.3 Capturing Personal Events

5.4 Capability Management Tool

5.5 Meaningful Engagement Requirement

5.5.1 Arrangements for Participants with Mutual Obligation Requirements

5.5.2 Arrangements for DSP Recipients with compulsory participation requirements

5.5.3 Arrangements for Volunteers

5.5.4 Determining if a Participant is meeting the Meaningful Engagement Requirement

5.6 Attendance-based Engagements

5.6.1 Appointments

5.6.2 Activities

5.7 Job Search

5.7.1 General considerations for Job Search

5.7.2 Arrangements for Participants (Mutual Obligation)

5.7.3 Arrangements for DSP Recipients (Compulsory Requirements)

5.8 Job Interviews

5.9 Job Referrals

5.10 Personal responsibility for reporting attendance

5.10.1 Determining a Participant’s capability to self-report attendance online