Part 1: Performance reporting
- Output Group 1.1 | Family assistance
- Output Group 1.2 | Youth and student support
- Output Group 1.3 | Child support
- Output Group 1.4 | Child care support
Output Group 1.2 | Youth and student support
Contribution to Outcome 1
Youth and student support contributes to Outcome 1 by:
- improving the capacity of young people to undertake and participate in education, training or work by supporting flexible activity options and greater financial incentives
- helping low- to middle-income families through the provision of income support for young people seeking work or undertaking education and training
- improving the life prospects of young Australians by successfully engaging young people, helping to enhance their self-esteem and improving the profile and contribution of young people in the community
- developing new partnership arrangements within and across levels of government to support innovations in youth and family support arrangements for young people's transitions to independence and adulthood
- targeting assistance to young people, particularly those at risk of failing to make successful transitions to independence
- enhancing understanding of and building a stronger evidence base concerning key issues and social trends that impact on families and young people.
Strategies
- providing income support through Youth Allowance to young people to assist them to complete their education and make the transition to employment, using processes that are simpler, more efficient and better targeted to individual circumstances
- providing support through Austudy Payment for students aged 25 and older to assist them to complete their education and improve their competitiveness in the labour market
- managing a range of programs that seek to assist disadvantaged young people (particularly those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness), improve their level of engagement and help them overcome barriers to participation in family, work, education and training:
- Transition to Independent Living Allowance
- Reconnect
- Job Placement, Employment and Training program
- Mentor Marketplace
- Youth Activities Services/Family Liaison Workers program
- managing the Green Corps program, which provides young people with the opportunity to work on environmental and heritage conservation projects and develop skills
- implementing Simple Service Solutions and the Youth Servicing Strategy to ensure all young Australians obtain the information and services they need, in a timely and joined-up manner, to move ahead on their pathways to greater independence
- working in partnership with other stakeholders, including communities and state and territory governments, in confronting difficulties experienced by young people who are disconnected (or at risk of becoming disconnected) from their family, community, education and/or employment
- creating opportunities for and promoting the active engagement and greater participation of young people in community activities, including through National Youth Week
- raising the profile and positive image of young people in the community
- facilitating and undertaking research on families and young people in order to inform policy and program development
- adopting a whole-of-government approach to better recognise and utilise services provided outside the FaCS portfolio.
Outputs under Output Group 1.2
Austudy Payment
Austudy Payment is available to eligible students aged 25 years and over who are undertaking full-time study or training. It was introduced on 1 July 1998.
Fares Allowance
Fares Allowance reimburses travel costs incurred by eligible tertiary students receiving Youth Allowance, Austudy Payment or Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) who are required to live away from home while studying.
Green Corps
Green Corps provides young people between 17 and 20 years of age with the opportunity to conserve, preserve and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage. It is a voluntary youth development and environmental training program designed to provide participants with personal development, skill development and improved connections with their communities.
Job Placement, Employment and Training program (JPET)
JPET assists young people aged 15 to 21 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to overcome personal and social barriers and engage more fully in the life of their communities in order to achieve greater social and economic participation.
Mentor Marketplace
Mentor Marketplace is a mentoring program that builds on the effectiveness of mentoring by establishing new mentoring activities and assisting the growth of successful existing projects. It encourages use of mentoring to improve outcomes for young people, particularly those at greatest risk of disconnection from their families, community, education and work.
Reconnect
Reconnect is an early intervention program that seeks to improve the level of engagement in family, work, education and the community of young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Student Financial Supplement Scheme
The Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) was a voluntary loan scheme for eligible tertiary students. The SFSS was closed on 1 January 2004.
Targeted Youth Assistance Program
The program is an initiative that develops and delivers innovative, community-based servicing responses to the needs of young people in transition. The program contracts with community organisations and local, state and territory governments to deliver services on the Australian Government's behalf through pilots such as the Innovative Collaborative Youth Servicing (ICYS) pilots.
Transition to Independent Living Allowance
The allowance provides one-off assistance to help young people make the move from state care to independent living.
Youth Activities Services and Family Liaison Workers program
The services are an early intervention and prevention program that provides innovative structured activities and positive peer support programs after school, over the weekend and during vacations for young people in disadvantaged areas. It also provides practical support and guidance to young people and their families to help them deal with difficulties such as family conflict and lack of communication, and refers them to specialist services as required.
Youth Allowance
Youth Allowance is available to eligible young people who are studying, seeking employment or preparing for paid employment.
It seeks to encourage young people to choose further education or training over job search if they do not have sufficient skills to obtain long-term employment, and to undertake a range of activities that will promote entry into employment.
Performance summary
Key achievements included:
- enhancing Centrelink systems to allow linking of Youth Allowance customers with parent and sibling records to ensure young people are receiving the right rate and that payment is going to those families who are most in need
- commencing, as an industry partner and one of the major funding providers, an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant project of five years' duration on issues concerning intergenerational transmission of welfare dependence in Australian families, to be conducted by the Australian National University in cooperation with other research institutions
- hosting the 'Creating Common Wealth'—Youth Enterprise Development Forum on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland from 10 to 13 November 2003, which provided the opportunity for business, government, community and young people to come together to share information, exchange ideas, identify strategies and develop plans of action for young people from the Commonwealth of Nations to create their own sustainable livelihoods
- releasing the publication Living Choices: The Australian Government's Commitment to Young People, which provides details of more than 300 programs, delivered by 16 Australian Government agencies, that target young people or that young people can access
- delivering 170 Green Corps projects nationally with approximately 1700 participants, aged 17–20
- completing the JPET program needs analysis and selection process, and the contracting of continuing and new service providers
- releasing the evaluation of the Reconnect program, which found that Reconnect intervention resulted in significant positive outcomes for young people and their families
- conducting an evaluation of the Youth Activities Services (YAS) and Family Liaison Workers (FLW) program, and continuing to review the findings
- fostering good practice in youth services through the delivery of good practice forums nationally for the Reconnect and YAS and FLW programs
- implementing, through 21 non-government organisations, the Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) for young people leaving state care
- releasing Above and Beyond: Recognising Youth Development in Australia, a tool kit to help community organisations recognise the skills attained by young people participating in youth development activities.
Work is required to:
- further develop verification and monitoring processes to ensure that eligible Youth Allowance customers receive the correct rate of payment and further reduce the incidence of overpayment
- deliver Mentor Marketplace projects through a number of organisations in 2004–05 and undertake an evaluation of the program
- establish new JPET program arrangements following the 2003–04 selection process
- implement a new youth programs performance framework
- implement the recommendations from the Reconnect and YAS and FLW program evaluations
- conduct an evaluation of the TILA program.
Financial and staffing resources summary
| Group 1.2: Youth and student support | (A) Budgeta 2003–04 $'000 |
(B) Actual 2003–04 $'000 |
Variation (column B minus column A) $'000 |
Budgetb 2004–05 $'000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administered Expenses (including third party outputs) | ||||
| Ex gratia payments to former Youth Allowance recipients affected by the increase in the school leaving age in South Australia | 20 | 6 | –14 | 0 |
| Green Corps | 23 520 | 23 519 | –1 | 23 944 |
| Job Placement, Employment and Training Program | 19 400 | 19 239 | –161 | 20 138 |
| Mentor Marketplace | 1 372 | 1 254 | –118 | 2 250 |
| Reconnect (Youth Homelessness Early Intervention) | 20 079 | 20 054 | –25 | 20 909 |
| Targeted Youth Assistance Program | 100 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Transition to Independent Living Allowance | 2 410 | 1 699 | –711 | 2 710 |
| Youth Activities Services | 6 923 | 6 886 | –37 | 6 863 |
| Group 1.2: Youth and student support | (A) Budgeta 2003–04 $'000 |
(B) Actual 2003–04 $'000 |
Variation (column B minus column A) $'000 |
Budgetb 2004–05 $'000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Appropriations | ||||
| Austudy Payment (Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) | 265 302 | 258 848 | –6 454 | 271 780 |
| Fares Allowance (Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) | 1 400 | 1 176 | –224 | 1 405 |
| Student Financial Supplement Scheme (Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) | 239 649 | 65 423 | –174 226 | 217 385 |
| Youth Allowance (Social Security (Administration) Act 1999) | 2 252 851 | 2 257 447 | 4 596 | 2 325 861 |
| Total Administered Expenses | 2 833 026 | 2 655 651 | –177 375 | 2 893 245 |
| Group 1.2: Youth and student support | (A) Budgeta 2003–04 $'000 |
(B) Actual 2003–04 $'000 |
Variation (column B minus column A) $'000 |
Budgetb 2004–05 $'000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price of Departmental Outputs | ||||
| Policy Advice | 4 382 | 4 383 | 1 | 5 584 |
| Purchasing, Funding & Relationship Management | 16 127 | 16 130 | 3 | 20 551 |
| Research and Evaluation | 2 288 | 2 288 | 0 | 2 917 |
| Service Delivery (Centrelink) | 232 324 | 233 121 | 797 | 241 778 |
| Service Delivery (other) | 1 407 | 1 406 | –1 | 1 406 |
| Revenue from Government (Appropriation) for Departmental Output Groups | 256 528 | 257 328 | 800 | 272 236 |
| FaCS Componentc | 22 797 | 22 801 | 4 | 29 052 |
| Centrelink Component | 232 324 | 233 121 | 797 | 241 778 |
| Service Delivery (other) | 1 407 | 1 406 | –1 | 1 406 |
| TOTAL FOR GROUP 1.2 | 3 089 554 | 2 912 979 | –176 575 | 3 165 481 |
| Staffing Years (Number) | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FACS (including the Social Security Appeals Tribunal) | 243 | 216 |
- Final estimates have been used for special appropriations while additional estimates have been used for annual appropriations.
- Budget prior to additional estimates.
- FaCS includes the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.
Performance information
Administered items
Austudy Payment
Effectiveness—adequacy
Maximum weekly payments to recipients—as a percentage of the minimum federal award wage
Note: Federal safety net minimum wage: $467.40 (from May 2004).
Maximum weekly payments to recipients—index of real value
Quantity
Number of Austudy Payment customers assisted at June 2004—35 026
Price
$258.8 million
Fares Allowance
Quantity
Number of customers assisted—5721
Price
$1.2 million
Green Corps
Effectiveness—capacity
Percentage of young people participating who are in further education or training three months after the program is completed
- in education or training: 19 per cent
- in employment: 51 per cent.
Data are for rounds 28, 29 and 30 of the Green Corps program. Data for remaining rounds concluding in 2003–04 are not yet available.
Quality—access and choice
Percentage of young people who complete their project
80 per cent for rounds 28, 29, 30 and 31; this includes participants who left the program to take up education, training or employment opportunities.
Data for remaining rounds concluding in 2003–04 are not yet available.
Quality—customer satisfaction
Percentage of young people completing a project who are satisfied with training provided as determined by exit surveys—91 per cent satisfaction for the most recent rounds (28–30)
Quantity
Number of projects funded—174
Number of young people participating—1 740
Price
$23.5 million
Commentary
Green Corps is continuing to build on its success in assisting young people by helping to conserve Australia's environment and preserve our heritage. This successful program is on track with 340 projects approved for 2002–03 to 2003–04. Green Corps will deliver 170 additional projects across Australia in 2004–05.
Job Placement, Employment and Training Program (JPET)
Effectiveness—capacity
Percentage of young people participating who achieve increased readiness for employment or further study during at least a three-month period under JPET—67 per cent
Quality—assurance
Department ensures providers meet terms and conditions of funding contract
No JPET service was ceased on the basis of contractual non-compliance.
Quality—customer satisfaction
Service provider and customer satisfaction
Under development; project reporting to commence from 1 July 2004.
Quantity
Number of young people assisted—13 744
Of this figure, 1492 young people were from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds and 2041 identified as being Indigenous.
| Living circumstances | Number |
|---|---|
| Homeless | 3615 |
| At risk of being homeless | 8397 |
| Refugee | 547 |
| In care or state ward | 762 |
| Has been an offender | 2933 |
Price
$19.2 million
Commentary
During 2003 FaCS undertook extensive consultations with the youth sector and interested stakeholders to develop a needs analysis and new selection process for the Job Placement, Employment and Training program (JPET).
The JPET 2003 needs analysis was developed with input from an independent working group that included representatives external to FaCS with high-level data expertise and extensive experience in the community services sector. The outcomes of the needs analysis were published in the JPET 2004 selection document, released in September 2003.
The JPET 2004 selection process commenced in September 2003; applications closed on 15 January 2004. Applicants were advised of the outcome on 2 April, with a public announcement on 14 April 2004.
The program target is to assist 14 000 young people; the program achieved 98 per cent of this target in 2003–04 (13 744 young people were assisted).
Mentor Marketplace
Quantity
Number of young people assisted
Mentor Marketplace projects began operation in June 2003. It is estimated that 1000 young people received mentor support in 2003–04.
Price
$1.3 million
Reconnect
Effectiveness—early intervention
Percentage of customers with a positive change in their overall situation
Of the Reconnect participants who consented to participate in the Reconnect data collection, some 76 per cent reported an improvement in their overall situation at the end of their Reconnect support period.
Percentage of customers with an improved level of engagement
| Improved engagement with | Family | Education | Training | Employment | Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers (percentage) | 65 | 49 | 51 | 44 | 58 |
Quantity
Number of people assisted:
- Individual Reconnect cases—4898
- Group customers—7987
Price
$20.1 million
Commentary
An evaluation of the Reconnect program was completed in 2003–04. The principal finding was that Reconnect intervention resulted in significant positive outcomes for young people and their families.
Student Financial Supplement Scheme
Quantity
Number of customers assisted—29 596
Price
$65.4 million
Commentary
The Student Financial Supplement Scheme ceased from 1 January 2004 in response to increasing levels of bad and doubtful debt and reduced take-up of loans under the scheme.
Targeted Youth Assistance Program
Effectiveness—targeting
Percentage of individual contractual milestones achieved
Targeted Youth Assistance Program providers achieved their contracted performance milestones to the satisfaction of FaCS in 100 per cent of cases in 2003–04.
Price
$0.1 million
Commentary
The Innovative Collaborative Youth Servicing (ICYS) pilots received all remaining contracted payments by the end of the 2003–04 financial year, in recognition of satisfactory performance against contracted milestones. No further payments are required during the 2004–05 year.
Transition to Independent Living Allowance
Quantity
Number of young people assisted—556
Price
$1.7 million
Commentary
The Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) program was fully implemented in 2003–04 and is now successfully operating. A lapsing program review of the TILA program will be undertaken in 2004–05.
Youth Activities Services (YAS) and Family Liaison Workers (FLW) program
Effectiveness—adequacy
Percentage of young people and YAS service providers reporting positive outcomes from participation in YAS activities—75.5 per cent
Percentage of young people, young people's families and FLW service providers reporting positive outcomes from contact with the FLW program—78 per cent
Quantity
Number of contacts with young people through YAS program activities—127 609
Number of young people engaged through FLW activity—2495
Number of families engaged through FLW activity—290
Price
$6.9 million
Commentary
An evaluation of the YAS and FLW program was completed in April 2004. The department is considering the findings.
Youth Allowance
Effectiveness—adequacy
Maximum weekly payments to recipients as a percentage of Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE)
Ratios of minimum wages to single rates
Note: Federal safety net minimum wage: $467.40 (from May 2004).
Maximum weekly payments to recipients—index of real value
Effectiveness—independence
Number and percentage of Youth Allowance customers who achieved independence through workforce participation
77 025 Youth Allowance customers were assessed as independent in June 2004 because of previous workforce participation. They represented 20.2 per cent of all Youth Allowance customers and 52.8 per cent of all independent customers (customers not dependent on parents and therefore not subject to the parental means test). Of these customers, 70 934 (92.1 per cent) achieved independent status through minimum earnings, 3004 (3.9 per cent) through full-time work, 2819 (3.7 per cent) through part-time work, and 268 (0.3 per cent) through a special safety net criterion.
Number and percentage of Youth Allowance customers undertaking full-time or part-time study or training
At June 2004, 297 140 (77.8 per cent) Youth Allowance customers studied full-time. In addition, 1116 Youth allowance customers undertook part-time study to complement their job-search activities. This group represented 1.3 per cent of non–full time students receiving Youth Allowance. Full-time and part-time students collectively represent 78.1 per cent of all Youth Allowance customers.
Number and percentage undertaking solely job search
At June 2004, 50 958 Youth Allowance customers solely undertook job search, representing 13.3 per cent of the total Youth Allowance population and 60.2 per cent of Youth Allowance non–full time students.
Effectiveness—take-up/coverage
Number and percentage of all full-time students aged 16–24 years receiving Youth Allowance
Comparing income and support data with ABS data presents definitional problems, and there are differences in the applicable published age cohorts. However, administrative data suggest Youth Allowance customers represent around 31.5 per cent (289 686 of 919 700) of the population 'potentially eligible' for Youth Allowance as full-time students. The potentially eligible population refers to all those aged 16 to 19 studying full-time and students aged 20–24 at a tertiary institution.
Effectiveness—targeting
Percentage of customers on a part rate of payment due to the parental means test
At June 2004, Centrelink assessed 235 788 Youth Allowance customers as dependent and subject to the parental means test. Of these 40 241 received a reduced rate due to their parents' income or actual means, representing 10.5 per cent of all Youth Allowance customers and 17.1 per cent of dependent Youth Allowance customers.
Percentage of customers with private earnings
In the fortnight ending 18 June 2004, 19.3 per cent (16 369) of Youth Allowance non–full time students had private earnings. In the same fortnight 33.0 per cent (98 104) of all Youth Allowance full-time students had private earnings.
Average amount of private earnings per fortnight
In the fortnight ending 18 June 2004, 19.3 per cent (16 369) of Youth Allowance non–full time students had private earnings. In the same fortnight, 33.0 per cent (98 104) of all Youth Allowance full-time students had private earnings.
Percentage of non–full time students on a part rate of payment due to the personal means test
In the fortnight ending June 2004, 10.1 per cent (8479) of Youth Allowance non–full time students received a reduced rate because of the personal means test.
Quantity
Number and percentage of customers paid supplementary payments—Rent Assistance
71 807 (24.2 per cent) of full-time students
16 595 (19.6 per cent) of non–full time students
Number of customers assisted (Youth Allowance)—381 805
Price
$2.3 billion
Departmental outputs
Cost
Ratio of departmental expense to administered expense
For every dollar spent on administered items under Output Group 1.2, 9.7 cents were spent on departmental outputs.
Policy advice
Quality—customer satisfaction
Ministers and ministers' offices satisfied with the quality of policy advice and department meets standards for policy advice
Ministers and their offices did not provide feedback on individual output groups but did provide feedback on departmental performance as a whole. Information on ministers' and their offices' assessment can be found in Volume two, Part two, 'Ministerial and parliamentary services'.
Quantity
Number of items to ministers
494 ministerial submissions and other written briefings or advice prepared; 903 ministerial replies to correspondence completed.
Price
$4.4 million
Purchasing, funding and relationship management
Quality—assurance
Department ensures that service providers meet terms and conditions of funding
Formal guidelines apply to the JPET, Reconnect and YAS and FLW programs. FaCS ensures that conditions of funding agreements are met by requiring service providers to submit a range of reports to FaCS, including quarterly financial reports, annual audited reports and annual self-evaluation reports. Services must provide customer data to the department in a timely manner. Each service funded under the Reconnect program must also be independently evaluated during a three-year funding agreement by an external consultant appointed by FaCS.
Services delivering Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) are required, through their funding agreement, to submit copies of each referral assessment form as well as quarterly reports.
Service agreements or contracts that meet legislative, government policy and departmental requirements in place with all service providers
Services provided through JPET, Reconnect, YAS and FLW, and TILA are delivered in partnership with community and non-government organisations that have funding agreements with FaCS.
Quantity
Number of contracts or service agreements under management—345
Number of service providers under management—380
Price
$16.1 million
Research and evaluation
Quality—assurance
Research and evaluation is of a high standard (timely, fulfils terms of reference, complete, methodologically sound) and contributes to policy understanding and development
Research and evaluation during 2003–04 was of a consistently high standard. It met timelines and terms of reference and was methodologically sound.
Quantity
Major pieces of research and evaluation completed
2 (Reconnect and YAS and FLW program evaluations)
Price
$2.3 million
Service delivery
Quality—assurance
Service providers deliver services to the standards agreed with FaCS
Centrelink delivers services to standards agreed with FaCS.
The Business Partnership Agreement with Centrelink sets out areas and performance measures that apply to income support payments. Centrelink monitors performance against agreed standards for the delivery of services.
Other services were delivered as agreed.
Quality—customer rights and obligations
Control of incorrect payment and fraud: savings in administered items arising from compliance activities
Review mechanisms common to most payment types for detection and control of incorrect payment and fraud are described in Volume two, Part two. 'Right payments to the right people'. For the purposes of this report, these reviews include compliance reviews, service profiling and general program reviews.
In 2003–04, the Integrated Review System and an interrogation of the Centrelink mainframe data indicated that a total of 441 661 Youth Allowance and Austudy Payment reviews were completed. It is estimated that rate reductions resulted in fortnightly savings of $12 808 223, and upward variations resulted in fortnightly increases of $1 950 934. The debts totalled $101 799 211. Performance outcomes for debt recovery and prosecution activity are reported in Volume two, Part two, 'Right payments to the right people'.
Percentage of reviews and appeals where the original decision is changed
Price
$233.1 million—Centrelink
$1.4 million—other