Centrelink staff are being embedded into community outreach services.

Government services minister Bill Shorten has announced “Phase 2 of the Community Partnership Pilot”, which embeds sensitised Centrelink officers into community and outreach organisations to try to catch those who fall through systemic cracks.

“Under this pilot, Services Australia’s dedicated Community Partnership Specialist Officers work on site at the participating community organisations to connect people to payments and services,” Mr Shorten said.

“We’re connecting with people in a familiar setting, working alongside the organisations they already go to for help.

“One of my key priorities as Minister for Government Services has been tackling vulnerability, and the Community Partnership Pilot is a cornerstone of inclusive access to government services.

“The first phase of the pilot has already seen great outcomes by delivering a tailored service through partnerships with four organisations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Darwin.

“I’m proud to announce the extension of this pilot with a further 11 partnerships around the country.

“Launching in August 2022, Phase 1 of the pilot has seen Community Partnership Specialist Officers deliver an end-to-end wraparound service in collaboration with our partner organisations. The Community Partnership Specialist Officers have had over 1400 interactions with customers, assisting them to access additional supports on over 1200 occasions.”

For over a third of all engagements, the government says customers have been able to get the support they need and their business resolved upon first visit.

“These simple and helpful interactions are building relationships with people that may have been otherwise marginalised from their community,” Mr Shorten said.

“I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this initiative over the next 12 months as we work together to support the most vulnerable in our community.”