Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program

The SETS program will commence on 1 January 2019. The program aims to equip and empower humanitarian entrants, other eligible permanent migrants and their communities to address their settlement needs, in order to improve social participation, economic well-being, independence, personal well-being and community connectedness.

The SETS program fills an important gap in the post-arrival period for eligible clients who do not have family and other community supports to rely on. The program is complementary to the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) and other Commonwealth support to humanitarian entrants and for other vulnerable migrants.

SETS is an enhanced version of the Settlement Grants program. A policy review and independent evaluation of Settlement Grants found that the program provides effective early intervention that contributes to clients achieving full participation in society as soon as possible. Enhancements were made to the program to ensure that grant funding continues to:

·       appropriately deliver against the Government’s policy objectives, in particular English, education and employment (the 3Es);

·       align with the HSP and the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP); and

·       be targeted, flexible, and innovative in providing timely and effective early intervention support to the most vulnerable based on specific emerging needs.

The separation into two distinct grants was one of the main changes in moving from the Settlement Grants program to SETS.

SETS includes two components:

·       SETS – Client Services provides clients with settlement-related information, advice, advocacy, and assistance to access mainstream and other relevant services. Services will be delivered in accordance with a needs-based approach. Typically client needs will align with the nine priority areas identified in the National Settlement Framework.

SETS – Client Services has a key role in facilitating acquisition of English language skills, supporting engagement with education and training and building employment readiness with services complementing other settlement and mainstream services.
 

·       SETS – Community Capacity Building helps new and emerging community groups and organisations support their specific communities towards collectively increasing the social participation, economic and personal well-being of community members, to ensure that positive settlement outcomes are sustained in the long term.

Support may include development of leadership and governance skills, linkages to the broader community, interaction with government and local stakeholders, and access to resources and facilities.