The Humanitarian Settlement Services (HSS) and Complex Case Support (CCS) programmes are designed to support newly arrived eligible humanitarian entrants in becoming self-reliant, fully-functioning members of Australian society.
The HSS programme provides early, practical support to clients to help them settle into the community. It is delivered by service providers on behalf of the Australian Government. The programme operates through an integrated case management approach, assessing settlement needs and providing support to build the independence of clients in the first six to 12 months of their arrival.
The CCS programme delivers intensive case management services to humanitarian entrants and other eligible clients with exceptional needs. It is targeted at supporting clients whose needs extend beyond the scope of other settlement programmes (such as the HSS and Settlement grants programmes). The CCS programme is designed to work in partnership with settlement and mainstream services to address barriers these clients face in settling in Australia.
In September 2014, the Department of Social Services (DSS) engaged Ernst & Young to evaluate the HSS and CCS programmes, with a particular focus on the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of the programmes.