NSW's new work and development order guidelines remove age cap for mentoring
The NSW government has announced changes to its work and development order (WDO) scheme, including the removal of the age restriction applicable to those over 25 years old for mentoring programs.
“The WDO scheme is an effective way to divert people from the justice system and ease the burden of debt for those most in need,” said Anne Campbell, deputy secretary of NSW’s Department of Communities and Justice, in a media release.
By removing the age cap, the NSW government seeks to offer participants, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to give back to their communities and take part in cultural activities, the media release said. This change also aims to encourage more regional providers to get involved and make positive impacts within their communities.
The updates introduced by the state government also permit social workers to apply as sponsors and clarify how those residing interstate can participate, according to the media release.
“New eligibility criteria for people experiencing hardship simplifies the process for WDO sponsors which we hope will lead to more sponsors coming on board, particularly in regional areas,” Campbell said.
The NSW government has also announced the development of a new resource kit seeking to inform sponsors and participants alike regarding the new WDO guidelines. This resource contains various facts sheets detailing the way the updated fines relief scheme is supposed to work.
“The new WDO Guidelines will expand on the opportunities available for people experiencing disadvantage to access the WDO scheme and resolve their fines without causing further hardship,” said Monique Hitter, Legal Aid NSW’s CEO.
Both Legal Aid NSW and Revenue NSW will offer comprehensive support to those intending to serve as sponsors. This assistance will include helping them apply and understand what they have to provide and how it can benefit not only participants but also their own organisation and the wider community, the government’s media release said.
“We know the program not only helps reduce the level of stress and anxiety clients feel about their fines debt but also helps address the factors that made it hard for them to pay their fines in the first place,” Hitter said. “For example, helping them engage with medical or mental health treatment to address issues which impact their ability to pay fines or providing incentive to commit to alcohol or drug treatment and recovery.”
This year, Legal Aid NSW has plans to hold training sessions for sponsors to better understand the amended scheme, the media release said.
The fines relief scheme aims to assist those facing hardship in accessing support – such as case management, medical or mental health treatment, vocational or life skills courses, financial counselling, volunteer work, and drug or alcohol treatment – as a way to clear their fines, the NSW government’s media release said.
Since its launch in 2011, the scheme has assisted more than 138,000 individuals in paying off fines amounting to over $409m, the state government’s media release said. Over two-thirds of them have completely cleared their fine balance, the media release added.
Sponsors in NSW – totalling to over 3,000, with about 60% of them based in greater Sydney – include not-for-profits, health practitioners, government agencies, and social workers, the government’s media release shared.
“While this scheme has helped hundreds of thousands of people so far, we want it to help even more,” Campbell said. “So, if you or your organisation want to contribute to your community, consider signing up as a WDO sponsor to help break the cycle of debt and disadvantage.”
