JOB DESCRIPTION
Classification
Australian Public Service 3 & 4
Position number/s
Several
Local title
Claims Manager / Claims Support / Team Leader
Division
Several
Group
Several
Immediate supervisor
Team Leader
Supervisory
responsibilities
Supervision is required in some roles at the APS 4 level
Comcare is the Australian Government workers’ compensation and occupational
health and safety authority with a vision of “Australia’s Safest Workplaces”. It works
in partnership with its customers to reduce the human and financial costs of workplace
injuries and disease by improving the safety and rehabilitation of employees in the
Commonwealth jurisdiction and the compensation services provided. Comcare
upholds the APS Values and Code of Conduct and its people accept responsibility and
accountability for their actions at work, contribute to their full extent and continue to
improve the quality and service of all their activities.
Roles include Claims Management and Claims Support. To be successful in these
roles, you will have the capacity to work independently or as part of a team. You will
work towards established priorities according to Comcare’s current practices,
methodologies, precedents and delegations. You will work under the general direction
of a team leader. Guidance will be given, where assignments or projects are of some
complexity or sensitivity. There is emphasis on the development of skills through
training and on-the-job experience, for progression to the next level.
In this document you will find;
Duty Statement
What to expect…a day as a Claims Manager
Comcare’s Selection Process
Selection Criteria
The Comcare Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Cover Sheet
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
DUTY STATEMENT
Classification
Australian Public Service 3 & 4
Position number/s
Several
Duty No.
1.
2.
APS 3 Duties
Processing claims of some
complexity for benefits or
entitlements
Undertaking a range of word
processing and other software
application work
APS 4 Duties
Undertake a range of more complex
processing using Comcare’s systems
Use computer-based applications
(data bases and other software and
Internet applications)
Undertake operational and
administrative tasks including
exercising delegations in accordance
with appropriate legislation, policy
and procedures, providing technical
assistance and procedural guidance
Handle more complex customer
enquiries (enquiries relating to
benefits, decisions on complex
claims for compensation)
Prepare correspondence and
documentation, draft reports and
assist with policy development with
internal and external customers
and/or claimants
3.
Developing and maintaining
electronic and paper based
information records
4.
Co-ordinating responses to
correspondence or inquiries
5.
Providing accurate and timely
information to internal and external
customers
6.
Prepare correspondence and
documentation, draft reports and
assist with policy development with
internal and external customers
and/or claimants
Liaise with internal and external
customers and organisations
Providing or assisting with on-thejob or structured training
Undertake the management of
complex claims and requests for
reconsideration of claims
8.
Working independently or as part of
a team under general supervision
and direction and against established
priorities, practices, methodologies,
precedents and delegations.
Undertake a range of routine on-thejob or structured training
9.
Participate in corporate learning and
development activities
7.
10.
Undertake team/work
area/individual leadership or
supervisory roles
Participate in corporate learning and
development activities
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
What to expect ……a day as a Claims Manager
As Claims Manager, the focus of your role is to ensure that injured employees have
access to the appropriate treatment and other entitlements which will allow them to
return to pre-injury activities as safely and as quickly as possible. You will work
closely with an injured employee’s Case Manager in developing a return to work
strategy. You will also liaise with doctors, specialists, rehabilitation providers and
other allied health specialists.
Managing a claim effectively involves making decisions based on the evidence
presented by injured employees and medical practitioners within the provisions of the
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act). To assist you, you will
receive comprehensive training. You will also receive strong support from your team
leader and other specialised support areas of the organisation. You will work in a
strong team environment and will be continually sharing and extending your
knowledge.
Your typical day may involve communicating with Case Managers and injured
employees by phone, compiling correspondence to doctors, specialists and other
professionals and other related claims management activities. There are also times
when you will be required to conduct face-to-face case conferences with Case
Managers and other relevant stakeholders to assist the progress of an injured
employee’s return to work. These meetings may take place in Comcare’s premises or
at an employee’s workplace. Your day will be busy and varied and activities may
need to be re-prioritised as one task may become more important than another. An
example of this would be when an injured employee may require urgent surgery and
approval is necessary before the procedure will be allowed. A lot of the cases
involve minor work injuries where people recover and return to work quite quickly.
However, some cases are quite complex and challenging.
You will find the role rewarding and challenging. It is necessary for you to be
flexible, adaptable and possess good communication and interpersonal skills to deal
with situations with empathy and sensitivity.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
Comcare’s Selection Process
Merit
Selection is to be based upon merit consistent with the requirements of the Public
Service Act 1999. For further explanation of merit in the APS visit the Australian
Public Service Commission website.
Information to Applicants on Assessment
The selection documentation is designed to inform applicants about the selection
process. Several phases of assessment will be conducted to assess the applicants’
relative merit and suitability; this will include an assessment of the written
application, skills testing, interviews and referee checks. Applicants will be advised
should they not be shortlisted to proceed to the next phase of assessment.
1st Phase – Shortlist on Application
Examination of the individual applicant’s statement of claims against all the selection
criteria by the selection panel will be used by the Selection Panel to establish a
preliminary shortlist. Applicants will be advised should they not be short listed to
proceed to the next phase of assessment.
2nd Phase - Shortlist from Skill Testing
A further smaller shortlist will be decided based upon the results of skill testing
against Selection Criteria 1 & 3. Applicants will be required to undertake a selection
of relevant tests that assess these skills.
Selection Criteria 1
Well developed written and oral communication, including liaison, negotiation and
representational skills.
Test – Verbal Evaluation
Selection Criteria 3
Research and analytical skills, including the ability:
 to think laterally,
 interpret and apply complex policy, procedure and practices,
 solve problems and make sound judgements.
Test – Numerical Evaluation
3rd Phase – Interviews and Occupational Personality Questionnaire
The applicants who have been assessed through the 1st and 2nd phase as having the
strongest claims against the selection criteria will be invited for interview to gather
further evidence of their skills and the relative merit of their claims. Those who are to
be invited for interview will also be asked to undertake the Occupational Personality
Questionnaire to aid the interview discussion. Written references will also be sought
at this stage.
4th Phase – References
Following interviews references will be considered and further validation of each
applicant’s claims may be sought from referees verbally.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
Selection Decisions
After the four phases of selection are finished the Selection Panel will gather the
information together and rate the applicants both on the assessment of their individual
merit against the Selection Criteria and their Competitive Merit (ranking) against the
other applicants. A Selection Report will be completed with this information and
presented to the delegate (the General Manager Injury Management). The delegate
will then make decisions about how many jobs to fill and consequently the number of
applicants from the order of merit list who are offered engagement, promotion or
transfer.
Privacy
In line with the Privacy Act 1988 information gathered as part of this selection
process will only be used for the purposes of establishing the competitive merit of
applicants for APS 3 & 4 level vacancies for up to 12 months from the gazettal of this
process 04 May 2006. This information will remain confidential and will be destroyed
12 months from the Gazettal date (03 May 2007).
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
SELECTION CRITERIA
Your statement of claims addressing the selection criteria:
To be considered for these positions your application should include a statement of
claims against the selection criteria. If you wish to be considered for a position at
either level please address the APS 4 selection criteria. You will be considered for
the next stage of the selection process if you are able to demonstrate skills against
each criterion.
To address the selection criteria please respond using examples from work. If you do
not have work examples, please provide relevant examples from your school,
university or other experience. Please focus on your own involvement in the various
situations (use ‘I’ rather than ‘we’) and provide examples that have occurred within
the last two years wherever possible.
STAR scenario approach
In order to provide the most information about your capabilities for the role, please
provide examples which have a clear beginning, middle and end. You may use the
following STAR approach to assist you when responding to the criteria which follow.
Situation
Brief outline of the situation or setting?
Who was involved?
What was your role?
Task
What did you do?
What happened next?
Approach or action
you took
How did you do it?
Result
What was the outcome?
What feedback did you receive?
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
SELECTION CRITERIA
Classification
Australian Public Service 3 & 4
Position number/s
Several
Criteria
No.
1.
2.
APS 3 Selection Criteria
Well developed written and oral
communication, including liaison,
negotiation and representational
skills.
Sound interpersonal and teamwork
skills, including:
 the ability to foster productive
working relationships;
 a co-operative and flexible work
style; and
 a commitment to learning and
development.
3.
Sound analytical skills including the
ability to interpret and apply
legislation, policy and procedures.
4.
5.
6.
Ability to meet deadlines whilst
maintaining high levels of accuracy
and work output in a constantly
changing environment.
APS 4 Selection Criteria
(Address these criteria if you
are applying for both levels)
Well developed written and oral
communication, including liaison,
negotiation and representational
skills.
Sound interpersonal and teamwork
skills, including:
 the ability to foster productive
working relationships;
 a co-operative and flexible work
style; and
 a commitment to learning and
development.
Research and analytical skills,
including the ability:
 to think laterally,
 interpret and apply complex
policy, procedure and practices,
 solve problems and make sound
judgements.
Demonstrated ability to
independently manage a personal
workload having regard to team and
organisational needs, performance
measures, quality and timeliness.
Sound information technology and
office/clerical skills.
Sound information technology and
office/clerical skills
Understanding of the APS Values,
APS Code of Conduct and
Comcare’s Values and ability to
interpret and apply these in the
workplace.*
Understanding of the APS Values,
APS Code of Conduct and
Comcare’s Values and ability to
interpret and apply these in the
workplace.*
*For the APS Values and APS Code of Conduct please refer to www.apsc.gov.au.
The Comcare Values are outlined in the attached Comcare Strategic Plan.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
THE COMCARE PLAN (Extract)
http://www.comcare.gov.au/pdf_files/Comcare_Plan.pdf
Comcare’s Vision
Australia’s Safest Workplaces
Comcare’s Mission
To work in partnership with our customers to reduce the human and financial costs of
workplace injuries and disease in the jurisdiction
Our role is to:






promote best practice in workplace health and safety, rehabilitation and the return
to work of injured employees;
ensure compliance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety
(Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (OHS Act) and the Safety,
Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act);
ensure soundly based calculation and management of premiums and regulatory
fees for Australian Government agencies and the ACT Government ;
determine claims and pay workers’ compensation to Australian Government and
ACT Government employees in accordance with the Safety, Rehabilitation and
Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act);
assist the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (the SRC
Commission) in the performance of its statutory functions; and
assist the Seafarers’ Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Authority (Seacare
Authority) in the performance of its statutory functions under the Occupational
Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 (OHS (MI) Act) and the
Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 (Seafarers Act).
Comcare’s Values and Behaviours
Comcare expects everyone within the organisation to uphold the APS Values and the
Code of Conduct. Within that framework, Comcare expects its people to:





accept responsibility and accountability for their actions at work;
communicate with our customers in an open and transparent way;
behave in a fair and professional manner in their dealings with each other and
their customers;
contribute to the full extent of their knowledge, skills and abilities and
acknowledge the effort of others; and
continuously improve the quality of the services they provide.
Comcare’s Priorities
Comcare has identified three key result areas (KRAs) as part of this Plan.



Safe and Healthy Workplaces;
Early and Safe Return to Work; and
Equitable and sustainable Compensation.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
Frequently Asked Questions about these roles
Q. How many roles are available?
A. There are several positions. An Order of Merit list will be established and considered for any
subsequent vacancies arising in the next 12 months.
Q. What documentation do I need to complete to apply for these positions?
A. You should include in your application:


Personal details to assist in processing your application using the Application Cover Sheet.
You do not have to include a covering letter but may do so if you want to bring any particular
information to the attention o the Selection Advisory Committee (for example availability for
an interview);
A Statement of Claims addressing the selection criteria;
Curriculum Vitae, including a work history statement preferably starting from the present and
working backwards;
The names of at least two recent referees who could provide information to the Selection
Advisory Committee about your work performance and an assessment in terms of the
selection criteria.
This information may also be recorded on the Application Cover Sheet; and
Any other relevant information.



Q. Do I have to be an Australian Citizen to apply for these positions?
A. Yes.
Q. I have received a redundancy payment from the Australian Public Service.
Am I eligible to apply?
A. You would only be eligible to apply provided the redundancy was paid more than twelve months
ago? If you have received a redundancy from ACT Public Service, the time limit does not apply.
Q. Will I be placed on probation if I win a position?
A. A three month probationary period will apply to you if you are engaged or offered a contract. If you
are already a member of the Australian Public Service probation may not apply.
Q. Are there opportunities for career advancement within Comcare?
A. There is emphasis on the development of skills through training and on-the-job experience for
progression to the next level. Comcare also offers the opportunity to undertake roles in other
divisions of the organisation to develop skills and assist progression.
Q. What is the work environment like?
A. Successful applicants will be placed in a team environment performing mainly claims management
related duties as described in the Duty Statement.
Q. Where is Comcare located?
A. Comcare’s main office is situated at 1st Floor, 14 Moore St, Canberra City.
Q. What parking facilities are available near Comcare?
A. Limited short term parking is available near the building. If you are selected to attend interview,
please ensure to allow enough time for parking.
Q. Who is the Contact Officer for these positions?
A. A contact officer is available to answer questions that have not already been covered by
information provided in this document. The contact officer for this position is
Heather Jeffs, Operations Manager Ph: 02 6275 0691.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006
Application Cover Sheet
GIVING FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION IS A SERIOUS OFFENCE
Which level are you applying for?
APS Level 3
(yes/no)
APS Level 4
(yes/no)
Are you an Australian citizen? (yes or no)
Have you received a redundancy benefit from an Australian Public Service (APS) agency
or non-APS Commonwealth employer in the last 12 months? (yes or no)
If yes, what was your retirement date?
Personal details
Title
Gender (M/F)
Surname
Given names
Address
Postcode
Contact details
Home
Work
May we contact you at work? (yes or no)
Mobile
Email
Employment details
Current employer
Position/title
Length of service
If you currently employed in the Australian Public Service?
Classification/level
AGS no
Ongoing/non-ongoing
Workplace Diversity
Highest Education Level (optional – for statistical
purposes only)
Are you an Indigenous Australian? (yes or no)
First Language if not English
Do you have a disability?
If selected for interview or further assessment, please specify any assistance you may require:
Where did you find out PS Gazette
Comcare Website
Canberra Times
about this job?
(yes or no)
(yes or no)
(yes or no)
Referee Details (require two referees)
Name
Relationship
Phone
Seek.Com
(yes or no)
Email
Signature (not required for applications lodged electronically)
Signature
Date
Please email your application to recruitment@comcare.gov.au (preferred option) or mail to
Recruitment Adviser, Comcare, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601. You should include in
your application: Application Cover Sheet, A statement of claims against selection criteria and
Curriculum Vitae.
Gazette 04 May 2006; Canberra Times and Seek.Com 06 May 2006; Closing date for applications 18 May 2006