A statement of claims is also known as selection criteria or a two-page cover letter addressing the requirements. The key difference is if they ask for a cover letter to include an opening and closing paragraph. If they ask for a statement of claims or selection criteria, you don’t need the opening and closing paragraphs. The following is an example of a selection statement for the Department of Corrections addressing the targeted question.
Demonstrate your understanding of managing risk and reengaging offenders with society.
As a Bachelor of Criminology Graduate from Griffith University, I understand the role of re-engaging offenders within society. My professional background as a Youth Worker for DSDS and as a Case Worker within the Child Protection system have allowed me to develop strong interviewing skills to determine the clients wants and needs and the ability to identify, respond and manage risk.
For example, as a Youth Worker for DSDS, I worked with a juvenile offender who had significant mental health issues, was dealing with grief and loss and who was unemployed and had less than a year 10 level of education. The client was at risk of reoffending due to the combination of these issues and I quickly identified that the aside from supporting him to access a mental health professional, he also needed a diversion and an income to avoid him returning to his previous behaviours which involved a significant amount of car theft.
With his limited education, it was challenging to obtain the client suitable employment, so I arranged for him to complete work experience with a local electrician while an alterative could be found, as this was an area he had expressed interest in. The employer was so impressed that he offered him a part time apprenticeship on the provision that he return to school and complete his year 10 certificate. As a result, the client returned to the education system while working part time. This diversion distracted the client from his previous car theft peers and allowed him to maintain an income, making the thought of car theft less appealing.
Most applications will have at least (2) questions and will include guidelines on how many words your response should be.