Social work role with Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) clients and recording in SWIS 003-22032515

• Support the immediate needs of the DVA client
• Complete a risk assessment
• Refer the client to Open Arms for ongoing support if required. Family and recent partners can also access Open Arms for support

If the social worker cannot make a risk assessment (for example, the client terminates the call or leaves the service centre) they may complete a Release of Information (ROI) to the relevant authority to prevent or lessen the threat to life, health or welfare of a person. The relevant authority may include police or emergency services.

After completing/attempting to complete the risk assessment, is there concern for the DVA client's safety and/or the safety of others?

• Yes. If the DVA client:
• is available, go to Step 2
• is not available, go to Step 3
• No. If the DVA client:
• is available, go to Step 4
• is not available, go to Step 12

Ask the DVA client to provide:

• their personal details, such as:
• name
• address
• contact details, for example their phone number
• date of birth
• their Customer Reference Number (CRN), if they know it. Do not use a Services Australia system to look up the CRN, for example do not search in Process Direct or Customer First

Use the Release of information for non-Centrelink customers form to make a referral (the DVA client does not need to provide their permission).

If the DVA client:

• is available, go to Step 4
• is not available, and:
• their Customer Reference Number (CRN) is known, go to Step 11
• their CRN is not known, go to Step 12

Ask the DVA client for consent to record information about the referral.

Do they give consent?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 6

Ask the DVA client for consent to search for their customer record on the agency system.

Does the DVA client give their consent?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 7

Record a customer referral in SWIS if the DVA client does not give consent to record their information, and:

• their CRN is known
• there is concern for the DVA client's safety and/or the safety of others
• the social worker made a referral using the Release of information for non-Centrelink customers form, and

If the above applies, go to Step 11.

Record an anonymous customer referral in SWIS if the DVA client does not give consent to record their information and:

• their CRN is not known
• there is concern for the DVA client's safety and/or the safety of others
• the social worker made a referral using the Release of information for non-Centrelink customers form

If the above applies, go to Step 12.

Record an anonymous customer referral in SWIS if:

• there is no concern for the DVA client's safety and/or the safety of others, and
• the DVA client does not give consent to record their information

If the above applies, go to Step 12.

Search for a customer record.

Note: do not record the DVA client's details on an agency system, for example Process Direct or Customer First.

Was a customer record identified on the agency system?

• Yes:
• note down the CRN
• go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 9

Ask the DVA client if they give permission for Services Australia to create a customer record on the agency's system for recording purposes only. Create this record to document the interaction as a core function of the social work role (not to make the DVA client a Centrelink customer).

Do they give permission?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 12

Find a SME to create a CRN for non-Centrelink customers.

Contact the SME using Microsoft Teams:

• Ask them to create a Centrelink record for the DVA client
• Email the DVA client's personal information to the SME. Use the right email security marking

The SME will either:

• create a CRN and email this to the social worker
• contact the social worker to ask for more detail. If they do not have enough information to create a CRN the SME will tell the social worker

Did the SME provide a CRN?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 12

From Customer First > Workspace > Social Work Information System (SWIS):

• Select Referrals/Contact
• Select Create New Referral
• Referral source: DHS. In the drop down list select service centre
• Referral issues: select Risk of suicide and other applicable fields depending on the DVA client’s circumstances
• Select National Survey box for non-identified data collation
• Select Continue

Record the contact in SWIS:

• Select Contact Type: for example phone interview or face-to-face
• Select Social Work Intervention: choose up to 3 options
• Outcome of intervention: choose up to 3 options
• Record any other relevant SWIS contacts
• Record SWIS case notes. Only record information that is necessary to providing social work assistance and support to the client

If the DVA client is also a Services Australia customer and during the social worker interaction they discuss agency related business, this can be documented on their Centrelink customer record. Note: do not refer to DVA or the DVA related interaction in any documentation outside of SWIS.

Procedure ends here.

From Customer First > Workspace > Social Work Information System (SWIS):

• Select Add Anonymous Client
• Complete the mandatory fields
• Select Continue
• Select Referrals/Contact
• Select Create New Referral
• Referral source: DHS. In the drop down list select service centre
• Referral issues: select Risk of suicide and other applicable fields depending on the DVA client’s circumstances
• Select National Survey box for non-identified data collation
• Select Continue

SWIS automatically generates a dummy CRN for anonymous customers. Take note of the CRN and use it to record any further contact. Anonymous records are used for short-term (1 to 2 days) recording purposes and should not be accessed again.

Do not record DOCs or case notes on an anonymous record.

Procedure ends here.

A social worker contacts by Microsoft Teams and/or email to ask for creation of a Centrelink customer record for a DVA client.

Did the social worker provide enough detail to search for the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No:
• Send a Microsoft Teams message to the social worker. Ask them to email more details about the DVA client. Use the right email security marking
• After receiving the details requested, go to Step 2

Search for the customer.

Was an existing Centrelink customer record identified?

• Yes, email the Customer Reference Number (CRN) to the social worker. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Add the customer to the system.

Was the Centrelink customer record created?

• Yes, email the CRN to the social worker. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Email Operations Design Transformation. In the email:

• ask them to create a customer record for the DVA client
• provide the client details required to create the record

Operations Design Transformation will advise when they have created a CRN.

Email the CRN to the social worker.