Correspondence received in Child Support 277-01070000

Risks to a customer's privacy have been identified. See Separating Safely - protecting personal details to make sure the customer's personal details are safe before progressing.

This document outlines how to process incoming correspondence and mail received by Child Support, including scanning, indexing, storage and retrieval processes.

Services Australia staff must immediately send all paper correspondence and items received for Child Support customers to the Child Support postal address.

A to Z list of managing incoming mail and correspondence received in Child Support

Term

Description

EDC Service Officer action

Finalise

Alert | Court/Substituted service documents

EDC Service Officers must scan and index all incoming court related documents, substituted service documents and referral questionnaires received via post on the same day.

Scan all documentation that contains court and substituted service document(s) in their own batch.

When a court document is received with another Child Support document (such as a Change of Assessment application):

each document must be clearly identifiable and grouped, based on who sent it in
split them using the Barcode Separator page
scan all court and substituted service related documents to the 004@Mailbox13 Specified Image on the multi-function device (MFD)

Press Start (green button on MFD), and on the batch cover sheet:

add the batch number using 24 hour time format, and
make sure the job shows as Completed on bottom right of the confirmation sheet that prints after the batch scan is finished

If unable to record the document number, record the batch number.

To finalise these priority documents, action the links in the following order:

Imaging | Checks
Index | Customer records to index them on the same day they are received, but no later than the following business day
Process Category | Specified image

EDC Team Leaders must make sure these timeframes are met.

Note: for overseas substituted service documents, after imaging and indexing, collate the documents and send all documents and referral questionnaires via internal mail to the Tasmanian Mailroom Operations

Alert | Freedom of information requests

EDC Service Officers record all incoming correspondence for Freedom of information (FOI) requests from child support customers.

When an FOI request is received:

detach the cheque from documentation
scan only the accompanying correspondence to the Specified Image inbox for indexing to the customer’s record within 24 hours
provide the cheque and the original correspondence to the EDC Team Leader

To index the FOI to Pending Delete, the Portfolio owner of Pending Delete must:

email the request to the FOI team
index to the customer as General, Potential FOI
delete the intray, and
add a Cuba notepad to document the date the FOI was emailed to FOI team

To finalise, the EDC Team Leader must:

reattach the cheque to the original correspondence, and
use internal mail to post it to the FOI team

Alert | Potential at risk customers

EDC Service Officers check for words, phrases or images to identify ‘Potential at risk’ and vulnerable customers identified via Child Support correspondence.

These checks occur:

automatically via language filters that are applied to all lodged customer web forms, and
manually via EDC Service Officers who use their knowledge and discretion when scanning or indexing to identify instances of self harm, harm to others, family and domestic violence, risk of homelessness or hardship

All EDC staff must escalate all instances of incoming correspondence that:

identifies a ‘Potential at Risk’ customer at any stage of the sorting/scanning process or while attaching documents:

scan and/or attach the document to the customer record
different actions apply depending on how the correspondence was received and if the customer record can be found

contains a potential threat made by the customer to:

themselves
another parent/carer
a child, or
other member of the public

threats made against Services Australia staff, or other organisations. Note: these threats are not covered in this procedure, go to Customer Aggression Guidelines > Emergency Response Procedures and follow the relevant instructions

EDC staff who need help with the escalation process can ask their Team Leader.

Complaints/Feedback web form correspondence

Complaints/Feedback web form correspondence will show the first line as ‘Urgent potential at risk customer’.

Locate the customer record in Cuba to index the correspondence. If the customer:

can be identified in Cuba:

index the document to the customer record as Complaints/None
complete the email template for ‘Potential at risk’ customers to escalate, and
immediately email this to the ‘Potential at risk’ escalation mailbox to alert them of the threat. For urgent matters, phone a Service Support Manager to alert the Complaints team to the potential threat

cannot be identified:

place the document in Non-Customer
add a note stating, ‘This document has been escalated through to Complaints as per ‘Potential at risk’ customer process’, and
set as Not to be reviewed (NTBR)

Complaints/feedback correspondence submitted to the ‘webmaster’ email or via mail

This correspondence needs to be manually scanned by EDC Service Officers to identify vulnerable and ‘potential at risk’ customers. If the correspondence contains a potential threat made against themselves, another parent, child or individual, or there are other vulnerabilities such as Family and Domestic Violence noted, and:

The customer can be identified in Cuba:

index the document to the customer record as Complaints/None
complete the email template for ‘Potential at risk’ customers to escalate, and
immediately email this to the ‘Potential at risk’ escalation mailbox to alert them of the threat. For urgent matters, phone a Service Support Manager to alert the Complaints team to the potential threat

The customer cannot be identified:

place the document in Non-Customer
add a note stating, ‘This document has been escalated through to Complaints as per ‘Potential at risk’ customer process’, and
set as Not to be reviewed (NTBR)

Correspondence from all other sources (including ‘contact us’ web form)

If the customer:

can be identified in Cuba:

index the document to the customer record
complete the email escalation template for ‘Potential at risk’ customers on the Resources page, and
immediately email this to the Parent Support Team. If the issue is highly sensitive, phone the PST Program Manager or PST Program Support Manager to alert them to the referral

cannot be identified in Cuba:

place the document in Non-Customer
add a note stating, ‘This document has been escalated through to NCMS as per ‘Potential at risk’ customer process’, and
set as Not to be reviewed (NTBR)

Customer identified in Customer First only

If the customer cannot be identified in Cuba (has no child support record), use Customer First to check if the customer has a Centrelink record.

If the customer can be identified in Customer First:

attach the electronic document(s) to the Centrelink customer's record
use Document Tools in Customer First

To finalise, if EDC staff have completed checks and the customer is not identifiable in Cuba or Customer First:

complete the email template for ‘No customer record found in Cuba and Customer First’ on the Resources page,
immediately email the completed template and a copy of the correspondence to the Operational Planning (New Customers) mailbox
change the correspondence category to Non-Customer
complete the Action reason, and
set as Not to be reviewed (NTBR)

EDC staff must save all related emails (sent and received) in Outlook > Mail Handling Inbox > Customer Threats sub-folder.

Alert | Suspicious items

Staff must remain vigilant and cautious when processing suspicious mail, items and packages.

Gloves and masks are provided to protect staff against potential contaminants.

All staff who handle mail items must be aware of their local emergency procedures for responding to and reporting suspicious items.

To identify and handle suspect correspondence, see:

Suspicious mail indicators, and
How to identify a suspicious mail item or package

Correspondence | Addressed to a person, position or marked ‘private and confidential’

EDC Service Officers record all incoming child support correspondence that is:

addressed to the General Manager (GM)
marked ‘Private and confidential’, or
addressed to an individual or specific role

For correspondence that is:

addressed to the GM and is not marked as ‘private and confidential’, open the correspondence as it is most likely related to Child Support customers.
marked as ‘Private and confidential’ or addressed to an individual or specific role:

do not open. Send the correspondence directly to the named person or role. For example, send to the person who is currently in the role
Note: most s120 responses are marked 'private and confidential', however these can be opened and scanned. If unsure, seek assistance from a Team Leader before opening the envelope

To finalise, if the correspondence is later found to be customer-related, the addressee must immediately return the correspondence to the EDC via the Child Support postal address so they can process within the service standard (within 48 hours of arrival in an office).

Correspondence | Agreements

Agreements can be prepared by solicitors and can also be submitted by parents by completing a Child Support agreement form (CS 1666).

An initiating agreement begins a new case between the parties named in the agreement and a new record may need to be created for the customer.

A non-initiating agreement is where parents who have already registered a Child Support case enter into an agreement.

Child Support agreements are attached to the customer who has sent in the agreement (or on the customer’s behalf).

If there is no record for the customer, create a new record. Do not attach it to the other parent’s record.

To finalise, make sure agreements are correctly indexed as either:

initiating, or
non initiating

If an agreement is identified as a draft agreement, see Correspondence | Agreements (draft)

Correspondence | Agreements (draft)

Child Support offers a service where customers can request a draft agreement to be reviewed to make sure the terms and intent of the agreement can be registered.

Draft agreements can generally be identified by an accompanying letter, where solicitors state they are seeking advice on whether the agreement can be registered, and where the agreement is not signed by either parent.

EDC Service Officers must check all correspondence provided when determining if correspondence is a draft agreement

The fact the agreement is not signed at all, or only signed by one parent does not automatically make the agreement a draft agreement. If unsure, seek assistance from the EDC Team Leader.

To finalise, if a draft agreement is received and the customer:

exists in Cuba:

index the document
delete the automatically generated intray, and
create a ‘Draft agreement received’ intray

does not exist in Cuba:

index the document to pending delete/other
if an agreement is received from a customer without a record, email a copy of the draft agreement to the relevant Program Support Manager mailbox in the nearest capital city of the law firm.

Correspondence | Australia Post (Registered Post)

Match each item received against the Australia Post Registered Post Mail Slip.

Scan each document received via Registered Post separately from other correspondence received.

Once scanned, record the batch number on the Registered Post Mail Slip and file for any potential customer queries received.

To finalise, add the registered post tracking number to the spreadsheet located in the R: drive folder via VIC_MELB-180-Lonsdale > EDC_Melbourne > Mail Room Post > Mail with tracking barcodes.

Correspondence | Cheques (domestic)

EDC Service Officers record all incoming domestic cheques received for child support customers.

For domestic cheques:

locate the customer record in Cuba
check the covering letter for a CSRN, TFN, CRN or ABN
record the customer’s CSRN on the remittance advice
circle the amount of the cheque that was detached and write ‘detached’
if no cheque has been received write ‘no cheque received’ on the remittance advice
if required, complete a generic payment slip for any cheque without a remittance advice, and
prepare remittance advices into batches, and
scan to Specified Image for indexing

Single cheque payment received for multiple accounts

Make sure the completed payment slip amount matches the cheque amount.
Complete a payment slip for each account if:

an employer has sent in a single cheque for a total amount
payment is for multiple accounts, and
the employer has indicated the amount for each individual account

To finalise:

take an Express Post envelope, and
place the employer and customer cheques and remittance advice (if sent) inside
post the Express Post envelope to the address for domestic cheque processing.

Correspondence | Cheques (overseas)

EDC Service Officers record all incoming overseas cheques received for child support customers.

For overseas cheques, gather:

the overseas cheque(s), and
any associated documents (that have been date stamped)

To finalise, post the originals via internal mail to the address for overseas cheque processing.

Correspondence | Cheques (returned)

EDC Service Officers record all returned cheques received for child support customers.

For returned cheques:

photocopy the documentation and cheque
place into a bundle for separate scanning with a note on the copied cheque ‘Returned cheque – Copy only’, and
scan the original documents

To finalise:

email the Cash Management Team advising of the returned cheque and that the originals will be sent to them
post the originals via internal mail to the address for returned cheque processing
add the following note to the intray when indexing:

‘Copy- Original sent to CS Cash Management Team. NFA Intray requires no action’

Correspondence | Multiple customers

EDC Service Officers record documents received in a single envelope for multiple customers.

Check if the correspondence is to be attached to:

an organisation profile. If so, they are not redacted or split
a customer profile (such as a S120/161 response). If so, they are attached to the relevant customer record

Employer withholding (EW)

Payment reconciliation documents received in a single envelope from an employer (with a single organisation record) must be:

filed together with Barcode Separator pages to split from the employer’s other correspondence
where multiple employers' documents are contained in the same envelope, use separator pages to split

Attach these documents to the employer record in Cuba.

Third party responses

If a third party has sent in several documents in a single envelope:

before scanning all third party responses (including EF1s and information from banks):

individually file each document and separate using a Barcode Separator page

after scanning, attach each document to the relevant customer’s record in Cuba

To finalise postal correspondence where the names of multiple customers appear on 1 document, correspondence and/or information must be separated.

EDC staff must:

photocopy the original
batch file the unedited copy
manually black out the other customers' information on each copy to produce a separate copy for individual customers, and
prepare in batches with separator and cover sheet as described above

EDC Service Officers can use Adobe Pro to redact/edit the other customer’s details.

Correspondence | Returned Unopened Mail (RUM)

If mail has been returned unopened, update the customer’s record to reflect this.

Check the customer’s address on Cuba. If the address matches the address on the returned mail:

select GO > Details
tick the Invalid box, (next to the address type)
select reason Returned Mail
add a notepad which outlines:

type of document returned
address it was addressed to
any other information written on the envelope

do not scan returned mail
destroy correspondence by placing in a secure bin
do not create an intray

If the returned mail is from an employer:

do not alter or change an employer address
if the address listed on the employer profile is the same address on the envelope, select Go > Intray details
save the Organisation Follow Up intray (which should have pre-populated)
add a Notepad with Subject as Returned Mail
include the following information in the notepad:

type of document returned
date of the document
address it was addressed to
any other information written on the envelope.

Save the notepad

To finalise, destroy correspondence by placing in a secure bin.

If the returned unopened mail is an Appeals Support Team file which has been returned via registered post:

return the file to the Melbourne Appeals Support team
via internal mail

within 2 business days

Correspondence | Sorting

EDC Service Officers record postal correspondence received in a EDC site with scanning functionality.

Different actions are required for:

documents over 100 pages
file sizes that are too large to open in Cuba (due to photos, graphics or complex content)
very thick documents
non-standard document sizes, and

mixed size documents

Prepare for scanning by sorting correspondence in document sizes:

standard A4 size documents, and
mixed size documents (non-A4)

Sort into (where possible):

non-customer/administrative correspondence (for example, stationery invoices, letters to Human Resources). If clearly identified as non-customer mail, do not open the envelope. Forward the correspondence to the intended recipient's site
overseas referral questionnaires
court related documents - substituted service, court orders
cheques (separate domestic and overseas). Do not scan cheques, go to:

remove any staples and binding so documents can go through the multi-function device (MFD) feeder, and
add a batch cover sheet to the top of the batch of customer records

For A4 standard size documents, arrange correspondence into batches of 10 customer records. Insert a Barcode Separator page between each customer record. The separator page assists in keeping each customer record independent of each other.

Batches should not exceed 300 pages.

To finalise documents with 100+ pages or a file size that is too large to open in Cuba (due to photos, graphics or complex content):

use Barcode Separator pages to split the document at logical point(s), and
scan as an individual batch. Use a split document header sheet at each split point to identify how many parts the document has been split into, and which category

To finalise very thick documents, non-standard and mixed size documents:

these types of documents must have their own batch cover sheet and be individually scanned
make a photocopy
substitute the copy in batch, and
attach the original small receipts/document to the batch for filing

Document retrieval/image review request | Macro

EDC will forward original correspondence in response to a Document retrieval/ image review request which confirms a valid business requirement for the retrieval.

Forwarding Original Documents - International Transmittal

If original documents need to be sent to another site, these will be sent by approved internal mail. See Security Hub - Transporting Documents and File Management for more information.

For document tracking, record a description of the correspondence to be forwarded, and what date the internal bag is sent on a Cuba notepad. This will assist investigations if any problems occur.

Preparing and forwarding Original documents

To finalise:

photocopy all documents to be sent and place these together with a print out of the retrieval request into the batch file in place of the documents that were retrieved. This will act as a record for locating the original document
document on the batch header cover sheet where the original documents have been sent.
double envelope the retrieved documents
clearly mark the name of the receiving officer on the envelope with their office address.
send the retrieved documents via internal mail

Emails | EDC mailbox

EDC Service Officers may at times, receive large size emails or attachments in the EDC mailbox from non-EDC Service Officers.

Emails over 8MB or attachments over 4MB are difficult to open in Cuba and must be manually adjusted before being indexed to a customer’s record.

When an email is received in the EDC mailbox, EDC Service Officers must check and flag any emails where:

the total email size is over 8MB, or
individual attachments are over 4MB (can include pictures in text of body)

These emails must be manually adjusted by the Cuba mailbox to:

reduce the attachment size, and
expand any zipped files and adjust them to fit

To finalise, forward the email to the Cuba mailbox for manual adjustment:

open the email in the EDC mailbox inbox
select Forward
make sure the email From field shows ‘Mail Handling’ and not the Service Officer personal email details
delete any Service Officer details
leave information included in the body of the email, and
Send

Emails | Document upload requests

EDC Service Officers may receive emails in the EDC mailbox from non-EDC Service Officers who use the Document upload request macro to have documents they have received outside of EDC channels, scanned to the customer record.

Emails from the Document upload request macro show as ‘PreIndexed’ in the Subject line.

When an email titled PreIndexed is received in the EDC mailbox, EDC Service Officers must check and flag any emails where:

the total email size is over 8MB, or
individual attachments are over 4MB (can include pictures in text of body)

To finalise, move these emails from PreIndexed to the relevant year/month folder under the Processed folder.

Forward the PreIndexed email to the Cuba mailbox for manual adjustment:

open the PreIndexed email in the EDC mailbox inbox
select Forward
make sure the email From field shows ‘Mail Handling’ and not the Service Officer personal email details
delete any Service Officer details
leave information included in the body of the email, and
Send

Emails | Webmaster mailbox

EDC Service Officers may receive emails in the Webmaster mailbox.

When an email is received in the EDC mailbox, EDC Service Officers must check and flag any emails where:

the total email size is over 8MB, or
individual attachments are over 4MB (can include pictures in text of body)
emails with zipped files attached
emails which have been quarantined
emails that have been identified by a EDC Service Officer as:

security risk
potential at risk customer
threatening behaviour, or
having an unusual file extensions. For example, .HEIC or .RTF

These emails must be manually actioned by the Cuba mailbox to:

reduce the attachment size, and
expand any zipped files and adjust them to fit
release oversized emails from quarantine, or
escalate as outlined in Alert | Potential at risk customers

Where EDC has received notification an email has been quarantined due to the email including an encrypted file, a media attachment, or possible harmful content, EDC Service Officers must not request release of the email. This is because the files or other content contained within the email present a risk to security or the proper functioning of ICT systems. See Acceptable use of ICT facilities.

To finalise large size emails or attachments, forward the email to the Cuba mailbox for manual adjustment:

open the email in the EDC mailbox inbox
select Forward
make sure the email From field shows ‘Mail Handling’ and not the Service Officer personal email details
delete any Service Officer details
leave information included in the body of the email, and

To finalise quarantined emails due to file size:

send a request to the Quarantine release mailbox to release the quarantined email
make sure all relevant fields are completed as requested in the email

To finalise quarantined emails due to file encrypted, media attachment, or possible harmful content, do not request release of the email:

forward the quarantined email notification to the Cuba mailbox for indexing
if the customer is identified, index to the customer record

if the customer cannot be identified, index the quarantined email notification to ‘Non-Customer’ for further follow up. Note: attaching the quarantined email notification to the customer record allows the case manager to be made aware of the correspondence issue and contact the customer to discuss alternative options for forwarding the information to Child Support

Imaging | Checks

EDC Service Officers must record all incoming paper correspondence within 2 business days of arrival in an office.

Use multi-function devices (MFD) that are specifically set up to support Child Support scanning requirements.

Before scanning commences, complete the checks below.

Clean the MFD scanner areas daily:

follow the instructions on the cover of the MFD
dust off any paper 'crumbs' from guillotined, spliced and perforated documents that may build up in the lid of the MFD. These may impact the image quality. For example, the inside upper left hand strip of the MFD
remove any documents from a previous photocopy etc, to make sure they are not accidentally scanned
check that there are no error messages on either machine

Sort documents:

sort documents into 2 batches for:

A4 standard paged documents
any other mixed correspondence/forms

check staples/splice have been removed from forms
make sure the front page is face up, and
place a Barcode Separator page between each document

For documents with over 100 pages or a file size that is too large to open in Cuba (due to photos, graphics or complex content):

use Barcode Separator pages to split the document at logical point(s), and
scan as an individual batch. Use a split document header sheet at each split point to identify how many parts the document has been split into, and which category

For very thick documents, non-standard and mixed size documents:

these types of documents must have their own batch cover sheet and be individually scanned
make a photocopy
substitute the copy in batch, and
attach the original small receipts/document to the batch for filing

If the documents are being scanned on a day after the date of receipt:

collate documents by the date they were received
place an older date Barcode Separator page between each document
place an 'older date' Barcode Separator page at the beginning of the batch. See folder in the EDC or seek Team Leader support
scan the cover sheet as the first page because it informs the software what date to apply to the documents in that batch

Complete batch cover sheet:

date
Service Officer name
machine number (either 10.112.182.36 or 10.112.182.37)
activate MFD. If the MFD Power Save Mode button is green, press to turn the MFD on
record the batch number on the batch cover sheet. This number appears at the top left corner of the confirmation sheet which prints after the batch has finished

Note: the batch number is the time the scan was completed. Record time using the 24 hour format.

To finalise:

go to Imaging | Mixed size documents, or
go to Imaging | A4 standard size documents

Imaging | A4 standard size documents

EDC Service Officers must record all incoming paper correspondence within 2 business days of arrival in an office.

Use multi-function devices (MFD) that are specifically set up to support Child Support scanning requirements.

To scan standard size batches, place a batch on the MFD feeder for scanning, ensuring all documents are:

face up
lined up bottom left
in batches of 10 documents (no more than 300 pages), and
short side (bottom of the correspondence) against MFD feeder

When the MFD screen shows the Network Services menu, select:

002@Mailbox11 - Today’s Date (for scanning mail received today)
003@Mailbox12 - Older Date (scanning for mail received from previous days)
004@Mailbox13 - Specified Image (Employer Withholding, Court and Substituted service documents)
005@Mailbox14 - Rescan (documents being rescanned)

Press Start (green button on MFD), and on the batch cover sheet:

add the batch number using 24 hour time format, and
make sure the job shows as Completed on bottom right of the confirmation sheet that prints after the batch scan is finished

If unable to record the document number, record batch number.

To finalise, go to Imaging | Record batch number, batching and storing.

Imaging | Mixed size documents

EDC Service Officers must record all incoming paper correspondence within 2 business days of arrival in an office.

Use multi-function devices (MFD) that are specifically set up to support Child Support scanning requirements.

To scan mixed size documents, place individual batches on MFD feeder for scanning, ensuring they are:

face up
lined up bottom left
short side (bottom of correspondence) against MFD feeder with the exception of A3 documents which are lined up against the top edge

On the MFD:

press layout adjustments
select mixed sized originals (on)
Original Orientation should show upright image
press Save
select Network Scanning tab
choose 002@Mailbox 11 – Today’s date check the Resolution is set to 300DP
press Start (green button on MFD) to begin scanning, and

On the batch cover sheet:

add the batch number using 24 hour time format, and
make sure the job shows as Completed on bottom right of the confirmation sheet that prints after the batch scan is finished

If unable to record the document number, record batch number.

To finalise, go to Imaging | Record batch number, batching and storing.

Imaging | Record batch number, batching and storing

EDC Service Officers must appropriately batch and store all original hard copy correspondence received for future retrieval and use. See Records Management.

If correspondence is received via digital fax, the 'original' is the electronic image stored on Cuba. Do not print a hard copy of the original to batch file.

The MFD will print a scanned receipt at the end of scanning a batch. If a scanned receipt does not print after scanning has been completed:

select the Job Status button (on MFD)
select Completed jobs (touch screen button) to display a list of completed jobs
select the last job history report which was completed
print this job history report
record the batch number from the last job completed on the batch cover sheet
leave the separator sheets in between each document
file the scanned documents together inside a batch box with the batch cover sheet on top

Scanning sites

All batch filing and scanning is centralised in the Records Management Unit (RMU) in Melbourne.

The original document must be batch filed on the same day it was scanned, with the correct date and by batch number.

Store batched documents in chronological order. Use a manila folder or batch box to separate daily, weekly and monthly batches (depending on volumes received).

Batching boxes are recorded with the MFD machine number (116 or 137), scanning date, first batch and last batch numbers held within the batching box. These boxes are stored in the secure compactus and locked at the end of each day. Batching boxes remain onsite for 3 months before being transferred to the RMU for archiving.

To finalise paper copy original correspondence received in a scanning site, EDC Service Officers must make sure:

each document batch (either single page or a group of 10 documents scanned together), must have a batch cover sheet
all hard copy originals received must be batch filed on a daily basis and stored in a locked facility, and
the batch box label matches the same date as the batch header folder and stored in a locked facility

To finalise paper copy originals received in non-scanning sites, Service Officers must:

scan the original hard copy document as a PDF on a Multi Function Device (MFD) machine located on site
retrieve the PDF file and save on to desktop.
locate correct customer record and note CSRN
open the Document upload request macro and complete fields
select Send upload
attach PDF to email that is auto-generated
Send email to the EDC mailbox, and
once email has been sent, immediately send the hard copy original to Child Support EDC via internal mail

Imaging | Troubleshooting

EDC Service Officers must use multi-function devices (MFD) that are specifically set up to support Child Support scanning requirements.

If the ‘Job in Memory’ light is on:

it should turn off 10 minutes after scanning is finished, and
switch to a green ‘Online’ light to indicate the scanned images are being saved to the mailbox via the network

If a document is torn:

repair the tear using clear sticky tape
scan the document face-down on the MFD glass screen, closing the lid before doing so
scan the document 1 page at a time to make sure they do not jam the MFD (utilise Next Original on MFD if document is more than 1 page long).
manually increase the resolution to 400DPI

If a document jam occurs:

follow the instructions on the MFD screen to remove jammed paper. Paper jams will only occur when a document is fed though the document feeder on the lid of the MFD
carefully open top lid and side covers, and
remove jammed paper gently to prevent the original document/s from tearing

To finalise, go to Imaging | Same day batching and storing, batching and storing.

Index | Customer records

EDC Service Officers must index (attach) a digital image of the document to the relevant customer record in Cuba after it has been scanned.

This requires identifying the correct customer and determining the document type.

Select an image for indexing:

go to the Cuba main menu > Management > Unattached Correspondence > select image(s) to be indexed
view selected image(s) and check that all pages within the image belong to same customer

Only index correspondence to a record from a person who is under 18 years if:

the child is party to a case where they have the role of payer, payee, or third party carer, or
the correspondence is an S161 notice response under COA Reason 4 (child's income, earning capacity, property or financial resources). Note: this does not relate to correspondence received as part of evidence in a Change of Assessment Open Exchange of Information for Child Support customers or Objection from a customer

To finalise, if all pages of the document:

match the customer’s details, go to Index | Document types
do not match the customer’s details, go to Index | Category exemptions

Index | Document types

EDC Service Officers must use the Electronic Document Classification Routing Matrix to determine the Category and Sub Category when indexing (attaching) a digital image of the document to the relevant customer record in Cuba after it has been scanned.

Index the correspondence in the Unattached Correspondence window if the document is 1 of the following and the customer can be identified:

Application for Child Support
Agreement
Centrelink
Change of Assessment application and supporting documents
Complaints
Court and Substituted Service documents
Employer Services
General correspondence. See Requests lodged under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 to check if the request for information is a formal FOI request
Objection
Presumption of parentage
Response, or
Unidentified Work - customer can be identified however work type is unclear

To finalise, if the correct customer:

has been identified and the correct category/sub-category selected, save these selections to finalise the indexing process. Go to Process Category | Specified image
cannot be identified and/or category cannot be selected, go to Index | Category exemptions

Index | Exemptions (category)

EDC Service Officers who cannot identify a customer from the correspondence or the correspondence cannot be categorised as one of the document types (as per Index | Document types), further actions are required.

If the customer cannot be identified or cannot be categorised as a document type (as per Index | Document types), allocate the correspondence to the most relevant category below for further review.

Multiple customers

Go to go to Process Category | Multiple customer if the correspondence contains:

information for more than 1 customer/organisation
multiple forms/documents for the same customer, however requires action from different business areas

Non-customer correspondence

Go to Process Category | Non customer if the correspondence:

relates to child support but not to a Child Support customer
requires a response but there is insufficient information to identify the customer
is electronic and clearly intended for another government agency, such as Centrelink

Pending delete

Go to Process Category | Pending delete if the correspondence has an image that is:

not suitable to be stored on Cuba (not related to Child Support):
in relation to a domestic and/or family violence concern received from a non-customer or third party
unsolicited third party correspondence
an FOI request
a draft agreement for which no customer record exists. See Correspondence | Agreements (draft)
advertising

Restricted Access Customers (RACS)

Go to Process Category | Restricted access customers (RACS) if the correspondence has an image that is for a RACS1, RACS2 or RACS3 customer.

Review image

Go to Process Category | Review image if the correspondence:

is poor quality or has incomplete postal correspondence
Application for Child Support, Initiating Agreement, or Reciprocal Enforcement Maintenance Order applications where no customer record exists and a Tax File Number has not been provided by the applicant

Unidentified customer

Go to Process Category | Unidentified if the correspondence:

does not sufficiently identify the customer
displays server error messages

Unidentified employer

Go to Process Category | Unidentified employer if the correspondence:

information does not sufficiently identify the employer, or
displays server error messages

To finalise, ask an EDC Service Support Officer to:

review exemption correspondence, and
determine how to process the correspondence

The EDC Service Support Officer will view the document in the List Correspondence window to determine if the customer record can be identified using correspondence information.

If the EDC Service Support Officer identifies the customer, EDC Service Officers can:

view the document and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window
index the correspondence to the correct customer record
categorise, and
action the correspondence as per the relevant Process Category

If the EDC Service Support Officer:

cannot identify the customer, go to Process Category | Non customer
the correspondence relates to multiple customers, go to Process Category | Multiple customers, or
the image category cannot be determined, go to Process Category | Review image

Process Category | Detach

EDC Service Officers must detach correspondence:

that has been indexed to an incorrect customer
that requires editing due to information being provided by a child, or
where multiple documents are being scanned

Only remove correspondence from a customer record in the following limited circumstances where:

it has been indexed (attached) to the wrong customer record and the correct customer cannot be identified
it is a multi-customer document where information for the other customer/s has not been removed or redacted
it is a multi-document from the same customer that needs to split. For example, a Change of Assessment application and general objection
evidence received directly from a child directly or via a parent or third party, unless it relates to the child’s employment as part of a COA Reason 4 consideration. See Open Exchange of information for Child Support Customers
it is evidence or information that cannot be kept. For example, information contains inappropriate images

To finalise, use the Correspondence Cuba Process Help to view the document and associated notepad to determine why the image was detached:

index the correspondence to the appropriate customer record
if unable to index the correspondence, change the correspondence category to the most appropriate category based on the reason the image was detached, or
edit the document as required and rescan the document and index it to the customer

Process Category | Multiple customers

Correspondence may be received that contains:

information for more than 1 customer/organisation
multiple forms/documents for the same customer, however requires action from different business areas. For example, COA application received with a general objection.

Attach employer deduction correspondence containing multiple customers to the relevant employer organisation record as they are not multi-customer documents. This does not apply to correspondence containing deduction information for S72a notices, unless the information is included with standard employer deductions and the amounts deducted via S72a are paid through the employer account.

Where a request to edit the document meets the requirements for editing and the correspondence is not part of the COA, Objections or Part 6a process:

open the image in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
electronically extract the relevant pages or,
electronically black out (redact) any details that form part of the request

Go to Finalise.

This process applies to correspondence where multiple unrelated customers are listed in the one scan, or multiple forms for the same customer have been scanned together. It also includes the process for correspondence which requires editing for a unique reason, which requires a business case and Team Leader or above approval.

View the correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window.

If the image contains information about more than on customer, and was received:

via post and there is a source document containing multiple customer information:

retrieve the original document
create a copy of the document (the original must be retained unedited)
split or manually black out the other customer's information so that only the information relevant to one customer is visible on separate copies of the correspondence
stamp the document with the 'Rescanned' stamp, key the date it was rescanned and initial it

via post and the multiple customer image resulted from more than one document being scanned as one image:

retrieve the original documents from batch storage
rescan as separate documents to the Rescanned Image mailbox, stamped with 'rescanned' and the date rescanned

electronically directly into Cuba (fax, email, webmaster forms):

open the image in Adobe Acrobat Pro
electronically extract the relevant pages for each customer
electronically black out (redact) any details of other parties from each customer's copy

To finalise correspondence:

or an image received via post and there is a source document containing multiple customer information:

scan the document to Rescan
index the document
change the correspondence category of the original image to Pending Delete or delete the image (appropriate access required)
complete Action Reason, and
batch file the unedited copy

received via post and the multiple customer image resulted from more than one document being scanned as one image:

change the correspondence category of the original image to Pending Delete or delete the image (appropriate access required)
complete the Action Reason, and
batch file the original document under the batch number in which it was rescanned and place in batch file storage

received electronically directly into Cuba (fax, email, webmaster forms) or the document meets the requirements for editing and the correspondence is not part of the COA, Objections or Part 6a process:

attach a copy of the redacted images for each customer to an email with the subject heading 'Image Number': (original file name)'
send email to EDC mailbox
from the EDC mailbox, forward the email to Cuba mailbox
move the email to the EDC mailbox folder > DocSplit$. Note: for document s that meets the requirements for editing and the correspondence is not part of the COA, Objections or Part 6a process, move the sent email to the Electronic Document Classification mailbox folder > DocSplit$ - Processed
attach the uploaded email in Cuba, to the customer record and delete the intray created if required.
confirm the correspondence category of the original image as Multi customer
complete the Action Reason, and
check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

Process Category | Non-Customer

View the correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window and index the correspondence to a customer record.

If the correspondence is Child Support related customer cannot be identified and a response is required:

send an email with the subject line 'Correspondence Requiring a Response' and list the GUID numbers to:
New Customers and Mainstream Services, or
International Child Support
complete the Action Reason as Requires Response, and
check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

If the correspondence is intended for Centrelink and is electronic mail (email, faxes, web), save the correspondence as a PDF document. If the customer:

is identifiable in Customer First, use the Document Upload function in Document Tools, to upload the correspondence to the customer’s record
not identifiable in Customer First, print the document and fax to Centrelink on 1300 786 102:

complete the Action Reason as Requires Response, make a note that you have forwarded the correspondence to Centrelink, and
check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

To finalise, if the correspondence is not intended for Child Support or it is not customer related:

refer or return the correspondence to the addressee as required
change the correspondence category of the original image to Pending Delete or delete the image (appropriate access required)
complete the Action Reason
go to Process Category | Pending Delete

Process Category | Pending Delete

When images need to be deleted, EDC staff must:

view the correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window, and

delete the correspondence if appropriate

Specific actions apply if the correspondence relates to:

domestic and family violence
fraud
Freedom of Information (FOI), or
a draft agreement

If the image should not be deleted, index the correspondence to the customer record.

Domestic and family violence

Send the correspondence to the appropriate agency. See the Resources page for a list of family protection authorities.

Fraud

Email the correspondence to the Fraud Investigation Team mailbox in the relevant state:

Investigations - NSW/ACT
Investigations - Qld
Investigations - SA/WA/NT
Investigations - Vic

The correspondence may be referred to both fraud and a child protection agency.

FOI

Email a copy of the FOI request to Freedom of Information:

index the document to the customer
add a note to the intray advising the FOI request has been forwarded to the FOI team, and
delete the intray

Draft Agreement

If the customer’s record in Cuba:

can be found:

index the correspondence
delete the auto created intray, and
create new ‘Draft Agreement Received’ intray to replace it

cannot be found:

send a copy of the draft agreement to the PSM mailbox that is relevant to the state capital office the customers reside in
document the steps taken in the Correspondence notepad, and
delete image

To finalise, if the customer cannot be identified:

change the correspondence category to the most appropriate of either

Unidentified
Unidentified Employer, or
Non-Customer

document the steps taken to locate the customer in the comments field, and
if future checks:

are unlikely to locate the customer, check the item is Not to be reviewed to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999, or
may identify the customer, set an appropriate review date based on the future checks required

Process Category | Re-scanned

EDC staff must view the correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window, and:

index the correspondence if the image quality is sufficient to identify the customer, or
change the correspondence category to Unidentified if the image quality is suitable but the customer cannot be identified

If required, retrieve the document from batch storage and compare the hardcopy to the scanned image.

If the quality of the hardcopy is better than the scanned document, EDC staff must:

stamp the document with the ‘Rescanned’ stamp:

key the date it was rescanned
add the reason, and
add their initials

scan the document to Rescanned Image
index the correspondence to a customer record
change the correspondence category of the original image to Pending Delete or delete the image (appropriate access required)

To finalise, if both the image and the hardcopy are of poor quality and the customer:

can be identified:

re-attach the document to the customer record, and
add a notepad stating a better quality image is not available

cannot be identified:

change the correspondence category to Unidentified
add a notepad stating a better quality image cannot be obtained
go to Process Category | Unidentified

Process Category | Restricted access customers (RACS)

Correspondence may contain an image that relates to a RACS1, RACS2 or RACS3 customer.

Service Officers with relevant RACS access, process correspondence for RACS customers.

To finalise, EDC Service Officers will access the RACS category from Unattached Correspondence and index according to their RACS access.

If EDC Service Officers are unable to index the correspondence, the National RACS team will do so.

Process Category | Review image

This process generally applies to images which are unclear or incomplete.

EDC Service Officers are to review the original document held in batch filing to determine if quality can be corrected.

Unclear image

if the hardcopy is also of poor quality and the customer can be identified, index the correspondence to the customer record or
if the hardcopy is better quality, follow the re-scan processes as set out below
stamp the document with the 'Rescanned' stamp, key the date it was rescanned, reason and initial it:

scan the document to Rescanned Image
index (attach) the document
change the correspondence category of the original low quality image to Pending Delete

Incomplete image:

If pages or sections were missed during initial scanning:

follow the re-scan processes as set out below

stamp the document with the 'Rescanned' stamp, enter the date it was rescanned, reason and initial it
scan the document to Rescanned Image
index (attach) the document
send the incomplete image to Pending delete for removal

to maintain batch filing of the correspondence, it must be noted on the original batch cover sheet the item was removed for rescanning, as well as the new batch location

Application for Child Support, Initiating Agreement, REMO:

If one of the above applications is received for which an existing customer record cannot be located and the customer has not provided a Tax File Number, conduct a search of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) database, see the List Customer Window Help

Postal correspondence intended for another government agency or another organisation

If the correspondence was received by post and is clearly intended for another government agency (such as Centrelink) or another organisation, send the original to Centrelink or the intended recipient.

To finalise:

an unclear image:

if customer cannot be identified from the original, then index correspondence to unidentified

an incomplete image:

if there is no hardcopy (for example, the correspondence was received by fax), index the image to the customer record

Application for Child Support, Initiating Agreement, REMO. If the customer is:

subsequently located, document the search results and attach the correspondence to the customer profile, or
not located, create a new customer record, document the search results and attach the application, see Customer records Cuba Process Help, Create a new customer record.

postal correspondence intended for another government agency or another organisation:

change the correspondence category of the original image to Pending delete and check the ‘not to be reviewed’ box.
complete the Action Reason adding a note that correspondence has been forwarded to intended recipient

Process Category | Specified image

This process applies to:

court documents,
Employer Withholding (EW) documentation (such as remittance advice with cheques), and
domestic cheque documentation (for child support payments)

Process these priority documents on the same day they are received, but no later than the following business day. EDC Team Leaders must make sure these timeframes are met.

If the image quality is suitable but is unable to be attached to a record, change the Process Category to reflect the reason the image cannot be attached.

For court documents:

scan all court documentation in their own batch
documents received with another Child Support document (such as COA), before splitting the document, make sure each document is clearly identifiable as to who sent it in
split using the Barcode separator sheet
scan to the Specified Image Inbox on the MFD and index the same day
index documentation as Court documents – Substituted Service

For Employer Withholding :

scan documents under the relevant Employer Services subcategory:

remittance, or
reconciliation

For cheques (domestic) only:

index according to what the payment is for. For example, S72a, employer remittance etc
go to Correspondence | Cheques (domestic) to finalise

Substituted Service/ On-forward

Note: before forwarding any documents, refer to The Child Support Guide 6.5.1: Forwarding documents and substituted service about when customer contact should be undertaken.

In Cuba:

record all letters sent relating to the on-forwarding of documents
copy the acknowledgement letter to the lawyer in full on the customer’s record, and
document a summary of the client letters

On-forwarding

In cases of simple on-forwarding of documents, only complete an affidavit of service if requested.

If a decision is made not to on-forward documents to the respondent, return the documents to the originating solicitor with a MX4.1 letter outlining the decision. Reasons for not on-forwarding documents include:

the application is not related to Child Support
the customers are under an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO)
the person and/or address cannot be found, or
the documents have been returned unclaimed

Substituted Service

To finalise, forward court documents to the other party by registered post (including an affidavit of service) under the terms of a court order, unless requested otherwise. Check documents relate to Child Support matters. When sending court documents, use:

covering letter is MX 3-1 in the Cuba letters list to the recipient, and
letter MX 6-1 to the applicant to advise the documents have been forwarded

The lawyer/ representative for the applicant (who sent the original letter requesting documents be sub-served) are advised by letter and a completed affidavit.

On-forwarding

To finalise, check if there is an AVO in place as it may not be appropriate to send the documents. The site Program Support Manager assisting the EDC will decide if documents can be sent.

Court Applications

To finalise, send a MX6-1 letter to the lawyer/representative for the applicant (who sent the original letter) to acknowledge receipt of the Court documents. If they have sent in an ‘Acknowledgement of Service’ form, complete this and return with a covering letter.

Email the Program Advice Team

Each day an email is sent to the Program Advice Team listing the Court Applications received for the day by post, fax and email. The court applications are divided within the email into 2 groups:

CSA as a Respondent
CSA not as a Respondent. Also included are Court Orders with categories of CVA, MULTI

Overseas substituted service

To finalise:

after imaging and indexing
place all original overseas substituted service documents and referral questionnaires inside an internal mailbag, and
post to Tasmanian Mailroom Operations

Process Category | Unidentified

If the images are good quality and the correct customer cannot be identified:

review the Correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window, and
index the correspondence to a customer record if customer is located from further searches

EDC Service Officers should consider that the originating fax numbers may not be a personal contact number for a customer. For example, it could be their employers fax number, see Faxing personal/protected information to customers before referring correspondence to Non-Customer where a fax number is the only contact information.

Customer not identified and correspondence:

includes contact information:

document all searches undertaken in a notepad

does not have contact information:

document the steps taken to locate the customer, and

check if the customer can be identified at a future date

To finalise, for unidentified customers where the correspondence:

includes contact information:

change the correspondence category to Non-Customer
go to Process Category | Unidentified

does not have contact information, and:

it is possible the customer can be identified at a future date, set a review date appropriate to the document type, or
if the customer is not likely to be identified at a future date, check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

Process Category | Unidentified employer

If the correspondence relates to an employer not in liquidation/administration:

view the correspondence and associated notepad in the List Correspondence window, and
index the correspondence to a customer record

If the correspondence relates to an Employer in liquidation/ administration, conduct searches to determine if the organisation exists in Cuba.

If the organisation is:

found, attach liquidation correspondence as Employer Services - None. In the organisation record, delete the intray just created, and create a new ES LIQUIDATION RECEIVED intray
not found, attach the document to the Liquidators organisation CSID, and the ES LIQUIDATION RECEIVED intray created as per above process

If neither the employer nor the liquidator is found:

email the GUID to National Employer Services Team, and;
change the correspondence category to Action Reason ‘Other’ and update the image notepad with details of the referral
check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

Note: employer denotes both an employer and/or an organisation.

To finalise, if unable to index the correspondence to a customer record:

email the GUID to National Employer Services Team
change the correspondence category to Action Reason Other and update the image notepad with details of the referral
check the item is not to be reviewed box to allocate the default review date 31/12/9999

Operational Information

Correspondence received in Child Support 277-01070000

A to Z list of managing incoming mail and correspondence received in Child Support