Ombudsman complaints regarding Child Support customers 277-09060000

ExCCS Program Support Officer (PSO) sends the allocation email to the relevant ExCCS Service Officer as per the allocation principles.

The email contains:

• section 7A, section 8 complaint, section 12(4) Finalisation notice with comments or Ombudsman Complaint Transfer (OCT)
• Due date
• Information provided by the Ombudsman including customer identification and complaint detail. Ombudsman complaints will also include specific questions ExCCS must answer. These questions are included in an ORMS template if they are solely Child Support-related

If the customer is managed by Personalised Services (PS), ExCCS Service Officer must contact the PS Service Officer (PSSO) as soon as possible to discuss the complaint.

If any part of the complaint relate to an alleged privacy incident that has not been reported:

• Report a Privacy Incident. Resources has a link to the Privacy Incident Portal
• If the originating area cannot be identified, the ExCCS Service Officer must manage the privacy incident to conclusion
• If a written response is required to a privacy incident, email the Privacy team outlining the issues requiring a response from Privacy. Privacy will provide specific words to address the Privacy aspect of the complaint within 48 hours

If any part of the complaint relates to reporting suspected fraud:

• Refer to Report Suspected Fraud and Corruption for process steps
• If there is an allegation of staff fraud, advise the ExCCS SSM of the complaint details. The ExCCS SSM will evaluate if further escalation is required. Resources has a link to information about reporting staff fraud – Internal fraud

• Investigate the complaint:
• complete the Investigation plan macro and save a copy in the Feedback and Review window in Cuba
• Check all aspects of the case are up to date as per the Customer Management Approach (CMA) for Child Support
• Refer the case to Child Support Intensive Collection Services if appropriate

Report all systemic issues that have not yet been reported:

• Review the Operational Messaging System updates for issues impacting on agency products and service delivery
• Search in the Network News Update for ICT system-related information
• Search the Systemic Issues Register for any existing record of the issue

Has a new systemic issue been identified?

• Yes:
• Complete the Systemic issues macro and forward the completed macro to the email address outlined in the macro
• Record the action taken to refer the systemic issue in the Feedback and Review window
• No, record the consideration details in the Feedback and Review window

See Table 2

For general technical enquiries, submit an online enquiry in Cuba using the Multicultural and Tailored Services (MATS) Branch Technical Online Enquiry macro.

For urgent technical queries, contact a MATS Program Support Manager (PSM) directly.

If the PSMs are not available:

• contact the Multicultural and Tailored Services Branch Service Support Officer, or
• send an email to the tech support mailbox

For complaints about ATO issues where there is a need to collaborate with the ATO about a complaint for the benefit of mutual customers, ExCCS Service Officers request contact with the ATO by emailing the ATO/Services Australia Complaint Support Template to the APH mailbox. Resources has a link to this template.

The APH team will forward the complaint to the ATO.

Note: the MOU makes provision for urgent enquiries, including sensitive complaints from customers experiencing vulnerability. If a request is urgent, note this in the referral request.

The ExCCS Service Officer will obtain permission from the customer for Services Australia to contact the ATO on their behalf and advise the ATO of their identifying details (name, date of birth, CRN) prior to sending the request.

Approval required before ATO contact

To seek approval from the customer for Services Australia to contact the ATO:

• Advise the customer Services Australia must contact the ATO to try and resolve the complaint
• Ask the customer for their permission for Services Australia to liaise with the ATO and advise their identifying details (such as name, CRN, date of birth) about their complaint
• If the customer does not give permission for Services Australia to liaise with the ATO, advise the customer will need to contact the ATO themselves
• If the customer gives permission for Services Australia to liaise with the ATO, advise the customer:
• liaison with the ATO does not guarantee their complaint will be resolved
• they do not need to contact the ATO and that the ATO will respond to Services Australia request for information within 5 business days of receiving the request
• Services Australia intends to resolve complaints in 10 working days and will keep them informed of any delays
• Document in Cuba that the customer has agreed for Services Australia to contact the ATO

To seek written approval from the SSM to contact the ATO:

• Complete the ATO/Services Australia Complaint Support Template. Resources has a link. The template must:
• only contain information about income and or impacts on the ATO. No other child support issues, such as care, access or payment should be recorded on the template
• confirm the customer has given their permission for Services Australia to liaise with the ATO about the ATO related complaint issue/s
• Forward the completed template to the SSM
• Once approved, forward the template to the APH mailbox

Record this information in the Feedback and Review window.

If an Ombudsman complaint is received, go to Step 2.

If an Ombudsman Complaint Transfer is received, contact the customer. Contact must be made with the customer within 2 business days to acknowledge receipt of the OCT.

Determine if there are any contact restrictions.

• Check the customer's cases for:
• Imposed service restrictions, see Personalised Services
• Customer requesting not to be contacted by phone.
  The Ombudsman will generally provide contact details for the customer and outline if they have been advised that they will receive a phone call from the agency. Even if the customer has previously advised they do not wish to be contacted by the agency by phone, it may be appropriate if they have advised the Ombudsman that they agree for phone contact for the purposes of resolving their complaint
• PS case management.
  If managed in PS contact the PSSO to decide on customer contact. It may be appropriate for the PSSO to contact the customer or for contact to be made in writing only
• Make at least 3 attempts to contact the customer by phone, using all available numbers over 48 hours

Customer cannot be reached within 48 hours:

• Send an acknowledgement letter if the complaint will take time to investigate
• Use the OCT Acknowledgement Template available on the ExCCS sharepoint page
• Obtain SSM approval for the letter to be issued
• Issue the acknowledgement letter printed locally to include the ExCCS Service Officer signature and approved signature block
• Record the body of the letter in the Feedback and Review window on Cuba
• Create the unique letter in Cuba with heading ‘Letter sent locally to include signature and approved signature block’. See Letters Cuba Process Help
• Change letter status to Deleted. See Letters Cuba Process Help

Note: letters must be issued with the ExCCS Service Officer signature and approved signature block.

Writing to advise the customer of the complaint outcome:

• use the OCT Response template available on the ExCCS sharepoint page
• send the letter to the SSM for approval
• issue response printed locally to include the ExCCS Service Officer signature and approved signature block
• record the body of the letter in the Feedback and Review window on Cuba
• create the unique letter in Cuba with heading ‘Letter sent locally to include signature and approved signature block’

If an extension of time (not applicable for OCTs) is required to finalise the complaint ORMS must be contacted with a request. The ExCCS SSM contacts either ECRT if they have forwarded the complaint, or ORMS directly.

Prepare written response explaining the outcome of the investigation.

Use the response template provided by ORMS if appropriate to address:

• the issues raised by the Ombudsman
• remedies suggested by the Ombudsman

If responding to a section 12(4) consider any differences between the agency’s original investigation and the facts and information presented by the IO.

The response must be consistent with:

• Guide to Preparing and Handling Correspondence for the Minister
• Style guide

Resources has links to these guides.

• For section 7A, 8 and 12(4) draft responses approval at EL1 SSM level is required. Email draft response to the ExCCS SSM, including a covering email providing a summary of the issues and any attachments referenced in the response
• Attach a copy of the original correspondence
• Document in the Feedback and Review window that the draft has been sent for ExCCS SSM approval

Do not record the response on Cuba until ORMS has provided a copy of the approved response sent to the Ombudsman or ECRT has indicated the complaint is finalised (excluding OCTs).

Consider the written response to ensure it is consistent with:

• Guide to Preparing and Handling Correspondence for the Minister
• Style guide

Resources has links to these guides.

Is the written response approved?

• Yes, For section 7A, 8 and 12(4) draft responses, remove irrelevant information from the email trail. For example background history provided during the approval process and forward approved response to ORMS, APH mailbox, and ExCCS Service Officer
• No, advise the ExCCS Service Officer of the changes required before the response can be approved, include timeframes for resubmission

ORMS will consider the ExCCS SSM approved draft response for section 7A, section 8, and section 12(4).

ORMS may make a request for additional information.

The email will contain:

• section 7A, section 8, and section 12(4) additional information request notice with comments
• due date
• information provided by the Ombudsman including customer identification and complaint detail. Ombudsman complaints will also include specific questions ExCCS must answer. These questions are included in an ORMS template if they are solely Child Support related

If a request for addition information is made, the request will be forwarded to the ExCCS Service Officer and ExCCS SSM for actioning, see Step 3 in Table 1.

ORMS will ask for clearance for section 7A, section 8, and section 12(4) to provide to the Ombudsman. Clearance requests will be forwarded to the ExCCS SSM to seek approval from the ExCCS SM and ExCCS NM. If the request contains input from ECRT, the ExCCS SSM is to coordinate with ECRT contact for full National Manager approval.

Consider the written response to ensure it is consistent with:

• Guide to Preparing and Handling Correspondence for the Minister
• Style guide

Resources has links to these guides.

Is the response approved?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, advise the ExCCS SSM of the changes required before the response can be approved, include timeframes for resubmission

If the response is a section 7A:

• NM approval is not required
• Email approved response to ExCCS SSM and copy APH mailbox
• Go to step 7

If the response is not a section 7A:

• Email the written response to NM.MATS and copy the ExCCS SSM and APH mailbox

The ExCCS Service Officer documents in the Feedback and Review window that the draft has been sent for NM Approval.

Is the written response approved?

• Yes: email the approval to the ExCCS SM and copy the:
• ExCCS SSM, and
• APH mailbox
• No, advise the ExCCS SM of the changes required before the response can be approved

For the MATS NM, procedure ends here

Remove irrelevant information from the email trail. For example background history provided during the approval process.

Forward the MATS NM’s approval to:

• ORMS
• APH mail box, and
• ExCCS Service Officer

ExCCS PSO records the written response has been provided.

• Save the email with MATS NM approval, in the customer's workload folder on the National share drive
• Complete the Finalisation macro and save in the Feedback and Review window
• Finalise the complaint in Cuba
• When ORMS send a copy of the final approved response back save a copy into the Cuba Feedback & Review window and save in the workload folder on the National share drive
• Send a copy to the PSO (if applicable)

Section 8 notices

If the Ombudsman provides Child Support with a section 12(4) Finalisation Notice with comments see Step 3 in Table 1.

If the Ombudsman finalises the complaint by providing Child Support with a section 12 Finalisation Notice:

Save a copy of the Ombudsman section 12 Finalisation Notice in the:

• Feedback and Review window in Cuba
• workload folder in the National share drive

Note: a section 12 notice may not be received for several months, consider providing feedback to the business before the finalisation notice is received.

Section 7A notices

Note a section 12 or 12 (4) finalisation notice is not received in response to a section 7a.

When the complaint is finalised, reconsider if systemic issues have been identified and whether ongoing customer management is required.

• For systemic issues, see Step 4 in Table 1
• For ongoing customer management, consider referral to a specialised area, for example:
• Personalised Services
• Child Support Intensive Collection Services
• Change of Assessment
• Objections

Note: for information about referring a customer see Customer referral guidelines for Child Support staff

For principles that must be followed when providing feedback, see the Background page of Managing complaints and feedback - Principles of quality feedback.

• Consider the investigation outcome
• Despite not forming part of the complaint, feedback may still be required, for example if a development need was identified for a Service Officer or it was determined the correct process was not followed. For more information see Managing complaints and feedback
• When the complaint is finalised in Cuba a Complaint Feedback intray automatically generates

Is the communication an upheld or partially upheld complaint or a compliment?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, delete the Complaints Feedback intray. Procedure ends here

• Contact the Service Officer's Team Leader to discuss the potential feedback
• Prepare feedback by completing the Complaints Feedback Macro
• Paste the contents into the notes section of the Staff Feedback Tool
• Include the names of the staff member’s manager and the SSM in the manager field
• Select the Request Reply box, for more information see Staff Feedback Tool
• Record in the Feedback and Review window the feedback provided

Does a compliment also need to be recorded?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, for the ExCCS Service Officer, procedure ends here

If the customer gives a compliment about a Service Officer, the service provided by Child Support, or a product

Record the compliment in the Communication window:

• Type: Select how the compliment was received
• Reason: Provide Information
• Category: Communication
• Issue:
• Compliment Service Officer - a compliment about a specific Service Officer
• Compliment CSP - a compliment about Child Support services
• Compliment Prod - a compliment about a product

For compliments about a specific Service Officer, also email details of the compliment to the Service Officer’s team leader/SSM.

If a Service Officer wishes to give a compliment to another staff member: Record details of the compliment in the Staff Feedback Tool. Include the names of the staff member’s manager and the SSM in the manager field. For more information, see Staff Feedback Tool.

For the ExCCS Service Officer, procedure ends here