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Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT) referrals for Carer Payment (CP) (child) 009-04070060



For Carer Payment/Carer Allowance New Claims Smart Centre Processing staff only

This page contains the correct process for referring a Carer Payment (CP) child claim to the Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT) to help determine eligibility for those claims that did not quite meet the qualifying threshold, or the interpretation of the Care Needs Assessment (CNA) is unclear or is deemed too complex.

On this page:

Identifying CSAT referrals

Triggers for a CSAT referral

CSAT referrals and assessments

Identifying CSAT referrals

Table 1: this table describes the process to identify Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT) referrals for a Carer Payment (CP) child claim.

Step

Action

1

Referral to CSAT for Carer Payment (CP) (child) claim + Read more ...

Has the claim previously been referred to CSAT, and returned?

2

Other qualification met + Read more ...

Does carer meet all other qualification criteria for Carer Payment (child) such as income, assets, residence, or a Treating Health Professional (THP) score of 'greater than zero'?

  • Yes, go to Step 3
  • No, reject the claim. Procedure ends here

3

Validation trigger identified + Read more ...

Has a validation trigger been identified on a new claim?

4

Identify triggers for a CSAT referral for a CP (child) claim + Read more ...

There will be specific triggers identified by the Service Officer indicating the need for manual referral of the matter to a CSAT social worker to investigate additional evidence relating to the accuracy of care load requirements in the identified claim/s.

  • Automatic referral to CSAT is triggered by the 'total score' calculated from information entered on the Care Needs Assessment (CNA) as part of the new claim for CP (child) - see Trigger 1 below. The Service Officer will be alerted that there is an automated referral trigger, and has the option to decide whether the automatic referral is required or not
  • Referrals to the CSAT must be made prior to the decision to grant or reject CP (child)

The Resources page contains a list of referral reason codes.

5

Complete the validation process - CLVL screen + Read more ...

The CLVL screen will be presented when there are discrepancies between the responses provided in the THP report and the CNA form, and a validation is required.

Triggers for a CSAT referral

Table 2: this table describes the triggers for a Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT) referral.

Step

Action

1

Trigger 1 + Read more ...

A claim may just miss the total required qualifying rating when there is a qualifying score for CP (child) on the THP report for care load required but the score on the 'care load provided' within the CNA, just misses out on a qualifying score.

Trigger 1 will occur when either:

  • The completed CNA total score for a single carer of a single child is:
    • 70-84.9 for a child aged less than three years, or
    • 80-84.9 for a child aged three years to less than 16 years, or
  • The completed CNA total score for two or more carers of a single child is:
    • 70-84.9 for a child aged less than three years, or
    • 80-84.9 for a child aged three years to less than 16 years
  • The completed CNA scores for two children of a single carer (combined care), or one or two children of a single carer plus a lower ADAT score adult (multiple care) are 80-84.9 for any child less than 16 years

Did any of the above occur, resulting in an automatic referral being created?

  • Yes, and the Service Officer determines that the referral is not required, process the claim, with or without rejection of payment. See Step 4 in Table 3
  • Yes, and the Service Officer determines that the referral is required, see Step 1 in Table 3
  • No, go to Step 2

2

Trigger 2 + Read more ...

Where the system is unable to deliver a determination (for example, in exchanged care cases with more than one former spouse) as the case may be of a complexity that requires specialist assessment by the CSAT social workers to clarify the care arrangements and to confirm that the arrangements are consistent with the constant care criteria.

Is the case difficult or complex?

3

Trigger 3 + Read more ...

Are the circumstances identified by the CNA or the Service Officer as unusual, unique or extreme, where the consequence of not referring could lead to an inappropriate outcome?

  • Yes, see Step 1 in Table 3
  • No, referral to the CSAT is not required update the Carers CSAT Referrals (CLCRF) screen code 'N' in the Referral Required field. Procedure ends here

CSAT referrals and assessments

Table 3: this table describes Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT) referrals and assessments.

Step

Action

1

Refer the CP (child) claim to the CSAT + Read more ...

Office Locator, Carer Specialist Assessment Team (CSAT)

Note: it is not the role of the CSAT social worker to provide counselling, support or other social work interventions. If ongoing counselling, support and/or practical assistance are required, the CSAT social worker is to refer the carer to the relevant Service Officer, to a Centrelink Social Worker, Financial Information Service (FIS) or appropriate community support services.

Carer Payment Reviews

  • put a keyword of '!CSAT' on the CP review activity and put the review activity on hold
  • check the Carers CSAT Referrals (CLCRF) screen; if a manual referral is required complete the Referral Date:, Referral Reason: and Referral Required: fields
  • Referrals to CSAT can be done:
    • in Process Direct using > > Referral, or in Customer First using the Social Work guided procedure
    • for more information see Social Work service referral
  • in Referral Reason, select Carer Specialist Assessment Team
  • From the Referral Details dropdown menu select one of the following:
    • CSAT for care receiver (child) (that is, under 18 years of age)
    • Carer Adjustment Payment
    • Child Terminal
    • Over 80 years of age

When the Service Officer determines that the referral to CSAT is required, and enters the referral date and reason, the referral activity will have a status of 'STA'rted, and will automatically be assigned a keyword 'TOCSAT'.

Carer Payment Claims

When a CSAT referral is required for a CP new claim assessment, the referral option within Process Direct must be used to create the referral.

  • Place the claim on hold until the assessment and recommendation by CSAT has been completed
  • A referral must not be created if the claim would otherwise be rejected for other qualification matters such as income, assets, residence or where the THP score is 0 or less

Cancellation

  • If a referral needs to be cancelled, the Service Officer (who must be APS5 or above) is required to separately DOC the referral cancellation (with the relevant keyword 'CANCSAT'), and finalise the referral activity
  • If the referral has already been started (that is, already assigned a keyword of 'TOCSAT'), the Service Officer must enter the outcome reason of 'Not required' within the referral activity, and choose not to accept the recommendation

Returned report

When the report is returned by CSAT, go to Step 2.

2

CSAT Social Worker complete the referral + Read more ...

Was the CSAT Social Worker able to complete the referral?

  • Yes, go to Step 3
  • No, did the carer return the Q164 within 21 days of the date the letter being issued?
    • No, refer the CP claim back to the Service Officer processing the claim and assess it based on the information provided

3

Report returned from CSAT + Read more ...

Were any changes to the responses for the CNA recommended by the CSAT?

4

Review and update Care Needs Assessment (CNA) + Read more ...

  • Review the recommendations in the CSAT social worker report
  • The Service Officer can choose whether or not to accept the recommendations in the report. If the Service Officer chooses not to accept the recommendations, they can process the claim, with or without rejection of payment. The Service Officer is to use the reason 'Not required' to complete the referral activity. Note: the 'Type of assessment' is not needed when the outcome is 'Not required'. Go to Step 5
  • Changes recommended by the CSAT social worker to any of the carer's responses in the CNA can be updated using the appropriate screens with a source code of 'CST'. Change the 'Information Source' from 'CUS' to 'CST'. Overstrike the relevant responses(s) with the new responses and change the Action to 'I'
  • After [Enter] is pressed, a new page will be presented with the latest data displayed and the Information Source of 'CST'. The previous page will display the data sourced from 'CUS'

This process is to apply for changes to provisional or confirmed data.

The Effect Date and Date Signed should not be changed as the CSAT recommendations should apply from the effect date of the CNA.

5

Finalise claim + Read more ...

Before completing the referral activity, make sure the following details are coded on the CLCRF screen

  • CSAT recommendation
  • outcome date
  • recommendation accepted

Finalise the claim and record details on a DOC.