Documenting Child Support information 277-01030000

Document conversations with customers within 24 hours. Where possible record information:

• during the call
• between calls, or
• shortly after

Recollection of the conversation will decline as time goes by.

See Hints for real time documentation on the Resources page.

Record a document when:

• customer, representative or third party contact is attempted or is successful
• giving, receiving or locating information
• making a decision, recommendation or authorising a decision
• receiving or requesting advice from the Program Advice team, or
• a compliment is received

Use:

• The Call Management macro for inbound and outbound calls. See Child Support Macros. When conducting pre-registration interviews the Call Management macro is not needed, follow Application for assessment - phone

.

• The designated macro/s for interaction or transaction notepads and dialogue boxes
• A subject heading reflecting the main purpose of the notepad
• Upper and lower case letters in the document
• Dot points to summarise
• A separate notepad if new information relates to an ongoing record of event
• The customer’s first name or first name and role where required. For example, ‘Jack’ or ‘Jill’ to avoid perceived bias, or 'Jack (applicant)' or 'Jill (respondent)'. Specialist areas may have different requirements when documenting their initial discussion or outcome decision
• Factual and relevant information
• State only what the customer said. Do not include judgements on their intention or state of mind. Services Australia may release documents to the customer and external bodies under Freedom of Information laws
• Avoid emotive language. For example, instead of 'the customer was very angry...' use 'the customer said they were angry about...'or 'the customer expressed anger about ...'
• Inclusive language
• Limit the use of abbreviations
• Do not include personal information to identify a staff member. For example, the staff member’s surname. Services Australia may release this information during an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) or Freedom of Information (FOI) process

The Resources page contains a documentation example and links to Child Support Acronyms and Abbreviations and the Writing Guide.

When documenting, include:

• reasons for the decision or recommendation, with reference to either:
• the legislation used to make the decision
• Operational Blueprint documents. For example, ‘Step 2 in Table 2 of Authenticating a Child Support customer’, or
• the Child Support Guide
• facts provided by the customer
• information obtained and where it came from
• the order of events and/or decisions
• when the contact occurred
• unsuccessful customer contact attempts. Include:
• telephone numbers tried
• messages left, and
• details of attempts to locate new information
• detail of any further action required, and
• sign off using the custom signature block function, including Service Officer's:
• name
• team
• site, and
• APS level

Consider the privacy implications of where to document information:

• Do not place a customer’s or representative's personal information (full name, address, etc.) in a case-related window notepad unless guided to do so by a macro. This helps minimise privacy incidents.
• When recording contact attempts in the case window do not record the actual phone number attempted
• Sometimes, customers are only thinking about a change to their case or assessment. As this does not require a decision, add the documentation on their individual Communication window, not a case notepad
• Where the information relates to an individual, such as assessment amount or disbursement queries, document this on their communication screens
• If a customer confirms they are affected by family and domestic violence:
• record relevant information in the individual customer’s communication notepad, and
• add a family and domestic violence Sensitive Issue indicator in the Client Profile window. See Item 7
• Where a receiving parent elects to end their child support assessment due to being granted an exemption:
• document the details of this discussion in their Communication screen
• the case window should only contain a notepad stating customer has elected to end case (do not document family and domestic violence/safety concerns or exemption information in the case window)
• Case documents record a notification of a possible change to the assessment, related sequence of events, and the decision outcome
• Where specific case or assessment information relates to a change. For example, change in care, add a child, opting in, and requires the involvement of the other party in the decision making process:
• record the individual’s Call Management macro in their Communication window and refer to other notepads where further macros or information is contained. For example for a change in care, see their case (number) for the change in care details
• record any other relevant macro/s depending on the relevant Operational Blueprint direction

The above sequence depends on the flow of the conversation and required actions, however the overall documentation outcome expectation is the same.

To document information in:

Cuba, see Item 4

Pluto, see Item 5

Document information in:

• dialogue boxes
• notepads for free text
• intrays

Dialogue boxes

Support automated submissions and reporting. Record additional information in a notepad attached to the function window.

In the Collection window, record:

• collection action, including Election for Employer Withholdings (EW) not to apply
• customer contact
• customer movements and location results from the Department of Home Affairs

Notepads

If there is no appropriate dialogue box use a notepad in the function window. For example, a Service Officer:

• records a non-agency payment (NAP) in the NAP window
• keys the information into a notepad
• updates the notepad with any new information about the NAP

Sign the notepad using the custom signature block function.

Note: Cuba notepad screens have a spell check function that can occur prior to saving the notepad. See the Notes window help.

Transferring Calls to Personalised Services

Use the Communication window to document a call transferred to the Personalised Services queue.

Select:

• Type: Phone In
• Case: Leave blank
• Reason: Request For Inf
• With: Client
• Category: Other
• Issue: Other

Intrays

Use:

• to record details explaining the issue management, and
• as a guide to action taken and the next step(s) required

Do not document information solely in an intray notepad. Information in the Recent Activity Screen (RAS) is retained and accessible for 6 months.

Document information in:

• Notes icon
• Interaction notes
• Free text field

Notes icon

The notes icon is located in 2 locations:

• Customer Summary screen
• Cuba Case screen

The notes icon displays notes in 2 categories:

• Communication notes:
• used for documenting information relating to the customers personal information, including contact attempts
• Process notes:
• notes will display from processes that have been completed
• the location of these notes will depend on the process completed. For example, completing an Income Tax Declaration will display in the Customer Summary screen because the process relates to the individual customer
• new process notes cannot be created however existing process notes can be updated

Interaction notes

Notes can be recorded within an interaction in Pluto through selecting either:

• the note banners throughout the form, or
• the Note icon

The note heading will display depending on the note selection, update if required.

Free text field

When completing certain processes or updating details in Pluto, free text fields will display. Document the details surrounding the update.

Note: Pluto note screens have a spell check function, review prior to saving the notepad.

After recording a security incident in the Customer Incident Reporting Tool (CIRT), record the security incident in the customer's Client Profile window:

• Select the Notepad icon
• Record a reference in the Notes window
• Subject: CIRT Reference
• Incident: DD/MM/YY
• Customer Incident Recording Tool Reference Number: XXX
• Add a Sensitive Issue Indicator
• Select Security Incident from the dropdown list
• Record the Special Contact as 'Other'
• Type 'Security Incident Report - XX/XX/XXXX' (date) in the Special Contact Detail

Record information provided by the customer in relation to family and domestic violence or safety concerns in the customer’s Client Profile window:

• add a Sensitive Issue indicator and select ‘Family Violence’ from the drop down list
• the review date will automatically default to a date 760 days in the future

Document a notepad with the following:

• Family and domestic violence or safety concerns identified. If the customer has multiple child support cases, when adding the sensitive issue indicator, document the case number in the notes that these concerns relate to
• Administrative action taken. For example, 'referred to Social Worker for a child support exemption'
• Referral action taken, to inform future customer service. For example:
• 'warm transferred to 1800RESPECT'
• ‘number provided for 'MensLine'
• 'provided information about FRAL'
• If the customer has advised there is an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) or Domestic Violence Order (DVO) against the alleged perpetrator, and
• Other relevant information provided by the customer in relation to their concerns

Record a compliment for a Service Officer, service or product in the Communication window:

• Type: how the compliment was received
• Reason: Provide Inform
• Category: Communication
• Issue: Select from:
• Compliment Service Officer (compliment about a Service Officer)
• Compliment CSP (compliment about Child Support services)
• Compliment Prod (compliment about a product)

When including information from an internal email:

• document the relevant information. Do not copy and paste the whole email
• make sure the email tone and content is appropriate to record
• do not include a staff member’s surname unless they have provided consent

Services Australia may release this information to customers, for example during an Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) or Freedom of Information (FOI) process.

Note: secure messaging is not available for general customers.

Employer Services and Financial Institutions use secure messages via the Child Support Business Online Services (CSBOS)

Do not duplicate documentation in the customer's record.

Any inbound messages received will create a RAS record.

Update the customer's indicators in the Client Profile window if they confirm any of the following:

• Indigenous Status
• Country of Birth
• Language other than English Spoken at home
• Interpreter Required
• Occupation
• Sensitive Issue
• Special Contact
• Hard of hearing
• Sight Impaired
• Speech Impaired
• Literacy Problem
• Mobility

Note: the Indigenous Status Indicator is mandatory to complete to exit the window. If the Indigenous Status is not confirmed with the customer, select Not Determined.

Child Support must comply with legislation regarding fraud prevention and control. Unauthorised access to customer records is a criminal offence.

Make a notepad entry to avoid allegations of unauthorised access when there is no other record during access.

Document why a customer record has been accessed, including:

• to check progress
• to help a team member
• to view previous customer contact, or
• to obtain information

Do not document access if:

• a customer is being case managed and the Service Officer is frequently accessing the case
• an Internal Decision Maker (DM) or Objection Officer accesses a case during a conference or the decision making process
• Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) support staff access a case to prepare or check a file
• accessing a case for auditing, quality assurance , complex litigation cases, workload allocation, investigating system faults and FOI requests, or
• a Team Leader or other officer is performing work allocation duties

Frequent access

Document frequent access to customer records in 1 detailed notepad entry. During frequent access add a detailed notepad every 5 (business) days. This notepad must explain the reasons for the frequent access.

Documenting information or leaving scanned images on the incorrect or duplicate customer records is a potential privacy incident. If unsure a privacy incident has occurred, talk to your Team Leader

If a document has been saved incorrectly on a customer record it can be:

• reassigned, or
• deleted

Documents will need to be reassigned or deleted from Cuba regardless of which system the document was added.

View correspondence

Consider detaching and reassigning correspondence incorrectly attached to a customer record. See Correspondence Cuba process help.

Detach, split and reassign correspondence containing multiple customer’s information.

Detach and delete correspondence about a non-customer. Email a request to 'detach and delete' including CSID, name, Indexed Date and GUI ID to the Mail Handling Team.

Deleting a document

Consider deleting a document manually recorded on the incorrect customer record. A document cannot be retrieved after it is deleted.

Service Officer action

To delete a document:

• lock the customer(s) record
• create a TS Documentation Deletion Request intray and record details of the request
• complete the Delete document from Cuba form:
• highlight the specific entry in the relevant Communication window, notepad or Collection window
• take a screen shot and paste into the Delete document from Cuba form under the relevant option
• lodge an online Service Support Officer (SSO) request, see Technical support Cuba process help:
• leave the Issue Details CSID field blank
• in the Issue Text, add the customer's Child Support Reference Number (CSRN), full name and reason (document deletion request)
• do not paste the Delete document from Cuba form into the Technical Support Issue Detail window
• email the Delete document from Cuba form to the SSO allocated to the online request

SSO action

To delete a document:

• check document deletion is appropriate
• scrutinise the request. If the correct document cannot be determined, refer back to the Service Officer to clarify or attach a screen shot
• see Managing Cuba Fixes on the Resources page