Social worker and other service referrals for Child Support customers 277-01140000

Customer referrals to external services help improve customers':

• capacity to self-manage their child support, and
• compliance with child support collection

Non-child support related issues can negatively impact customers' child support behaviour. This can result in non-compliance, complaints and unsustainable private arrangements.

Collecting child support can help the financial wellbeing of Australian children. The agency can also provide emotional support through referrals. Giving parents a referral option can help build resilience, leading them to self-sufficiency and/or compliance.

Therefore, the agency has a focus on giving parents appropriate referrals for support.

The Integrated Customer Referral approach helps staff identify customer needs and refer them to the services.

The Integrated Customer Referrals approach includes a:

• Customer Risk Identification Model, go to Item 2, and
• Customer Support/Referral, go to Item 3

This model provides Service Officers with:

• a consistent and straightforward series of conversational and administrative cues they can look for in interactions with customers to alert them to the presence of certain risks to collection/compliance, and, once these risks are identified
• simple steps to quickly assess the most pressing personal needs of a customer, and what would be the most effective support or referral

The Customer Risk Identification Model allows Service Officers to quickly identify customers at risk and offer services appropriate to their needs by utilising the Customer Support/Referral Guide.

The Resources page contains a link to this guide.

This guide gives Service Officers clear points of referral depending upon the customer's intensity of need.

It supports Service Officers in determining the most appropriate referral based on the issues/risks presented by the customer.

Identifying customer risks enables Service Officers to determine the immediacy of need, and refer customers to a range of support services or follow the Security Incident Management procedures.

The Resources page contains a link to this guide.

The Social Work Services Branch is a network of social workers available in face-to-face, telephony and national teams. The agency’s social workers help people who are experiencing very vulnerable circumstances.

Social workers:

• assess people’s needs
• offer short term counselling
• give information and referrals to specialised services.

Social workers give priority to:

• people presenting at risk of suicide or self-harm or who may be a risk to others
• young people without adequate support
• people experiencing family and domestic violence
• people impacted by disasters and emergencies

See also Social work services.

Who should be referred to a social worker?

• Customers who present at risk of suicide or self-harm or who may be a risk to others
• Customers affected by family and domestic violence and would like to speak to a social worker
• Customers identified through the Risk Identification and Referral Model including child support customers seeking an exemption from taking maintenance action

Note: if the customer does not agree to speak with a social worker or ends the call and may be at risk of suicide, self-harm or a risk to others, staff should contact a social worker to discuss next steps. If a social worker is unavailable, contact a Team Leader straight away to determine next steps.

For more information on talking to and referring customers who are at risk of suicide or self harm, see Customers talking about suicide or self-harm.

For customers who:

• are talking about suicide or harm (self or others), see Customer referral guidelines, Social workers
• have indicated Family and Domestic violence concerns or require maintenance exemptions, see Customer referral guidelines, Social workers

Warm transfer customers when referring them to external service providers where appropriate. This informs the service provider that the call has come from Child Support services and gives the relevant information they need to help the customer.

Use the Customer Risk Identification Model and the Customer Support/Referral Guide to determine the best option to help the customer with their non-child support related concerns.

The Resources page contains a link to these guides.

Warm transfers:

• help customers experiencing vulnerability successfully connect with the support they need
• take away the need for the customer to explain their circumstances again. This may help customers who are already distressed
• allow the service provider to follow up on a customer, or refer the issue back to Child Support services if needed. For example, the call disconnects and the service provider believes the customer is at risk of harm to themselves or others

• Customer confirms they want to be transferred to external service such as:
• 1800RESPECT
• MensLine
• the Family Relationship Advice Line (FRAL), or
• Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)
• Obtain the customer's permission to pass on their details, including their:
• name
• postcode, and
• phone number (including area code)
• Confirm what details will be passed on to the service provider. The customer may want to stay anonymous, so it is always important to check
• Warm transfer the call using Services Australia Workspace
• When the call is connected, the Service Officer
• gives their name and phone number including area code
• advises they work for Services Australia, and then
• gives the information the customer agreed to disclose
• Once the transfer is complete, record the referral information in the Products and Services window in Cuba (where possible)

Common external referral options include:

• MensLine Australia Helpline
• 1800RESPECT
• Family Relationship Advice Line (FRAL), including the Telephone Dispute Resolution Service and Child Contact Centre information
• Financial Counselling Australia (FCA)
• Saver Plus Program
• Family Court of Australia
• Child Contact Services - call Family Relationships Advice Line or Relationships Australia
• Child Protection Services
• National Relay Service
• International Referral Options
• Amica. Is:
• an online service only
• not suitable for customers experiencing family and domestic violence and other complex circumstances

Note: Lifeline does not accept warm transfers. Give the customer the contact details for Lifeline.

See the Resources page for these and many other referral options.

A referral to any external referral organisation is not appropriate for customers who:

• want to make a complaint about Services Australia or customer service
• talk about suicide, self-harm or harm to others
• make a bomb threat or other security type incident
• make a threat against Services Australia officers

Consult a supervisor straight away and follow the Security Incident Reporting guidelines.