Parliamentarian complaints regarding Child Support customers 277-09040000

If the complaint was received via:

• email to the APH mailbox, go to Step 2
• phone on the Child Support Parliamentarian Advice Line (CSPAL), go to Step 3

ExCCS Program Support Officer sends the allocation email containing the complaint and the due date to the relevant ExCCS Service Officer as per the allocation principles.

• Contact the electorate office within 2 business days of receiving the complaint to acknowledge its receipt and resolve the issues
• Document the details of the complaint in the Feedback and Review window, see Documenting Child Support information
• If the customer is managed by Personalised Services (PS) contact the PS Service Officer (PSO) as soon as possible to discuss the complaint

Has the Parliamentarian and/or their staff member asked the ExCCS Service Officer to contact the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

CSPAL is answered by ExCCS Service Officers:

• Apolitical communication is required when liaising with a political office
• Resolve the enquiry in the initial call if possible
• Create a step 3 complaint, see Complaints handling Cuba Process Help. Note: the Complaints Handling macro is not required for External Complaints
• Document the details of the complaint in the Feedback and Review window, see Documenting Child Support information

Has the Parliamentarian and/or their staff member asked the ExCCS Service Officer to speak with the customer during the call, or to contact the customer?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

Determine if there are any contact restrictions.

• Check the customer's case/s for:
• imposed service restrictions, see Personalised Services
• customer requesting not to be contacted by phone, or
• PS case management
  Note: 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
• If the Electorate Officer wishes to transfer a customer during the call, accept the call from the Electorate Officer in all circumstances. If the customer is assigned to a PSO, consider whether the call needs to be triaged with the PSO
• Make at least 3 attempts to contact the customer by phone, using all available numbers including their place of employment, over 48 hours. For more information see Contact with Child Support customers
• Use the discussion to resolve the complaint verbally

Customer and staff safety

If a customer making a complaint is aggressive or making threats, staff and customer safety is the top priority. Talk to a manager or team leader, report the incident and access support available to staff and customers.

Respond immediately if the customer is talking about self-harm or makes threats against others or property, see the Resources page for a link to Security incident reporting.

For information on managing challenging behaviour, see:

• Customer aggression – Reporting and recording incidents
• Customer aggression - escalating incidents
• Customer aggression - Prevention and management
• Customers talking about suicide or self-harm
• Family and domestic violence
• Social work service referral

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

• Complete a Privacy incident notification form. The Resources page has a link to the Privacy and Secrecy page - Privacy resources - Privacy Incident notification form
• 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 Parliamentarian enquiry 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. The Resources page has a link to information about reporting staff fraud – Internal fraud.

Report all systemic issues that have not yet been reported:

• Review the Operational Messaging System updates for issues impacting on the agency's 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 template 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

If the complaint was received via:

• APH mailbox, go to Step 11
• CSPAL:
• If the complaint is resolved in the initial call on CSPAL, go to Step 7
• If the complaint is not resolved in the initial call on CSPAL, go to Step 8

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

For urgent technical queries, contact a MaTS Program Support Manager (PSM) by phone or send a message via Skype.

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 Services Australia/ATO Complaint Support Template to the APH mailbox. See the Resources page for a link to the Services Australia/ATO Complaint Support 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 that liaison with the ATO does not guarantee their complaint will be resolved
• Advise the customer 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
• Advise the customer that 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, a link is included on the Resources page. 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 your SSM
• Once approved, forward the template to the APH mailbox

Record this information in the Feedback and Review window.

If no other matters need to be addressed:

• Email APH mailbox the following details:
• Parliamentarian/Senator's name
• customer's name
• customer's Child Support reference number (CSID)
• Category of complaint
• Complaint issues raised
• date received
• date finalised
• See Table 3, Step 2

• Delete the automatically generated Ministerial Unactioned intray and create an MP enquiry intray
• If the customer is managed in PS, contact the PSO as soon as possible to discuss the communication. If contact with the customer is required, it may be appropriate for the PSO to contact the customer or for contact to be made in writing only

• Investigate the complaint:
• Complete the Investigation plan macro
• 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

• Contact the Electorate Officer by phone to provide the outcome of the investigation
• Apolitical communication is required when liaising with a political office
• If the Electorate Officer requests customer contact, see Table 1, Step 4 to help resolve the complaint issues with the customer

Is the complaint resolved during the phone conversation?

• Yes:
• Advise the ExCCS mailbox the date the enquiry was finalised
• See Table 3, Step 2
• No, the Electorate Officer requires a written response

Prepare a response explaining the outcome of the investigation consistent with:

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

The Resources page contains links to these guides.

• Email the written response to the ExCCS SSM for approval
• Include a copy of the original correspondence
• Record in the Feedback and Review window that the draft has been sent for ExCCS SSM approval

Is the written response approved?

• Yes, see Table 3
• No, consider the feedback provided, including timeframes, undertake changes and/or additions and re-submit to the ExCCS SSM

Consider the written response to ensure it is consistent with:

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

The Resources page contains links to these guides.

Is the written response approved?

• Yes:
• email the response to the ExCCS Service Officer
• record the approval in the Feedback and Review window in Cuba
• No, provide feedback of any required changes to the ExCCS Service Officer including timeframes for resubmission

• Remove irrelevant information from the email trail, for example ExCCS SSM approval/feedback
• Send the response from the APH mailbox and copy in the APH mailbox and the ExCCS SSM
• Record a copy of written response in the Feedback and Review window
• Advise the PSO, if applicable, that the approved written response is added to the customer’s case

• Complete the Finalisation macro
• Note the complaint finalisation in the Feedback and Review window with the heading ‘Finalisation Summary’ and copy the completed macro into the notepad
• Finalise the complaint record, see Recording Child Support complaints in Cuba - Recording Complaint Outcomes
• Delete the MP Enquiry intray
• Email APH to advise the date the MP enquiry was finalised

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

• For systemic issues, see Table 1, Step 6
• 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 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 Manage complaints and feedback
• When the complaint is finalised in Cuba a Complaints 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 contents into the notes section of the Staff Feedback Tool
• Include the name of the staff member’s manager and your SSM in the manager field. Tick the Request Reply box. For more information, see Staff Feedback Tool

Record in the Feedback and Review window the feedback has been 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 customer compliments about a specific staff member, also email details of the compliment to the Service Officer’s team leader/SSM.

If a Service Officer wishes to provide 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 your SSM in the manager field. For more information, see Staff Feedback Tool.

For the ExCCS Service Officer, procedure ends here