Requesting a document rescan, retrieval or location 111-10010120

Separate procedures apply for uploaded documents.

Before requesting a rescan or retrieval, make sure:

• the request is appropriate:
• required information not legible and no coversheet, or
• mixed customer information and no coversheet, or
• missing pages and no coversheet, or
• classification officer has identified inappropriate image for escalation and splitting, or
• file size is too large and needs splitting
• the document is within the retention period
• scanning dates and classification timeframes are checked to view the oldest images in the queues that are awaiting manual classification. An image awaiting classification will often not be visible on the customer's record (see the Resources page for a link to scanning dates and classification timeframes)
• the customer's record is reviewed to confirm a request has not already been made

If a request has already been lodged, go to Step 6.

Do not request a document retrieval if:

• copies of the document can be printed by staff and posted to the customer
• the document would have already been returned to the customer (see the Resources page for a list of documents automatically returned)
• the documents have been destroyed after the retention period
• staff is APS3 level and above

Do not request a document rescan if:

• the classification timeframe for the relevant scanning date has not been reached
• there is a coversheet or control form to indicate poor image quality, image 'bleed through', or missing pages
• the information can readily be obtained by other means
• the documents are outside the retention period
• the document was lodged through the Upload documents service, faxed, emailed or uploaded using the Documents icon in Process Direct or Document Tools in Customer First
• checking whether extra documents were provided, or because supporting documents are generally expected with some forms or documents. As documents may not be checked for completion, the absence of a coversheet or control form is not enough to suggest other documents were received but not scanned. Note: if a customer confirms extra documents were included in the envelope or lodged at a service centre, a document location request may be appropriate

If requesting a:

• document/s to be split, go to Step 2
• rescan, go to Step 3
• retrieval of documents, go to Step 5
• document location, go to Step 6
• follow up on previous request, go to Step 7

Staff at APS3 level and above are approved to split documents. Ensure Adobe Acrobat Professional resource is approved and installed.

When the documents do not contain mixed customer records and staff:

• require splitting from inappropriate images, go to Step 4
• have processing delegations (APS3 and above), go to Step 8
• have classification duties, go to Step 3

Submit rescan requests using webform Request for document rescan, retrieval or location.

For Centrelink customers only:

• record the details of the request using a Fast Note - select Auto text, use Generic > Enquiry > Rescan/Retrieval/Registered Post enquiry
• complete/close the Fast Note as this is for information purposes only

Note: the webform is the hand off activity for the work item to be completed.

Record details of the request including where the document was scanned.

If the request is deemed inappropriate, staff will need to update the customer record.

If there is a work item created or updated as a result of the digital image, consider if the work item now needs to be updated or cancelled. For more information, see Workload Management.

Does the original image need to be removed?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, procedure ends here

If document removal is needed, it must be done once the rescanned image is available to view on the customer's record.

If inappropriate content is contained in the original document/s, submit a request to remove inappropriate digital images using mySupport form Report Inappropriate and Incorrect Digital Images.

Note: it may not be possible to move or remove an image from a customer record if it has been used to determine the outcome of a claim, update or assessment.

Staff are responsible for updating relevant work items and any necessary follow up actions, including requesting image removals.

Procedure ends here.

Retrieved documents may be returned to a customer, or in some cases forwarded to another agency or department, if they were sent to Services Australia incorrectly. In limited cases, the original may be retrieved and sent to staff for processing when the original is required for processing.

Only request a retrieval for significant original documents that need to be returned or forwarded. For example, Commencement of Identity documents, licences or passports.

Staff are to print and post documents to the customer if they:

• request the return of supporting documents or certified copies of documents (such as bank statements, utilities accounts or rates notices), or
• have not kept a copy of any declarations such as the Essential Medical Equipment Payment User Declaration

If a customer requests the return of documents received by post and those documents have been returned, an 'Original sighted and returned on <insert date>' stamp will be placed on one or more of the documents. Generally, the date will be the same date the documents were scanned.

Requests to retrieve documents must be submitted using webform Request for document rescan, retrieval or location. Inappropriate requests will result in feedback to the staff member and their line manager.

The webform must include details about the customer's preferred postal address or the agency or department name and address for forwarding the documents.

Requests to retrieve original Services Australia forms the customer has submitted will result in:

• a copy being given to the customer, and
• the original form retained for the relevant retention period

Procedure ends here.

Documents sent by regular or priority post or via the MES positional mailbox

Provide the following details to confirm if the document was received:

• PO Box/address the document was sent to
• types of document sent
• approximate number of pages
• date the mail was posted
• tracking number if available
• customer email address if document was provided via the MES positional mailbox

Documents sent by Registered or Express Post

If a customer contacts to confirm if the document was received, advise them to check the delivery status using the Australia Post tracking system.

If the customer advises Centrelink related documents have been received by the agency, and the image cannot be located on their record, follow the process in Digital image not located on customer record before submitting a location request.

Documents lodged in a service centre

Use the customer's record to confirm they attended the service centre on this date or an interaction occurred. Use the Source Location to help determine the Printer ID (e.g. LCHTPR03). To search for the service centre location:

• go to Office Locator > select Other Searches > Advanced Search
• in the Search Type field, select Office from the menu options
• in the Printer ID field, key the full/ partial printer code > Search
• select the hyperlinked service centre shown. Note: if multiple results show, select the relevant service centre to locate the correct details
• select Advanced Search Result > Office Messages > Printers
• expand this section to view the printer codes being used by specific teams in that service centre

Faxed documents

When a customer contacts to check if a document was received and the image cannot be found on their record, before submitting a location request, see Digital image not located on customer record.

If the fax cannot be located, the customer may need to provide these details again.

The following timeframes apply when following up the status of a previously lodged rescan, retrieval or location request:

• For urgent requests only, staff must allow 3 business days for the request to be actioned before requesting a follow up
• For non-urgent requests, staff must check the classification times and allow an extra 2 business days from the scanning dates 'oldest date'. See the Resources page for a link to classification timeframes and scanning dates

Check the record before requesting an update. Inappropriate follow up requests will result in feedback to the staff member and their line manager.

Email requests to the rescan request triage team. Include the original webform receipt number and a detailed reason for the request. Their mailbox address is in the auto reply email issued when the webform is submitted.

Procedure ends here.

There may be times where it is necessary to split a document. These could include:

• documents containing mixed customer information
• multiple claim or program forms lodged as one
• when the SA466 and MEDSA466 have been scanned together
• inappropriate, offensive or threatening content has been included with other documents that need to be retained by the agency

Note: to do the splitting process, staff must request the appropriate resource in the ICT Security Portal (ISP) and download the relevant applications from the Software Centre. See the Resources page for details.

The splitting process can be completed by staff level APS3 and above. Complete the following steps:

• Save document to Downloads folder
• Open and sign in to Adobe Acrobat
• Select File or Menu, select Open, select relevant file name that was saved
• From the Tools taskbar, select Organize pages
• Select the pages of the document that need to be split. See below for tips for splitting documents
• Select the Extract button (page icon with arrow). 2 tick boxes will show, see Tips below for options
• Select the blue Extract button:
• This will create a new document with the selected pages
• If Extract pages as separate files is selected, 2 documents will be created
• Save these documents using different filenames
• Do not use this option for inappropriate images

Tips for splitting documents:

• Split consecutive pages by selecting the first page and holding down Shift, then selecting the final page
• Split non-consecutive pages by selecting a page to extract holding down Ctrl and selecting other pages required to extract into a new PDF
• If there are pages being extracted that need to be removed from the original document, select checkbox Delete pages after the extraction
• To extract each page selected as a separate PDF, select checkbox Extract pages as separate files

Choose service delivery brand:

Upload each document to the relevant customer's record using the Documents icon in Process Direct or Document Tools in Customer First:

• When uploading the documents, the Date of Receipt (DOR) must match the original date
• If the original documents contained inappropriate material, only upload the correct documents
• Do not upload the inappropriate content

Once document has been successfully uploaded, delete document/s saved on the computer and in the Downloads folder.

If inappropriate content is contained in the original document/s, submit a request to remove inappropriate digital images using mySupport form Report Inappropriate and Incorrect Digital Images.

To add a document to an existing work item or create a new work item using, see Processing and National Demand Allocation (PANDA).

Once document has been successfully uploaded, delete document/s saved on the computer or in the Downloads folder.

If inappropriate content is contained in the original document/s, submit a request to remove inappropriate digital images using mySupport form Report Inappropriate and Incorrect Digital Images.

Split documents which need to be uploaded to the customer’s record are to be emailed to Mail Handling Team - Child Support.

When sending an attachment to the above address, ensure:

• one file is sent per email
• all signature blocks have been removed
• to email customer CSID
• to email category of digital image
• the attachment is under 4MB
• the email with attachment is under 8MB
• to remove images in the body of the email
• the file is not a ZIP file

The document will fail to upload if these requirements are not met.

Once document has been successfully uploaded, delete document/s saved on the computer or in the Downloads folder.

If inappropriate content is contained in the original document/s, submit a request to remove inappropriate digital images using mySupport form Report Inappropriate and Incorrect Digital Images.

Rescans and retrievals can take some time to action, may incur a cost, and the customer may be disadvantaged as a result.

A rescan may not be required when:

• information appears to be incomplete but it is not needed to complete the action on the customer's record
• information appears to be incomplete but it can be collected by other means (such as a phone call to the customer, or from documentation previously lodged by the customer)
• it was expected that related documents would be provided at the same time but there is no evidence of them in the image or on the customer record. For example, the customer has not referenced supporting document(s) and there is no evidence of a multi-feed error
• information relating to multiple customers is needed to complete work on the record where the image has been attached (such receipts or invoices that contain details of multiple customers)
• information in the image is not clear but can be read when the size of the document is modified, or when zoomed
• the scanning site has indicated that the original document was a poor quality original and rescanning will not result in a better image. This will generally occur by the use of a coversheet or control form
• the image was received by fax and contains documents for multiple customers. These must be split in Kofax

Classification Officers do not need to check if all pages of a document have been provided or if all questions have been answered.

Documents provided by customers are attached to their record 'as is'. Any follow up action should be undertaken by staff processing the document.

Identify the original source channel and location by reviewing the details in the document information. The printer code will help determine the Source Location.

Rescan identified in National Queue

If the document contains multiple customer details and is being classified in the National Queue, escalate to Classification Support officer. Classification Support officer should confirm document contains mixed customer information and if required escalate for splitting via the Rescan/Retrieval process. See the Resources page for a link.

Rescan identified in KOFAX

Kofax Validation allows for splitting and attaching images to multiple records. A rescan request is not needed unless there are other valid reasons for the request, for example, poor image quality.

If the document contains inappropriate content, see Removing a digital image from customer records.

If the Source Channel screen shows:

• Scan, go to Step 3
• Upload documents online, a rescan cannot be requested. Procedure ends here

Is the Customer Reference Number (CRN) known?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

Submit rescan requests using webform Request for document rescan, retrieval or location.

Go to Step 5.

National Queue

After submitting the webform, action is needed to complete classification in the National Queue.

In most cases, the document can still be classified and attached to the customer record, unless the image is inappropriate or contains multiple customer details.

Enter the relevant form code for the image and select rescan in the Document Decision field. The image will then be completed in the National Queue.

If there are multiple documents in the one batch (identified by the multiple document IDs displayed in the Work Package), and a rescan is required on one of the documents, advise in the notes section what document requires the rescan. Classify all other images as normal.

After submitting the webform, note details of the request on the customer's record.

Kofax Validation

After submitting the webform, action is needed to complete classification in Kofax Validation. In most cases, the document can still be classified and attached to the customer record.

If the image is inappropriate or contains multiple customer details, see Classifying Centrelink digital images via the Kofax Validation Queue.

Procedure ends here.

National Queue

Escalate to the Classification Support Queue, with extra notes why escalation is required.

Make sure the rescan request reason is valid. See the Resources page for examples of appropriate rescan request reasons and a link to the Request for document rescan, retrieval or location webform.

If there are multiple documents in the one batch (identified by the multiple document IDs displayed in the Work Package), and a rescan is required on one of the documents, advise in the notes section what document requires the rescan. Classify all other images as normal.

Select Escalate to Classification Support Officer in the Document Decision field.

Kofax Validation

For documents in Kofax, follow the process outlined in Classifying Centrelink digital images via the Kofax Validation Queue.

If possible, the Classification Support Officer will take action to resolve the issue. This may include printing and rescanning documents, especially for faxes if the image cannot be split. If a rescan or retrieval is needed, they will complete webform Request for document rescan, retrieval or location.

If staff identify a need for the retrieval of an inappropriate image, they must discuss the reason for the request with their Line Manager. The reason may be (but is not limited to):

• disclosing information to third parties
• fraud investigations
• privacy and security investigations
• customer/child/staff welfare and safety

Note: to handle the digital image, staff must abide by the Operational Privacy Policy referenced in Privacy incidents.

Does the Line Manager support the reason for retrieval request?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, procedure ends here

Complete the Retrieve an Inappropriate Digital Image mySupport form.

Access to the image will only be available to the staff member in the requested for selection of the mySupport form.

The mySupport form will submit to the staff member’s Line Manager for approval before being received for action.

Go to Step 3.

Once Line Manager approval has been completed the request will be sent for action.

• The request will be actioned within 2 business days and an email will be sent containing:
• an access link to the digital image, and
• safety requirements before opening the link
• Access will be granted to the image for 7 calendar days only for the requesting staff member. Once this has passed, access to the image will no longer be available
• If further access to the image is needed, staff will need to submit another Retrieve an Inappropriate Digital Image mySupport request

Go to Step 4.

Digital images are removed from staff facing systems due to being deemed inappropriate, objectionable or aggressive. Because of this, once staff are given access to an image, Team Leaders/Line Managers must ensure that the health and safety of staff is considered and is not put at risk due to viewing the image.

Exposure to inappropriate, objectionable or aggressive material can cause distress. Staff should discuss any instances of distress with their Line Manager.

Supporting reference material is available on the Resources page.

Procedure ends here.