Issue 36 | 14 March 2005
The 14 February e-news (Issue#34) advised you of the recently finalised JAS-ANZ procedure for certification bodies and a summary of the changes. This list of changes was by no means exhaustive. Another significant change relates to the Rating Scale (refer definitions in G.1.3.1).
The new Rating Scale has omitted the 'commendable' rating of '3' and retains the existing ratings of '0' for major nonconformity; '1' for nonconformity and '2' for conformity. Audit reporting requirements for certification bodies provide that suggestions for continuous improvement and positive findings (noteworthy features) are reported as observations.
The revised procedure is available on the JAS-ANZ website at Procedure 18 and on the FaCS Website. Any queries about Procedure 18 should be directed to Steve Keeling at JAS-ANZ on 02 62821296.
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In September 2004 you were sent a package of information products about the Disability Services Standards and the Quality Assurance system. These products included easy and pictorial english products, audio tapes, interactive CD-ROMs etc. You can order more copies of these products by calling 1800 050 009 and quoting the identification number on the product. All of the following products are in stock and you are encouraged to order enough for each of your employees:
Product |
Description |
Identification number |
Disability Services Standards booklet |
Full version of the Standards taken from the legislation |
FaCS1455 |
Disability Services Standards - audio tapes |
Full version of the Standards taken from the legislation read onto audio tape |
FaCS1109T |
Disability Services Standards - easy English version |
Version of the Standards that is targeted towards people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities |
FaCS1437 |
Disability Services Standards - pictorial English version |
Version of the Standards that is targeted towards people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities |
FaCS1438 |
Disability Services Standards - posters |
A poster for each of Standard based on the pictorial English products |
FaCS1441 to FaCS1452 |
Quality Assurance and your services - easy English version |
Explanation of the certification process targeted towards people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities |
FaCS1439 |
Quality Assurance and your service - pictorial English version |
Explanation of the certification process targeted towards people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities |
FaCS1440 |
Facts on Award based wages - easy English version |
Explanation of how Award based wages work for users of disability employment services |
FaCS1458 |
Disability Services Standards and Quality Assurance CD-ROM |
Interactive CD-ROM that is based on the easy and pictorial English paper-based products explaining the Disability Services Standards and the certification process |
FaCS1454 |
Remember that Consumer, Training & Support agencies can assist consumers to understand these information products, at no cost. For more information contact your local agency on:
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory |
(02) 4350 2385 |
Queensland and Northern Territory |
(07) 5499 9422 |
Western Australia |
(08) 9385 6666 |
South Australia |
(08) 8212 7771 |
Victoria |
(03) 9254 3433 |
Tasmania |
(03) 6228 0787 |
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In April 2004 the Prime Minister announced a Business Services Assistance Package that included an 'Access Guarantee' that no consumer would lose access to a business service against his or her will as a result of the disability reforms.
The Access Guarantee will apply to clients who were assisted by a business service outlet between July 2003 and May 2004.
A number of organisations have clients on their books that they assist even though they are not funded to do so - these clients are above the organisation's agreed Block Grant Outlet Capacity.
The Access Guarantee applies to clients assisted between July 2003 and May 2004 even if they are in excess of a service's outlet capacity. To achieve this, any vacant places that arise in a service must be filled by Access Guarantee clients first. Services should not fill a vacant place with other jobseekers until all Access Guarantee clients have been accommodated within outlet capacity.
Your State Contract manager may contact you shortly to discuss whether you have Access Guarantee above capacity clients and if so, what this will mean for your service during the transition to Case Based Funding (CBF).
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The Best Practice Partnership Project is funded under the Ideas, Development Excellence and Support (IDEAS) Group Continuous Improvement funding. It aims to form a partnership with like-minded organisations focused on best practice in the disability employment industry. It aims to facilitate cooperative partnerships that share best practice and are committed to:
For more information about progress on this project see the FaCS Website
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FaCS State and Territory Offices now have a supply of brochures on case management.
These brochures have been designed to explain to eligible clients of business services how case management can help them decide whether they want to stay in work, or leave work and take up targeted support.
Eligible clients are those who were employed at the business service between 1 July 2003 and 1 May 2004 and whose productivity level has been assessed at 15 per cent or less.
If you want to obtain some of these brochures for your employees, please contact your FaCS Contract Manager.
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If you have not received your two CDs, or are having problems using the CDs, please contact the FOFMS Helpdesk as soon as possible or by telephone on 1800 020 283.
The face-to-face training sessions will occur nationally between 21 March and 4 April 2005. You will have been contacted by your local FaCS state/territory office to discuss the date and time of the regional face-to-face follow-up training sessions.
If you have not been contacted about participating, please contact your local state/territory office representative as soon as possible.
On 28 February, FaCS sent you a yellow FOFMS System Access Request Form. If you have not completed this form, you need to do so and return as soon as possible by fax to (02) 6244 8913 so that FaCS can create user accounts allowing your staff to log on and use FOFMS from 4 April.
What will I be able to do using FOFMS?
The 4 April release of FOFMS will help you manage CBF. FOFMS will allow you to:
FOFMS will also allow you to view your agreement schedule including payment details, address, outlet capacity and funding allocation. You will also be able to view the number and type of payments made to you for specific cases, including pending payment requests.
Will I still use the Interim Disability Maintenance Instrument System (IDMIS) after 4 April 2005?
No, you will not be required to use IDMIS after 4 April. You will create client records, complete the client Intake Assessment, DMI Assessment and DMI re-assessment using FOFMS.
You will also use FOFMS to suspend and exit clients from your service. You will also be able to access and claim Work Based Personal Assistance (WBPA) and New Apprenticeship (NA) via FOFMS from 4 April 2005.
When will IDMIS be shut down?
You will be unable to access IDMIS from 23 March. From this date, FaCS will move client and case information from IDMIS to FOFMS in preparation of the 4 April release.
You will be unable to complete Intake and DMI assessments and re-assessments, access and claim Work Based Personal Assistance and New Apprenticeship fees between 23 March and 4 April.
What do I do if I need to suspend or exit a client when IDMIS is unavailable?
There will be a period of five working days between 23 March and 4 April 2005 when you will be unable to advise FaCS of any clients you have suspended and or clients that have left or exited from your service.
If the situation arises where you need to suspend or exit a client during this period, you will need to wait until FOFMS is available on 4 April and update the client record in FOFMS.
What will happen to the DMI assessment information in IDMIS?
FaCS will be taking some of the DMI assessment and reassessment information in IDMIS and transferring it to FOFMS ready for 4 April. FaCS will not be transferring the individual answers to DMI assessment and reassessments questions. FaCS will be transferring the funding level of all authorised DMI assessments and reassessments.
Therefore you will need to ensure you have a copy of any authorised DMI assessments or reassessments you have completed in IDMIS, as you will be unable to view the individual answers once the information is transferred to FOFMS.
FaCS will only be transferring information associated with authorised DMI assessments and reassessments. Please note that any DMI assessments or reassessments that do not have the status of authorised (created, draft or confirmed) will not be transferred to FOFMS and will have to be re-started in FOFMS after 4 April.
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Standard 8 (Service Management) requires that employment services have regular internal audits. The certification body will be checking at each yearly surveillance audit for evidence that these internal audits have taken place, and that consumers have been involved.
There is not a set format for the internal audits but examples of internal audit worksheets for each of the Disability Services Standards are included in the Continuous Improvement Handbook . To assist service providers engage consumers in internal audits the Consumer Training and Support Agencies offer a free consultancy service in each state/territory.
Your Consumer Training and Support Agency can be contacted on:
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory |
(02) 4350 2385 |
Queensland and Northern Territory |
(07) 5499 9422 |
Western Australia |
(08) 9385 6666 |
South Australia |
(08) 8212 7771 |
Victoria |
(03) 9254 3433 |
Tasmania |
(03) 6228 0787 |
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Since January 2005, IDMIS has allowed providers to lodge all forms online for CBF clients.
On the lower left-hand side of the IDMIS screen you will see a heading called 'Forms Mngmt'. If you log into this screen you will be able to select the form you wish to complete and submit. Once submitted, this form will go directly to the CBF Payments team, with no need to encrypt and email forms.
Note that you should lodge your DMIs for your CBF clients through 'Forms Mngmt' and not through the 'Services' section, which is intended for Block Grant and transitioning Block Grant clients only.
If you are having difficulty lodging forms, then the IDMIS Helpdesk is there to provide you with support. You can either phone them on 1800 063 187 or email the Helpdesk at IDMIS.Helpdesk@facsia.gov.au
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Around 230 business service organisations participated in the Australian Government's $25 million Budget initiative to improve the viability of business services. This involved organisations undergoing a business review that was undertaken by independent consultants.
These services were approved for tailored assistance funding to help implement the recommendations of the review.
The tailored assistance funding for this initiative has been allocated for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 financial years. This means the approved funds need to be provided to services before 30 June 2005, as there is no guarantee these funds will be available beyond this point.
So your approved tailored assistance funding is not withdrawn, you will need to ensure all outstanding actions required by the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) to initiate payment, (like quotes obtained and submitted) are undertaken as a priority, and prior to June 2005.
If you are having difficulty in sourcing or obtaining quotes, or have any other issues with the outstanding actions, please contact your relevant FaCS Project Officer. FaCS will endeavour to assist you through this process.
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Email disAbility e-news if you'd like more information on a particular issue or program or to let us know what you think of this e-newsletter.
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Your contributions to disAbility e-news are welcome. Do you want to let others know about your successes? Or how you engage with local businesses to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities? Email your story idea to disAbility e-news.
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