Issue 48 | 29 August 2005
FOFMS 16 August Upgrade Enhancements
The second upgrade to FOFMS was made available from 16 August 2005. You will find there are improvements to the way stretch capacity is utilised, the level of automation and the way in which the Business Service Funding Subsidy is calculated.
Stretch Capacity
Previously, when a client returned from suspension, the user would need to contact the FOFMS Help Desk to update the case record status to ‘Returned from Suspension’. The system has been enhanced so that you can now return Case Based Funding (CBF) cases from suspension, using a stretch capacity place if appropriate. You are no longer required to contact the FOFMS Help Desk to return a case record from suspension.
Now in FOFMS, you, as a service provider, create new client and case records, saving both with a status of ‘Draft’. You then complete an Intake Assessment for cases with a current status of ‘Draft’ and an Authorising Officer authorises this Assessment.
FOFMS will now automatically set the client status from ‘Draft’ to ‘Active’ and the case status from ‘Draft’ to ‘Started’ once the Intake Assessment has been authorised. Setting the status to ‘Started’ will trigger the start of the Pre-Disability Maintenance Instrument (DMI) payments.
Some new DMI Assessment business rules
If the DMI Assessment is not completed after 12 months of the Case Intake Completion date, FOFMS will change the case status to ‘Exited’.
FOFMS will change the case status to ‘Exited’ if a DMI Assessment is not completed within a month of the case returning from exit.
FOFMS will change the case status to ‘Exited’ if the funding level equals zero when a DMI Assessment/Reassessment is authorised. The Status Change Reason will be set as ‘No Assistance Required’.
Once the above steps are completed, FOFMS will then change the Status Change Reason to ‘DMI Assessment Overdue’.
Some new DMI Reassessment RulesFOFMS will automatically change the case status to ‘Exited’ if a DMI Reassessment is not completed within four months of entering the DMI Reassessment Date on the system.
Payments will be suspended for a case if a DMI Reassessment is not completed within three months of the DMI Reassessment Date.
FOFMS will now change the case status to ‘Exited’ if a DMI Reassessment is not completed within a month of the case returning from exit.
Once the above steps are completed, FOFMS will then change the Status Change Reason to ‘DMI Reassessment Overdue’.
Other disability programs and funding streams were added on 16 August, including Carer Respite, Advocacy and Targeted Support.[ top ]
By now you should have received an information pack detailing the new FOFMS functions and enhancements in the FOFMS upgrade. FaCS has provided task cards to help you with the new functions in FOFMS, as well some new task cards to help you with existing parts of FOFMS (e.g. ‘Working with Columns’, ‘Changing Your User Profile Without Having To Log Off’ and ‘Printing Reports’).
FOFMS Helpdesk staff will provide additional support to anyone requiring help with new functionality. To assist providers, FaCS has made the information pack available on the ‘Literature’ tab on FOFMS.
[ top ]
As a result of the upgrade, FaCS is now able to include the payment of Jobseeker Locational Loading in individual CBF payments. The Jobseeker Locational Loading is based on a percentage of the reasonable distance travelled by car one-way from the organisation to the client, or from the client to the organisation. If the worksite is situated at a different location to the organisation, then the loading is calculated on the distance to the organisation or worksite, whichever is greater.
Loading percentages are:
The August update added one question to the Intake Assessment, DMI assessment and DMI reassessment to capture information on the reasonable travel distance between you and the client. The answer to this question will determine the percentage loading you will receive until the next assessment is completed. Once you complete one of the assessments after 16 August 2005, FOFMS will automatically add the applicable loading to all CBF payments for that case.
Please Note: Only organisations which are classified under the Accessibility Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) as ‘Moderately Accessible’, ‘Remote’ or ‘Very Remote’ are eligible to receive Jobseeker Locational Loading.
FaCS will continue to manually calculate and make the Jobseeker Locational Loading payments for eligible cases until they have completed either an Intake assessment, DMI assessment or DMI Reassessment after 16 August 2005.[ top ]
The upgrade fixed minor problems such as:
Service Providers are as yet unable to view Payment Requests via the Agreement Schedule. However, an alternative is to access payment requests via the case view, until the problem is fixed.
We thank you for your patience while we continue to resolve these problems and we will keep you informed of our progress. If you experience any problems with FOFMS please contact the FOFMS Helpdesk.[ top ]
Please ensure that your Personal Profile in FOFMS contains your current email address. FaCS uses email updates to let you know when FOFMS may be offline, what changes have been made that could affect you, and other issues such as policy information.
To update your email address, log onto FOFMS, click on ‘Profile’ at the top right of the screen, enter your email address and click ‘Save’.
[ top ]
A number of you have asked us to consider increasing the time-out setting limit, which currently applies in FOFMS.
As part of the rigorous performance analysis and testing we have been conducting over the past six weeks, the FOFMS project team tested the impact of an increased time-out setting.
The results show that increasing the time-out limit negatively impacts on performance. In the interests of maintaining and improving systems performance, we have decided to keep the current time-out settings.
[ top ]
Payment reconciliation in FOFMS has been upgraded in response to requests from providers. We have made several enhancements to the Recipient Created Tax Invoice (RCTI). This includes adding the Agreement and Case ID (where applicable), payment type and the remittance description related to the payment.
We have also included the IMPACT Clearing Number in the reference data to your bank statement. To draw all of this information together you will be able to view and query FOFMS using the IMPACT Clearing Number, documented on your bank statement. The IMPACT Clearing Number was added to the Payment Request Portal view on 22 June.
[ top ]
To help services plan for the 1 January 2006 transition, the FOFMS ‘Conversion Capacity’ field, located in the ‘Transition’ tab under ‘Agreement Schedules’, has been updated. This field now contains the maximum number of Block Grant funded cases your service can move to CBF at the next transition point, which is 1 January 2006.
Services need to move 25 per cent of their original Block Grant Outlet Capacity (BGOC) at 1 January 2006. However, if your service has not yet transitioned 50 per cent of customers, you will need to catch up so that you have transitioned a total of 75 per cent at 1 January 2006. If your service does not have enough Block Grant workers available to meet your ‘Conversion Capacity’, then just transition all your Block Grant workers to satisfy your funding obligations.
For small services with an original BGOC of 20 or less, the figure in the ‘Conversion Capacity’ field is only a maximum. Small services have discretion regarding the number of clients moved at each transition point, as long as they have moved all their clients to CBF by the last transition point. Small services are encouraged not to wait until the last transition point (1 July 2006) to move all their clients.
[ top ]
In June 2005 services were paid $160 for all DMIs authorised between 1 March 2005 and 31 May 2005. The next quarterly reimbursement payment is due in September 2005, covering 1 June to 31 August 2005.
DMI reimbursement payments are paid to services that complete and authorise DMIs for eligible Block Grant workers. Services are not paid for the same worker more than once. This means DMI reassessments are not eligible for reimbursement.
If you have any questions regarding the DMI reimbursement payment please contact your FaCS Contract Manager.
[ top ]
Developing Awareness
On 11 August at a national meeting of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and State Chamber and Industry Association members, the National Manager Disability Employment Services provided a brief on Business Services operations.
The brief provided an avenue to develop greater awareness of the supported employment sector and the types of products and services offered by Business Services. Items covered included:
Business Services Forums
Business Service forums are being conducted around the country to provide an opportunity to engage in the development of a process that will drive the creation of stronger links between Business Services and business and industry. The involvement of Business Services in the forum process is encouraged.
[ top ]
An effective complaints system must:
Sourced from A Good Practice Guide for Effective Complaint Handling, Commonwealth Ombudsman
For more information about best practice complaint handling, or to gain some support in managing an actual or potential complaint, contact the Complaint Resolution and Referral Service(CRRS) on (02) 9319 6023. People with a disability can call toll free on 1800 880 052 from 8am to 8pm in every state/territory.
The CRRS is an external complaint service for users of Commonwealth-funded disability employment and advocacy services. As much as possible, the CRRS explores and encourages the resolution of a complaint through the service’s own internal complaints system, which is often enhanced if the complainant is supported by, for example, an advocate.
Some feedback from people with a disability after resolving their complaint through local resolution:
“I was first unsure about meeting the service but when I spoke to them and told them my complaint, they listened and it was cool.”
“Go ahead with meeting. It is very beneficial. I was initially concerned that meeting [the service] would not work out but it did.”[ top ]
Work towards the launch continues. Each organisation and/or service will be provided with access to the administration area of the eCommerce website to manage their own details and products and services information. This access is particularly important to ensure that everyone can check their contact details and products/services information before the website goes live.
To ensure that you have access, you should complete and return the eCommerce System Access Request form that was emailed to everyone on 28 July 2005. Thank you to all who have already returned their forms.
Services without an individual website will have one created as part of the eCommerce project. These websites will be accessible through the Business Services Directory site which is part of the eCommerce website.
We plan to create seven to 10 websites each week starting mid-September 2005. Over the next three months, we will be emailing you requesting specific data and information for use on your website.
Stay tuned for further updates about eCommerce in the e-news.
[ top ]
The Department of Health and Ageing is seeking an organisation or consortium of organisations to establish and operate a national Youth Mental Health Foundation over the period 1 December 2005 to June 2009. The foundation will be funded through the National Youth Mental Health Initiative, for which $69 million has been allocated by the Australian Government.
The advertisement calling for applications from organisations or consortia to establish and operate the Youth Mental Health Foundation appeared in major newspapers on Saturday 20 August.
The RFA (Request For Application) documentation and application forms can be downloaded from the Department's website at the following address: http://www.health.gov.au/tenders
[ top ]
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.
[ top ]
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.
[ top ]