Special Issue 9 | 1 April 2005
We would like to thank you once again, for all your efforts in helping us implement FOFMS.
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You will soon receive a letter from Peta Winzar, the National Manager of National Disability Operations, detailing the payments that will be made to you during and after the implementation of FOFMS. Attachment A lists changes to the dates and timing of payments from FaCS and are summarised, below:
Block Grant Cases - third working day of the month.
Transitioned Clients - second working day of the month.
Gap Payment - You will receive the Gap payment on the 10th working day of each month for the preceding month. Please note: there will be no Gap payments made after May 2005 as all transitioned Case Based Funding (CBF) clients will receive CBF maintenance fees as determined by their Disability Maintenance Instrument (DMI) assessment.
For all CBF clients who commenced before and after 1 January 2005 , including new CBF clients post 4 April and clients on the Disability Pre-employment Instrument (DPI) - You will receive a payment for these clients on their anniversary date for the preceding month.
Business Service Funding Subsidy (BSFS) - You will receive the BSFS payment on the 10th working day of the month for the preceding month. Please note: the first BSFS payment will be made 10 June.
DMI re-imbursement fees - There is no change to the current arrangements for the payment of DMI re-imbursement fees. You will receive payments in June, September and December 2005 and March and July 2006 for DMI assessment completed in the three months prior to the payment.
Work Based Personal Assistance (WBPA) and New Apprenticeship fees - You will be paid on or before the 10th working day of each month for claims lodged during the preceding month. For example, you will receive a payment 10 June for the period 1-31 May.
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To avoid the change in pay dates causing cashflow problems, FaCS will make a one-off adjustment payment to you on 22 April consisting of:
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The 4 April release of FOFMS will help you manage CBF quickly and easily. 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.
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A yellow FOFMS System Access Request Form was sent to you on 28 February. You need to return your access forms as soon as possible by fax to: (02) 6244 8913 so that FaCS can create user accounts for your staff to log on and use FOFMS from 4 April.
If we did not receive your system access forms by close of business 1 April, you may not be able to access and complete your day-to-day work on FOFMS until after 4 April. In the coming days the FOFMS Helpdesk will be contacting organisations that have not lodged their access forms.
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The FOFMS training exercise is almost complete with approximately 1000 users attending sessions around Australia. You would have received a number of training aids (CD-ROMs) and reference material (User Guide) that will assist you completing your day-to-day business after 4 April.
The feedback we have received from the training sessions has been positive and we are confident the implementation of FOFMS will go smoothly.
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If you are experiencing difficulties in operating FOFMS, the FaCS FOFMS Helpdesk is available to assist you. The contact details are as follows:
Phone: 1800 020 283
Fax: 02 6244 8913
Email: FOFMS@facsia.gov.au
Hours: 9.00am - 6.00pm (EST)
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We would like to thank the service providers who took time out from their busy schedule to participate in the FOFMS User Acceptance Testing (UAT) that was held in Brisbane on 8 and 9 March.
The purpose of conducting UAT is to trial FOFMS in a simulated working environment and to enable service providers to provide information about how the system functions for them. The two days proved very successful with providers gaining a first hand introduction to FOFMS and FaCS receiving useful feedback to help us prepare for the launch of Release 2 on 4 April.
In particular, we would like to thank the following people:
Kerrie Grindrod |
Clive William Taylor Farm |
Home Hill |
Robert Styling |
Phoenix Society Inc. |
Adelaide |
Keryl Neville |
Community Programs Assoc. |
Yass/Canberra |
Abby Darroch |
Activ Foundation |
Perth |
Debby Simpson |
Latrobe Valley Enterprises |
Morwell |
Regina Williams |
Oak Enterprises |
Hobart |
FaCS is also trialling assistive technology such as voice-activated software, to enable more users to access FOFMS.
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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 WBPA and New Apprenticeship fees via FOFMS from 4 April 2005.
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IDMIS was shut down on 23 March. Since that date FaCS has been moving client and case information from IDMIS to FOFMS in preparation for the 4 April release.
You will be unable to complete Intake and DMI assessments and re-assessments, access and claim WBPA and New Apprenticeship fees, between 23 March and 4 April.
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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.
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FaCS will be taking some of the DMI assessment and reassessment information in IDMIS and transferring it to FOFMS ready for 4 April.
We will not be transferring the individual answers to DMI assessment and reassessments questions.
We 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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No. Your Outlet Capacity is the sum of an outlet's Block Grant Outlet Capacity and CBF Outlet Capacity (CBFOC). CBFOC includes the AWT CBF places, the Rural and Remote Pilot places, as well as any remaining clients currently receiving assistance through the 2001 Growth Funding Round and the Assessment and Contestability Trial.
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Stretch Capacity is a 10 per cent allowance on top of your Outlet Capacity. Stretch Capacity places are used when your organisation has no vacancies and you would like to return a case that you previously suspended or exited. To access Stretch Capacity you must return the cases from suspension or exit within 12 months of the initial suspension or exit.
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From 4 April 2005 when FOFMS is implemented, you will be paid at either the CBF amount or the ABGP for each client.
At the end of each month FOFMS will calculate the payments you have received and will top them up to ensure you get at least the same amount of funding as your outlet would have had if your service had not transitioned to CBF. This is called the Business Service Funding Subsidy.
This subsidy will continue at 100 per cent of the Block Grant amount until 30 June 2006 and then at 75 per cent of the Block Grant until 30 June 2007. This will give providers time to become familiar with the impact of CBF on the cash flow of their organisations, including aspects like the importance of filling vacancies quickly.
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No. All new clients who are started from 4 April will be CBF clients, whether or not the organisation has Block Grant vacancies. Service providers would already be aware of this as it is documented in their agreement and in the CBF Transition Strategy.
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The $160 DMI reimbursement fee will only be paid to Block Grant Cases transitioned to CBF. The DMI assessment for Block Grant Cases can be completed at any time, in preparation for transition. The reimbursement fees are paid quarterly in arrears in June 2005 (for DMIs completed March - May), September 2005 (for DMIs completed June - August), December 2005 (for DMIs completed September - November), March 2006 (for DMIs completed December 2005 - February 2006) and June 2006 (for DMIs completed March - May).
DMI assessments completed for new CBF clients will not get the $160 DMI reimbursement fee.
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Timing of Payments by month |
||||
Funding Type |
March |
April |
May |
June |
Average Block Grant Price (ABGP) |
Block funding for March paid 25 February. |
Adjustment Payment |
ABGP for Block clients paid the third working day of the month. |
ABGP for Block clients paid the third working day of the month. |
Transitioned Clients |
Block funding for March paid 25 February. |
Adjustment Payment |
Case Based Funding (CBF) payment for May will be made on the second working day in June. |
CBF payment for June will be made on the second working day in July. |
CBF clients on maintenance prior to 1 Jan 2005 |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in advance) 25th March: Payments for clients whose anniversary date is between 24 March and 3 April) |
Adjustment Payment |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
CBF clients on Disability Pre-employment Instrument (DPI) prior to 1 Jan 2005 |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in advance) 25March: Payments for clients whose anniversary date is between 24 March and 3 April |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
CBF clients who commenced post 1 Jan 2005 |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) 25th March: Payments for clients whose anniversary date is between 24 March and 3 April) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
CBF clients who commence post 4 April 2005 |
Not applicable |
Not applicable |
Payment on payment anniversary date (in arrears) |
Payment on payment anniversary date(in arrears) |
Funding Subsidy |
Funding Subsidy payments are not needed until May 2005. |
Payment for May made 10 working days after the end of the month. That is, 15 June |
Payment for June made 10 working days after the end of the month. That is, 14 July |
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Gap payments |
Payment for March will be paid within 10 working days of end of the month. That is, 14 April |
Payment for April will be paid within 10 working days of end of the month. That is, 13 May |
Gap Payments won't be paid after May as all transitioned CBF clients will receive CBF maintenance fees as determined by their Disability Maintenance Instrument (DMI) assessment |
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