Issue 102
11 March 2008
A reminder that interested parties have until 10.00am Canberra local time on 20 March 2008 to submit an Expression of Interest to establish new disability supported employment business services, in areas where there is demonstrated high demand.
Those interested in submitting an Expression of Interest should visit www.fahcsia.gov.au/funding and download the Expression of Interest Application Pack, which consists of the following documents:
· Application Form
· Application Guidelines
· Application Checklist
· 2007-2010 Disability Employment Assistance Funding Agreement documents
For further information phone Mark Heywood on 1800 108 196 (Toll Free). Enquiries and responses to questions received from potential applicants will be posted on the FaHCSIA website for the benefit of all applicants.
[ top ]
The Work Based Personal Assistance Requirements Form and the New Apprenticeship and Work Based Personal Assistance claim forms have been updated and can be found in the FOFMS Literature Portal. Please use the new versions of these forms in any future claims.
If you have any further queries, please contact the case based funding helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or helpdesk.cbf@facsia.gov.au
[ top ]
In his usual fortnightly column, Michael answers some of the most frequently asked questions from the CBF Helpdesk.
If you have a DEA or FOFMS question for Michael, please contact the CBF Helpdesk by calling 1800 034 887, or by emailing helpdesk.cbf@facsia.gov.au
[ top ]
If you receive the error message ‘CRN is not unique’ when registering a new supported employee’s details on FOFMS, it means the supported employee has an existing record and you will not be able to continue with the registration process. If you receive this error message, please contact the CBF Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or helpdesk.cbf@facsia.gov.au and we will assist you to complete the registration process.
[ top ]
Activities in your FOFMS homepage can be removed once completed or if no longer relevant, by updating the status of the activity.
a) Choose the desired ‘Activity’ alert in your homepage by selecting ‘to do’ in the type field.
b) Once you have selected an activity you can alter the status of the Activities Record by selecting ‘Done’ in the status field and save the record.
c) The activity will no longer appear in your ‘Homepage’ view.
Please note that case activities will only appear in your homepage if you are the assigned case worker on FOFMS. Altering the ‘Case Worker’ field in the cases view will not transfer pre-existing case activities to your homepage and it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete DMI assessments within the required time frame.
[ top ]
The FOFMS Service Provider User Guide can now be accessed through the FOFMS Literature Portal. The Service Provider User Guide provides FOFMS users with clear instructions, help and support in FOFMS functionality. The user guide will help you to access the system, navigate, search and run queries, view the status of your agreements and agreement schedules, create and view client and case records, and generate reports on payments to your organisation.
If you require further information on FOFMS functionality or any of the content contained in the user guide please contact the FOFMS Helpdesk on 1800 020 283 or fofms@facsia.gov.au
[ top ]
Please remember to save your changes when updating the Case or Client records of your supported employees on FOFMS. To do this, select the ‘save record’ option in the menu bar located in the FOFMS screen you are currently viewing.
Please note that any underpayments to your service resulting from unsuccessfully saved changes to Case and Client records will not be back-payed.
If you have any questions about updating Case or Client records, please contact the Case Based Funding Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or helpdesk.cbf@facsia.gov.au
[ top ]
The supported employee must sign a Client Consent form before you complete and authorise their Intake Assessment. The Client Consent Form can be foundon the Literature site in FOFMS.
The $545 Intake Fee and monthly Employment Assistance payments for new cases are not payable until an Intake Assessment has been completed and authorised on FOFMS. FaHCSIA will not backdate payments to services that have not authorised intake assessments.
Cases without a completed and authorised Intake Assessment will have a status of 'Draft' in FOFMS and occupy one unit of outlet capacity. You should review your case list for any cases with a ‘Draft’ status and either complete and authorise an Intake Assessment or contact the Case Based Funding Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 to exit the record.
[ top ]
You should create a supported employee case record on the day that a potential employee first presents for work. Creating a case on the employee’s first day will ensure that your service receives the funding it is entitled to. This will save you time if the employee fails to attend your service and will not reduce your number of vacancies.
[ top ]
The Case Based Funding Helpdesk has a new fax number. Please fax all Work Based Personal Assistance and New Apprenticeship claims to (07) 3004 4688. Claims sent by mail can still be forwarded to GPO Box 9820, Brisbane QLD 4001.
[ top ]
In 2004/05 the Australian Government announced the four year “Security, Quality Services and Choice for People with Disabilities” package of measures which included, flexible funding assistance for business services, to help improve viability. Under the BSAP, FaHCSIA has conducted over 200 Full Capability Reviews and approved and provided significant viability assistance to business services.
As funding for the BSAP initiative expires at the end of this financial year (30 June 2008), business services should focus attention on implementing BSAP business strategies and submitting invoices for payments, in accordance with prescribed timeframes. Business services that do not meet deliverable milestones and submit invoices for payment before 30 June 2008, will not be able to access funding, after 30 June 2008.
For existing providers of targeted support, 30 June 2008 is also the final date for reimbursement of funds approved for service based supports for existing case management/targeted support service recipients. This means if the case review process has identified the need for additional supports for an existing case management/targeted support service recipient, you must contact your local FaHCSIA contract manager as soon as possible to ensure finalisation before 30 June 2008. Funding of places is guaranteed to 2012 but there will be no further consideration of financial assistance for additional supports after 30 June 2008.
Please contact your local FaHCSIA Contract Manager if you have any queries about these requirements.
[ top ]
To avoid an overpayment it is important that services providing targeted support activities inform their FaHCSIA contract manager as soon as a client leaves the program.
A client may leave (Exit) the program for a number of reasons, including:
or
Steps you must take when a client exits your outlet:
Under the Standard Terms and Conditions of your targeted support agreement with FaHCSIA, you may be required to repay funds that were provided to your outlet after the client left the service and before you notified the Department of the exit. To avoid this, please inform the department as soon as possible if a client is no longer able to participate in the program.
For more information, refer to the Targeted Support Funding Agreement or contact your FaHCSIA contract manager.
[ top ]
At the time of organising your next quality audit, you must disclose to the certification body which Australian Government funded services you are contracted to deliver. If you operate a multi-service organisation, this includes operation of:
Even if your organisation has only a few targeted support service recipients placed in another program or service, you are required to advise your certification body of the numbers of these individuals and where they are placed.
For queries about targeted support and quality assurance, contact Jen Albright at jennifer.albright@facsia.gov.au
[ top ]
Making wood machined products for the mining industry is an innovative Business Service function that has created opportunities for the 32 business service clients at Bendigo Access Employment’s PepperGreen Farm business service division. Bendigo Access Employment (BAE) was forced to look at alternate activities when the drought made it increasingly difficult to maintain the various horticulture and gardening activities at PepperGreen Farm in the Bendigo region of Victoria. Bendigo is currently on Stage 4 water restrictions.
Like most Australian industry, the mining industry essentially wants wood machined products at the cheapest possible price, and made to tight specifications, so it is a very competitive contract for BAE. Bendigo Access Employment, currently supplies a contractor servicing most of eastern Australia with wooden blocks used by mining drillers and geologists. BAE has leveraged this capability to win contracts to make furniture components for a leading furniture manufacturer, based in Bendigo, Jimmy Possum Furniture.
BAE was able to develop this business as a result of a Business Services Assistance Package (BSAP) grant from FaHCSIA. This grant provided industrial woodworking equipment, OH&S facilities and training, together with the mentoring of production and business processes to an existing workshop space at the PepperGreen Farm site in Bendigo. The recently built workshop was re-purposed, to move away from work activities which were continually affected by the ongoing drought.
Processes have been adjusted to reflect the abilities of clients, as well as providing a safe and productive working environment. The provision of industrial equipment, the streamlining of processes and the cooperation of the local business community in sourcing cost effective raw materials, have enabled BAE to expand its order book from pilot runs to full production in less than eight months. More importantly, the new equipment and processes have enabled clients who were previously limited to packaging tasks, to be involved in machine production of components.
The location of the wooden component making business at PepperGreen Farm, has made it possible to co-locate a number of complementary businesses at the site, including splitting and supply of firewood and cleaning and storage of home based rehabilitation medical equipment, for a local healthcare provider. The use of water harvested from the roof of the facility, has also made it possible to undertake a limited car washing business and a small market garden, all providing additional employment opportunities.
For more information:
Bendigo Access Employment
Paul Kirkpatrick, CEO
29-23 Mundy Street
Bendigo Victoria 3552
Tel: (03) 5445 9800
Fax: (03) 5441 7088
Email:paulk@accessemployment.com.au
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 ]