"Alternative Service Arrangements"

Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Services Australia

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department of Human Services,

I would like a copy of the current template(s) used by the Department to refuse face to face services and to offer "Alternative Service Arrangements" (Also Known As "ASA").

I would also like a copy of any current guidance issued to Departmental officers on when and how Alternative Service Arrangements are to be offered.

Please deal with this request informally or in accordance with your Administrative Access scheme if practicable. If this isn't practical, please consider it a formal application under the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fairless

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Fairless,

Please see attached correspondence relating to your request under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982.

If you have any queries, please email [DHS request email].

Kind regards

 

FOI Officer

FOI Team

Freedom of Information & Information Release Branch | Legal Services
Division
Department of Human Services

 

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Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Thanks for your email and acknowledgement. Can I clarify why the department wishes to process this request formally, instead of under Administative Access (http://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-inform...)

Many Thanks,

Ben Fairless

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Dear Mr Fairless,

Thank you for your email.

At this preliminary stage, the department does not consider administrative release to be practicable or appropriate. It is necessary to undertake consultations with the business area who owns the documents within the scope of your request prior to making a decision regarding administrative access.

The department will contact you to discuss administrative access, should it be appropriate.

If you have any further queries, please email [DHS request email].

Kind regards

FOI Officer
FOI Team
Freedom of Information & Information Release Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services

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Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

If it helps the Department manage it's caseload, I'm happy to withdraw LEX 12160 if you can provide the below documents (which are listed on http://operational.humanservices.gov.au) without needing to go through the formal process of the FOI Act:

BluePrint:
277-09070000 Personalised Services (CS)
277-09080000 Restricted service customer options (CS)
277-09080010 Restricted service for a Child Support customer
277-09080020 Reviewing a restricted service for a Child Support customer
277-09110000 Customer aggression and unreasonable customer conduct (CS)
104-02010010 Customer aggression

eRef:
101.04670 Restricted Servicing Arrangements (RSA)
101.04680 Escalated Customer Management

It would be appreciated if each document was provided in it's original format (HTML or Microsoft Word) and the documents were attached individually.

I note that on the "Operational information for the Department of Human Services: site makes it clear that information on the list is available on request, so hopefully this makes processing the crux of my request easier.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Fairless

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Dear Mr Fairless,

Thank you for your email.

Of the operational information you have requested, the following are
available for release through the department's administrative processes:

 

·         277-09070000 Personalised Services

·         277-09080000 Restricted service customer options

·         277-09080010 Restricted service for a Child Support customer

·         277-09080020 Reviewing a restricted service for a Child Support
customer

·         277-09110000 Customer aggression and unreasonable customer
conduct

·         104-02010010 Customer Aggression

I note that the department is currently developing a new system that will
automate the publication of operational information directly to the
department’s website for direct download by the public. This means that
the department will transition from e-reference to the operational
blueprint. Unfortunately, the e-reference guides that you have requested
no longer exist as they have been transitioned to operational blueprint
and are not available through the department’s Information Publication
Scheme.

Could you please confirm whether you wish to withdraw your request LEX
12160 under the FOI Act and receive the above operational information
through the department’s administrative processes.

If you have any queries, please email [DHS request email].

Kind regards

 

FOI Officer

FOI Team

Freedom of Information & Information Release Branch | Legal Services
Division

Department of Human Services

 

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Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Thanks for getting back to me. I'm happy to accept the documents you listed and you can consider LEX 12160 withdrawn when those documents are received.

As for the documents that aren't available, it would be helpful if you could review the information listed on your Operational Information Site, as the documents you say no longer exist are listed as documents which could be released under the IPS (see http://operational.humanservices.gov.au/... for a list of all documents you say can be released under IPS).

Many Thanks,

Ben Fairless

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

6 Attachments

Dear Mr Fairless,

Please see attached the following operational information:

 

·         277-09070000 Personalised Services

·         277-09080000 Restricted service customer options

·         277-09080010 Restricted service from a Child Support customer

·         277-09080020 Reviewing a restricted service for a Child Support
customer

·         277-09110000 Customer aggression and unreasonable customer
conduct

·         104-02012210 Customer aggression

 

I have now taken your request to have been withdrawn.

If you have any further queries, please email
[1][DHS request email].

Kind regards

 

FOI Officer

FOI Team

Freedom of Information & Information Release Branch | Legal Services
Division
Department of Human Services

 

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References

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