Output Group 1.3 I Child Support

Challenge 3: Encourage and support parental responsibility

An important focus for CSA is to encourage and support parents to manage their child support responsibilities independently, as this leads to better relationships within separated families and results in more child support being paid in a timely manner for the benefit of children. The emphasis on parental self reliance is paying dividends, as the year 2002–03 marks the first time over half of the parents registered with CSA (50.6 per cent) transferred their child support privately, with minimal CSA intervention.

Figure 3 below shows a disproportionate increase in the amount of child support transferred in 2002–03 compared to previous years. In previous years the amount of child support transferred through private collections was under-reported. Therefore, the increase above natural growth in 2002–03 is due to the inclusion of previously uncounted private collect transfers. This inclusion was made possible by the introduction of Cuba, CSA’s new IT system, in March 2002.

Figure 3: Growth in CSA transfers

Supporting parent’s referral service

CSA piloted two delivery methods for the referral service. One invited clients to attend a face-to-face interview with a mediation and counselling service, while the other offered clients the option of talking with Men’s Line Australia counsellors over the telephone. Early results of the initial pilot evaluation show that non-resident parents reacted positively to CSA’s proactive offer of referral to support services and found the services beneficial. Fifty-three per cent of clients who were offered the referral service took up one of the options.

Primary dispute resolution partnership

In an initiative coordinated by the Attorney-General’s Department, CSA trialled a service delivery model where CSA staff offered clients the option of being directly transferred to a Relationships Australia counsellor while still on the telephone. CSA also developed a self-help quiz to guide parents through the separation maze.

Evaluation of the trial indicated that over half the clients offered the referral option chose to take it up. Feedback also indicated that many clients found the proactive intervention by CSA to be a positive experience, and that they found the self-help product valuable.

Promoting financial management

The CSA product Guide to managing your money provides parents with step-by-step guidance and practical examples of how to budget, gain control of their money and plan ahead financially. High demand for the original booklet led CSA to develop an interactive version for its web site. This version has received 2500 hits since July 2002.

Challenge 4: Streamline agency service delivery

Objective: to optimise cost-effective service delivery

Outcome: Child Support Agency administration represents world’s best practice in the field of child support administration

National collection strategy

In 2002–03, CSA developed a new national collection strategy, which has a strong improvement focus. The new strategy represents CSA’s over-arching approach to child support collections, and is a way to manage and maximise collections both nationally and regionally. Aspects of CSA business that the strategy covers include:

client payment options and collection tools

debt reduction targets and strategies set at national, regional and stream levels

trends in key collection and debt indicators.

The new collection strategy is one of CSA’s major innovations that will help to stabilise the growth in child support debt, which continued to trend upwards in 2002–03. Funds allocated in the 2003-04 Budget to encourage and enforce payment from parents with child support debts, will use the national collection strategy approach to increase efforts in stemming the total amount of child support debt.

Integrated service delivery model

The integrated service delivery model means that services and products are targeted to the clients who benefit most from them. The model has been modified in 2002–03 to incorporate the Infrastructure and Quality Framework that underpins and regulates CSA business.

Figure 4: CSA—integrated service delivery model

Web site redesign

CSA launched a new-look web site at www.csa.gov.au, with improved navigation and a more user-friendly design. The new design places greater emphasis on CSA clients—separated parents—and delivers on the strategic intent of providing clients with tools and support to increase their self reliance. There has been an overwhelming response that the new web site is a significant improvement on the old.

Challenge 5: Increase our organisational capability and productiveness

Objective: all Child Support Agency people have the capability, commitment and resources to deliver child support outcomes efficiently

Outcome: the Child Support Agency achieves the right balance between the interest of the organisation and the interests of its people

Negotiation of a new Agency Agreement

Three-quarters of CSA staff voted in favour of the proposed new Agency Agreement, developed in negotiation with staff and the Community and Public Sector Union and certified in December 2002. The new agreement places strong emphasis on improving the level of client service while helping staff manage their daily work activities more effectively. There are two key requirements under the new agreement, which target areas that CSA identified as needing particular improvement:

development of a more rigorous and sophisticated national workflow management system. In response to this requirement CSA has implemented comprehensive work schedules in its New Clients and Collection Support Streams.

simplification of staff advancement procedures, identified as an area that staff felt was too complex. CSA has made substantial inroads into streamlining procedures while diversifying the methods by which staff can apply for advancement. Further improvements will be implemented in the coming year.

Cuba—consolidation of business support systems

Cuba, the new CSA IT system implemented last year, realised its potential to deliver benefits to staff and clients by enabling child support case activities to be monitored and actioned until all client issues are resolved. Integration between Cuba and the CSA telephony system enables each client call to be sent directly to the most appropriate person, team or stream to deal with their issues. Comprehensive disaster recovery programs were put in place in 2002–03 to manage the impact any technological difficulties may have on client outcomes.

The successful consolidation of Cuba has been due largely to a continuous, responsive program of system enhancements, which incorporates client and staff feedback to ensure appropriate improvements were made in a timely manner. For more information, see CSA’s section in Part two—Information strategies and technology management.

Review of CSA letters

CSA began a comprehensive review of all letters and statements to ensure clients and employers can easily understand CSA written correspondence. Amendments to some letters have already been made and more changes will be made in the coming months. Many of the changes were proposed as a direct result of client and staff feedback identifying problem areas and making suggestions for improvement.

The review will continue until the end of 2003.

Recruitment, development and retention of staff

In 2002–03 CSA recruited approximately 500 new staff nationally. This increase in the capacity to match new staff with the demands and requirements of the CSA business environment has led to a significantly higher retention rate. In 2002–03, CSA retained over 88 per cent of its staff.

CSA identified problems in the satisfaction levels of staff at the APS 4 level, who are often experienced frontline staff and are a key element in delivering quality services to CSA clients. Focus groups have already begun, in order to determine the key drivers of job satisfaction for this group of staff and to investigate solutions to increase their satisfaction.

Senior leaders at CSA are regularly brought together during twice-yearly business and learning forums. In May 2003 CSA expanded upon this initiative by holding a more inclusive leadership conference, attended by around 300 staff. For more detail see Part 2: Management and accountability—Enabling our people.

Challenge 6: Guarantee transparent and accountable service

Objective: to ensure complete accountability and best value quality services by continually measuring and monitoring performance

Outcome: ministers, government and the community consider the Child Support Agency provides a valuable service to the community

Reviews and appeals

Change of assessment

CSA clients with special circumstances can apply to have their child support assessments varied. CSA received 31 174 change of assessment applications in 2002–03. This represents 4.5 per cent of all those eligible for a formula assessment.

Of the total applications, 16 279 resulted in varied assessments, while 5786 remained unchanged, with the balance being withdrawn or invalid. Payers made 53.3 per cent of all applications and 45.8 per cent were made by payees. The Child Support Registrar generated the balance of applications.

The Child Support Registrar can initiate a change of assessment where special circumstances exist. In 2002–03, the registrar initiated 207 change of assessment applications. Of these applications, 92 per cent resulted in varied assessments.

Objections

Under the Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 and the Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988, CSA clients can object to most decisions CSA makes. In 2002–03, CSA received 14 630 objections and finalised 14 057. As at 30 June 2003, 1768 objections were in progress. Of all finalised objections, 56.7 per cent were disallowed, 15 per cent were upheld or partially upheld, and 28.3 per cent were withdrawn or invalid.

Client charter review

A review of the CSA client charter is almost complete, after extensive consultation with clients and staff. It has focused on how to further integrate the award-winning CSA charter into everyday business practices and processes.

The guide

In November 2002 CSA launched an easy-to-read online reference guide to child support legislation and decisions. The guide is published on the CSA web site so that parents, the legal profession, community organisations and interested members of the public have access to the information that CSA staff use on a daily basis to make decisions about child support issues.

Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) Report

During 2002 the ANAO conducted a follow-up performance audit of CSA. The audit report was extremely positive and acknowledged the emphasis CSA placed on dealing with issues raised in the previous audit. The report concluded that CSA’s performance had improved significantly, especially in many aspects of client service, since the previous ANAO report.

Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence

CSA was recognised for its achievements at the 2002 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management. Two of the three CSA submissions received acknowledgment, with a Silver award for People development: Aligning culture and capabilities with vision and a special commendation for Implementation of Cuba: CSA’s business support system. These achievements made CSA one of the most successful agencies on the night.

Management and accountability

For information on CSA’s management and accountability, see the relevant sections in Part two of this annual report.

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