FOI Disclosure Log

DSS policy re: long service leave and recognising prior service

Student Financial Suppliment Scheme 2001

The department's incoming government brief, known as the Red Book, for the incoming minister or minister(s). Only include briefs prepared for the minister(s) following the 2022 federal election.

NDIS Advocacy Program

Documents relating to any meetings between the secretary of DSS and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal that took place after 1 January 2020

Specified documentation in relation to the Commonwealth Funding Agreement for Mixed Capital Works and non-Capital Works between the Commonwealth of Australia as represented and acting through the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the South Burnett Regional Council.

Documents related to every contract that DSS signed with Boston Consulting Group (being contracts, variations of contracts, work orders and internal email communications about those contracts), in any way linked to or under the responsibility of the former Deputy Secretary: Social Services, while he was employed at DSS.

This scope excludes the names and contact details of non-Senior Executive Service employees.

Can you please provide the policy changed cited on page 134 of 'Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2021-22 Social Services Portfolio', note (c) that reads "As a result of change in Australian Government policy, responsibility for the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program was transferred from NDIA to DSS effective 31 January 2021".

Documents pertaining to the Cashless Debit Card Monitoring Strategy Working Group

The final report and findings of the 2021 Swinburne University Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Research Project commissioned by the Department of Social Services.

Available for download at Summary - Informing Investment Design: Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) Research Activity | Department of Social Services, Australian Government (dss.gov.au)

Phase 2 of 2 releases for the Department’s internal review of FOI 2021-111.

This internal review focused on adequacy of searches.

Documents outlining the terms of the ILC transfer from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to the Department of Social Services.

Phase 1 of 2 releases for the Department’s internal review of FOI 2021-111.

This internal review focused on adequacy of searches.

Un-awarded Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) funding  for FY2020-21 and FY2021-22 (partial)

Data in relation to mortality exits for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021 for the following:

• Carers Payment
• Carers allowance
• Disability Support Pension
• Age Pension
• Mobility allowance
• ABSTUDY

• "All available documents detailing how membership of the Working Group was initially decided (selection criteria), and whether and why membership has changed over time.
• A full list of all corporations, companies, organisations, government departments and other bodies (or representatives thereof) and individuals that have been invited to participate in and/or have participated in the Working Group's meetings, consultations, surveys and other operations since its inception. This includes any individuals or bodies not formally listed as members of the Working Group.
• All available planning documents, papers, briefing notes, policy submissions, meeting agendas, meeting minutes (including meeting dates and attendees) and other such materials produced by or for the Working Group. This includes any advice or recommendations made by the Working Group regarding the practical administration of the Cashless Debit Card.
• Any correspondence between the Working Group and employees of the Department of Social Services, up to and including the responsible Minister/s”.

I request:

• a list of the documents described as "Policy Advice" relating to the National Redress Scheme (such as those released at pages 1-6 in FOI2021-116IRD) and their topic, created under s 17 of the FOI Act if required
• a copy of each of those documents, except to the extent that they contain protected information.

Within the context of NDIS Respiratory Supports:

All standards, protocols, reports and other documents produced by the Working Group since its inception (including draft documents) relating to respiratory supports.

DSS Payment Recipients by payment type at an SA1 level - across all attributes, for the report as at 24 September 2021

Please send an email to FOI@dss.gov.au and quote reference FOI 2122-049 to request a copy of this document.

Policy documents that discuss prior payments in relation to a redress determination.

 Policy documents on ineligible predetermination process.

Policy documents on the statement of reasons for ineligibility.

 Policy documents on the revocation process.

Additional policy research undertaken with Boston Consulting Group in relation to the improvement of the Disability Employment Services program.

Correspondence between 6 January 2010 and 30 June 2013 regarding the Commonwealth Funding Agreement for Mixed Capital Works and non-Capital Works between the Commonwealth of Australia (via FaHCSIA) and the South Burnett Regional Council.

Data and statistics in relation to the National Redress Scheme and Indigenous versus non-Indigenous applicants.

access to all ministerial briefs that:

1. were produced by the Department between 18 May 2019 and 17 August 2021;
2. relate – in whole or in part – to the “cashless debit card”; and  
3. includes a reference to one or more of the following terms: [“age pension”, “Disability Support Pension”, “Carer Payment”, “Department of Veterans’ Affairs pension” and “DVA pension”].
    

"...any briefings to/from the Chief Operating Officer regarding the historical underpayments of Research Administration Officers and Public Affairs Officers within the Department."

Internal review of primary FOI 2021-116.

Decision varied.

Scope of internal review as follows: 

"A review of the Department’s decision to refuse access to parts of documents 1-6 and to document 7; specifically:

• whether the Department’s application of section 47C was correct; and
• whether the public interest test was properly applied in the Department’s consideration of conditional exemptions 47C and 47E."

This documentation contains material that may be distressing and confronting. We acknowledge sometimes words or images can cause distress or trigger traumatic memories for people, particularly survivors of past abuse, violence or childhood trauma. The Australian Government has funded Redress Support Services to provide free practical and emotional support to people. More information on Redress Support Services is available at: www.nationalredress.gov.au/support. Telephone assistance for general support is also available at any time through Beyond Blue 1300 224 636, Lifeline 13 11 14 and 1800 RESPECT at 1800 737 732.  They are in addition to the above mentioned Redress Support Services.

Documents relating to assessing applications for the National Redress Scheme.

This documentation contains material that may be distressing and confronting. We acknowledge sometimes words or images can cause distress or trigger traumatic memories for people, particularly survivors of past abuse, violence or childhood trauma. The Australian Government has funded Redress Support Services to provide free practical and emotional support to people. More information on Redress Support Services is available at: www.nationalredress.gov.au/support. Telephone assistance for general support is also available at any time through Beyond Blue 1300 224 636, Lifeline 13 11 14 and 1800 RESPECT at 1800 737 732.  They are in addition to the above mentioned Redress Support Services.

The department’s work from home policy.

Any document with the number of on-going NDIS external review clients supported by DSS-funded appeals advocates in 2019-20 financial year

Any document with the number of on-going NDIS external review clients supported by DSS-funded appeals advocates in 2020-21 financial year

I am undertaking a research project Regulation and Governance for Indigenous Welfare: Poverty Surveillance and its Alternatives (DE180100599). As part of this research, I am analysing regulation and governance issues with the Cashless Debit Card. I note that the 2018 Australian National Audit Office report on the CDC refers to CDC risk plans and risk management plans, and I request a copy of these plans under the FOI legislation to better inform my research on the CDC. 

I request a copy of the briefing document, and any supporting documents/attachments, provided to the decision maker/s to approve the $36 million to support disability employment and community participation under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) grants program announced on 13 April 2021.

In relation to the Department’s contract with the Boston Consulting Group as amended on 18 August 2020 (CN3676568-A2), the Department has told Senate Estimates that Boston Consulting Group provided:

• Two reports for the DES mid-term review: the draft and final review reports; and b.
• One report for the ESAt review.

In relation to the ESAt review, I note that on 28 October at Senate Estimates, official Catherine Rule stated that the report was “not secret”.

In relation to the mid-term review, I note the secretary of the department told Estimates on 29 October it “wasn’t a report to government”.

I request:

• the three reports listed above
• a copy of the relevant Request for Tender
• a copy of any briefing to the Departmental Secretary seeking views or clearance of the Request for Tender
• a copy of any industry briefings in relation to the tender, if one exists
• a copy of any briefings related to the first variation of the tender, which was valued at $880,000 and was for “further research”

Please provide us with a copy of:  

1. the tender and/or contract between:
   1. the former Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs; and
   2. Security & Technology Services (Norwest) Pty Ltd (also known as “Security and Technology Service (WA)”), which was for the period 22 October 2012 to 25 January 2013 and has a Contract Notice ID of CN917001 (as published on www.tenders.gov.au); and 
2. all correspondence (meaning emails, letters, facsimiles, memoranda, and file notes of telephone conversations and meetings): 
   1. relating to the tender and/or contract located in accordance with subparagraph 5(a) above; and  
   2. in respect of which Mr Gregory Ireland is a sender or recipient of, or is referred to therein, (that is, where both (i) and (ii) above are satisfied).  
       

Any documents, specifically ministerial/executive briefing notes, advice and email attachments as well as correspondence mentioning, discussing or deliberating over changes in considerations for Home Based Work applications since the APSC circular was issued in November 2020.

Please limit this search to documents or correspondence between the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Anne Ruston, or staff within their office or staff acting on their behalf and the Social Services secretary, Kathryn Campbell, or staff acting on behalf of the secretary as well as senior executive level staff within the Department of Social Services.

Additionally, I request documents reflecting the number of Home Based Work applications submitted by employees since 1 November 2020, including details on how many have been approved, rejected or are still being processed.

I request details on the processing times and reasons given by the department for Home Back Work rejections. I also request details on how many applicants have appealed department decisions where a Home Based Work application was rejected and how many of those were later approved upon appeal.

The range of all the above search requests should be limited to documents created since 1 November 2020 and 25 February 2021 (today's date).

Documents held by you and your office relating to the decision to introduce Independent functional assessments to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) announced on 28 August 2020 in response to the review of the NDIS Act by David Tune AO PSM. Specifically, my request encompasses:

• Correspondence between David Tune AO PSM and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), Department of Social Services or Minister Robert’s office mentioning Independent Assessments.
• Documents determining the impact of Independent Assessments on scheme sustainability.

FOI 2021-064

Stronger Places Stronger People

… seek information regarding the "Disability Employment Services Privacy Consent Form V1.3"… In particular I seek the following information either in the "Deed", internal Departmental documents and or in any guidelines / directives to JobActive/DES providers for the period of the current Deed 1/7/2018 until the present.

1. Where it is listed as mandatory and or optional to complete this form
2. Any reference to clients refusing to complete the form
3. Any reference to clients amending the form in any way e.g alterations or via writing general comments

I also seek a copy/copies of any previous Disability Employment Services Privacy Consent Forms for the period 1St July 2018 until the introduction of Version 3.1 (9/03/2020)

…any document/s, policy, procedure, guidance note etc, either paper or electronic, that outlines, clarifies etc:

1. The criteria for a person to obtain support pursuant to the ICSS
2. All types of support available pursuant to the ICSS
3. Financial amount / quantification of support available in respect or a carer and/or care recipient, including how this is determined / allocated
4. The assessment checklist / criteria that assessors use when determining whether someone is eligible for support pursuant to the ICSS, including how the assessors determine what support/s will be allocated, and how much support/s will be allocated
5. The objection / appeal process, if a person is unhappy with a decision pursuant to the ICSS, for example, a decision on what, and how much, support that will be made available 
6. Any information, guidelines, policies, procedures, guidance notes etc on how the ICSS would apply, and how support packages would be allocated, in the following situations:
   1. A person provides care to multiple recipients in the same household (for example, if a parent supports their disabled child that lives with them, and also supports their spouse with mental health issues in the same household) 
   2. A person provides support to care recipients at 2 different addresses / household (for example, if a parent supports their disabled child that lives with them, and also supports their elderly parent that lives elsewhere) 
   3. A person that requires care themselves is also a carer (for example, a parent with mental health issues cares for a disabled child)
   4. Multiple persons (carers) from different addresses / households provide support to a care recipient living elsewhere  (for example, if siblings that live in their own household / address share the care of an elderly parent that lives by themselves elsewhere in their own household)

How support pursuant to the ICSS is impacted if the care recipient is also eligible for supports elsewhere, eg Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) or MyAged Care Commonwealth Home Support Program or Home Care package
 

Tender documentation (including the approach to market, contract specification requirements and the final contract) in relation to the contract with N2N Communications for $878,735 commencing on 26 August 2020 (Austender Contract Notice CN3710563)

I request please DSS document No. EF20/7543

I request please DSS document No. EF20/13299

‘… all documents held by the Department of Social Services that relate to the use of "income averaging" by DSS, Services Australia, the Department of Human Services, or Centrelink, to finalise welfare debts in either the 1990s or the 1980s. To be clear, I am not seeking documents created in the 1990s or 1980s. I am seeking documents which relate to inquiries that the department has recently about the use of income-averaging dating back to the 1990s or 1980s. The documents could likely include correspondence between departmental staff relating to requests for investigations into the potential use of income averaging dating back to the 1990s, or 1980s, and the subsequent findings of these investigations in whatever form they may take. As a result, please confine my request to documents that were created after 1 July 2019.’

“…all correspondence, by email, text message or WhatsApp, between the Minister and the Minister's office and APM including its chief executive Michael Anghie sent this year.

I am also after all correspondence (email, text message or WhatsApp) between Minister Ruston and Minister Roberts about the JobActive fee change”

I request a list of all entities which received work from the Department under the National Indigenous Procurement Policy in the 2019-20 financial year.

“I kindly request a copy of the document/s, paper or electronic, that outline:

1. any conditions, requirements etc. that ACN must adhere to in relation to the grant, for example, how the grant monies are to be spent, and general governance conditions that ACN must meet in order to continue to be eligible for the grant monies,
2. any conditions, requirements etc. that stipulate what the grant is permitted to be used for”

FOI Request 2021-002 Documents

...the funding agreement for the years 2017-2020 and 2020-2022 for the DDS- NDIS Appeals between the Department of Social Services and Side by Side Advocacy Inc

Data on the Student Start-Up Loan - for each of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 – total amount lent and estimated fair value of lending for each of those years.

As of 30 June 2019, the total amount lent for Student Start-Up loans and current fair value.

The Australian Government Actuary Report on the Student Start-Up loan mentioned on page 157 of the DSS Annual Report 2018-19.

I seek access to the issue frequency analysis document.

• Any document disclosing the total number of search requests received by ISS Australia, including the number of families located and the number of reunions facilitated.
• ISS’s final report.
• Any document which discloses the number of search requests from Indian adoptees or adoptive parents of children from India.
• The number of families located by ISS in India, including the number of reunions facilitated.
• Any document relating to the total funding received by ISS for this project.

a) A document created and/or compiled by DSS between May 18 2019 and June 30 2019 (inclusive of both dates) prepared at the request of and/or prepared for and/or delivered to the Minister for the NDIS and/or the Office of the Minister for the NDIS outlining and/or detailing and/or explaining and/or reviewing the status of the NDIS.

b) Any other “brief” and/or “submission” and/or PDF and/or word document of more than 10 pages in length created and/or compiled by DSS between May 18 2019 and June 30 2019 (inclusive of both dates) prepared at the request of and/or prepared for and/or delivered to the Minister for the NDIS and/or the Office of the Minister for the NDIS about the NDIS.