HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
Helping Children with Autism (HCWA)
Early Intervention Service Provider
Panel
Operational Guidelines
July 2012
Page 1 of 45
HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
Revision History
Version
Reference
Section/Page
Date
Revision
Version
1
Multiple
Multiple
June 2010
Multiple revisions. New Deeds
from 1 July 2010.
Version
2
Page 13
Section 3.4 (g)
August 2010
Changes to guidelines on
purchasing resources
Version
3
Pages 16
and 25
Sections 6
and 17
December
2010
Page 7
2.1
Updated contact email to
asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au,
replacing asdpanel and asd email
addresses
Version
4
Pages 5-8,
12, 14, 15,
17-22, 24,
26-32
Multiple
Multiple
Multiple
Revised Speech Pathology and
Psychology requirementsMultiple
revisions
February 2012
Multiple revisions
Rearrangement of sections
to make consistent with Better
Start
-
Update of document names
Modification of
requirements for Specified and
Other Qualified Personnel
New details in Section 3
(3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6
New information in Section
4 on In and Out of Scope
Interventions
Modification of Service
Delivery Section 5
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART A – HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel…………………………………………………….4
1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 4
2
Access to Early Intervention Funding and Services .................................................................................. 6
3
About the HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel .................................................................... 9
4
What are service providers required to deliver? ...................................................................................... 11
5
Service Delivery....................................................................................................................................... 14
6
Confirmation of eligibility.......................................................................................................................... 22
7
Payment for Services .............................................................................................................................. 24
8
Consortium Arrangements ...................................................................................................................... 27
9
Sub-Contractors ...................................................................................................................................... 29
10
Operational Requirements for Providers ................................................................................................. 29
11
Privacy Issues ......................................................................................................................................... 33
12
Reporting ................................................................................................................................................. 34
13
Reviews ................................................................................................................................................... 35
14
Complaints ............................................................................................................................................... 35
15
FaHCSIA National Office Responsibilities............................................................................................... 36
16
Contact information ................................................................................................................................. 36
PART B – Funding Management System ..................................................................................................... 38
1
FaHCSIA Online Funding Management System (FOFMS) ..................................................................... 38
2
User Access ............................................................................................................................................ 39
3
Funding .................................................................................................................................................... 42
4
Using FOFMS .......................................................................................................................................... 42
5
Further technical support ......................................................................................................................... 45
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
PART A – HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel
1
Introduction
The Helping Children with Autism Early Intervention Service Provider Panel: Operational
Guidelines provide the operational framework for the Early Intervention Service Provider Panel (the
Panel) and form the basis for the business relationship between the Department of Families,
Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and Service Providers on the
Panel.
The Operational Guidelines form part of the Funding Agreement between FaHCSIA and each
Provider on the Panel. These Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Early Intervention
Services for Children with Disability Program Guidelines (Parts A, B and C), the cover letter and
the Standard Terms and Conditions – Standard Funding Agreement (July 2011) (hereafter referred
to as the Standard Terms and Conditions).
FaHCSIA reserves the right to vary any aspect of, or replace these Guidelines from time to time by
whatever means it may determine in its absolute discretion, provided the changes are not
inconsistent with the Standard Funding Agreement.
Amendments made to these Guidelines will be notified by email to the contact person named in the
Standard Funding Agreement within 20 business days of any variation. FaHCSIA will ensure that
the most current version of the Guidelines is located within the Literature Tab of the FaHCSIA
Online Funding Management System (FOFMS).
It is the responsibility of each organisation on the Panel to ensure that they are familiar with the
content and requirements of these Guidelines as detailed in the current version maintained in
FOFMS.
1.1 The Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) Package
The Early Intervention Service Provider Panel was established in October 2008 by FaHCSIA as
the mechanism to provide increased access to services for children with autism spectrum disorder
(ASD). Early Intervention funding is one component of the HCWA Package (for more information
on the complete HCWA Package see Part C: Application Information for the Helping Children with
Autism (HCWA) Package
1.2 Components of HCWA Early Intervention
The Early Intervention Service builds on existing services being provided by state and territory
governments. Eligibility to the HCWA Early Intervention funding should not restrict access to state
and territory services and funding. It will contribute towards the 20 hours a week of early
intervention for children with ASD as recommended by the Guidelines for Best Practice 20061.
1
Prior, M. & Roberts, J. (2006) Early Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Guidelines for
Best Practice
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
1.2.1 Early Intervention funding
Eligible children have access to a funding package of up to $12,000 (maximum of $6,000 per child
per financial year up till their seventh birthday) to assist with the cost of early intervention services.
The funding can be accessed across a number of financial years, up until the child turns seven, or
until the child has used all of their available funds, whichever comes first. Depending on the child’s
age at their eligibility start date, some children may not be able to access the full $12,000.
The funding package will provide structured and intensive early intervention services, such as oneon-one intensive activities and tailored group and individual programs that can be delivered in a
range of settings. Families can use their child’s funding to pay for interventions delivered by
Providers on the Panel that best suit the needs of their child. As services are delivered to eligible
children, FaHCSIA will make payments in arrears, to Providers, on behalf of families.
1.2.1.1 Family Activity Statements
FaHCSIA will generate a monthly report known as a Family Activity Statement (FAS) for each child
who has had claims processed during the preceding month. The FAS will detail the child’s name,
the Lead Agency or Provider’s name, the services received during the month and the amount paid
by FaHCSIA on the child’s behalf. Families will not receive a FAS if they have not had any claims
processed during the preceding month.
The FAS also shows the child’s current period (Financial Year) overall balance and resource
balance as well as their overall balance and resource balance until the eligibility end date.
A FAS will be emailed to families through the FaHCSIA Online Funding Management System
(FOFMS). Families who do not have an email address will receive their FAS in the post.
1.2.2 Autism Advisor Service
Autism Advisors confirm eligibility for the funding package by providing the family with a Letter of
Introduction which must be presented to the Provider on the family’s first visit. Further information
on the Letter of Introduction is in Section 7.1
Autism Advisors provide a central contact point for advice, information and linkages to service
options for families and carers. Autism Advisors provide information about local early intervention
and community based services that would best meet the particular needs of the child and family.
This includes up to date information about Providers in the local area, the interventions being
delivered, the schedule of fees, the availability of service (i.e. waiting times) and relevant contact
details.
Autism Advisors support families to apply for the Outer Regional, Remote and Access Support
Payment– see 1.2.3 below.
1.2.3 Outer Regional, Remote and Access Support Payment
Eligible children may also qualify for an additional $2,000 Outer Regional and Remote Access
Support Payment (OR&R Access payment). Eligibility for the OR&R Access payment is confirmed
by the Autism Advisors, based on the child’s residential address.
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
This one-off payment will provide families and carers with additional options for accessing or
supporting early intervention services for eligible children including training, respite, resources and
accommodation and travel to and from support services.
The OR&R Access payment is in addition to the early intervention funding of up to $12,000 that is
available per eligible child.
For more information on eligibility see Section 2.3 Eligibility for Outer Regional, Remote and
Access Support Payment.
1.2.4 Medicare component
Under the HCWA Package, children with ASD (including those over the age of six) may also be
eligible for Medicare items. A Medicare item for the development of a treatment and management
plan is available for children under the age of 13. Medicare items are also available for up to four
allied health diagnostic services and 20 allied health services (in total) for every eligible child.
Specifically, Medicare items are available for:

paediatricians and psychiatrists to diagnose and develop a treatment and management plan
for children aged under 13 years on referral from a general practitioner;

audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists,
psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to four services in total per child, per
lifetime, to collaborate with the paediatrician or psychiatrist on the diagnosis, where required.
These services must be provided before the child’s 13th birthday; and

audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists,
psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to 20 early intervention treatment
services in total per child, per lifetime, following a diagnosis of autism/PDD for the child, and
consistent with the treatment and management plan prepared by the referring practitioner.
These services must be provided before the child’s 15th birthday, provided an autism/PDD
treatment and management plan was in place before the child’s 13th birthday.
For information about the Medicare items refer to the Department of Health and Ageing website at
www.mbsonline.gov.au and www.health.gov.au/mbsprimarycareitems
2
Access to Early Intervention Funding and Services
2.1 How will families access the funding package?
To access the Early Intervention funding package:

Children require a diagnosis of an ASD from a paediatrician, psychiatrist or multidisciplinary
team (including a paediatrician or psychiatrist) to be eligible to access funding through the
Early Intervention Service; AND

Families must register their child prior to their sixth birthday with an Autism Advisor service.
Autism Advisors are located in the Autism Association in each state or territory and contact
details can be accessed at the FaHCSIA website, see http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/autism
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
2.2 Eligibility for Early Intervention funding
To be eligible for the Early Intervention funding children must satisfy each of the following eligibility
criteria:

Age - Eligible children are those who have been diagnosed in Australia with an ASD who
have been registered by an Autism Advisor before their sixth birthday;

Diagnosis - The Autism Advisor must sight a written conclusive diagnosis made in Australia
by or through any one of the following:
o
a State/Territory Government or equivalent multidisciplinary assessment service; or
o
a private multidisciplinary team; or
o
Paediatrician; or
o
Psychiatrist;
A multidisciplinary assessment team must consist of a psychologist and speech pathologist but
may also include an occupational therapist.
An acceptable diagnosis is one of the following as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Health Disorders (DSM) IV under Pervasive Developmental Disorders:

Autistic Disorder;

Asperger’s Disorder/Syndrome;

Rett’s Disorder;

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder; or

Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Please note that having “similar characteristics” to autism is not a conclusive diagnosis.
An acceptable form for a diagnosis should include either:

letter-head paper, which includes the signature and position of diagnosing person; or

as an email with ‘approved for transmission’ in the email by the appropriate diagnosing
person.

Residential eligibility - Residence requirements for access to funding is the same as that
for Carer Allowance (Child). That is, both the carer and the child being cared for must be:
o
an Australian resident - this means they are living in Australia on a permanent basis
and they are either:
o
an Australian citizen, or
o
the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
o
a New Zealand citizen who was in Australia on 26 February 2001, or for 12 months in
the 2 years immediately before that date, or was assessed as ‘protected’ before 26
February 2004.
For more information on Carer Allowance residence requirements see
www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/ca_child_residence.htm
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
2.3 Eligibility for Outer Regional, Remote and Access Support Payment
2.3.1 Outer Regional and Remote
The HCWA Package provides a payment of $2,000 for families of children who are registered for
Early Intervention funding and live in a location defined as Outer Regional, Remote or Very
Remote by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia
(ARIA+). The Outer Regional, Remote and Access Support Payment (Access Payment) is
intended to assist families in outer regional, remote or very remote locations with the higher costs
of accessing services.
Process
Payments to families who are eligible for the Access Payment based on their residential address
are processed through FaHCSIA’s Online Funding Management System (FOFMS) by Autism
Advisors.
2.3.2 Access Support
In “exceptional circumstances”, families who do not qualify for the payment on the basis of their
residential address may be eligible for the Access Payment. To be eligible under exceptional
circumstances, the family must:



Demonstrate that they are experiencing multiple, significant barriers that directly impact their
ability to access HCWA Early Intervention services for their child;
Demonstrate how the Access Payment will assist the family gain better access to HCWA
Early Intervention services for their child; and
Provide evidence that they have investigated all other options of getting access to Early
Intervention service providers and other options of support that may be available to them.
This funding will provide families with additional options for accessing early intervention services as
well as training, respite, resources (such as computers to access online information and books),
and accommodation and travel to and from support services.
This payment is in addition to outreach services available to regional and remote areas and in
addition to the funding package of up to $12,000 per eligible child.
Process




Each case will be assessed individually by FaHCSIA. Applications for consideration due to
“exceptional circumstances” must be submitted by an Autism Advisor on the appropriate
form.
A family with more than one child eligible for HCWA funding may be eligible for the Access
Payment in respect of each eligible child on the proviso that exceptional circumstances exist
for each child.
FaHCSIA will notify Autism Advisors of all decisions by email. Where a request for
consideration due to exception circumstances is approved, FaHCSIA will adjust the eligibility
flag in FOFMS.
Payment is processed on FOFMS by Autism Advisors.
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012


3
Where an application for consideration due to exceptional circumstances is unsuccessful,
families may wish to request a review of the decision. Requests should be addressed to the
Branch Manager, Autism and Early Intervention Branch in FaHCSIA via email at
ASD.Support@fahcsia.gov.au or post to FaHCSIA Box 7576, Canberra Business Centre,
ACT, 2610.
For more information please see the Information Guide on the Outer Regional, Remote and
Access Support Payment (Access Payment)
About the HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel
The purpose of the HCWA Early Intervention funding is to:

provide increased access to evidence based early intervention services and programs for
children diagnosed with ASD;

to provide families with a financial contribution towards the cost of early intervention;

provide choice and flexibility to families and carers in accessing services;

provide families and carers with funding to increase access to services; and

link families and carers to appropriate information, support and early intervention services
available.
The expected outcomes for eligible children are to:

improve capability and skills of children to participate in everyday life;

increase knowledge and skills of parents and carers to meet the needs of children with ASD;
and

improve ability to transition to formal education.
3.1 Membership of the HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel
To be eligible for membership on the HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel (the Panel),
Providers must be:

a Multidisciplinary Organisation that provides early intervention services through qualified
and experienced early intervention specialists that includes at least two of the following three
allied health professionals: Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologists
(Specified Personnel); and may also include other Qualified Personnel (see below); or

a Consortium of early intervention organisations or individual Providers that collectively and
collaboratively provide multidisciplinary services that includes at least two of the following
three allied health professionals: Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and
Psychologists (Specified Personnel) and may also include other Qualified Personnel (see
Section 8 Consortium Arrangements) ; or

a Sole Provider who is a qualified and experienced allied health professional (or
organisation) from one of the following disciplines - speech pathology, occupational therapy,
or psychology.
See also Section 8 Consortium Arrangements.
3.1.1 Specified Personnel
Multidisciplinary early intervention organisations and Consortia must demonstrate that they provide
eligible interventions and that these interventions are delivered by qualified and experienced allied
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
health professionals from the following disciplines – speech pathology, occupational therapy and
psychology.
All allied health professionals are required to have membership of one of the following professional
boards:

Occupational Therapists must hold a current general registration with the national
Occupational Therapists Board of Australia (OTBA). For further information about the
national registration see www.occupationaltherapyboard.gov.au. Membership of the
Australian Association of Occupational Therapists (OT Australia) is not mandatory for
membership of the Panel.

Psychologists must hold a current general registration with the national Psychology Board of
Australia (PBA) and are encouraged to identify themselves as providers of Autism services
and be on the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Autism and PDD Identified
Practitioners List. For further information about the national registration see
www.psychologyboard.gov.au.

Speech Pathologists practising in Queensland must be registered with the Speech
Pathologist Board of Queensland. In all other States, the Australian Capital Territory and the
Northern Territory, they must be a ‘Practising Member’ of Speech Pathology Australia.. The
preferred standard for Speech Pathologists working in this area is to be a Certified Practising
Speech Pathologist (CPSP) of Speech Pathology Australia. This means opting in to and
meeting requirements of the Professional Self-Regulation Program (PSR). Further
information on the CPSP program is available on www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au or
contact the PSR Coordinator at Speech Pathology Australia on
psrandpd@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au or 1300 368 835.
3.1.2 Other Qualified Personnel
Multidisciplinary early intervention organisations and consortia may also include personnel that
have qualifications and experience in early intervention and ASD. Other Qualified Personnel
include Teachers, Therapists and Early Childhood Educators who:

Have been specifically trained in working with children with ASD, and have the knowledge
and skills required for their special needs;

Are approved to deliver services to the extent authorised by their licensure, certification or
registration, to eligible children with ASD; and

Have appropriate licensure, certification, or registration in the area in which they are
providing services.
3.1.3 Autism Specific Qualifications and Experience
Membership of the HCWA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel requires applicants to
demonstrate appropriate professional qualifications and registration, and it is desirable that
applicants have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in providing delivering evidence based
multidisciplinary early interventions to children with ASD.
It is also desirable for applicants to demonstrate experience and capacity in working with
Indigenous and CALD families and communities, and/or with families in rural, regional and remote
areas.
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
3.1.4 Workforce Development
It is desirable that professionals within Provider organisations have the capacity and expertise to
provide training, support and professional supervision to other staff, undergraduates and post
graduate students.
3.1.5 Provisional Practitioners
Personnel who are completing qualifications under the direct supervision of Specified Personnel
may provide services to HCWA clients as long as the conditions of services are made clear to
families and cost of service is reduced appropriately. Examples include occupational therapy and
speech pathology students completing clinical coursework in their student placements or
provisional psychologists completing postgraduate qualifications.
3.1.6 Therapy Aides
Therapy aides may provide early intervention services to HCWA clients when under the
supervision and instruction of a HCWA Provider who is qualified as Specified Personnel under
Section 3.1.1. This option must be discussed with families and the cost of service reduced
appropriately.
4
What are service providers required to deliver?
For inclusion on the HCWA Service Provider Panel, Providers must satisfy the following criteria:

Deliver eligible evidence-based interventions or therapies;

Demonstrate how their service will be delivered through an individual service plan;

Demonstrate principles of good practice in early intervention;

Demonstrate in detail how their service will demonstrate the elements of effective
interventions for children with ASD; and

Provide details about the qualifications and experience of their practitioners in relation to
ASD and working with CALD, Indigenous and rural, regional and remote communities.
4.1 Interventions that are in scope
The role of a Provider is to deliver evidence-based early interventions for eligible children focussed
on contributing to the child’s ability to transition to school. Only eligible interventions will be paid for
by FaHCSIA on behalf of families.
4.1.1 Intervention Domains that are in scope
The following are the domains of early interventions that Providers may deliver under HCWA.
Early Intervention Treatment Domains:



Language and communication development
Social development and interaction
Repetitive behaviour and/or restricted interests
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
4.1.2 Eligible Interventions
The document Early Interventions Table is a result of the Review of the research to identify the
most effective models of practice in early intervention of children with autism spectrum disorders by
The Australian Autism Research Collaboration in 2011. Interventions were assessed on the
available research-based evidence of effectiveness and their use of best practice and elements of
what is known to be effective in early intervention for children with ASD.
The Early Interventions Table is available on the HCWA pages of the FaHCSIA website –
www.fahcsia.gov.au/autism. The document is not exhaustive and will be updated as additional
information and research becomes available.
4.2 Interventions that are out of scope
The HCWA Early Intervention funding is not intended to cover all early intervention services for
children with ASD or to meet all needs that an individual child may have. The initiative’s focus is on
improving access to early interventions that will assist in preparing a child for the transition to
school.
Below are the early intervention services and expenditure that are out of scope for the HCWA Early
Intervention services.
The Department will not reimburse Providers for early intervention services or treatments that are
out of scope. Providers should be aware that if they provide out of scope services and seek
reimbursement from FaHCSIA, they may have their Standard Funding Agreement terminated, as
this would constitute a breach of the agreement.
Please note that the list of interventions/charges identified in the table below is not exhaustive and
is intended to be a guide only. The Department will regularly review the list of out of scope and
eligible early interventions.
Services/Charges
Details
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is out of scope for early intervention funding. All
children must have a diagnosis before registering for HCWA.
Diagnosis is covered through the HCWA Medicare items.
Diagnostic assessments, including multi-tool assessments (e.g
ADOS) are out of scope for early intervention funding.
For further information on Assessment, see Section 5.2 Good
Practice Principles and 5.6 Assessments and Evaluations.
Medicare items
Funding cannot be used to subsidise or cover the “gap” payment
for the cost of allied health services provided through Medicare.
For information about the Medicare items refer to the Department
of Health and Ageing website at www.mbsonline.gov.au and
www.health.gov.au/mbsprimarycareitems
Private Health
Where families are claiming through private health funds,
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
Funds
FaHCSIA funding can be claimed to cover the gap between the
service cost and the refund paid by the health fund.
Counselling
Counselling is not an eligible therapy or intervention. Counselling
for parents and carers is out of scope.
Parent Training
Funding cannot be used to cover the cost of professional training
in specific interventions. Any training that contributes towards the
achievement of a professional qualification is out of scope.
Attendance at generic workshops or conferences is out of scope.
Training for parents on specific techniques that support the
ongoing delivery of an intervention at home for their child/ren is
in scope. If the training is in workshops there can be no more
than 6 families per workshop.
Family/sibling
support
Services to families such as counselling, support groups and
sibling support are out of scope.
Academic and other
educational based
services and visits
Educational support, such as payment for a teacher’s aide or
purchase of standard literacy resources, is out of scope.
An intervention or service plan that supports a child’s transition to
school is in scope. This may include pre-literacy development of
fine-motor and communication skills. It does not include standard
literacy/academic support.
Consultancy or visits to day-care/ kindergarten/ preschool can
only be included if it is to assist teaching staff to support a
specific intervention or transition.
Travel costs
These are generally out of scope. Where a service involves
considerable travel this needs to be explicit in the fee schedule.
For further information see 5.8 Costs of providing HCWA
services off-site
Cancellation
Cancellation costs are out of scope.
Providers may implement their own business rules to deal with
these issues. These costs cannot be reimbursed using HCWA
funding. FaHCSIA will only pay for intervention services that have
been delivered.
The following disclaimer will appear at the bottom of each panel
member’s fee schedule: “Please note that there may be travel
fees and/or cancellation fees associated with some services. For
more information please contact the relevant Provider.
Resources
FaHCSIA relies on service providers to use their professional
judgement in determining whether a particular resource is
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
integral to a child’s therapy. While FaHCSIA does not have a list
of approved resources, the following resource claims are not
within scope of the funding. These include:

backyard improvements such as fencing, gates and
landscaping, and fixed structures such as large playground
equipment that is bolted or concreted to the ground, or movable
and fixed swimming pools;

duplicate resources for school and home or for separated
families. Clients are expected to transfer resources between
locations and/or households (ie. the resource goes with the
child);

medical equipment;

rented items and internet access (or phone access); and

academic resources such as numeracy and literacy aids.
Playgroup
Playgroup is out of scope.
Generic therapies are out of scope and include: Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Dietetics, Exercise
Physiology, Dance Therapy, Hippo/Equine therapy, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Swimming and
Riding lessons, and Companion dogs/Animal Therapy.
5
Service Delivery
As the HCWA Package aims to maximise the choice families have about the types of interventions
they access and the services they use, Providers must work appropriately with families and carers
to support their right to choose the services they access for their child.
Providers must inform families of the interventions they deliver and their associated schedule of
fees. Together, the family and Provider will decide on the early intervention strategies and develop
a mutually agreeable service delivery plan (also known as the Individual Service Plan) that best
meets the needs of the child.
Families are not obliged to use services from only one Provider and should be encouraged to
access other Providers when that will best meet the needs of the child. Families may access
multidisciplinary services by combining a range of service providers from state government
services, HCWA Providers and other services.
Providers who have joined the Panel as Sole Providers are expected to work in a multidisciplinary
way with other providers as outlined above.
5.1 Service Delivery Models and Settings
The model employed to deliver early intervention services to children with ASD and their families
must be consistent with one or more of the following models:

Facility-based individual visits - provided to the child and/or parent or carer at the site of
the early intervention provider.

Parent-child groups - provided at the site of an Early Intervention Service Provider or at a
community-based site (e.g. pre-school, day care centre, family day care, or other community
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HCWA – Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Operational Guidelines – revised July 2012
preschool settings) to a group comprised of parents/carers and children, with no more than 6
families in any group.

Group development intervention – ASD specific group development interventions provided
to a group of eligible children must support the child’s individual service plan and may have
no more than 6 children in each group. These can be provided at the site of a child care
centre or in a community-based setting where children aged zero to six years of age typically
attend.

Home and community based individual visits - provided to the child and parent/carer
(including other family members) at the child's home or any other natural environment in
which children aged zero to six years of age are typically present. These settings can include
child care settings.

Parent Training - training to provide individual or small groups of parents (no more than 6
families) with the skill, knowledge and confidence to deliver specific interventions identified
for their child in the home environment. This does not include generic workshops.

Innovative models of service delivery - provided to children and families living in rural and
remote areas. Following an initial face to face consultation with a family a Provider might
deliver, for example, a support service based on the video footage of the child taken by the
family, followed by telephone consultations. Other examples include teleconference, video
conference or Skype.
5.2 Good Practice Principles
Good practice in relation to the service delivery plan is one that meets the needs of the family,
supports the purpose of the service and is measurable against the service outcomes.
There are a number of basic, good practice principles that are fundamental to working with young
children and their families. It would be anticipated that Providers are able to demonstrate their
adherence to the majority of the following:

Individualised Assessment for Intervention Planning: This refers to assessments carried
out with individual children to determine their strengths and needs in a range of core autism
areas, such as communication and social interaction, along with developmental skills. This
assessment guides the content of intervention while providing information about the best
techniques to use with an individual child. The process should not be confused with
assessment for diagnosis of autism. Assessment for intervention planning may take a range
of forms including parent questionnaires, formal assessments or structured observations in
play.

Individualised programming based on strengths and needs: Programming for
intervention should be individualised and based on the findings of the intervention planning
assessment. Programs should be designed to address the child’s needs while
acknowledging, drawing on and encouraging their areas of strength and talent.

Individual Plan (IP): Individual Plans (IP) go by many names, including Individual Education
Plans (IEP), Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), Personal Plans (PP), Individual Service
Plans (ISP). For simplicity, the term ‘Individual Plan’ (IP) will be used in this document to
refer to these plans. The basic goals of an Individual Plan are to document:
o
the child’s areas of strengths and needs
o
goals for intervention, identified through a collaborative process with those involved
with the child , including the family
o
information about how these goals will be addressed
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All children in early intervention services should have an IP that is developed by all those
involved with the child, including family, early intervention providers, preschools or childcare
services. IPs should be developed at least annually and reviewed at least every 6 months.

Review, evaluation and adjustment of program: Intervention programs need to be
evaluated regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the child. This process
involves a review of the IP goals, review of the child’s skills and needs to ensure that the
program is addressing skills and needs, i.e., the child is showing improvement and the goals
are still relevant and development of revised and if required new goals, as appropriate, and
in collaboration with the family and other key people in the child’s life.

Collaboration with other professionals: The importance of multidisciplinary and/or
transdisciplinary teams to early intervention for children with autism is described in full in the
following Section 5.3 Elements of Effective Intervention for children with ASD

Family centred practice: includes acknowledging the uniqueness of each family, enhancing
parental competencies, involving families in programming decisions and developing
collaborative relationships between parents and professionals.
5.3 Elements of Effective Intervention for children with ASD
FaHCSIA is committed to supporting and promoting early intervention services that are based on
existing best practice guidelines.
This includes:

offering value for money;

conducting assessment of interventions;

delivery by appropriate staff;

effective governance; and

compliance with child safety mandatory requirements and IT system requirements.
Providers must demonstrate application of best practice principles in their service delivery to help
ensure that children diagnosed with an ASD receive quality interventions.
Key elements of effective interventions for children with ASD:


Program Content and focus - have an ASD specific content and focus including:
o
teaching joint attention skills, play and imitation skills;
o
building functional communication skills.
o
teaching social interaction skills in a supported environment;
o
daily living skills, e.g. toileting, washing hands, eating;
o
management of sensory issues;
o
generalisation of learning strategies to new situations and with new people;
o
management of undesirable or challenging behaviours; and
o
early engagement and recognising emotions.
Highly Supportive Teaching Environments and Generalisation Strategies - The core
skills outlined above are taught in a highly supportive teaching environment and are then
systematically generalised to more complex, natural environments.
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Highly supportive teaching environments utilise appropriate environmental supports,
structured teaching, visual supports and systematically help children to generalise content of
the intervention to other settings (e.g. parent training and information, sharing information
with childcare providers, providing services outside traditional clinic based settings).
It is also important to consider staffing ratios, especially in group interventions.
Implementation of individual child goals in a small group context is not feasible with a less
than 2 adults for 6 children

Predictability and Routine - Research shows that children with autism become more
socially responsive and attentive when information is provided in a highly predictable manner
and, conversely, that their behaviour is severely disruptive when the same stimuli are
presented in an unpredictable manner. Service providers can address this area by
establishing routines within sessions supported visually where appropriate and by supporting
families and other settings to maximise the use of visually supported routines, social
interactions, communication and behaviour strategies.

Functional Approach to Challenging Behaviours - Most programs focus on the prevention
of problem behaviour by means of increasing the child's interest and motivation, structuring
the environment and increasing positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviour.
Should the problem behaviour persist despite ecological management, the behaviour is
analysed to determine the function of the behaviour for the child. The environment is then
adapted in specific ways to avoid triggers and reinforcers for the problem behaviour and
appropriate behaviour is taught to give the child an alternative, more acceptable behaviour.
It is important to recognise the communicative function of problem behaviour and teach the
child more appropriate alternative means of communication. Punitive measures, such as
exclusionary time out, withdrawal of privileges and other forms of punishment are not
appropriate behaviour support techniques for children with autism.


Transition Support – Effective programs:
o
must provide systematic connection and integration between the early intervention
program and the next stage for the child, whether this transition is to school or to
another therapeutic or special education setting.
o
can include assisting the child to learn appropriate school readiness skills,
collaboration and communication with new settings (e.g. schools) about the child’s
current skills and needs, and actively supporting transition to a new environment
through visits, visual supports and stories where appropriate.
o
ensure that the child’s social, cognitive and/or adaptive functioning before, during and
at the end of their treatment plan is systematically evaluated and reported according
to the requirements of the Standard Funding Agreement.
Family Involvement - Effective programs
o
recognise that parents are a critical component in early intervention for children with
autism.
o
support parents to choose the type and intensity of their involvement in their child's
program.
o
are sensitive to the stresses encountered by families of children with autism and
provide parent groups and other types of emotional support
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o
support families to utilise strategies taught as part of the interventions at home and to
be empowered to encourage their children’s communication, social interaction and to
manage behaviour effectively at home and in the community.

Use of Visual Supports – Effective programs often include augmentative communication
methods and visually cued instructions

Multi-disciplinary collaborative approach - Children with autism should access services
that are multidisciplinary and collaborative (assessments and programs are provided by a
number of individual service providers, such as speech pathologists or teachers, who
communicate and collaborate with each other to develop goals, provide intervention and
evaluate progress) or transdisciplinary (assessments and programs are holistic, developed
by a team of professionals but delivered by a single provider working across disciplines).
Collaborative multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches ensure that all areas of need
seen in children with autism can be adequately addressed.

Intensity - A program needs to be of at least 20 hours per week over an extended period of
at least two years, with continuing support into, and through the school age years.
5.4 Funding for Resources
To allow for some flexibility in the delivery of and support for early intervention services, up to 35
per cent of a child’s early intervention funding may be used to purchase resources.
Up to a maximum of $2,100 can be spent on resources in any one financial year, up to $4,200 in
total. Claims for reimbursement that exceed this limit must not be submitted.
5.4.1 Resource Eligibility
In order for a resource to be eligible for funding:

It must have been assessed by the Early Intervention Service Provider as being integral to
the child’s therapy.

It must also support the child’s Individual Service Plan.

A Client Consent Form must be signed by both the Provider and the family prior to the
purchase of the resource.

An eligible resource can be purchased by the Provider delivering intervention to the child, or
by the child’s family, provided that a Client Consent Form has been signed.

If the family purchases a resource, a receipt for the purchase must be provided to the
Provider. The Provider will claim the cost of the resource through FOFMS and then must
reimburse the family.

If a Provider purchases the resource, the family must sign a Service Delivery Record on
receipt of the resource and the Provider must keep a copy of the receipt for FaHCSIA’s
auditing purposes (see Section 10.11).

If the Provider who is delivering intervention to a child or that child’s family is unable to
purchase the resources, another Provider can purchase the resources on their behalf.

Funding for early intervention resources can be used for the purchase of resources only.
Costs associated with the hiring of resources must be met by the family.
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
A Provider can claim a reimbursement for the cost of a resource through FOFMS under the
Case Claims Tab. A claim in FOFMS must include the intervention ‘type’ and a description
of the resource.

Providers are not to claim for GST on the purchase of resources from FaHCSIA as well as
through their remittance to the tax office.
Providers and parents are encouraged to consult the list of out of scope interventions in Section
4.2 above.
5.4.1.1 Parent seminars/workshops/online training with more than six families
To be claimed under the Early Intervention funding, parent seminars and workshops need to be
delivered in small groups of no more than five to six families, and must directly support and be
tailored to the needs of their individual child and their eligible therapy.
However, parents may use their child’s resource funding (if they have any available) to attend a
seminar, workshop or online course if their treating therapist (on the Service Provider Panel)
supports the attendance at the course as being integral to the child’s therapy plan. Parents must
be able to take away something tangible from the workshop eg a book, in order to claim from
resource funding. The therapist on the Panel would then be able to put a claim through FOFMS to
reimburse from the child’s funding.
Attendance at large workshops can only be claimed under ‘resource funding’ if:

the child has enough resource funding available;

the treating FaHCSIA Provider (or private therapist if they do not have access,) deems that
the workshop is ‘integral’ to the child’s eligible therapy and they have provided a signed letter
of support; and

parents take away something tangible from the workshop– eg a resource book.
The HCWA Package also provides funding for Autism Spectrum Disorder Early Days Workshops.
The Early Days Workshops are aimed at equipping parents and carers of children with ASDs or
ASD like symptoms to more effectively manage the pressures they face in raising their children at
home. These workshops are delivered locally in each state and territory. More information about
Early Days workshops is available from the Autism Associations in each state and territory.
5.4.1.2 Electronic resources
Service providers should use their professional judgement to consider whether a particular device
may be appropriate for each individual child. Providers are not required to purchase a device solely
at the request of a parent/carer.
Resource repairs and replacements can be claimed from Resource funding, where the Provider
considers the resource is still integral to the child’s treatment plan and the repair represents value
for money.
FaHCSIA strongly encourages the inclusion of protective screen covers and cases at the time an
electronic device is purchased. Parental supervision is recommended for resources when used
out of direct management of the therapist.
For more information on purchasing resources see Section 7.2.2 Administration costs –
Resources.
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5.5 Assessments and Evaluations
5.5.1 Initial assessments
An initial assessment of the child’s functioning should occur either immediately before or as part of
the first intervention session. Any child who is already attending a HCWA service provider should
not be required by that Provider to undergo a new assessment in order to continue receiving
intervention services.
Initial assessments should be focussed on gathering sufficient information about the child’s needs
in order to devise an appropriate intervention plan. For most HCWA clients a comprehensive
assessment conducted over more than one session should not be required. It is also expected that
the cost of an initial assessment should not be significantly higher than the cost of a normal
intervention session.
However, the Department understands that comprehensive assessments may be necessary for
some children with complex needs who are commencing with a new Provider. In those instances
where a Provider is of the view that a comprehensive or multi-session assessment is warranted,
this should be discussed with the child’s parents to ensure that the parents understand the purpose
of the comprehensive assessment and that they are comfortable with the associated costs.
NOTE: Service providers should be particularly mindful of the fact that many HCWA clients are
likely to see a number of HCWA Providers, creating a risk that a significant proportion of a child’s
early intervention funding could potentially be used to cover the costs of assessments, rather than
interventions. The intention of the HCWA early intervention funding is to increase access to early
intervention services.
5.5.2 Development of Individual Plan
All children should have an Individual Plan (IP) designed to best fit their needs and strengths,
developed in consultation with parents, and reviewed and revised regularly in light of the child’s
progress and ongoing needs (see Section 5.2 Good Practice Principles).
The complexity of each child’s need and level of multidisciplinary intervention required will vary,
however it is important that families are advised of costs incurred developing the IP and the
Service Delivery Record must be signed by the parent/carer/guardian before claims can be made
for developing the IP.
5.5.3 Assessment of progress
It is expected that early intervention professionals will routinely assess a child’s progress as part of
the ongoing delivery of the child’s intervention plan.
Assessment of progress over the course of an child’s intervention program can be achieved
through observation during each intervention session with progress being recorded in the clinical or
cases notes written by the therapist, preferably at the end of each session with the child. A
separate stand-alone session for the purpose of assessing progress should not routinely be
required – except in those circumstances where a child is about to exit a service provider or
transition to a new service provider (see guidance below about written reports).
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The child’s case notes should also include a brief summary at the end of each block of
intervention, which records individual intervention types e.g. speech therapy, and progress or
development to date as a result of the intervention plan.
Parents and carers should be provided with a copy of, or extract from, the child’s relevant case
notes on request, preferably at no cost to the parent or carer.
5.5.4 Written reports
The Department does accept that there may be a need for a brief written report such as when a
child is about to transition to a new setting such as school or a new service provider. This should
be at the request of the parent and for a particular purpose e.g. in the form of advice to the
school/pre-school etc.
The preparation and production of complex written reports based on the results of assessments
(particularly diagnostic assessments) is generally out of scope (see list of out of scope items under
Section 4.2).
Reports should briefly and succinctly cover the interventions that were delivered to the child, an
outline of the progress achieved and an indication of the interventions/therapies that may be
required in the future. It is expected that service providers will charge a modest fee only for the
preparation of such a report, as the required information can be drawn from the child’s clinical or
case notes.
5.6 Interpreter Services
It is the responsibility of Panel members to provide a service that is accessible and understood by
people from CALD and Indigenous backgrounds, and people with disability.
5.6.1 Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS)
FaHCSIA has a fee-for-service arrangement with Department of Immigration and Citizenship
(DIAC) to ensure that parents and carers using the Autism Advisor Service have access to the TIS.
Each member of the Panel is provided with an individual charge code, which it can use when
booking an interpreter through the TIS, which is managed by DIAC. The cost of the interpreter
services is then charged to FaHCSIA via DIAC.
DIAC offers telephone and on-site interpreting services (TIS National).
TIS National provides free interpreting to non-English speaking Australian citizens or permanent
residents communicating with the following groups and individuals:

Government-funded services or agencies;

Private medical practitioners providing Medicare services and their reception staff to arrange
appointments and provide results of medical tests;

Non-profit, non-government, community-based associations for case work and emergency
services where the associations do not receive funding to provide these services.
Telephone Interpreting Services are available on 131 450, 24 hours, seven days a week.
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On-site or face to face interpreting is available. These services are usually booked by the agency
or association that is communicating with the non-English-speaker.
More information can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/help-withenglish/help_with_translating
5.6.2 Auslan
The National Auslan Interpreter Booking and Payment Service (NABS) is funded by FaHCSIA. It is
based in Brisbane and provides services Australia-wide.
NABS provides interpreters to any person who uses sign language to communicate and needs an
interpreter for private medical appointments. It is free of charge to Sign Language users and
medical and health care practitioners.
Bookings for interpreting services can be made for people with hearing impairments. This includes
situations where there is an adult with a hearing impairment and a child with normal hearing or an
adult with normal hearing and a child with a hearing impairment attending a private medical
consultation. NABS also provides interpreters for people with vision/ hearing impairments.
Medical services covered by NABS include GPs, Aboriginal Health Workers, Psychologists, Mental
Health Workers, Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists, and Paediatricians.
More information can be found at www.nabs.org.au/01_what_is_nabs.htm
5.7 Costs of providing HCWA early intervention services off-site
While most HCWA Providers operate out of established centres or consulting rooms, some
providers are willing to deliver off-site services e.g. in a child’s home or school setting.
Providers who are submitting (or are intending to submit) claims for services that are provided to
HCWA clients off-site are advised that the following factors should be considered when structuring
fees for off-site services:

There are existing provisions within the taxation system that allow for claiming a range of
work related tax deductions. These include vehicle and other transportation costs. These costs
should not be claimed from HCWA funding.

In those instances where a provider claims a higher (per session) fee when delivering off-site
services, the additional amount being claimed should be modest and should not be charged at the
same rate as for services.

Travel should not be a separate item but included in the cost for “off-site” sessions. This cost
should be reflected in the fee schedule. Fee schedules can include a number of “off-site” items
depending on the distance travelled
6
Confirmation of eligibility
The Autism Advisor will confirm each child’s eligibility for the HCWA funding and register each
eligible child on FOFMS. Once a child is registered, the child’s family will be issued with a Letter of
Introduction by the Autism Advisor.
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Only children who have a Letter of Introduction from an Autism Advisor are eligible to receive early
intervention services under the Package (i.e. only these children will have access to the funding
package).
6.1 Letter of Introduction
The family or carer must provide this document to any HCWA Service Provider they visit. The
letter confirms the child’s eligibility for the funding package and provides the necessary details to
allow the Provider to find and access the child’s Client Record in FOFMS.
The Letter of Introduction includes the child’s name, child’s Centrelink generated Customer
Reference Number (CRN), child’s address and details of the package available to the child.
Providers should not enter the child’s CRN in FOFMS without having sighted the client’s Letter of
Introduction.
6.2 Client Record in FOFMS
Client Record - at the point of registration, the child’s CRN and date of birth will be entered into
FOFMS by the Autism Advisor in order to create a Client Record in FOFMS.
The Client Record details the amount of funding that is available within the financial year, as well
as the total balance available, to spend on early intervention therapies. If a child is no longer
eligible to receive the early intervention funding, unused funding cannot be claimed.
Client Consent – the service provider must have the consent of the client before accessing,
viewing or entering any client data in FOFMS. Providers are required to have each child’s
parent/carer sign a Client Consent to Claim Payment Form and Client Consent Information Form
prior to providing services to the child. Providers cannot claim for services provided to HCWA
clients that were delivered before the date of a parent or carer signing the Client Consent to Claim
Form. Providers must not backdate these consent forms
Providers are also required to have the child’s parent/carer sign a Service Delivery Record Form
after each service or resource is delivered. The Client Consent to Claim for Payment Form, Client
Consent Information Form and the Service Delivery Record Form are available in FOFMS from the
Literature Tab.
FaHCSIA requires the consent of the client in order to send their monthly Family Activity Statement
and to contact them for the purpose of evaluating the service.
Privacy Issues - When the CRN is combined with the date of birth of the child and used to access
the Client Record in FOFMS, the CRN must be treated as personal information under the Privacy
Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Information about the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) can be found in
Clause 16 of the FaHCSIA Standard Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions.
6.3 Consent and the requirement to use a child’s CRN in FOFMS
A child’s CRN must initially be entered in FOFMS to access the child’s Client Record. The
mandatory disclosure of personal information will render any consent obtained from the client
ineffective under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) as the consent would be made without any
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real choice. CRNs must only be used by a Provider for delivering services under the HCWA
Package and communicating with FaHCSIA about a child’s entitlement.
Personal information held in FOFMS such as the name and contact details of the parent or carer
may not be used for the purposes of advertising or distributing marketing materials. The personal
information held in FOFMS can only be used for the purposes outlined in Section 1.3 of Part B of
these Guidelines.
6.4 Ceasing of Eligibility
A child will no longer be eligible for early intervention funding or for the remaining portion of the
unspent funding package once they turn seven years of age. Once a child is no longer eligible to
access the early intervention funding the Provider needs to exit the Client’s Case in FOFMS.
7
Payment for Services
FaHCSIA will make payments to Providers on behalf of families and carers for services delivered
with consent. Payments will only be made to the Provider in arrears on a fee-for-service basis.
7.1 How will Providers be paid when they deliver services?
Once the Provider has commenced delivery of the agreed services (with the consent of the family)
they can submit claims to FaHCSIA for payment through FOFMS. FaHCSIA will not make
payments to Providers for early intervention services delivered to eligible children prior to the start
date of the Providers’ Standard Funding Agreement or prior to the child’s registration in FOFMS.
Providers enter the details of the services provided to the child and invoice the Department through
FOFMS. For a Provider to be able to access FOFMS, it is necessary for the Provider to be
recorded in the system as a ‘provider’. Further information about the training available from
FaHCSIA to support the use of FOFMS is in Part B of these Guidelines.
The Provider must allow each family to determine the proportion of their funding package they
would like to allocate toward the cost of each service. The opportunity must exist for families and
carers to renegotiate this arrangement on each visit to provide the family with the option of
spreading the terms of the payment by adding their own contribution to the cost of each service.
Families can choose to either use all of their funding to cover service delivery or they can use part
of it and also make their own financial contribution to the cost of services. For example, if a
Provider invoices a client for $150.00 the family might ask the Provider to claim the full amount
from FaHCSIA or the family might decide to pay the Provider $50.00, and consent to the Provider
submitting a claim to FaHCSIA for payment of the balance (i.e. $100). In either case, only the
amount claimed from FaHCSIA will be deducted from the child’s overall funding package balance.
Within FOFMS, Providers will be able to view the balance of the funding package for each child
they deliver services to.
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7.2 Administration costs
7.2.1 Administration costs – early intervention services
Service providers are not permitted to submit separate claims to FaHCSIA for the administration
costs associated with delivering services to HCWA clients. The Department does accept that
service providers incur, as matter of course, some costs associated with the delivery of all services
(whether these services are provided to HCWA clients or others).
The Department is of the view that HCWA Providers are well remunerated for the services they
provide. It is therefore expected that any additional costs of administering a HCWA service will be
modest and incorporated into the overall cost per session.
7.2.2 Administration costs - resources
The intent of the resources component is to provide parents, carers and eligible children with a
degree of flexibility in the use of their early intervention funding by allowing them to purchase aids
and equipment that support the ongoing delivery of early interventions in the home setting.
The purchasing of resources is not intended to be time consuming or a burden for service
providers. It is anticipated that during the child’s paid therapy session parents and service
providers would identify resources that can assist the child. Once agreed the parent can then
source the item and ask the service provider to purchase it, or they can purchase the item and
seek reimbursement.
The Department does not expect service providers to spend excessive time sourcing, ordering and
claiming for resources but recognises that there may be a small additional cost for the organisation
processing a resource claim.
It is the Department’s expectation that any administration costs charged by providers for the
purchase or reimbursement of resources should be small and reasonable. In particular, providers
should not charge administration fees based on a percentage of the overall cost of a resource.
This is because the cost of a resource does not have any direct bearing on cost of claiming and
administering the reimbursement to the parent.
Service providers should explain to families where they are going to charge an administration fee,
and parents must sign the Service Delivery Record Form for the total amount (cost plus any
administration fee) prior to the Provider submitting the claim.
Providers should consider not imposing any administration fees, particularly in cases where:

the parent has sourced and purchased an agreed resource; or

the provider is supplying an agreed resource from their own stock items.
Where a provider incurs fixed costs as part of an agreed resources purchase, such as a delivery
charge, these costs may be included in the claim for reimbursement.
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7.2.2.1 Resource administration fees for consortiums
The amount charged for administration of resource claims is a business decision to be determined
by the service provider and the lead agency, however the above guidelines apply.
7.2.3 Administration costs – third party purchases
FaHCSIA recognises that families, particularly in rural and remote areas, may face challenges in
accessing early intervention therapy for their child, and that small businesses may not have the
capacity to make larger resource purchases if the family cannot initially pay the cost of the item.
HCWA Providers may agree to purchase resources for HCWA clients on behalf of other HCWA
Providers or on the recommendation of another treating therapist. The recommending therapist
may provide written or verbal advice stating that the resource to be purchased has been identified
by them as necessary to support the child’s intervention plan.
It is expected that under these circumstances the purchasing HCWA Provider will not submit
claims for a separate assessment of the child’s need for the resource.
7.3 GST
There are 2 types of GST relationships. One is between client and Provider which may or may not
be a GST-able relationship, depending on the service provided. This relationship is not relevant to
FaHCSIA.
The second is between the Provider and FaHCSIA, this relationship is outside the scope of
GST. FaHCSIA does not receive anything from the Provider; the Department is a remitter of funds.
This means the amount the Provider sends to FaHCSIA is a total amount to be claimed. That is,
the amount FaHCSIA pays the Provider is GST exclusive (for FaHCSIA purposes) – irrespective of
whether it is outside the scope of GST between the client and Provider. Therefore the amount
FaHCSIA pays is the total amount claimed, even if the total amount the Provider claims includes
GST with respect to the client - Provider relationship.
FOFMS is not an accounting system for Providers; it is a mechanism for Providers to claim a
payment from FaHCSIA. This means that Providers will have their own accounting system and
methods for remitting GST to the tax office.
7.3.1 GST and Resources and Equipment
Under the existing GST legislation (A New Tax System (Goods and Service Tax) Act 1999 (GST
ACT)), the supply of an item such as a resource or a piece of equipment may be GST-free if it
meets the requirements of Section 38-45 of the GST Act. To meet these requirements the item
must be listed in schedule 3 of the GST Act (see link below) and must not be widely used for or by
people without disability.
http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?locid='PAC/19990055/Sch3'#Sch3
There may be some resources or equipment that a provider might supply to a family that will count
as a taxable supply. In these instances only, the GST inclusive amount can be claimed from
FaHCSIA.
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You should talk to your accountant, taxation advisor or the Australian Taxation Office for further
information.
7.4 Debt Recovery
Any overpayments that arise through the delivery of early intervention services under the Package
may be treated as a “Recoverable Amount” for the purpose of the Standard Terms and Conditions,
Clause 11.
Where it is expected that payments will continue to be paid to the Provider the debt will be offset in
FOFMS against future payments due to the Provider under this Agreement, or any other
arrangement or agreement between the Provider and FaHCSIA.
Where it is not expected that payments will continue to be made to the Provider using FOFMS, the
debt will be forwarded to the Collector of Public Monies and the Provider will be invoiced for the
Recoverable Amount to be paid in full within 20 business days.
8
Consortium Arrangements
8.1 Applying to join the Panel as a Consortium
A group of early intervention organisations or individual providers that acts collectively and
collaboratively to provide a multidisciplinary service may apply to join the Panel as a consortium.
A consortium must have a lead agency. The lead agency is the organisation appointed by the
members of a consortium to be the applicant and legal entity that enters into a Standard Funding
Agreement with FaHCSIA, if successful. The lead agency must have at least one staff member
who meets the criteria of Specified Personnel (see Section 3.1.1 Specified Personnel)
Existing service providers who do not met this criteria will be able to operate until
31 December 2012 when this requirement will be compulsory.
The lead agency must be able to demonstrate that a written agreement is in place with all
consortium members and be able to produce copies of those agreements if requested by
FaHCSIA.
A consortium must be able to demonstrate that it provides eligible interventions (see Section 4)
and that these interventions are delivered by suitably qualified and experienced early intervention
specialists.
8.2 Changes to the composition of a consortium
FaHCSIA recognises that business arrangements may change and organisations may need to
alter their existing structure. In this case, the organisation/lead agency must, in advance and in
writing, notify FaHCSIA when:

a panel member is leaving a consortium, or

a consortium dissolves, or

the structure of an existing Provider changes.
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If possible, this process should include planning to minimise the impact on current consortium
members and clients/families.
Note: Consortium members who wish to become Sole Providers need to apply for membership of
the Panel through the Application Process. Claims will not be processed for services provided prior
to approval as a Sole Provider and execution of a funding agreement.
8.2.1 Adding a Consortium Member
The Provider must notify FaHCSIA of their intent to add a consortium member and will be required
to submit:

the Expression of Interest Form and

updated fee schedule for consortium.
FaHCSIA will review information, determine eligibility and send the Provider a Notice of Change
which will become part of their Standard Funding Agreement. Once the Notice of Change has
been received by the Lead Agency, the consortium member will be eligible to provide eligible
interventions as a consortium member on the Panel. Eligible interventions delivered under the
Panel arrangements by consortium members cannot be charged to clients at a rate higher than the
rate charged by the Provider for the normal delivery of that intervention as listed on the
Department’s website.
Lead agencies are responsible for ensuring that consortium members have the required
qualifications to deliver the set interventions and meet the requirements for working with children
and police checks as detailed under clause 19 of the Standard Terms and Conditions.
Note: The same process applies where an existing Sole Provider wishes to develop a new
consortium with one or more Providers of eligible interventions.
8.2.2 Changes to existing Consortium
For multidisciplinary early intervention Providers (consisting of Speech Pathologists, Occupational
Therapists and Psychologists) and consortium arrangements, FaHCSIA understands that from
time to time Providers may undergo changes in Specified Personnel.
A change to the original composition of the disciplines delivering services may be permissible if the
new composition complies with the overall requirement, i.e. includes the Specified Personnel from
at least two of the disciplines referred to in Section 3.1. For example, in a practice where the only
two allied health Providers are a speech pathologist and a child psychologist, the speech
pathologist cannot be replaced with another child psychologist. In this case, the speech
pathologist can be replaced with either another speech pathologist or an occupational therapist.
Where the change results in the consortium no longer meeting the definition of a consortium (see
Section 3.1), please contact the Early Intervention Helpdesk at ASD.Support@fahcsia.gov.au or
1800 778 581 to discuss your eligibility to remain on the Panel as a sole provider.
FaHCSIA must be notified in writing within five business days if Specified Personnel are
unavailable or unable to provide services. If the unavailability or removal of specified personnel
means the organisation no longer meets the eligibility requirements for member of the Panel,
FaHCSIA must be informed and will review the circumstances.
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9
Sub-Contractors
The ability to utilise sub-contractors in time of peak demand to deliver eligible interventions may
enable Providers to expand their capacity without having a longer term impact on staffing and
physical resources.
9.1 What constitutes sub-contracting under the Panel?
A sub-contracting arrangement is when a Provider contracts, rather than employs, another allied
health professional to deliver services on behalf of the Provider.
When sub-contracting the Provider is responsible for:

notifying FaHCSIA in advance and in writing, of the names, qualifications and experience of
sub-contractors employed to deliver eligible interventions,

ensuring sub-contractors meet the requirements of the EI SP Panel Operational Guidelines,

ensuring that sub-contractors meet the requirements for working with children and police
checks as detailed under clause 19 of the Standard Terms and Conditions,

the development and structure of the eligible intervention that will be delivered by the subcontractor. The sub-contractor is only permitted to deliver interventions that are prescribed in
the Provider’s approved fee schedule.

ownership and maintenance of client records associated with interventions delivered by the
sub-contractor.

booking of appointments, and the billing and receipting of fees for interventions delivered by
the sub-contractor.

direct payment of the sub-contractor for the interventions provided.
Eligible interventions delivered by sub-contractors cannot be charged to clients at a rate higher
than the rate charged by the Provider for the normal delivery of that intervention. It is allowable to
pay the sub-contractor less than the scheduled fee normally charged by the Provider for that
intervention.
10 Operational Requirements for Providers
The Department expects Providers to comply with the following:
10.1 Signatories to the Standard Funding Agreement
Signatories to the Standard Funding Agreement are legally responsible for ensuring the delivery of
the agreed outcomes and compliance with the Agreement (which includes these Operational
Guidelines).
10.2 Primary contact person
Providers must notify FaHCSIA within 5 days if the primary contact person named in the Letter of
Offer accompanying the Standard Funding Agreement changes, or their primary contact details
change.
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10.3 Schedule of fees
The early intervention services delivered by Providers must represent value for money for the
families and carers of eligible children. Value for money is determined by the Provider’s ability to
achieve the planned outcomes for eligible children.
FaHCSIA will publish the eligible interventions and their associated schedule of fees offered by
each Provider. Only eligible interventions can be included in the Provider’s schedule of fees.
When creating or updating schedule of fees, Providers are required to provide their schedule of
fees in the Fee Schedule Template which is available on the FaHCSIA website.
Providers must not change their fees without first notifying FaHCSIA of those changes. Providers
will need to contact asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au advising of the intended changes. The changes
will be uploaded to the FaHCSIA website within four weeks on confirmation of receipt and eligibility
of changes.
When creating or updating schedule of fees, Providers should check if proposed interventions are
within scope – see Section 4.1 Eligible Interventions.
Note: The following disclaimer will appear at the bottom of each Panel member’s fee schedule:
“Please note that there may be cancellation and/or other fees associated with some services. For
more information please contact the service provider as these are not covered by the early
intervention funding under the Helping Children with Autism package.”
10.4 Change of address
When a client changes their residential address the Provider must update the client’s details in
FOFMS once they have sighted proof of the new address. Proof of address may include, for
example, a utilities bill or a tenancy agreement. At the same time, the Provider must complete the
checklist in FOFMS indicating that they have seen proof of a change of address and retain on file a
copy of the relevant documentation.
If a family becomes eligible for the OR&R payment as a result of moving to a new residential
address, the OR&R eligibility flag in FOFMS will automatically be checked. When a Provider
becomes aware that this has occurred, the Provider should inform the family of the change to their
record and advise them to contact the Autism Advisor Service. The Autism Advisor will verify the
change of address and make the claim for the payment on the family’s behalf. Providers on the
Panel are unable to claim the OR&R payment on behalf of families.
10.5 Conflict of Interest
Service providers on the Panel are responsible for ensuring that any staff member who is also the
parent or carer of a child (or children) receiving HCWA funded services, must not enter or approve
the claims for payments in FOFMS. This is to ensure that potential conflicts of interest do not
occur.
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10.6 Effective Governance
Service providers on the Panel must:

comply with all relevant legislation and standards;

adhere to the Standard Terms and Conditions, obligations and accountabilities of the
Standard Funding Agreement;

provide a complaints handling mechanism and have appropriate policies in place on privacy
and confidentiality;

provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate service delivery; and

have policies, procedures and structures in place to support good practice in service delivery
and program outcomes.
10.7 Compliance with legislation
The provider will be required to demonstrate and maintain compliance with mandatory child safety
requirements (see Section 10.10 below).
Providers will need to confirm the service meets health and safety requirements and all that all
licenses, certification, or registration requirements in the area in which they are providing services
have been met. These requirements must be maintained by the provider throughout the period
they are delivering services.
10.8 Operational Legislation and Policies
Providers must have in place, or must develop policies with regard to: complaints handling, privacy
and confidentiality; mandatory reporting and police checks; and occupational health and safety,
including staff safety and security. These policies must be available to FaHCSIA upon request
within 10 working days.
For information about operational legislation and policies, refer to the Early Intervention Services
for Children with Disability Program Guidelines (Part C).
10.9 Mandatory Child Safety Requirements
Providers must comply with all mandatory child safety requirements. They will need to ensure that
staff and volunteers working with children have undergone a Police Check in ACT, Tasmania and
South Australia. In NSW, WA and Victoria Working with Children Checks are required instead of
Police Checks. Ochre cards are required in the NT instead of Police Checks. In Queensland, Blue
Cards are required instead of Police Checks. These requirements apply to both current and future
staff and volunteers.
Further, Providers must ensure that:

Staff and volunteers are not prohibited under a law of the Commonwealth, state or territory
from being employed or engaged in any capacity where they may have contact with children;
and
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
The service complies with all other requirements of applicable laws of the Commonwealth,
state or territory, in which the Activity or part of the Activity is being conducted in relation to
employment of Persons or engagement of Persons in any capacity where they may have
contact with Vulnerable Persons.
Mandatory reporting
All states and territories, other than Western Australia, have implemented a mandatory reporting
system to require doctors, nurses, police officers and teachers to report all suspected child abuse,
including physical abuse and neglect. Mandatory reporting applies to anyone who:

in the course of their professional work or other paid employment delivers health care,
welfare, education, children's services, residential services or law enforcement wholly or
partly to children under the age of 16 years; and/or

holds a management position in an organisation the duties of which include direct
responsibility for or direct supervision of a person referred to above and that person has
reasonable grounds (that arise as a consequence of their employment) to suspect that a
child is at risk of harm.
10.10
Audit and Compliance Strategy
The Audit and Compliance Strategy allows FaHCSIA to manage fraud and compliance risks as
well as facilitate continuous quality improvements. As part of FaHCSIA’s Audit and Compliance
Strategy there are certain documents the Provider must keep (for 5 years) for FaHCSIA’s auditing
purposes. These are:

a copy of the signed Client Consent Form and a subsequent copy for each claim that is
submitted;

custody papers (if applicable);

copies of the invoice for services rendered for which the Provider has submitted Claim to
FaHCSIA;

copies of any eligibility documents and the Letter of Introduction; and

proof of residential address (if a change of address has occurred) – a utilities bill or tenancy
agreement is acceptable.
FaHCSIA may conduct random audits to verify information submitted by Providers and may
exercise the right of entry and inspection under the Standard Terms and Conditions, Clause 5.5.
For further information about financial reporting, please refer to the Early Intervention Services for
Children with Disability Program Guidelines (Part C).
10.11
Security of Information
The Archive Act 1983 requires Providers to store records in a secure place and dispose of these
records in an appropriate manner. Providers must also ensure that records containing personal
information are retained for five years following the expiration or termination of the Standard
Funding Agreement.
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All electronic records created by Providers in FOFMS will be stored in accordance with FaHCSIA’s
electronic record keeping policies and procedures. The Commonwealth owns the records
produced by FaHCSIA. They are not owned by an individual Provider or by FaHCSIA.
10.12
Freedom of information
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) gives the public the right to access information
in the possession of FaHCSIA with certain limited exceptions. Information collected or held by
FaHCSIA may be made available on request, unless exempted under the relevant provision of the
Act or under specific legislation that provides for the confidentiality of that information.
FaHCSIA has a statutory obligation to observe the FOI Act and must help all applicants make a
valid application under the Act. FaHCSIA will observe strict timeframes when acknowledging and
responding to requests made for access to documents under the FOI Act. Any application for
access to documents under the FOI Act must be made by letter or statement, or (where available)
by completing a form.
10.13
IT system requirements
FaHCSIA requires providers to use FOFMS to make claims for payments for services provided to
eligible children.
To access FOFMS Providers must have a computer that, as a minimum, has:

a secure operating system (for example Windows 2000 or Windows XP);

internet browser software - Netscape 7.02 or Internet Explorer 5.01* (*5.5 if using Microsoft
Windows ME operating system);

Adobe Flash Player7 or above to view FaHCSIA training materials

a high-speed network connection (for example, ISDN, ADSL). A suggested minimum of
56kbps network bandwidth per active work-station is recommended;

an internet service provider;

an internet email account;

audio capability on your machine (optional);

minimum of 128MB of RAM;

Intel® Pentium® II 450MHz or faster processor (or equivalent); and

a screen resolution of 1024x768dpi.
11 Privacy Issues
The child’s CRN and other personal details must be treated as personal information under the
Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Information about the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) can be
found in the Standard Terms and Conditions Clause 16.
Personal information held in FOFMS such as the name and contact details of the parent or carer
may not be used for the purposes of advertising or distributing marketing materials. The personal
information held in FOFMS can only be used for the purposes outlined in Section 1.3 of Part B of
these Guidelines.
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11.1 Consent and the requirement to use a child’s CRN in FOFMS
To access a child’s Client Record in FOFMS, service providers enter the child’s CRN. The
mandatory disclosure of personal information will render any consent obtained from the client
ineffective under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) as the consent would be made without any
real choice. CRNs must only be used by a Provider for delivering services under the HCWA
Package and communicating with FaHCSIA about a child’s entitlement.
12 Reporting
12.1 Service Provider Reporting
Providers who have delivered early intervention services to eligible children are required to report
to FaHCSIA in accordance with the schedule outlined in Item F of the Standard Funding
Agreement on the performance standards and specified outcomes of the early intervention service.
The Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Report template will be provided to the nominated
key contact in your organisation via email.
All fields in the report template are mandatory unless otherwise specified by FaHCSIA. The report
includes:

Wait lists, time to receive services, unmet needs, cost of providing services;

Complaints;

Staffing;

Barriers to service delivery;

Workforce capacity issues; and

Performance against the purpose and planned outcomes of the Package
A Provider must provide the Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Report to FaHCSIA in
accordance with the Funding Agreement.
12.2 Data from other sources
Reporting will be based on performance indicators collected through client surveys, FOFMS,
directly from Providers and through external evaluation. These performance measures include:

Increased access to early intervention for children aged zero to six years diagnosed with an
ASD;

Improved overall wellbeing of eligible children;

Improved strategies and skills of parents and carers to meet the needs of eligible children;
and

Improved capability of eligible children to attend full time formal school and participate in
everyday life.
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13 Reviews
13.1 Review of a decision
Families who wish to appeal a decision about the eligibility of their child to access Early
Intervention funding should contact their Autism Advisor.
14 Complaints
14.1 Complaints made about a Provider
In the first instance where a client has a complaint, FaHCSIA encourages Panel members to
resolve the complaint amicably in accordance with their complaints resolution process and policies.
Providers on the Panel must have their own effective Complaints Management System in place,
which is:

consistent with Australian Standards on Complaint Handling;

flexible enough to encourage consumers to raise concerns;

supported with sufficient resources (financial, physical and human) to ensure that it is
implemented effectively; and

supported by written policies and procedures, including a clear structure of officers
responsible for the management of complaints and the complaints process.
Parents and carers must be made aware of the avenues available to them to make a complaint
with a Provider. This must include more than one method; in person, in writing, over the phone, via
email etc. Complaints are to be treated professionally and in a timely manner. They should not
affect the treatment of the child.
If a parent or a carer is unhappy with the response to a complaint provided by the Provider, they
must be directed to FaHCSIA’s Complaints Management System.
14.2 Complaints made to FaHCSIA
In the first instance FaHCSIA encourages Providers to contact the Early Intervention Helpdesk for
assistance in reaching an amicable resolution.
Phone: 1800 778 581
Fax: (02) 6204 5470
Email: asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au
Post: Helping Children with Autism, Autism and Early Intervention Branch, Box 7576, Canberra
Business Centre, 2610
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14.3 Complaints by parents and carers or providers about FaHCSIA
FaHCSIA has a formal complaints service - the FaHCSIA Feedback Coordination Team.which
aims to provide:

FaHCSIA clients with an accessible process that handles complaints in a timely, professional
and consistent manner; and

information to assist FaHCSIA to improve its customer service and administrative processes.
Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with FaHCSIA’s service(s) or the service of a
FaHCSIA funded Provider can make a complaint. The FaHCSIA Feedback Coordination Team
handles complaints about: unreasonable delay; inadequate service, explanation or reasons; legal
error; factual error in decision making process; human error; procedural deficiency; unprofessional
behaviour by an officer; breach of duty/misconduct by an officer; discriminatory action or decision;
flawed administrative process; and/ or inadequate knowledge/training of staff.
As the purpose of the system is to assist in improving FaHCSIA’s processes as a department, the
system does not handle complaints about: Government policy; Legislation; reviews over eligibility
for a benefit or entitlement; ministerial correspondence; Freedom of Information requests; or
complaints made to Providers as these will be covered by their own complaints mechanisms
required under the Standard Funding Agreement.
Complaints can be lodged with FaHCSIA by:
Phone: 1800 634 035
Fax: (02) 6133 8442
Email: fahcsiafeedback@fahcsia.gov.au
Post: FaHCSIA Feedback, PO Box 7576, Canberra Business Centre, 2610
If Providers are dissatisfied at any time with FaHCSIA’s handling of their complaint, they can also
contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.gov.au or by telephone on 1300 632
072.
15 FaHCSIA National Office Responsibilities
The Early Intervention Service Provider Panel is managed by the Autism and Early Intervention
Branch within FaHCSIA. FaHCSIA is responsible for:

Providing a Family Activity Statement (FAS) through FOFMS to families/carers who have
received early intervention services during the preceding month;

Providing support and assistance to Providers;

Providing constructive feedback to Providers;

Managing the service in line with the FaHCSIA guidelines; and

Reviewing the Panel, in the context of an evaluation of the HCWA Package.
16 Contact information
Further assistance for Providers is available regarding payments, system issues and policy
questions. Before contacting FaHCSIA, the first point of reference for a Provider should be the
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training videos and the iHelp functions. If the Provider still requires further assistance, they should
contact the FOFMS Helpdesk on 1300 653 227.
Other enquiries about the HCWA Package should be directed to the dedicated email inbox at
asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au or by writing to the following address:
Autism and Early Intervention Branch
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs
PO Box 7576
Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610
You can also call the Department on the toll free number below to access support.
1800 778 581
Australian Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
Daily (Monday to Friday) 9:30-12:30 and 2pm-5pm
Email for parents and carers: asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au.
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PART B – Funding Management System
1
FaHCSIA Online Funding Management System (FOFMS)
1.1 What is FOFMS?
FOFMS is a web based system that assists in the management of FaHCSIA funding agreements.
This system is used to enter information about clients and the services they receive, and to claim
payments from FaHCSIA. Given the very sensitive nature of the data contained in FOFMS, the
connection is secured and security, privacy and confidentiality of information and data are
essential.
FOFMS is accessed by a portal that interacts with FaHCSIA IT systems. When entering the portal
Providers will need to use a FaHCSIA generated logon and password.
1.2 Who Will Have Authority to Use FOFMS?
At least two people within the organisation must be nominated (it is recommended to also
nominate a suitable back-up) to use FOFMS. Each person will be a registered user with FaHCSIA.
After completing and returning the Standard Funding Agreement, Providers will be sent a FOFMS
Access Pack. The Access Pack will provide information on accessing the FOFMS portal, and a
FOFMS System Access Request Form. This form must be completed for each staff member who
requires access to FOFMS and returned to FaHCSIA to enable logon and access to the system.
1.2.1 Consortia and sub-contractors
The lead agency i.e. the agency that has entered into a funding agreement with FaHCSIA, will
need to decide whether to grant members of their consortium and/or their sub-contractors access
to FOFMS (either full access or read only).
Where sub-contractors or consortia members do not have access to FOFMS, the sub-contractors
or consortia members will not be able to:

Process claims for payment in relation to their HCWA clients;

View or reconcile payments; or

Check the balance of an eligible child’s HCWA funds before delivering a service.
In the case that access to FOFMS is not provided to consortia members, the lead agency will need
to process claims and provide the information above to their consortium members or subcontractors.
In the case that the lead agency does provide access to FOFMS for its consortium members or
sub-contractors, all client records, including payments will be able to be viewed by all members of
the consortium and or sub-contractors.
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If access is granted, the lead agency must ensure that members of their consortium and or subcontractors abide by the FOFMS system User Responsibilities.
1.3 What Tasks Will Be Performed in FOFMS?
The following tasks will be performed in FOFMS:

Create and update Case records or link an existing Client Record to your service;

Update Client Records;

Create a claim for payment from FaHCSIA;

Submit a claim for payment to FaHCSIA; and

Reconcile payments made to you by FaHCSIA.

Exiting a Case
1.4 Training in the Use of FOFMS
FaHCSIA has a series of short FOFMS training videos that are made available to all new FOFMS
users. The training videos cover processes such as logging into FOFMS, basic navigation, creating
Cases, submitting a claim and reconciling payments. The videos can be played and paused to
allow users to view the video, complete activities in FOFMS then restart the video. The videos
provide a step by step guide to each business process. Users will require Adobe Flash Player 7 or
above to view training materials.
FaHCSIA has also developed a number of step by step task cards (iHelp files) which are located in
FOFMS to assist users completing processes in FOFMS. The training video includes information
on how to access iHelp files.
FOFMS also has a Literature tab that contains useful documents and information. The Literature
tab has copies of the HCWA Package program guidelines, FaHCSIA’s Letter of Introduction, Client
Consent Form, Family Activity Statement and ASD Diagnosis Tool.
The link to the FOFMS training videos and task cards are also incuded in the Literature tab in
FOFMS.
2
User Access
2.1 Confidentiality of Passwords
All FOFMS users have a responsibility to ensure that passwords are confidential and not shared.
Personal passwords are regarded as sensitive and must be protected from disclosure and
compromise. Logons and passwords are not transferable between staff due to the sensitive
information on the system and the different roles that users may have on the system. Passwords
must be a minimum of 6 characters and must be changed by the user immediately following a
Password Reset. Users will be prompted to change their password every three months. If the
password is not updated, the user account will be suspended.
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FOFMS users requiring assistance with their password will need to contact FOFMS support on:

fofms.helpdesk@fahcsia.gov.au
 1800 020 283
New employees requiring access to FOFMS will need to send completed FOFMS System Access
Request forms to the Early Intervention Helpdesk:
Fax: 02 6204 5470
Email: asd.support@fahcsia.gov.au
If a user leaves the organisation a system access form must be submitted to the FOFMS Support
Helpdesk requesting that the former employee’s access is terminated.
2.2 Sharing Logons
Each FOFMS user must have an individual FOFMS logon. A user must not logon to FOFMS using
another user’s password.
2.3 Reporting Lapses of Security
Any known or suspected attempts to obtain unauthorised access to FaHCSIA computing facilities
or other attempts to bypass or defeat security must be reported immediately to the FOFMS
Support Helpdesk.
2.4 User Roles
There are two access levels in FOFMS for Providers on the Early Intervention Service Provider
Panel. Organisations require a minimum of two staff to process actions in FOFMS. One is to act as
the ‘AEI Case Manager’ to create records; the second to act as an authorising officer to review and
authorise records. This separation of duties must be maintained.
When applying to the Early Intervention Service Provider Panel, Sole Providers must consider how
they will meet this requirement.
In exceptional circumstances, alternate arrangements for an authorising officer may be considered
on a case by case basis by FaHCSIA.
2.5 Early Intervention Service Provider Panel Obligations
To provide services to a child who is in receipt of funding under the Early Intervention Service,
Providers must:

allow a client to cease receiving services at anytime;

only submit a claim to FaHCSIA for the provision of an approved service;

only submit a claim after services approved under the Package have been delivered to the
eligible child.
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
ensure they have the family’s consent, by using the Client Consent Form when a client first
requests services, or before the client details are entered into FOFMS and before each time
a claim is submitted for payment to FaHCSIA.

submit claims for payment to FaHCSIA through FOFMS. FaHCSIA will only make payments
for claims submitted via FOFMS. In the event that FOFMS is not operational for an extended
period of time, manual payments will be made to Providers. In the case of a Consortium, the
manual payment will be made to the Lead Agency. Payments will only be made via direct
credit into the nominated bank account;

submit claims for payment at or below the prices advised to FaHCSIA and published on the
FaHCSIA website;

ensure that the authorising officer certifies that the information provided by the organisation
is true, accurate, complete and not misleading in respect to all material, and as required by
the Standard Funding Agreement; and

notify FaHCSIA if the primary contact person named in the Letter of Offer to the Schedule
changes, or their contact details change.
Where there is Non Compliance with the Standard Funding Agreement FaHCSIA may, in its
absolute discretion, determine that the organisation has not complied with any aspect of, or not
met their performance requirements under the Standard Funding Agreement, including their
response to any written notices, directions or questions from FaHCSIA.
FaHCSIA may take any or all of the following actions:

express the Department’s concerns to the Provider in writing and ask a series of questions
about performance. The Provider must answer the questions in writing within 10 business
days, outlining the reasons for not meeting the requirements;

issue a written directive to the Provider that they take certain specific actions or measures to
improve their performance, aimed at addressing any non-compliance, within a specified
period of time;

direct the Provider not to start providing services to any new clients;

exit a Case by notice to the Provider, or direct the Provider to Exit a case (see Operational
Guidelines Part B Section 4.6);

suspend a client by notice to the Provider, or direct them to suspend a client;

direct the Provider to cease their relationship with and/or replace one or more members of
their consortium at FaHCSIA’s discretion;

not provide any further payments to the Provider, or certain further payments, under the
Standard Funding Agreement, until FaHCSIA considers that the Provider has complied with
the Standard Funding Agreement;

Issue the Provider with a written directive specifying that all or a proportion of their payments
under the Standard Funding Agreement are a debt due to FaHCSIA, and be treated as a
“Recoverable Amount” for the purposes of the Standard Terms and Conditions Clause11;
and/or

Terminate the Standard Funding Agreement in accordance with the Standard Terms and
Conditions Clause 22.
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2.6 Ethical use of IT Resources
Use of Commonwealth computing facilities for unauthorised purposes including illegally accessing
a computing service, downloading or distribution of material may result in court prosecution. When
using a laptop computer or a computer in a public place, the Provider must ensure that they use a
secure network and maintain the privacy of all records.
3
Funding
3.1 Payment Model
The funding model for the HCWA early intervention funding is fee-for-service in arrears. The early
intervention funding is not paid directly to families. Families receive services from Providers on the
Panel. Providers then claim a payment from FaHCSIA in arrears. Claims from Providers can only
be submitted for services that have been provided to a HCWA client.
Families and carers will be able to determine the proportion of their funding package they would
like to allocate toward the cost of each service. There is a ‘Maximum Claims Limit’ field on the
Case tab. This is used to enable families to choose the maximum claims limit they want to spend
with each Provider. This enables families to divide their funding into portions for multiple Providers.
3.2 Family Activity Statement (FAS)
FaHCSIA will provide a FAS to families detailing the payments FaHCSIA has made to Providers on
their behalf. If there is a discrepancy in the FAS relating to payments the child’s family, guardian or
carer will contact the Provider in the first instance.
FaHCSIA will send the FAS to the email address recorded on the Contacts view, on the client
record. FaHCSIA will not provide a FAS for suspended clients or clients that have not received any
services in the previous month.
4
Using FOFMS
Once a Provider has logged onto FOFMS the homepage will appear. Alerts issued by FOFMS
reminding Providers about issues that are relevant to all FOFMS users including security and
access will be displayed. The homepage is where Providers gain access to information relevant to
their organisation.
4.1 Client Tab
A child is confirmed as eligible for the early intervention funding package by the Provider if they
have provided the Letter of Introduction issued by the Autism Advisor.
The Contacts tab on this page is used to capture a change in email address or contact person.
The email address listed in the Contacts tab is the one FaHCSIA uses to send the family their FAS.
If a child’s address changes, the Provider needs to change their details in FOFMS by using the
Address Details field as well as the Contact address details.
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4.2 Capturing the Client’s Consent
Providers must capture the consent of the child’s parent, guardian or carer using the FaHCSIA
Client Consent Form prior to creating a Case Record for the child in FOFMS.
Providers must also also ensure that the child’s parent, guardian or carer signs the Service
Delivery Record Form each time the Provider submits a Claim on the child’s behalf to FaHCSIA for
payment.
The Provider must ensure that an officer of their organisation has explained to the child’s parent,
carer or guardian that the personal information is collected for the purpose of:

determining access to the funding package and early intervention services; and

the organisation passing some or all of their personal information to the Commonwealth
Government, or to another organisation as directed by the Commonwealth Government.
4.3 Creating a Case Record
Providers must create a Case Record in FOFMS for every eligible client they provide approved
services to. Providers cannot create or submit a Claim Record to FaHCSIA without first creating a
Case Record.
Providers are required to create a unique Case ID that signifies a link between a client and a
particular Provider. Using this Case ID, organisations submit a Case Claim for each service
delivered and claimed through HCWA funding to that particular client.
Providers should only create one Case ID per client.
4.4 Submitting a claim to FaHCSIA - Conditions for Payment
Providers must include the following details in the claim for payment submitted to FaHCSIA:

Service provided - details of the approved service for which the Provider is submitting a
claim;

Unit of measurement - whether this claim is for an hour, session or term;

Amount charged – the total amount that the child was charged for the service, including the
amount claimed; and

Amount claimed - amount of the payment claimed from FaHCSIA (this may be a portion of
the amount charged e.g. amount charged; $100, amount claimed; $50 - the family pays half
of the service provided).

Location – this will identify the location where the service was delivered and/or the
consortium member who provided the service.

Total Hours – actual length of time for the session claimed.
Payments and Claims

FaHCSIA will only deposit payments into the nominated bank account of the lead agency or
Sole Provider. It is the lead agency’s responsibility to ensure that payments are distributed to
their consortium members for services rendered.

More than one Provider can receive payments from FaHCSIA for providing early intervention
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services to a particular child.

FaHCSIA will provide payments to Providers for a child up to a maximum value of $12,000
with no more than $6,000 in payments in a single financial year. There are no yearly
minimum spending limits for a child.

To ensure that the child’s FAS details payments as accurately as possible, Providers should
submit claims in FOFMS within 10 working days on the date of delivery of each intervention
service.
FaHCSIA will not:

Process any claims for an approved service which Medicare has subsidised all or part of the
fee.

Pay the difference if it is greater than the family’s out of pocket expenses where they are also
claiming the service with a private health fund provider i.e. the amount claimed must be
equal to or less than Amount Charged minus any third party contributions.

Pay any claim for payment that is submitted to FaHCSIA more than 30 days after the service
was provided.

Pay any fees levied by the Provider for cancellation or non-attendance by the child to pre
booked services.
4.5 Suspending Cases
Providers may suspend cases in FOFMS for a number of reasons including:

if instructed to do so by FaHCSIA;

if, in their reasonable opinion, the child is temporarily unable to receive services for a
minimum period of 2 months and up to a maximum period of 12 months. It is not necessary
to suspend a child that is unable to receive services for less than 2 months.

if the child has reached the total annual amount claimable in a financial year. The Provider
may then return a child from suspension if they make a further claim in the next financial
year.
The Provider must update the child’s Case Record on FOFMS immediately once the conditions of
a suspension have been met. The Provider must record an accurate suspension reason when
suspending a child’s Case on FOFMS.
4.6 Exiting a Case
The Provider must Exit a Case if:

the child or their family no longer requires services from the Provider.

they determine that in their reasonable opinion, the child is unable to continue receiving
services because of medical reasons or reasons related to the child’s disability.

they have failed to resolve a dispute between them and the child’s family. Where a dispute
between the Provider and a child’s family, guardian or carer arises, the Provider must use
their best endeavours to resolve the dispute in accordance with their complaints resolution
process and policies.

FaHCSIA instructs them to Exit the child.
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If the child has been exited the system for a particular reason and the Provider believes this is an
error they can contact the Early Intervention Helpdesk immediately.
If requested, the Provider must change the child’s case status to ‘Exited’ on FOFMS. FaHCSIA
may terminate the Standard Funding Agreement if a Provider fails to Exit a Child’s Case
immediately.
4.7 Centrelink
FOFMS receives information from Centrelink to create child records in some instances. If the detail
on these child records which have been created from Centrelink data is incorrect the child’s family
will need to update that detail with Centrelink in the first instance; not FaHCSIA. Once the
information has been updated by Centrelink this will flow into FOFMS automatically.
5
Further technical support
Questions relating to security or logon assistance can be directed to the FOFMS Support Helpdesk
on 1800 020 283 or fofms.helpdesk@fahcsia.gov.au.
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