Critical incidents per service officer

Anatoly Kern made this Freedom of Information request to Services Australia

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

The request was refused by Services Australia.

Dear Department of Human Services/Services Australia,

I am aware that the Child Support agency of Services Australia keeps a separate record of critical incidents.

I am interested in obtaining statistics on the number of critical incidents per service officer in the form of first name, employee id, total number of critical incidents recorded on cases assigned to this service officer during all service time.
In a form like: Jane, UB55Y, 666.

Yours faithfully,

Anatoly Kern

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM, Services Australia

Dear Mr Kern

 

Thank you for your email to Services Australia dated 21 February 2020. You
have requested the following:

 

‘…I am interested in obtaining statistics on the number of critical
incidents per service officer in the form of first name, employee id,
total number of critical incidents recorded on cases assigned to this
service officer during all service time.

In a form like: Jane, UB55Y, 666’.

 

I have considered your request, and have determined it to be invalid for
the purposes of the FOI Act. This is because you have requested
information, rather than documents.

 

I note you have requested statistical information. For advice and
assistance in relation to statistics, I recommend reviewing the
information provided on the Services Australia website here:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/org....
This website provides relevant contact points within Services Australia to
email your data request. 

Making a valid request

 

Should you wish to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act), your request should:

·         be in writing and state that it is for the purposes of the FOI
Act;

·         have a return address; and

·         relevantly, be a request for documents with enough information
to enable Services Australia to identify it.

 

If you have any freedom of information related questions please email
[1][email address].  

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Team

Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch | Legal Services Division

Services Australia

 

Please note:  This email and any attachments may contain information
subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise
sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this
email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication.
If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender
immediately and permanently delete this email.

 

 

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Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

Rhetorics, rhetorics...

Let me rephrase the request in the following form:

"I am aware that Child Support department records separately critical incidents. I am looking for the documents related to these records"

Yours sincerely,

Anatoly Kern

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM, Services Australia

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Kern

 

Please find attached correspondence in relation to your request, made
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Team

Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch | Legal Services Division

Services Australia

Email: [email address]

 

Please note:  This email and any attachments may contain information
subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise
sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this
email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication.
If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender
immediately and permanently delete this email.

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

What is so secretive about critical incidents that you keep coming with excuses?

I can't clarify the specific documents because I am not aware what they are.

If the department can provide a list of the documents related to the recordings of the critical incidents I can narrow the scope of the request.

Yours sincerely,

Anatoly Kern

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM, Services Australia

Dear Mr Kern

 

Thank you for your prompt response.

 

So that we can assist you with your request, please clarify what you mean
by the term 'critical incident'?

 

We cannot supply you with a list of documents, as we do not know what you
mean by 'critical incident'.

 

As we mentioned in our formal consultation with you on 18 March 2020,
'critical incident' is not a term used by Services Australia. This term
could

could be understood to mean:

•         serious customer aggression incidents;

•         armed hold up or hostage situations;

•         the death of any person in or closely connected to the
workplace;

•         major fires or emergency events; or

•         reported incidents of threats of self-harm by a person.

 

Please confirm whether you are seeking access to documents relating to one
or more of the above ‘critical incidents’?

 

Alternatively, please advise whether you are seeking access to documents
relating to some other type of ‘critical incident’, and specify the nature
of the incident?

 

I note that as you have not revised your request. We are still consulting
with you within the ‘consultation period’ outside of the 30 day processing
period.

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Team

Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch | Legal Services Division

Services Australia

Email: [email address]

 

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Dear FOI.LEGAL.TEAM,

"'critical incident' is not a term used by Services Australia."

To the best of my limited knowledge, it is used by Child Support department for referring to the death of the child support payers, which was clarified during 2017 BUDGET ESTIMATES questioning time (as HS 39 (SQ17-000120)) per below:

a) Does the child support keep records of the deaths of child support payers?
a) Yes. The Department currently records the date of death for active cases (parents with an ongoing liability) and ended cases with outstanding child support payable (paying parent has no ongoing assessment but still has an outstanding child support debt).
The Department does not record reasons of death.

Yours sincerely,

Anatoly Kern

FOI.LEGAL.TEAM, Services Australia

Dear Mr Kern

 

Thank you for clarifying the meaning of the term “critical incidents” in
your request. The processing timeframe for this request has recommenced.

 

At this stage, you can expect a decision by 9 April 2020.

 

Kind regards

 

Freedom of Information Team

Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch | Legal Services Division

Services Australia

Email: [1][email address]

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

 

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FOI.LEGAL.TEAM, Services Australia

1 Attachment

  • Attachment

    LEX53336 Decision draft decision s24A cannot identify documents final.pdf

    237K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Kern,

 

Please find attached the decision letter for your recent FOI Request LEX
53336.

 

Many thanks,

 

Freedom of Information Legal Team

Employment Law and Freedom of Information Branch

Legal Services Division I Services Australia

*: [1][email address]

 

This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are
prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have
received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately
and permanently delete this email.

 

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References

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Anatoly Kern left an annotation ()

And another confirmation that the department does nothing to prevent these deaths.

While people paying taxes to support those who kill them with zero accountability it will continue.