Targeted care packages
Guide to end of financial year acquittal for departmental staff

1.Purpose

The purpose of this guide is to outline steps to enable departmental staff to undertake the end of financial year acquittal for targeted care packages (TCPs).

The acquittal process applies to the package funding components processed via Regional Individual Support System (RIS), the principal IT system used by the department to manage client attached funding.

The end of financial year acquittal does not apply to the care allowance component of a package. For information regarding thecare allowance processes, visit the website Support for home based carers in Victoria

This guide should be read in conjunction with the following documents:

  • Targeted care packages guidelines
  • Targeted care packages implementation manual
  • RIS-TCPs User Manual / Acquittal(department only).

NB:Due to June variation activities in SAMS2, operationaldivisions are advised to enter any new packages or adjustments in RIS-TCPs by the cut-off date of 31 May. Packages or adjustments entered before the end of May will be picked up in the acquittal.

New packages or adjustments entered into RIS-TCPs between 1 June and 30 June will not show on the acquittal template.In these circumstances, divisions will need to arrange manual acquittals to go to community service organisations for those packages or adjustments.

For packages and adjustments with funds commencing in June, the funding will come from the budget for the next financial year as outlined in RIS-TCPs. Divisions need to advice community service organisations that funding will be receivedfrom 1 July.

Summary of acquittal process and timelines

Keys steps for the end of financial year acquittalprocess are as follows:

  • The department (via responsible operational divisions) generates the template that lists individuals and allocations and sends the template to the relevant community service organisation.
  • Community service organisations complete expenditure informationand return acquittal template to the department.
  • The department works with community service organisations to understand and address any expenditure anomalies.
  • The unspent funding is managed viathe Prior Year Adjustment (PYA) process, which means that the payment schedule in SAMS2, where applicable, will automatically be adjusted commensurate with the value of unspent funding. Alternatively, the department will issue an invoice to community service organisation for return of unspent funds.

The expected timeframefor end of financial year acquittal for TCPs is as follows:

Timeline / Step / Actioned by
July – August / Receive invoices and process payments for services received during previous financial year / Community service organisations
By end July / Advise community service organisations of upcoming acquittal requirements and timeframes / Department
By end August / Provide acquittal template to all community service organisations involved in the provision of TCPs / Department
By end September / Provide expenditure information to the department / Community service organisations
By end October / Complete acquittal calculation and advice community service organisations of the outcome / Department

NB: To prevent over-commitments, community service organisations need to inform the department if supports needs of a child or young change and if a package requires a variation.

In instances where an over-commitment is identified during the end of financial year acquittal, it is at the discretion of the department to reimburse the community service organisation for the additional costs incurred.

2.Steps to support end of financial year acquittal

Steps / Actions
Step 1
Advise of upcoming acquittal requirements and timeframes / Department advises community service organisations of the acquittal commencement and the associated timelines.
Timeline: By end of July
Step 2
Commit all outstanding payments / adjustment for the financial year in RIS-TCPs / Department checks that all approved TCP payments and adjustments are committed in RIS-TCPs.
Note: Commitment of any outstanding budget adjustments in RIS-TCPs will ensure that all budgets are up to date.
For more see RIS-TCPs User Manual – Making a Budget Commitment
Step 3
Generate RIS-TCPs annual acquittal template / Department generates acquittal templates in RIS-TCPs for each community service organisation and checks to ensure their accuracy.
Note: The acquittal template formats must not be altered.
For more see RIS-TCPs User’s Manual – Acquittal
Step 4
Email acquittal template / Department applies password protection and emails the acquittal template to the relevant community service organisation using the acquittal commencement advice script. Attach “End of financial year acquittal information for community service organisations’ with this email.
The password is provided in a follow-up email.
Timeline: By end of August
Refer to Section 3 of this guide – Advice on acquittal commencement
Step 5
Receive acquittal template / Community service organisation confirms receipt of the acquittal template.
Step 6
Complete the expenditure information / Community service organisation enters expenditure information for the financial year on the acquittal template.
Note:The acquittal template format must not be altered.
Step 7
Return the completed acquittal template / Community service organisation re-applies password to the completed template and returns the template to the department by email.
Timeline: By end of September
Step 8
Upload the completed acquittal template in RIS-TCPs / Department uploads the completed acquittal template (now inclusive of expenditure information) into RIS-TCPs.
For more see RIS-TCPs User Manual – Acquittal
Step 9
Commit all outstanding payments and adjustments for the financial year in RIS-TCPs / Department checks that all approved payments and adjustments are committed in RIS-TCPs (in line with SAMS2 variation).
For more see RIS-TCPs User Manual – Making a Budget Commitment
Step 10
Review calculations performed in RIS-TCPs
Re-generate annual acquittal reports / Department reviews calculations in RIS-TCPs for each package being administered by the community service organisation. Department re-generates the RIS-TCPs acquittal template.
Note:
All packages that have been administered by the community service organisation during the applicable financial year must be acquitted by the department before the acquittal template can be re-generated in RIS-TCPs.
After acquittal of a community service organisation’s budget and subsequent generation of the final acquittal template, no further adjustments to a package budget can be made that relate to that financial year.
The acquittal template format should not be altered.
No further adjustments to a service user budget can be made after it has been acquitted.
For more see RIS-TCPs User Manual – Acquittal
Step 11
Send the completed acquittal template advising of the acquittal outcome / Department re-applies the password to the template and emails it back to the community service organisation using the acquittal outcome advice script.
Upon advice from the community service organisation that they have received their acquittal template, the department sends the password.
Timeline: By end of October
For more see RIS-TCPs User Manual – Acquittal
Attachments Section 4 of this guide – Acquittal outcome advice
Step 12
Acknowledge acquittal requirements / Community service organisation acknowledgesthat the department will adjust the funding as part of the acquittal process / or issue an invoice for manual processing of unspent funds.
Step 13
SAMS2 payment schedule is adjusted / or an invoice issued / Payment schedules are automatically adjusted in SAMS2 to reflect the unspent amount. The PYA commitment raised in SAMS2 has the effect of reducing the organisation's next payment via one payment. The commitment can be spread across several payments by contacting the SAMS Helpdesk and requesting the change.
Alternatively, the department will issue an invoice to the community service organisation for return of unspent funds.

3.Advice on acquittal commencement

Script – from the department to community service organisation

Subject: <Insert financial yeartargeted care packages – advice on acquittal commencement

This email is to inform you of the requirements for the <insert financial year>targeted care packages (TCPs) end of financial year acquittal process.

For your information please find attached an information sheet for community service organisations and the funding acquittal and reconciliation template:

<attach information sheet for community service organisations

<attach funding acquittal and reconciliation template>

To commence the process, please acknowledge the receipt of this email to insert email address>.We will then send a follow up email with the password to access your template/s.

For the funding acquittal template please provide each client's expenditure in Column H of the spreadsheet.

To enable uploading to the Regional Individual Support Package System for TCPs the acquittal template format must not be altered.The acquittals need to be endorsed by your organisation's Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer.

Please return the completed template/s via email insert email addressby insert date>.

The department will populate the remaining fields and inform you of the acquittal outcome.

Should your require any assistance or have any queries with regard to the completion of your templates, please contact e.g. your Local Engagement Officer> on <insert phone>,or <insert email>.

Regards

Insert name

Insert Division

4.Acquittal outcome advice

Script – from the department to community service organisation

Subject: Insert financial yearTargeted care packages – acquittal outcome advice

Please find attached the completed targeted care packages (TCPs) acquittal template for the insert financial year advising of recoup amounts for packages administered by your organisation.

To complete the insert financial year> TCP acquittal cycle, please acknowledge via an email that an adjustment to the service agreement funding in SAMS2 will be undertaken where applicable or an invoice issued for reimbursement of unspent funds to the department.

Should your require any assistance or have any queries with regard to the completion of your templates, please contact e.g. your Local Engagement Officer> on <insert phone>,or <insert email>.

Thank you for your assistance in completing the TCP end of financial year acquittal.

Kind regards

Insert name

Insert Division

Guide to end of financial year acquittal for departmental staff 1