Client files - Riverland District Centre, Families SA (GRS/4210)

This series consists of master case files documenting the case planning and service provision for each client of the Riverland branch of Families SA. They may contain legal documentation, correspondence, reports, copies of ministerial enquiries and documentation of inter-agency involvement.

FILE CLASSIFICATION:

Each client file receives an eight digit file number to which is added a one or two digit code identifying the type of file. When current they are arranged by file number in a single run. This numbering system was introduced in 1972, and replaced the annual single number run of files (see GRG 29/108).

The file type or category number is only used to distinguish between different files relating to the same person or family. The file types are:

Type 01- Concession and Payment file. Also known as Financial Assistance file.

Type 03 - Family Maintenance file. Also know as Revenue file.

Type 04 - Children Under the Care and Control of the Minister. Also known as State Ward file or Child file. Re-numbered 40 under the Client Information System. Replaced in 1985 by Type 85.

Type 05 - Bond and Supervision Child file (juvenile offenders). Re-numbered 50 under the Client Information System. Replaced in 1985 by Type 85.

Type 20 - Maintenance (matrimonial) file.

Type 21 - Maintenance (affiliation) file. Children born out of wedlock.

Type 40 - see 04

Type 41 - Assessment and Treatment file. Replaced in 1985 by type 85.

Type 44 - Criminal Injuries Compensation file.

Type 45 - Children in Private Care (payments) file.

Type 50 - see 05

Type 55 - Psychological Services file. To be used by psychologists. Includes referral, case conference, medical, social work, psychiatric and psychological reports, interview notes and test materials. Executive approved the use of this type as a sub-file in June 1993. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1995.

Type 62 - Community Work Program file. Used by community work program teams in the supervision of young people under Community Service Orders. Sub-file to type 85 from August 1997.

Type 70 - Foster Parent file. Used when a carer is registered by the Carer Approval and Registration Services, later known as Registration and Licensing.

Type 71 - Supported Carer file. Used by carer programs. Sub-file to type 70 from December 2004.

Type 75 - INC Parents file. Intensive Neighbourhood Care - an alternative to institutionalisation for juvenile offenders. Includes applications to become INC parents, police check, orientation and training details, appointments and terminations, annual reviews, details of the placement, carer performance and adverse incidents.

Type 77 - Special Investigation file. Not part of the client file system and was not managed through the Client Information System.

Type 80 - Special Care file including Family Day Care file. When responsibility for family day care was transferred to the Children's Services Office in 1985 this number was re-allocated to Funeral files, also known as Destitute Burials.

Type 85 - Contact files. This category was introduced in July 1985 to replace categories 40, 45, 50 and 90. Existing files were not re-numbered and many are still active. In June 1993 the agency endorsed the concept of sub-files as component parts of the 85 client file (the master file). The purpose of the sub-file system was to hold client information where there was a need to store information relating to a client that was not appropriate to hold on an 85 file (e.g. some customer complaints or psychological tests), or where a location needed to hold client information and it was inconvenient or not possible to access the 85 file. Otherwise the 85 file was to be used as the primary repository of client information. Progressive implementation of the sub-file system began in September 1994.

Type 86 - Secure Care files. To be used by secure care centres and to be maintained and held in Liaison sections. Includes mandates, sentencing remarks, update of person details, review board reports and forms, and social background reports and forms. Executive approved the use of this type as a sub-file in June 1993. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 87 - Financial Counselling file. To be used by staff in financial counselling teams. Includes applications for service, statement of expenses, disclosure of authority, copies of sundry documents and correspondence. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 88 - Crown Law Referral file. To be used by District Centre staff or other staff for the referral of matters relating to specific clients to the Crown Solicitor. Includes information required to present the application to court. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 89 - Appeals and Complaints file. Most documentation regarding a customer complaint is to be placed on a client's 85 file. An 89 file is to be used only when it is considered inappropriate to place information in the 85 file. Includes information referring to internal enquiries, investigations of customer complaints and external enquiries such as those raised by the Ombudsman in relation to specific clients.

Type 90 - Family files. Includes children placed privately away from parents. Replaced in 1985 by type 85 file.

Type 91 - Aboriginal file. Includes Aboriginal youth voluntary counselling. Type 91 ceased on 1 December 1973 when responsibility for Aboriginal affairs was transferred to the Commonwealth Government. All current files were transferred to the Commonwealth at that time, but files already closed were transferred to State Records as GRG 29/168.

Type 92 - Non-Accidental Physical Injury to Children file

Type 93 - Community Residential Care file. To be used by community residential care units for recording case management of clients in the units. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 94 - Country Liaison file. To be used by a District Centre when carrying out work with a client of another, usually country, office. Sub-file type to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 95 - Budget Advice file. Replaced by the 87 sub-file in 1994.

Type 96 - Aboriginal Youth Team file. To be used by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth Team, or any other specialist Aboriginal youth program. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994.

Type 97 - Freedom of Information file. To be used when the documentation is extensive and it is not feasible to place it on the 85 file. Sub-file to type 85 from July 1994 until 2003, when it became a stand alone type because its retention period was much shorter than those for the type 85 and other sub-files.

Type 99 - Community-Based Programs. Originally known as Specialist Youth Program files. Used by Independent Living teams and Special Programs for Youth teams. Sub-file to type 85 from August 1997.

Types 03, 20 and 21 relate to the operations of the Department's Family Maintenance Branch. This responsibility and all active files, passed to the Commonwealth during the 1988/89 financial year.

The Records Management System in use does not allow the creation of sub-files to the Type 85 file without first creating an 85 - even if the 85 (master file) is not needed. As such, some empty file covers for Type 85 files are to be expected within this and related series.

PREVIOUS RECORD SERIES:

Files accessioned under the GRG system were either closed prior to 1973 or are samples accessioned thereafter.

Type 03 - GRG 29/139
Type 20 - GRG 29/139
Type 21 - GRG 29/138
Type 40 - GRG 29/108
Type 50 - GRG 29/177
Type 90 - GRG 29/140
Type 91- GRG 29/168

RETENTION:

The Libraries Board of South Australia, at its meeting on 19th March 1973, approved the destruction of closed client files, subject to the preservation of samples for research purposes. This sampling was regularly carried out on files closed between 1973 and 1982. In 1983 the Department decided that in future it would retain all closed client files permanently.

A new Records Disposal Schedule was approved by the State Records Council in 2000. RDS 2000/17 required the extraction of a sample from closed files for permanent retention. Once records relating to clients of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent had been identified for permanent retention, the remainder were retained as records of temporary value. From these remaining records a sample was to be taken. The schedule required that the records of those clients whose name commenced with the letter "P" be retained permanently. This method was employed to ensure that the sample covers records of as broad a range as possible of ethnicities were retained.

TRANSFER TO ARCHIVES:

Until 2005, client files were closed when they had been inactive for 3 years, or, in the case of files relating to children, 3 years after the child has turned 18 years of age. Registry staff culled closed files annually. Each year's cull was arranged alphabetically by surname. Where the same surname occurred on more than one file, those files were arranged in file number order.

The practice of keeping on site the files of children until they turned 18 years of age, was changed by Divisional Circular No 82 in March 2005 to alleviate the congestion of storage space. A child's file (except those of children currently under the Guardianship of the Minister), may be disposed of after the file has been closed for 3 years. The new practice was also seen as a safeguard against damage to or loss of the records in the case of a disaster at a District Centre.

Client files are systematically disposed of by designated locations, including all District Centres, and each location has a series registration that is related to GRS 856.

SYSTEM OF ARRANGEMENT:

Although files have a two-tiered multiple number, they have been arranged alphabetically by client surname for ease of access.

SOURCES:

Branch Head Circular No 1714: Introduction of the Client Contact File type 85
Branch Head Circular No 2111: Client files - new system
Branch Head Circular No 2123: Implementation of sub files system
Branch Head Circular No 2153: Community work program sub file type 62.
Branch Head Circular No 2155: Specialist Youth Program sub file type 99.
DFCS Executive briefing notes dated 13/09/1994
CYFS Divisional Circular No 82: Archiving client files sub files under 18 years of age, dated 31/03/2005.