11/08/2026
CHSP DEX Stage 3 Is Live: Session Field Checklist for 2026
Map the CHSP DEX Stage 3 session fields by service type, including required, conditional, and 2026-27 optional transport and engagement fields.
The Commonwealth Home Support Program Data Exchange Stage 3 fields went live on 11 August 2026. The Department's June implementation update connects the release to session records for services delivered from 1 July 2026.
The important detail is that Stage 3 is not one identical set of fields for every CHSP service. The July CHSP DEX Guide provides service-level applicability and identifies several fields that remain optional for 2026-27.
This checklist helps provider teams map the official field rules to forms, client management systems, portal entry, bulk uploads, staff instructions, and vendor testing. It is a general operational starting point only.
What changed on 11 August 2026
Stage 3 adds session-level information intended to provide more detail about CHSP service delivery. The fields that appear and the responses required depend on the DEX Program Activity, Service Type, and any field-specific trigger.
The June update announced that applicable mandatory fields would not have a general optional rollout phase. The July guide supplies the service-by-service detail needed to apply that statement correctly.
Stage 3 field applicability map
| Field | Applies to | 2026-27 handling |
|---|---|---|
| Session delivered by a subcontractor | All DEX Program Activities | Complete for applicable new sessions |
| Volunteer involved in direct service delivery | Most services | Does not apply to allied health and therapy, equipment and products, nursing care, personal care, or therapeutic services for independent living |
| Session location: Home or Community | Flexible respite, individual social support, and meal delivery | Complete where the field applies |
| Overnight support included | Flexible respite | Complete where the field applies |
| Meals provided during session | Respite services | A Yes response activates relevant texture and meal-type fields |
| Meals cooked offsite | Meal delivery | Complete for meal-delivery sessions |
| Engagement time | Meal delivery and direct transport | Optional for 2026-27; does not apply to indirect transport |
| Trip distance and trip time | Direct and indirect transport | Optional for 2026-27 |
This table is a navigation summary, not a replacement for the official field matrix. Use the current guide before configuring a form, upload, or staff instruction.
Use required, conditional, optional, and not-applicable statuses
A practical field map should distinguish fields that are required where applicable, fields activated by another response, fields marked optional for 2026-27, and fields that do not apply to a service type.
Labelling every Stage 3 field as mandatory for every CHSP service would be inaccurate. It could also lead teams to collect information that the relevant service workflow does not require.
Build a service-type field map
| Local review item | What to record |
|---|---|
| Funded service type | Current official DEX Program Activity and Service Type |
| Applicable fields | Only the Stage 3 fields listed for that service |
| Field status | Required, conditional, optional for 2026-27, or not applicable |
| Source and checked date | Official guide link and the date the rule was checked |
| System location | Form, portal screen, import column, export, or client management field |
| Owner | Service, administration, data, or vendor contact responsible for review |
| Test result | Passed, failed, blocked, workaround, and next review date |
Start with the services the organisation is funded to deliver. Do not add meal, respite, transport, or location fields to unrelated workflows merely because those fields exist elsewhere in DEX.
Review information retained from 1 July 2026
Before the Stage 3 functionality was available, the June update asked funded organisations to retain the new field information in their own client management systems for services delivered from 1 July 2026.
That statement should not be turned into a blanket instruction to recreate every historical record. Identify affected July sessions, confirm what applicable information was retained, use current official DEX guidance, and confirm product behaviour with the vendor before changing records already entered or submitted.
A metadata-only review tracker can record the service date, service type, applicable fields, controlled source-system location, DEX status, issue owner, and next action without duplicating client content.
Check meal delivery, respite, and transport separately
Meal delivery and respite have different field triggers. Confirm the service type and the meals-provided response before using texture or meal-type fields. Meal-delivery engagement time remains optional for 2026-27.
For transport, trip distance and trip time remain optional for 2026-27. Engagement time is also optional and applies to direct transport, not indirect transport.
Where a team elects to collect optional fields, document the official definition, local source, software mapping, owner, and review date rather than inventing a local interpretation.
Test the portal and software boundary
Confirm that each local field maps to the correct DEX field for the selected service type.
Test one service where the volunteer field applies and one where it does not.
Test meal-delivery and respite triggers without assuming the same fields appear in both workflows.
Test direct and indirect transport separately, including the absence of engagement time for indirect transport.
Record validation errors, vendor behaviour, workaround, owner, and next review date.
Keep a controlled fallback for a failed import without duplicating sensitive data in an unapproved tool.
Protect client identifiers
Keep client, health, financial, referral, and service information in the organisation's approved systems. A CaresLink checklist should point to the controlled record location rather than contain the record itself.
Use the official guide and the organisation's approved privacy and data-handling processes when designing Session IDs, client fields, imports, exports, and test data.
Frequently asked questions
Are all Stage 3 fields mandatory for every CHSP service?
No. Stage 3 fields are service-specific. The July guide shows which fields apply, which are triggered by another response, and which remain optional for 2026-27.
Which fields are optional for 2026-27?
The July guide identifies meal-delivery engagement time and transport trip distance, trip time, and engagement time as optional for 2026-27. Transport engagement time does not apply to indirect transport.
Does every service use the volunteer field?
No. The guide says it does not apply to allied health and therapy services, equipment and products, nursing care, personal care, or therapeutic services for independent living.
Must every July session be recreated in DEX?
The June update says applicable information for services delivered from 1 July 2026 needed to be retained in providers' own systems until the Stage 3 functionality became available. Check current DEX and vendor instructions before changing records already entered or submitted.
Is this the same as the Support at Home B2G Client API?
No. This guide covers CHSP grant reporting through DEX. The Support at Home B2G Client API work covers different systems, data flows, and operational responsibilities.
Is this an official DEX or compliance checklist?
No. CaresLink does not access DEX, submit records, interpret grant obligations, assess reporting compliance, or provide legal, regulatory, financial, clinical, software, or professional advice. Use current official guidance and the organisation's approved advice pathways.
Disclaimer
These resources are provided for general operational documentation and educational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, clinical, medical, compliance, or professional advice. Organisations should review and adapt all documents according to their own policies, procedures, registration requirements, funding arrangements, and regulatory obligations.