CHSP DEX Stage 3 changes: FAQs

This article answers the questions we hear most often about the CHSP DEX Stage 3 reporting changes in Lookout - including why the new fields only appear for certain services, how a Helper's engagement type sets the subcontractor and volunteer answers, how "Apply defaults" works, group visits and purchase order limitations, importing meals, and how to find and fix missing information before you submit to DEX. Use it alongside the main guide as a quick reference.

Looking for the full guide? These FAQs go alongside our main article, which walks through the CHSP DEX Stage 3 changes and how to update your services: CHSP DEX Stage 3 reporting changes in Lookout.

Why can't I see all - or some - of the new CHSP fields on my rosters?

There are two things to check. First, make sure the feature is switched on. The Stage 3 fields only appear once the feature has been enabled for your organisation - it becomes available in Release Hub from 11 August and needs to be enabled, or it switches on automatically for everyone from 31 August.

Second - and this is the most common reason - the fields don't all appear everywhere, even once the feature is on. Lookout only shows the fields relevant to what's being delivered, so you'll see different questions depending on:

the CHSP service type
the selected rate
the CHSP funding
the outlet selection

Two visits (or group visits) can legitimately show completely different fields, and some show none of the new fields beyond the outlet, because that service doesn't require any. For example:

Service	Additional fields shown
Meal delivery	Meal counts, texture modification, cooked on-site/off-site
Social support	Location
Direct transport	Engagement time
Flexible respite	Location, meal questions

If a field you expected isn't showing, check the service type, rate, funding, and outlet on the record - the fields follow the service. If you deliver a service that requires the new information and still don't see the fields after the feature is enabled, contact support.

New questions have appeared on my rosters, and no one told my team - what are they?

These are the new CHSP details the government now requires providers to capture. They switch on automatically for everyone from 31 August. Nothing is broken, and you can keep working, but it's worth letting your team know what the fields are for. If you deliver only a small amount of CHSP, this change is easy to miss - the fields will still appear, and any gaps will need to be filled in before you report.

Why am I being asked to add a My Aged Care (MAC) ID or set a Helper as Employee, Contractor, or Volunteer?

This is Lookout flagging details that are needed for the new reporting. It's a prompt to help you get ready, not an error. Add the MAC ID on each Member's profile, and set the engagement type (Employee, Contractor, or Volunteer) on each Helper's profile.

Does an error in the Lookout error report mean I can't upload my XML to DEX?

Not necessarily - these are two different kinds of error, and it's important not to confuse them:

The Lookout error report (CSV) is generated by Lookout when you create the report. It's a review file that flags records where information is missing or may need attention. It doesn't stop your XML from being produced or uploaded.
A DEX portal error is returned by the DEX portal itself, at the point you upload your XML to the government. This is separate from anything Lookout produces.

In other words, a Lookout error report is there to help you spot gaps before you submit - it isn't the DEX portal rejecting your file. Where the XML has generated successfully, you can proceed with uploading it, and use the error report to decide what to tidy up.

Why does the CSV contain information that isn't in the XML? Does that mean the XML is incomplete?

No - this is expected, and it doesn't mean the XML is wrong or shouldn't be uploaded.

The XML is the file you upload to DEX. It contains what the DEX submission requires.
The CSV is a review/identification file provided to help you check your data. It can include additional information that isn't part of the DEX submission - it's there for your own review, not for uploading.

So if the CSV shows fields that don't appear in the XML, that's by design. Where the XML has generated successfully, you can go ahead and upload it to DEX, even if the CSV contains extra fields the XML doesn't.

Where do I record whether a Helper is an Employee, Contractor, or Volunteer?

This is set on the Helper's profile. Click the Settings tab, then navigate to Business information.

I can't see the Volunteer option on a Helper's settings.

The Volunteer option isn't switched on for every organisation by default. If you can only see Employee and Contractor, it means Volunteer Helpers haven't been enabled for your organisation yet.

Volunteer Helpers must be enabled for your organisation before the option appears.
Contact support if you need the Volunteer option and it isn't available.

How does a Helper's engagement type set the subcontractor and volunteer answers?

For visits, the Helper's engagement type automatically sets the CHSP worker answers:

Helper engagement type	Resulting CHSP answer
Employee	Subcontractor delivered = No
Contractor	Subcontractor delivered = Yes
Volunteer	Volunteer delivered = Yes

These are starting values based on the Helper - you can still override them on the visit where needed. For purchase orders, work delivered by a supplier is automatically treated as Subcontractor delivered = Yes (and Volunteer delivered = No), because it's delivered by an external supplier.

I updated a Helper's engagement type, but the visit's subcontractor answer didn't change.

The engagement type only pre-fills the subcontractor answer for new answers created through the admin rostering form, and only for sessions dated on or after 1 July 2026. It won't retro-fill answers that were created another way (such as through bulk actions, check-out, recurring rules, or an integration) or for older sessions. For those, set the answer directly on the visit.

Are the subcontractor and volunteer answers mandatory?

No - they're not required fields. For visits, they're pre-filled based on the Helper's engagement type, and for purchase orders, they're pre-filled as Subcontractor delivered: Yes and Volunteer delivered: No. In every case you can change the answers before saving. Unlike the meal, location, and trip defaults (which only apply when you tick the Stage 3 defaults box), the subcontractor and volunteer answers always come through.

Do my Helpers need to enter any of this information?

Almost all of it is entered by admins when rostering. The only details that might come from the field are social engagement time and transport distance/time, and social engagement time is optional. Many CHSP providers won't rely on field-based capture at all.

What's changed in the Helper App?

The visit check-out step now collects trip information (distance and time) and social engagement time. All of these are optional, and they only appear for the service types and CHSP memberships where they're relevant.

I left a field blank when rostering - did I break something?

No. You can save the roster and carry on as normal. The only impact is at reporting time: any missing information must be filled in (backfilled) before your DEX report is valid.

Which fields are optional?

Engagement time, trip distance, and trip time are all optional. You won't be blocked from generating your report if they're blank.

Where can I see what's missing before I submit to DEX? / Does Lookout check my data before I submit?

Lookout doesn't validate your data live inside the DEX screen. Instead, missing information is surfaced through an error report that's produced alongside your DEX report. The process is:

Generate the DEX report
Download the accompanying error report (CSV)
Review the missing fields - the error report names the exact attribute that's missing and links you straight to the visit or invoice
Correct the records using the backfill tools - via Visits, Recurring rules, Group Visits, or Invoices
Regenerate the DEX report

The error report is the fastest way to see what's outstanding, because not every service type needs every field - it only surfaces the gaps that actually matter for each service, rather than making you scan the whole report preview.

Are my Helpers flagged when information is missing?

No - Helpers are never flagged. Missing information is reported against the service (the visit or invoice), not the worker. The error report that accompanies the DEX report lists each record that needs attention, names the specific detail that's missing, and points you to the visit or invoice where you can set it.

My export flagged records that defaults couldn't complete.

Where a default can't reasonably be worked out - transport distance is the main example - the export identifies those records so you can complete them by hand. This is by design, not an error.

Do I have to unacquit every checked-out visit to add this information?

No. You can edit the CHSP information directly from the invoice - using the link on the relevant row in the DEX report - or use the bulk backfill forms described earlier. Going forward, the Helper App collects this information at check-out, so it flows through automatically.

My bulk update didn't change all the values I expected.

Bulk editing only changes the fields you actually fill in. Any field you leave blank keeps its existing value - it won't be cleared or overwritten. If a value didn't change, check that you entered something in that field before saving.

Group Visits: Where are the CHSP fields, and why can't I see them?

On a group visit, the CHSP fields are driven by the selected rate, just like individual visits. If the service doesn't require any extra Stage 3 information, the group visit will only show the Outlet - this is correct, not a fault, and the form changes depending on what the service needs. Where more detail is required (for example, Flexible respite), the additional fields appear. CHSP details can also be managed per attendee where needed, so individual attendees can carry different details from the group default.

I backfilled a group visit, but some attendees didn't update.

This happens when those attendees already have published invoices — backfilling deliberately won't touch invoices that have already been published. When you backfill, the confirmation shows how many attendees will be affected and tells you if any already have published invoices. For those attendees, you'll need to update the invoice or the DEX report directly.

I updated the group visit (or an attendee), but the CHSP information didn't change in DEX.

This usually happens because an invoice already exists for that session. Once an invoice has been created, the DEX export uses the CHSP information stored on the invoice — not the original group visit or attendee. So updating the group visit or attendee after an invoice exists won't change what appears in DEX for that session.

To correct the information for an already-invoiced session, update it on the invoice itself (from the Invoices and credit notes screen, or via the link on the relevant row in the DEX report). Updating the group visit or attendee will only affect sessions that haven't been invoiced yet.

How does "Apply defaults" work?

"Apply defaults" is a single checkbox you tick when generating your DEX report. There are no service-level defaults, configurable defaults, or automation settings - it applies to the entire report and only fills in blanks. It never changes your actual visit, roster, or invoice data. The subcontractor and volunteer answers are handled separately and always come through, regardless of the defaults box. Here's how it behaves:

Scenario	Result
A service already has a value	The existing value is kept
A field is blank	A default may be filled in for the report
Transport distance is blank	May still need to be entered manually (a default can't always be worked out)
Subcontractor / Volunteer	Populated automatically, independently of the defaults checkbox

Can I apply defaults to some service types but not others?

No - the Stage 3 defaults are all-or-nothing for each report you generate. They're intended as a quick shortcut for a whole report run. If you want different behaviour for different services, enter the real values through the backfill tools (on your recurring rules, group visits, visits, invoices and attendees) so the report picks up what you've actually recorded.

The guide says defaults can be overridden - where do I do that?

Defaults only ever fill in blank values in the report; they never replace values you've already entered. So there's no separate "override defaults" screen. To set a real value, enter it where the information lives - on the recurring rule, the visit, the invoice, or the attendee. Any value you enter there replaces the default.

I applied defaults, but my actual visit and roster data still looks empty.

That's expected. Defaults only fill in missing values in the exported DEX report; they don't change your real visit or roster data. If you want the underlying data updated, enter it manually or use bulk edit.

Why is volunteer always showing "No" for purchase-order services in my DEX report?

That's expected. Services delivered through a purchase order are always reported as volunteer: No, because they're delivered by an external supplier rather than a volunteer worker.

I raised a purchase order for a CHSP member - why are the subcontractor and volunteer answers already filled in?

For CHSP members, new purchase orders start with Subcontractor delivered: Yes and Volunteer delivered: No, since these services are delivered by an external supplier. These are just starting values - you can change either one before you save.

Purchase order limitations for CHSP.

There are a few current limitations to be aware of when using CHSP with purchase orders:

CHSP fields apply to the entire purchase order, at the header level.
They do not exist at the individual line level.
Suppliers cannot view the CHSP fields in the Connected Care supplier portal.
If services on one order need different CHSP reporting details, you may need to raise separate purchase orders.

Can suppliers see the transport or meal information in Connected Care?

No - that information isn't visible to suppliers.

Client transport isn't coming through as kilometres travelled.

At the moment, client transport only flows into the trip distance automatically when the Stage 3 defaults box is ticked when you generate the report. If it's not showing, check whether that box was selected, or enter the distance manually on the visit or invoice.

I've enabled Stage 3, but my import template doesn't show the new meal columns.

Re-download the template from the import screen once the feature is enabled - the refreshed version will include the meal columns.

Please note: The invoice import template keeps the same name and version even after Stage 3 is enabled. The new columns are added to the file when you download it, so if you had a copy open beforehand, it will look unchanged - download a fresh copy after enabling the feature.

Will I get a new invoice import template for the Stage 3 update? My meals are entered via import.

There's no separate file to wait for. Meals are handled through your existing CHSP invoice import template, and the version name stays the same. Once you enable Stage 3 via Release Hub, your existing template automatically gains the new columns - including the meal fields (meal provided, cooked offsite, texture-modified, and counts for main/light meals, desserts, beverages, and snacks), along with other Stage 3 fields such as engagement time and travel details. All the new fields are optional, so your imports continue to work as normal.

I'm confused about the July reporting deadline.

The feature goes live on 11 August, but the reporting applies from 1 July. The government moved the deadline for the July report to the end of August, so if you're completing your July report with the new information, you'll need to upload it to DEX by the end of August.

Still need help?

If you're still experiencing issues, please contact our support team and include:

Screenshots if possible
The Member's name
The exact steps you took
Any error messages you received