DEX Stage 3 Changes 11/08/2026

Overview of Changes

The Department of Health's Data Exchange (DEX) system has introduced a new set of mandatory reporting fields for CHSP providers, known as Stage 3. These changes went live in the DEX production environment on 11th August 2026.

Key dates:

• 1 July 2026 — Stage 3 fields apply based on a session's delivery date, not the date it's exported to DEX. This means any session delivered on or after 1 July 2026 must carry the new Stage 3 data — including sessions already delivered between 1 July 2026 and now.
• 11 August 2026 — Stage 3 went live in the DEX production environment.

Because the requirement is tied to delivery date rather than export date, sessions delivered from 1 July 2026 onward need this data captured before they can be exported. If you have Supports already delivered since 1st July 2026, without the new fields completed, these will need to be re edited to add in the new fields.

**Action Point - Add new available stage 3 data to all existing supports from 01.07.2026 to Now

What's new at a session level

Two fields apply broadly across all DEX Program Activities:

New field	Applies to
Session delivered by a subcontractor (Yes/No)	All activities
Volunteer involved in direct service delivery (Yes/No)	All activities except Allied health and therapy services, Equipment and products, Nursing care, Personal care, and Therapeutic services for independent living

What's new for specific service types

Some service types have additional mandatory (or, in the case of Transport, optional) fields:

Meal delivery

• Session Location (Home/Community)

• Meals cooked offsite (Yes/No)

• Texture modified items (Yes/No)

• Meal type fields: Main meal, Light meal, Dessert, Beverage, Snack

• Engagement time spent with client (minutes)

  

Respite services (Community and centre-based respite, Flexible respite, Cottage respite)

• Meals provided (Yes/No), Texture modified items (Yes/No), and the same meal type fields as above

• Flexible respite only: Session Location (Home/Community) and Overnight (Yes/No)

  

Individual social support

• Session Location (Home/Community)

  

Transport (Direct and Indirect transport) — these fields are optional, not mandatory

• Engagement time spent with client (minutes)

• Trip distance (km)

• Trip travel time (hours and minutes)

  Direct Transport

  

  Indirect

  

---

Apply these as Defaults at a Service Level

DEX Stage 3 - Setting Default Values & Backfilling Existing Supports

Overview

To reduce the amount of manual data entry required on the Supports form, you can now configure default values for the new DEX Stage 3 fields at the Service level. Once set up, CareMaster can either fill these fields in automatically, or pre-fill them on the Supports form so your team only needs to confirm or adjust them rather than starting from scratch.

You can also use the new Fill Defaults tool to retroactively apply these defaults to existing supports that are missing Stage 3 data - helpful for closing gaps on sessions delivered since 1 July 2026.

Where to Find It

1. Go to Admin → Service Organisations

2. From the list screen, click the “X Services” link (on the right) to see all Services for that Organisation

3. Edit the service you want to configure

4. Scroll down to Integration Settings → DEX Settings

Under Service type requirements, you'll see Service type requirement default values - this is where defaults are configured:

Understanding the Options

Each field has a dropdown with some or all of the following options, depending on the field:

Option	What it does
Use default value	The field is hidden from the Supports form entirely, and the value you set here is applied automatically to every support.
Capture on form (with default)	The field still appears on the Supports form, but is pre-filled with the value you set here - so it can be reviewed or changed on a case-by-case basis.
Automatic option (e.g. Pull from assigned worker profile, Pull from address)	The field is hidden from the Supports form, and CareMaster works out the value automatically for each support, rather than using a single fixed default.

Currently, two fields support an automatic option:

• Subcontractor delivered - can be set to Pull from assigned worker profile, using the flags already set on the assigned worker's profile.

• Service location setting - can be set to Pull from address, working out whether the support took place at the participant's home or in the community based on the support's location.

The remaining fields (Volunteer direct service, Items texture modified, Meal cooked offsite, meal type counts, Engagement time) currently support Use default value and Capture on form (with default) only - there's no automatic derivation for these yet, so a default value needs to be set manually for each.

Note: These defaults are configured per Service, not per Service Organisation - if you have multiple services affected by Stage 3 (e.g. several meal delivery variants), each one needs to be configured individually.

Backfilling Existing Supports with Fill Defaults

Underneath the default value settings, you'll find a Fill Defaults button.

What it does: applies your configured defaults (or automatic derivations) to existing supports for this service that were delivered on or after 1 July 2026 and don't currently have a value set for the relevant Stage 3 fields.

What it doesn't do: it will not overwrite any field that already has a value - whether that value was entered manually or previously derived. It only fills genuine gaps.

This is a useful way to catch up any supports that were created before the Stage 3 fields (or your defaults) were in place, without risking overwriting data that's already correct.

To backfill a service:

1. Set up your default values for the service as described above and click Update to save

2. Click Fill Defaults

3. CareMaster will update all eligible existing supports for that service, filling in only the fields that were previously blank

As with the default value settings themselves, Fill Defaults needs to be run per service - if you're catching up several services, repeat this for each one.

With Stage 3 now live, there are a few sync actions to run so CareMaster has the latest DEX reference data, activities, and outlet links. These should be done as soon as possible, and can be re-run at any time if DEX updates its reference data.

Begin with an overall Re-Sync

1. Sync Reference Data

Reference data drives the drop-down options shown throughout CareMaster's DEX screens (e.g. Household Composition, Accommodation Type). Keeping it in sync ensures the correct codes are sent to DEX.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Reference Data

2. Click Sync reference data

3. Confirm the sync has completed — the reference data count will update

   

2. Sync Activities

Activities are the DEX Program Activities your organisation is approved to deliver against. These need to be current before new services can be linked to them.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Activities

2. Click Sync from DEX

3. Review the imported activities list — you can click the eye icon next to an activity to review its Service Types

   

3. Sync Outlets and Activity Links

Outlets represent your organisation's physical/service locations in DEX, and each outlet needs to be linked to the activities it delivers. All CHSP funded services must have an Outlet Activity assigned before supports for that service can be submitted to DEX.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Outlets

2. Click Sync Outlets to bring in outlet records from DEX

3. Click Sync Outlet → Activity Links to bring in which activities are linked to each outlet

   

Tip: All three of these can also be run together from the DEX Dashboard using the Bulk Import Data button, which downloads Organisation, Outlets, Activities, Outlet → Activity links, and Reference Data in a single action.

Overview of Changes

The Department of Health's Data Exchange (DEX) system has introduced a new set of mandatory reporting fields for CHSP providers, known as Stage 3. These changes went live in the DEX production environment on 11th August 2026.

Key dates:

• 1 July 2026 — Stage 3 fields apply based on a session's delivery date, not the date it's exported to DEX. This means any session delivered on or after 1 July 2026 must carry the new Stage 3 data — including sessions already delivered between 1 July 2026 and now.
• 11 August 2026 — Stage 3 went live in the DEX production environment.

Because the requirement is tied to delivery date rather than export date, sessions delivered from 1 July 2026 onward need this data captured before they can be exported. If you have Supports already delivered since 1st July 2026, without the new fields completed, these will need to be re edited to add in the new fields.

**Action Point - Add new available stage 3 data to all existing supports from 01.07.2026 to Now

What's new at a session level

Two fields apply broadly across all DEX Program Activities:

New field	Applies to
Session delivered by a subcontractor (Yes/No)	All activities
Volunteer involved in direct service delivery (Yes/No)	All activities except Allied health and therapy services, Equipment and products, Nursing care, Personal care, and Therapeutic services for independent living

What's new for specific service types

Some service types have additional mandatory (or, in the case of Transport, optional) fields:

Meal delivery

• Session Location (Home/Community)

• Meals cooked offsite (Yes/No)

• Texture modified items (Yes/No)

• Meal type fields: Main meal, Light meal, Dessert, Beverage, Snack

• Engagement time spent with client (minutes)

  

Respite services (Community and centre-based respite, Flexible respite, Cottage respite)

• Meals provided (Yes/No), Texture modified items (Yes/No), and the same meal type fields as above

• Flexible respite only: Session Location (Home/Community) and Overnight (Yes/No)

  

Individual social support

• Session Location (Home/Community)

  

Transport (Direct and Indirect transport) — these fields are optional, not mandatory

• Engagement time spent with client (minutes)

• Trip distance (km)

• Trip travel time (hours and minutes)

  Direct Transport

  

  Indirect

  

---

Apply these as Defaults at a Service Level

DEX Stage 3 - Setting Default Values & Backfilling Existing Supports 

Overview 

To reduce the amount of manual data entry required on the Supports form, you can now configure default values for the new DEX Stage 3 fields at the Service level. Once set up, CareMaster can either fill these fields in automatically, or pre-fill them on the Supports form so your team only needs to confirm or adjust them rather than starting from scratch. 

You can also use the new Fill Defaults tool to retroactively apply these defaults to existing supports that are missing Stage 3 data - helpful for closing gaps on sessions delivered since 1 July 2026. 

Where to Find It 

1. Go to Admin → Service Organisations 

2. From the list screen, click the “X Services” link (on the right) to see all Services for that Organisation 

3. Edit the service you want to configure 

4. Scroll down to Integration Settings → DEX Settings 

Under Service type requirements, you'll see Service type requirement default values - this is where defaults are configured:

Understanding the Options 

Each field has a dropdown with some or all of the following options, depending on the field: 

Option	What it does
Use default value	The field is hidden from the Supports form entirely, and the value you set here is applied automatically to every support.
Capture on form (with default)	The field still appears on the Supports form, but is pre-filled with the value you set here - so it can be reviewed or changed on a case-by-case basis.
Automatic option (e.g. Pull from assigned worker profile, Pull from address)	The field is hidden from the Supports form, and CareMaster works out the value automatically for each support, rather than using a single fixed default.

Currently, two fields support an automatic option: 

• Subcontractor delivered - can be set to Pull from assigned worker profile, using the flags already set on the assigned worker's profile. 

• Service location setting - can be set to Pull from address, working out whether the support took place at the participant's home or in the community based on the support's location. 

The remaining fields (Volunteer direct service, Items texture modified, Meal cooked offsite, meal type counts, Engagement time) currently support Use default value and Capture on form (with default) only - there's no automatic derivation for these yet, so a default value needs to be set manually for each. 

Note: These defaults are configured per Service, not per Service Organisation - if you have multiple services affected by Stage 3 (e.g. several meal delivery variants), each one needs to be configured individually. 

Backfilling Existing Supports with Fill Defaults 

Underneath the default value settings, you'll find a Fill Defaults button. 

What it does: applies your configured defaults (or automatic derivations) to existing supports for this service that were delivered on or after 1 July 2026 and don't currently have a value set for the relevant Stage 3 fields. 

What it doesn't do: it will not overwrite any field that already has a value - whether that value was entered manually or previously derived. It only fills genuine gaps. 

This is a useful way to catch up any supports that were created before the Stage 3 fields (or your defaults) were in place, without risking overwriting data that's already correct. 

To backfill a service: 

1. Set up your default values for the service as described above and click Update to save 

2. Click Fill Defaults 

3. CareMaster will update all eligible existing supports for that service, filling in only the fields that were previously blank 

As with the default value settings themselves, Fill Defaults needs to be run per service - if you're catching up several services, repeat this for each one.

With Stage 3 now live, there are a few sync actions to run so CareMaster has the latest DEX reference data, activities, and outlet links. These should be done as soon as possible, and can be re-run at any time if DEX updates its reference data.

Begin with an overall Re-Sync

1. Sync Reference Data

Reference data drives the drop-down options shown throughout CareMaster's DEX screens (e.g. Household Composition, Accommodation Type). Keeping it in sync ensures the correct codes are sent to DEX.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Reference Data

2. Click Sync reference data

3. Confirm the sync has completed — the reference data count will update

   

2. Sync Activities

Activities are the DEX Program Activities your organisation is approved to deliver against. These need to be current before new services can be linked to them.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Activities

2. Click Sync from DEX

3. Review the imported activities list — you can click the eye icon next to an activity to review its Service Types

   

3. Sync Outlets and Activity Links

Outlets represent your organisation's physical/service locations in DEX, and each outlet needs to be linked to the activities it delivers. All CHSP funded services must have an Outlet Activity assigned before supports for that service can be submitted to DEX.

1. Go to Admin → Integrations → DEX → Outlets

2. Click Sync Outlets to bring in outlet records from DEX

3. Click Sync Outlet → Activity Links to bring in which activities are linked to each outlet

   

Tip: All three of these can also be run together from the DEX Dashboard using the Bulk Import Data button, which downloads Organisation, Outlets, Activities, Outlet → Activity links, and Reference Data in a single action.