What is DEX?
Also known as: Data Exchange
The Data Exchange is the Australian Government’s reporting platform for funded community and aged-care programs. Providers report client details, the sessions of service delivered, and optionally outcomes data, on a defined reporting period cycle. Continued funding is conditional on reporting.
DEX reporting is built around clients, cases and sessions. The partnership approach adds outcomes measurement, which some programs require.
Because DEX reports sessions rather than invoices, providers whose systems only capture billable events end up rebuilding session data by hand at the end of each period.
What providers report
DEX is built around clients, cases and sessions. A provider records each client it supports, groups them into cases under the program activity it is funded for, and records each session of service delivered. Some programs also collect outcome data through standardised measures.
There are three ways to submit data: manual entry in the DEX web-based portal, a bulk XML file upload from a client management system, or system-to-system transfer, where compatible software sends data to DEX automatically. Providers can submit at any time within a reporting period, for example daily, weekly or monthly.
Reporting periods
The standard Data Exchange cycle has two six-month reporting periods each year:
- 1 January to 30 June, which closes on 30 July
- 1 July to 31 December, which closes on 30 January
The 30-day closing period lets providers finalise and check their data. Program-specific guidance can add more frequent deadlines, so check the protocols for each grant you hold.
DEX for the Commonwealth Home Support Program
CHSP providers use DEX for monthly performance reporting. Every client who received a CHSP service needs an up-to-date client record, each session needs a complete session record assigned to the correct program activity, and providers must record each client's My Aged Care ID. The Department uses the My Aged Care ID to check compliance with the funding conditions for home support grants.
Reporting is easiest when sessions come straight from the roster and timesheets rather than being re-keyed at the end of the month.
How Rostery helps
Rostery builds DEX client and session data from delivered shifts, so CHSP and other DEX reports come from the same records used for rostering and payroll.
Questions people ask
Who has to report through DEX?
Organisations funded under programs that require it in their grant agreement, including the Commonwealth Home Support Program and many Department of Social Services programs.
What happens if I miss a DEX deadline?
Reporting is a condition of funding, so late or incomplete data can affect your compliance with the grant agreement. Contact your funding arrangement manager if you cannot meet a deadline.
Can I upload DEX data from my own software?
Yes. DEX accepts data through its web portal, bulk upload files, or system-to-system transfer from compatible software.
Checked against the official sources on 2 October 2026. Rules change: confirm the current position with the agency before you rely on it.
Related terms
Rostery handles this in practice
SCHADS interpretation, NDIS price-guide validation, claiming and the evidence an audit asks for — built for Australian providers.