How data will be developed and collected
National survey of children and young people
Key to monitoring progress against the National Standards is capturing the views of children and young people in out-of-home care to gauge the difference the National Standards are making to their lives. To assist with capturing these views, the Commonwealth Government will fund an annual, national survey of children and young people in care.
A scoping study to guide the national survey will be finalised in 2011, building on existing work in jurisdictions and the non-government sector. Subject to the findings of the scoping study, the survey outcomes will be received in 2013 for reporting in 2013 and inclusion in the next Annual Report to COAG, on the following standards:
- Standard 1: Measure 1.3 - Sense of security
- Standard 2: Measure 2.1 - Participation
- Standard 8: Measure 8.1 - Community activity
- Standard 9: Measure 9.2 - Family connection and
Measure 9.3 - Family contact - Standard 10: Measure 10.2 - Sense of community
- Standard 11: Measure 11.1 - Significant person
- Standard 12: Measure12.3 - Foster carer support*
- Standard 13: Measure 13.2 - Leaving care
*Options for including this measure in the national survey of children and young people, will be examined in the scoping study.
Administrative data collections
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) will work with the states and territories and non-government agencies to scope and refine the measures to be reported through data held by states and territories, under the National Standards for out-of-home care. As far as possible, the data collection process will be aligned with existing data collections on out-of-home care and child protection to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort in the collection process.
The method of collecting national child protection data is moving to a unit record level collection, allowing data to be collected and analysed for each individual child. The aim is to complete the unit record data project by 2013-14 to enable reporting on applicable National Standards from 2015.
Data linkages
The potential to collect data through administrative sources and/or linkages to the national education data sets will be canvassed. A report on the feasibility of this will be completed as soon as practicable.
Future development of measures
Continuous improvement of measures for the National Standards for out-of-home care is essential. As a starting point, at Attachment B is the proposed list of items to be considered for further improvement/development for reporting beyond 2015.
Benchmarks for the National Standards
Benchmarks will be developed based on sound research including evidence of best practice.
For some standards, such as health assessments and case planning, there would be an expectation of achievement of 100 per cent of eligible population over time. Setting appropriate benchmarks for other standards, for example stability of placement, will require more rigorous research to determine what is best practice.
The National Standards reporting will also include broad outcome benchmarks which compare the out-of-home care population with the broader population. The focus for the first 10 years is:
- Benchmarks for outcomes for children and young people once the young person transitions from care e.g. comparing rates of teenage pregnancy, employment, and homelessness to the general population.
- Broad age-based population benchmarks for children and young people in care for health and education.