Measuring and reporting on the National Standards

Measures and data collection for the National Standards

The aim of reporting on the National Standards for out-of-home care is to provide, for the first time, a nationally comparable picture of the outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care across Australia. To do this in a meaningful way, a set of robust and valid national measures are being developed that accurately reflect the achievement of outcomes and progress against the National Standards.

Measures and reporting schedule

On 19 April 2011, Community and Disability Services Ministers agreed to a schedule of national measurement and reporting arrangements for the National Standards for out-of-home care. This builds on the December 2010 agreement to introduce National Standards from July 2011.

These measures will provide the framework for continuous improvement and developing national consistency in reporting on outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care.

Five measures will be reported on from July 2011 with other standards being reported on progressively. Measures will be progressively introduced so that by 2015, there will be 22 measures reported against the full set of National Standards.

A full list of the 22 measures and reporting timeframe is below in Table 1.

Table 1: Schedule for Reporting on National Standards

Five measures to be reported in the next Annual Report to COAG (2012) ( based on 2010-11 administrative data).

The following five measures, to be reported in 2012, are where administrative data are currently collected and reported separately, such as in the Report on Government Services and Child protection Australia. These five measures are interim measures and they will be further improved or replaced as a priority for reporting from 2016.

Standard 1

1.1 Stability: The proportion of children and young people exiting out-of-home care during the year who had 1 or 2 placements, by length of time in continuous care preceding exit.

1.2 Safety: The rate and number of children in out-of-home care who were the subject of a child protection substantiation and the person believed responsible was living in the household providing out-of-home care.

Standard 3

3.1 Placement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: The proportion of Indigenous children and young people in out-of-home care placed with the child's extended family, with the child's Indigenous community, or with other Indigenous people, by carer type.

See also Measure 10.1 The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who have a current cultural support plan.

Standard 9

9.1 Kinship placement: The proportion of children and young people in out-of-home care who are placed with relatives and kin.

Standard 12

12.1 Foster carer households: The number of foster carer households with a placement at 30 June, by number of foster children placed, and number of foster carer households with a placement during the year.

Two measures to be reported from 2013 (based on 2011-12 administrative data).

The definitions, data collection and reporting arrangements for at least four jurisdictions for the following two measures will be developed by 2013.

Standard 4

4.1 Case plans: The proportion of children and young people who have a current documented case plan.

Standard 13

13.1 Leaving care plan: The proportion of young people aged 15 years and over who have a current leaving care plan.

Eight measures from a national survey of children and young people for reporting in 2013 (The commencement of the national survey will be subject to a scoping study in 2011).

The following eight measures are for reporting in 2013, subject to a scoping study to be finalised in 2011. The survey will build on existing work in jurisdictions and the non-government sector.

Standard 1

1.3 Sense of security: The proportion of children and young people in out-of-home care who report feeling safe in and secure in their current placement.

Standard 2

2.1 Participation: The proportion of children and young people who report that they have opportunities to have a say in relation to decisions that have an impact on their lives and that they feel listened to.

Standard 8

8.1 Community activity: The proportion of children and young people who report they may choose to do the same sorts of things (sporting, cultural or community activities) that children and young people their age who aren't in care do.

Standard 9

9.2 Family connection: The proportion of children and young people who report they have an existing connection with at least one family member which they expect to maintain.

9.3 Family contact: The proportion of children (as age-appropriate) and young people who report having contact with family members, by the reported frequency of contact, by their reported satisfaction with contact arrangements.

Standard 10

10.2 Sense of community: The proportion of children (as age-appropriate) and young people who demonstrate having a sense of connection with the community in which they live.

Standard 11

11.1 Significant person: The proportion of children and young people who are able to nominate at least one significant adult who cares about them and who they believe they will be able to depend upon throughout their childhood or young adulthood.

Standard 13

13.2 Leaving care: The proportion of young people who, at the time of exit from out-of-home care, report they are receiving adequate assistance to prepare for adult life.

In addition to the above eight measures, foster care support will be examined in the scoping study for the national survey. The proposed measure is below:

Standard 12

12.3 Carer support: The proportion of foster carers and kinship carers (who had at least one placement during the year) who report feeling supported in their role and who feel their developmental needs relevant to their role are catered for.

Two measures to be reported from 2014 (based on 2012-13 administrative data).

The definitions, data collection and reporting arrangements for at least four jurisdictions for the following two standards will be developed by 2014.

Standard 5

5.1 Health checks: The number and proportion of children and young people who have an initial health check of their physical, developmental, psychosocial and mental health needs within a specified period of entering out-of-home care.

Standard 10

10.1 Cultural support plans: The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who have a current cultural support plan.

Three measures to be reported from 2015 (based on 2013-14 administrative data).

The potential to collect data for these three measures through administrative sources as well as linkages to national health and education data sets will be canvassed and the feasibility of this approach will be reported on as soon as practicable.

Standard 6

6.1 Reading and Numeracy: The proportion of children and young people achieving national reading and numeracy benchmarks.

6.2 Early childhood: The number and proportion of 3 and 4 year old children who participate in quality early childhood education and child care services.

Standard 7

7.1 Year 10 and Year 12/VET: The proportion of young people who complete year 10 and the proportion who complete year 12 or equivalent Vocational Education and Training.

One measure to be reported from 2015 (based on 2013-14 administrative data).

The following measure will be reported from 2015.

Standard 12

12.2 Foster carer numbers: The number of foster carers at 30 June, and the number of new approvals of persons as foster carers and the number of persons who cease to be approved foster carers during the twelve months to 30 June.