Priority 4: Building Evidence

Voices and data for system improvement and service outcomes

Knowing more about whether our efforts and investments are improving outcomes for the children and families we work with is essential to guide us as we reform our Child and Family Support System. To do this, we aim to capture information that supports a system-level and social epidemiological approach to monitoring, as well as build the infrastructure to support data collection, improved data sharing and reporting across the system. This will enable us to routinely capture information to improve referral prioritisation and service matching. It will inform the ongoing evaluation of demand for our services, which programs work for whom and the service outcomes for families over time.

Outcomes hierarchy

This is a shared framework for making collective progress toward the vision that children are safe and well at home in family, community and culture.

Aboriginal outcomes tool

An Aboriginal-led research project has been commissioned to inform the development of a culturally informed practice tool to measure the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and families.

Voices of lived experience

A lived experience network of system advisors provides an ongoing role in shaping the planning, monitoring and review of the Child and Family Support System.

Voices of our workforce and leaders

The Communities of Practice model will provide a mechanism for our workforce and leaders to draw on practice experience and innovative approaches and solutions.

Enhanced data capture

Tools are being developed to capture structured data at key points in the service journey. This will help to inform service planning and make sense of outcomes.

Evaluation

Understanding the impact of the reform requires monitoring and evaluation at program and system levels over the short, medium and longer term. Improved baseline risk assessment and outcomes measurement, and new performance indicators are essential to show if we are making the shifts we are aspiring to in this reform.

Data linkage, information sharing and reporting

Safe data linkage and information sharing across government and the non-government sector will be enhanced to facilitate more efficient case management. This will help guide system level planning and investment and improve our capability to identify families needing support.