June 2002 - Issue 5

Purpose and content of the redevelopment

Since 1994, the CSDA MDS collection has provided funding bodies, service providers, consumers and other stakeholders with valuable information about disability services delivered under the CSDA and the people receiving those services. But this information is only collected on one snapshot day in the year and cannot represent the full picture, especially given the changes in the field in recent years. In light of these changes the CSDA MDS has been redeveloped and will:

• be an ongoing full year collection (rather than a 1 day snapshot);
• update and add new data items to reflect changes in the disability field;
• combine data collection with daily service operations; and
• enable a national minimum amount of data to be collated.

Timing of national implementation

The redeveloped CSDA MDS will be nationally operational as of 1 October 2002. Agencies funded by the Commonwealth and Western Australia, who already participate in full-year collections, will be asked to provide the information required for the redeveloped CSDA MDS collection in June 2002 and then continue collecting these data items for future collections. Agencies funded by other States/Territories will implement the redeveloped collection from October 2002. These agencies may be required to provide information for the redeveloped CSDA MDS to their funding department at various times throughout the year (see 'Frequency of data transmission' below for further details).

National materials and who to contact for more information

The AIHW website houses all the national materials relevant to the redeveloped CSDA MDS, including:

• Redeveloped CSDA MDS Data Guide;
• Privacy and Data Principles;
• Service Type Outlet and Service User Forms; and
• Data Transmission and Technical Guide.

These documents, together with past CSDA MDS newsletters can be found on the publications page.

People accessing the redeveloped materials from the AIHW website are encouraged to contact their FIG representative to check for local variations. FIG representatives can also be contacted if you would like to provide further comments or feedback in relation to the redevelopment or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the collection. FIG contact details can be found at the end of this newsletter.

Snapshot 2002 and the redeveloped CSDA MDS

As noted in the previous CSDA MDS newsletter, following Round 3 field testing, the National Disability Administrators revised the redevelopment project timeline to accommodate funded agencies who required extra time to amend collection procedures within their agencies. To avoid a resulting data gap, a final snapshot collection was conducted on 22 May 2002. The snapshot collection was run as in previous years and was very similar to previous collections, although some data items were a little different. The 2002 snapshot will enable trend data built up over 8 years to be continued, as well as facilitate the transmission from snapshot data analysis to full-year data analysis.

The 'Local' picture - Queensland

Frequency of data transmission

At this stage, a final decision about how often agencies are required to transmit their data to Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) is yet to be made. CSDA-funded agencies are asked to record key information about service users on an ongoing basis, so that they can transmit the required information at the end of each 'reporting period'. Most jurisdictions have set their reporting period (and will therefore ask for information to be transmitted) at the end of each financial year quarter. Some will still only require information to be transmitted at the end of a financial year. The national collection will be transmitted annually to the AIHW. The reporting period in Queensland is likely to be quarterly. A final decision about frequency of data transmission in Queensland will be made available to agencies as part of their CSDA MDS familiarisation training.

What support will agencies be given?

Software and data transmission options

Disability Services Queensland (DSQ) will accept the transmission of CSDA MDS data from CSDA-funded agencies in any of the following formats:

• on paper forms;
• entered into a software tool provided by DSQ specifically for the CSDA MDS; or
• downloaded from your agency's computer system in the format specified in the 'Data Transmission and Technical Guide' (see AIHW website or contact one of the Queensland FIG representatives as shown at the end of this newsletter).

To assist agencies to undertake data transmission of CSDA MDS data in an electronic format, earlier this year DSQ asked CSDA-recurrently funded agencies to complete a CSDA MDS Information Systems Survey. This information is an important component in the allocation of non-recurrent capital grants to CSDA-funded agencies for the purchase of hardware where electronic transmission is seen as the most appropriate method of data transmission for an agency. Through these grants and with the provision of a software tool specifically for the CSDA MDS collection, DSQ is providing assistance to agencies to attain appropriate computing capacity to enable standardised data collection and transmission across Queensland. DSQ will offer a help desk service to assist agencies with general issues about the MDS, specific data item and collection issues, and software related technical and transmission matters. Further details about this service will be available to agencies during familiarisation training.

Training

DSQ will be offering training to all CSDA-funded agencies in two phases:
Phase 1 - "Familiarisation" training

• Targeted at line managers and service co-ordinators, and members of committees of management of both DSQ direct services and of non-government organisations.
• Provides an organisational understanding and familiarity with the collection.
• Takes approximately 2 hours.
• A calendar and enrolment form for Familiarisation training is included with this newsletter

Phase 2 - more specific training on "Data Items and Software Use"

• Targeted at people who will be collecting information and coding responses. Particularly relevant to frontline staff and their direct managers, and data entry people identified in each organisation who will assist with the input of information into a software tool.
• Enables participants to work through exercises in workbooks and to practice with software which may be used for the collection.
• Need to allocate a full day for this training.
• All organisations will be notified of dates and locations for this training in early August.

Extra data items and local variations

At this stage, DSQ does not plan to vary the collection of information from CSDA-funded agencies in Queensland from those items required as part of the national CSDA MDS.

Facilitation and Implementation Group (FIG) contact details

Name	Address	Phone No.	Email
Mathew Fante, Simon Watt	Disability and Home Care Level 13, 83 Clarence Street SYDNEY NSW 2000	02 8270 2196 02 8270 2181 02 8270 2440	mathew.fante@dadhc.nsw.gov.au simon.watts@dadhc.nsw.gov.au
Carsten Petersen	Disability Services Department of Human Services Level 19/555 Collins Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000	03 9616 7934 03 9616 7272	carsten.petersen@dhs.vic.gov.au
Carolyn Webber,Chris Reiher	Disability Services Queensland GPO Box 806 BRISBANE QLD 4001	07 3247 3566 07 3224 8037	webber@families.qld.gov.au creiher@families.qld.gov.au
Cate Thomas	ACT Department of Health and Community Care GPO Box 825 CANBERRA ACT 2601	02 6205 1566 02 6205 2037	cate.thomas@act.gov.au
Dana Bensky	Disability Services Commission PO Box 441 WEST PERTH WA 6872	08 9426 9295 08 9481 5223	danab@dsc.wa.gov.au
Mike Griffiths	Department of Human Services Disability Services IT Support Unit Box 3-5 Darley Road PARADISE SA 5075	08 8207 8920 08 8207 8944	michael.griffiths@dhs.sa.gov.au
John Nehrmann	Community and Rural Health Disability Services Department of Health and Human Services GPO Box 125B HOBART TAS 7001	03 6230 7524 03 6230 7526	john.nehrmann@dchs.tas.gov.au
Neil Murray	Aged and Disability Care Services Department of Health and Community Services PO Box 40596 CASUARINA NT 0811	08 8999 2496 08 8999 2488	neil.murray@nt.gov.au
Michael Cooper	Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services Box 7788 Canberra Mail Centre CANBERRA ACT 2601	02 6244 7109 02 6244 8499	michael.cooper@facs.gov.au
Julie Simpson	National Caucus of Disability Consumer Organisations Parent to Parent Association Qld Inc PO Box 434 YANDINA QLD 4561	07 5472 7072 07 5472 7073	parent@parent2parentqld.org.au
Sean Regan	ACROD PO Box 60 CURTIN ACT 2605	02 6282 4333 02 6281 3488	sregan@acrod.org.au
Ros Madden, Louise York, Chrysanthe Psychogios	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Disability Services Unit GPO Box 570 CANBERRA ACT 2601	02 6244 1189 02 6244 1187 02 6244 1068 02 6244 1199	ros.madden@aihw.gov.au louise.york@aihw.gov.au chrysanthe.psychogios@aihw.gov.au