Table of contents:
DS NMDS staff changes
- Welcome to Violette Lewis who is relieving Amanda Meehan on the Helpline while Amanda is working elsewhere in DSQ.
- Lisa Steel (Senior Project Officer) is on maternity leave and Jason Brown will be performing her duties.
- Farewell to Arto Rissanen who has accepted a 12 month secondment opportunity.
- As an interim measure Karen Borsody-Nagy will be providing Project Officer assistance to the agencies in the Fitzroy/Central West Queensland, Wide Bay/Burnett, Sunshine Coast and Greater Brisbane regions. (Karen can be contacted on 0403 209 437.)
- Welcome to Lindy O'Neill who will now provide Project Officer assistance to agencies in the Far North Queensland, North Queensland and Mackay/Whitsunday regions. (Lindy can be contacted on 0434 604 844.)
- Farewell to Prabhjot Singh (Performance Manager) who has been replaced by Chris Kinsella.
- Also John Collins has left and has been replaced by Chris Hemingway as the Project Support Officer.
We wish to thank all those who have left for their commitment and effort and welcome the new team members.
Data Quality
The 2005-06 DS NMDS data has indicated an increase in the number of 'not known' or 'not stated' responses, compared with previous years. As you know, completeness of information is a vital part of data quality.
To assist in continuing the improvements made in Queensland's data quality over the years, please ensure that you obtain all CSTDA related information from any new service users accessing your agency. It would also be beneficial to review records of existing clients, and wherever possible update the details to reflect current circumstances.
Some examples of questions with a low response rate include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, income source, individual funding status, and carer related data items.
Also remember, the data we receive forms the basis for planning and decision-making outcomes such as securing future funding growth, identifying target groups, and influencing policy decisions. Reducing the amount of 'not known' responses will ensure a more complete data set.
Regional Project Officers are here to assist you
Our Regional Project Officers are aiming to provide support and assistance to CSTDA funded organisations to maximise the reporting capacity of organisations, as well as enhancing data accuracy and completeness through:
- Supporting agencies with CSTDA data items and the Online Data Collection (ODC);
- Linking with Community Resource Officers (CROs); and
- Assisting decision-making regarding service types.
This is an extremely flexible mode of support with the opportunity to tailor activities to suit your needs. We can provide CSTDA or ODC training individually, or in a group situation, at a time and place to suit you.
If you want to know more about what we can do for you call our Helpline on 1800 011 102.
Reporting Fee for Service Clients
Do you have fee for service clients? If so, you may need to report these in the DS NMDS collection.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has advised that if service to the client could not be supported without CSTDA funding, this client should still be considered part of the CSTDA collection. For example, if staff wages, resources and the building in which a respite service occurs are CSTDA funded, a fee-paying client is still considered to be assisted by CSTDA funds and as such should be reported.
However, the CSTDA team realises there are situations where CSTDA funding only covers a portion of the cost of the service. In these cases we request that services apportion clients and report the appropriate percentage of the clients who receive a service.
For further information, contact the Helpline or the DS NMDS Project Officer for your region.
DS NMDS data profiles - 2005
DSQ has released a series of DS NMDS regional profiles and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queensland Service User Profile for 2004-05 that cover the data topics of service outlets, service users and services received. The data profiles are available on the DSQ website at http://www.disability.qld.gov.au/ds-nmds/data-profiles/
Diary dates
| Month | DS NMDS Activity |
|---|---|
| Apr 2007 | Deadline for third quarter data lodgement: 30 April |
| Jun 2007 | Reference week: 24 - 30 Jun |
| Jul 2007 | Deadline for fourth quarter data lodgement: 31 July |
Snapshot day: Wednesday 27 June 2007
Did you know.??
DS NMDS data is available for your use, ie the use of agencies and local communities. You are welcome to request non-identifying data based on any item reported in the DS NMDS collection. For more information contact the CSTDA Team.
Helpline call statistics
The DS NMDS Helpline provides ongoing support to Queensland service providers.
| Date | Phone | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2006 - Mar 2007 | 685 | 147 | 832 |
| Monthly average Year-to-Date |
116 | 28 | 144 |
DS NMDS help available
If you have a query and cannot find the answer after checking the DS NMDS Resource Kit, either call the Helpline or send an email to us. If the Helpline is busy, please leave a message and the Helpline operator will return your call as soon as possible.
Helpline: 1800 011 102 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday excluding public holidays)
Email help: cstdanmdshelp@disability.qld.gov.au
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License