Definition
A count of children and young people involved in Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH) reports where abuse or neglect, or risk of abuse or neglect, was substantiated from finalised field assessments, during the reporting period.
Indicator Summary
This indicator may be disaggregated by:
Service Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | CONTACTOR_TYPE_GROUP | Reporter agency |
| CONTACT_ORIGIN | Contact method | |
| FINAL_RESPONSE_PRIORITY | Response priority | |
| PRIMARY_HL_ASSESSED_ISSUE_GRPD | Primary helpline assessed issue |
Geographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | DITRICT_COMMON | Cluster |
| DITRICT_COMMON | District | |
| BUSINESS_UNIT_COMMON | Business unit |
Demographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | ABORIGINAL_STATUS_GROUPED | Aboriginal status |
| Age* … |
Reporting Information
The Annual Statistical Report reports on an annual basis.
Published by NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Quality Statement
Accuracy of Indigenous Status DataFramework Dimensions
- Annual Statistical Report (2021-2022) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
- Annual Statistical Report (2022-2023) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
- Annual Statistical Report (2023-2024) > Children and Families Thrive > Supporting children in statutory protection
- DCJ Indicator Bank > Child Protection
Rationale
‘Substantiation rate’ is an indicator of NSW Governments’ objective that child protection services are targeted to children and young people who are at greatest risk. It provides an indication of the extent to which services are targeted to those at greatest risk, thereby avoiding the human and financial costs of an investigation where no abuse or neglect had occurred or was at risk of occurring.
It is difficult to determine a target substantiation rate. A very low substantiation rate might indicate that investigations are not directed to appropriate cases. A very high substantiation rate might indicate that the criteria for substantiation are unnecessarily bringing ‘lower risk’ families into the statutory system. Substantiation rates should be monitored over time to observe and respond to trends.
Substantiation rates might fluctuate because of policy, funding and practice changes. Mandatory reporting, increased community awareness and willingness to notify suspected instances of child abuse, neglect or harm may also affect the substantiation rate.
Alignment: This aligns with national reporting in the Report on Government Services (RoGS).
Calculation rules
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Substantiated Status, Label A(20)
- Guide for use
Where the value for SUBSTANTIATED_STATUS is equal to 'Substantiated'.
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Field Harm Type, Group Label X(30)
- Description
FACS_HARM_TYPE_GRPD != Not substantiated
- Guide for use
!= represent not
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Field Assessment Status, Label X(10)
- Description
FIELD_ASSESSMENT_STATUS = Completed
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Triage Decision Outcome, Code NX(N)
- Description
N4 = 4A (Triage decision to allocate)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: ROSH Flag, Yes/No/NA Code A(A)
- Description
ROSH_FLAG = Y
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- You don't have permission to view this item
- Guide for use
ETL_RUN date '9' is selected to ensure, with 2 months aging, that all submitted data for the financial year is included in the calculation - eg by selecting 9 (September), all records up to the end of June are included (ie all data between 1 July and 30 June)
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Field Assessment Approval Status, Label A(20)
- Description
FA_APPROVAL_STATUS = Approved
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: ChildStory Identifier, A-N(8)
- Description
DISTINCT CHILDSTORY_ID
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
This indicator may be disaggregated by:
Service Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | CONTACTOR_TYPE_GROUP | Reporter agency |
| CONTACT_ORIGIN | Contact method | |
| FINAL_RESPONSE_PRIORITY | Response priority | |
| PRIMARY_HL_ASSESSED_ISSUE_GRPD | Primary helpline assessed issue |
Geographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | DITRICT_COMMON | Cluster |
| DITRICT_COMMON | District | |
| BUSINESS_UNIT_COMMON | Business unit |
Demographic Breakdown
| Distribution/Table | Path/Column | Dashboard Filter Label |
| Child Protection Reporting - Base Data Asset | ABORIGINAL_STATUS_GROUPED | Aboriginal status |
| Age* | ||
| Age Group** | ||
| GENDER | Gender | |
| DISABILITY_FLAG | Disability |
* Derived from date of birth. Age is then grouped into the categories of '4 years and under', '5 - 12 years', '13 - 17 years' and '18+ years' and into 'Age unknown or missing'.
The Annual Statistical Report disaggregates by Aboriginality and harm type.
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Final Response Priority, Label X(40)
- Description
Response priority is driven by data in FINAL_RESPONSE_PRIORITY
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Assessment: Helpline Primary Issue, Grouped Label X(50)
- Description
Primary helpline assessed issue is driven by data in PRIMARY_HL_ASSESSED_ISSUE_GRPD
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Age, NN
- Description
Age Group is derived by data in AGE_AT_CONTACT_GROUPED
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Contactor Type, Grouped Label X(45)
- Description
Reporter agency is driven by data in CONTACTOR_TYPE_GROUP
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: Contact, Label X(25)
- Description
Contact method is driven by data in CONTACT_ORIGIN
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Disability Indicator, Yes/No Code A
- Description
Disability flag is driven by data in DISABILITY_FLAG
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Indigenous Status, Grouped Label X(14)
- Guide for use
Where the values for Aboriginal Status Grouped of 'not stated' and blank have been recoded as 'Non-Aboriginal.'
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Country of Birth, Label X(100)
- Description
Top 5 country of birth outside of Australia is driven by data in COUNTRY_OF_BIRTH
- Guide for use
Unknown/Not Stated is excluded when filtering Top 5 country of birth outside of Australia.
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Person: Gender, Code X(20)
- Description
Gender is driven by data in GENDER
- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
-
- Data Element
- Service Event: NSW Department of Communities and Justice District, Label X(40)
- Description
Cluster is derived from data in DITRICT_COMMON
District is driven by data in DITRICT_COMMON- Data Set
- Child Protection Data Set
Comments
Data for non-Aboriginal children and young people also includes children and young people with Aboriginality status "not stated".
The 2017-18 data for children and young people involved in ROSH reports where actual harm or risk of harm was substantiated from finalised field assessments is not available
Data ageing:
- Data ageing is two months, unless otherwise indicated. Therefore, the data for this indicator will be available two months after the end of the month in which the data first becomes available.
Data limitations:
- Nil.
Data source:
- Key Information and Directory System (KiDS)/Client Information Warehouse (CIW) for annual data up to 2016-17
- ChildStory /Client Information Warehouse (CIW) for annual data from 2017-18.
References
In 2009 the threshold for legislative statutory authority intervention was amended from ‘risk of harm’ to ‘risk of significant harm’.
The NSW Interagency Guidelines outlines what is meant by ‘significant’ in ‘risk of significant harm’.
- “This means the concern is sufficiently serious to warrant a response by a statutory authority (such as NSW Police Force or Community Services) irrespective of a family’s consent.
What is significant is not minor or trivial and may reasonably be expected to produce a substantial and demonstrably adverse impact on the child or young person’s safety, welfare or wellbeing, or in the case of an unborn child, after the child’s birth.
The significance can result from a single act or omission or an accumulation of these.”
https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/article/Significant-harm-policy-definition
Custom Fields
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| Indicator Sets that include this Indicator | 0 |
| Data Sets that are used in this Indicator | 1 |