Over the years, FamS has collected a huge range of data, including reports, forms and practical tools. It can all be found here. We undertook regular data collection from 1988 to 2006, and this archive covers that period. Further data collection arrangements are currently under review.

About the data
Reports
Tools for measuring outcomes
Data collection discussion paper

About the data

FamS has undertaken regular data collection from 1988 to 2006. Future data collection directions are currently under review.
Data has mostly been collected annually, under the following titles:

• Annual Data Collection
• State Wide Data Collection, and
• Annual Census.

Viewing the data on this website and on CD

The data available includes:

• Data collection and research Reports from 1989 to 2006
• Data collection Forms from 1990 to 2006
• Client database forms (1997) – these are forms FamS has recommended to its members
• Tools for measuring outcomes in family support – these include data collection forms and conceptual frameworks for understanding data collection in family support
• A data collection discussion paper which explores data collection issues and options for the future.

You can click on the links above to view basic details held on this website, or you can contact us for a CD containing full details. Most of the data on the CD is in PDF format. The content of the CD is the same as the published printed reports, but there may be some formatting differences between the two.

Reports

Each year from 1988 to 2006
Reports by year

Tools for measuring outcomes

The Measuring Outcomes in Family Support Practitioners' Guide is for family support practitioners, family support services, peak organisations and government agencies and others working with family support services. The Guide provides:

• Ideas to set the scene for evaluating family support services
• Ideas to set the scene for measuring outcomes in family support services
• Tools than can be used to help with various aspects of measuring outcomes in family support
• Links and connections with other projects relevant to measuring outcomes in family support in NSW.

Data collection tools

The Guide includes the following data collection tools:

• Family workers: Tools 1 to 4
• Family workers research: Tools 5 and 6
• Family workers exploring topics: Tool 7.

Key questions to be considered when measuring outcomes in family support are discussed in the Guide, namely:

1. What are family support services?
2. What is evaluation?
3. How can we evaluate family support services?
4. Where does measuring outcomes fit?
5. Why do we want to measure outcomes in family support?
6. How ‘in theory’ can we measure outcomes in family support?
7. What are some of the paradoxes and dilemmas in practice? How do we respond?
8. What is realistic? Who can do what?
9. What tools are available on this site for family support services? How can they be used?

Copies of the Guide

The Guide is available at: www.mapl.com.au/support/FSSA/index.htm

Data collection discussion paper

Conducting sensible data collection that is useful to users for their purposes and is not an undue burden on clients, service providers or other stakeholders is complex. The Sensible Data Collection Discussion Paper (PDF, 56pp) explores the issues involved.

About the discussion paper

There are many users of data, and they have many and varied uses; data collected by one user is often needed by other users for different uses. Data collection in family services has multiple users; the principal users are:

• Clients
• Practitioners
• Service providers
• Peak organisations
• Policy and research organisations
• Government and government agencies.

This paper focuses on data collection from the point of view of a peak organisation – FamS. However, there are also clear implications for all these users.

Data collection challenges

In the 15 years to 2004 (when the paper was prepared) there was considerable data collection in family services, both within service providers and by FamS. In that time there were also significant social, technological, public policy and legislative changes that impacted on data collection and its uses.

Key challenges need to be addressed if all the principal data users are able to have adequate data for their key purposes without creating an undue burden for clients, service providers or other stakeholders. With this in mind, the discussion paper:

• Outlines strands in the story of the previous 15 years in relation to data collection in family services
• Identifies key issues to be addressed
• Situates the discussion within relevant conceptual frameworks
• Suggests a practical way forward for sensible data collection for FamS.