Different collections define Agency differently according to their context and varying need for information on the different levels of organisations providing community services. Individual data collections will therefore need to further specify what an agency is for their collection purposes. In the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) National Data Collection, SAAP agencies are defined as 'The body or establishment which receives a specified amount of money (SAAP funds) to provide a SAAP service...The agency is the level at which data are collected'. In the Home and Community Care (HACC) Data Dictionary however, a HACC agency is defined as 'A HACC funded organisation or organisational sub-unit that is responsible for the direct provision of HACC funded assistance to clients'. In Children's services, agency most closely corresponds to the definition of Service provider 'The entity (individual, agency, organisation, body or enterprise) that provides the service(s)'. At this point in time the National Community Services Data Dictionary definition of agency is of necessity quite broad. As agency is generally the level at which data are collected, and there are different needs for data collection in different areas, a more precise definition would be too narrow to encompass all community services data collections. |