DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), the two data elements forming this cluster are collected under one question on 'support needs'. This question records information about a person’s need for help or supervision in their overall life and, as such, may not be directly relevant to the service being provided.

The need for help or supervision must be due to the person’s disability, and should be ongoing (have lasted or be expected to last for 6 months or more). It must relate to the extent of a person's need over and above that which would usually be expected due to their age, i.e. it should be evaluated in relation to a person of the same age without a disability.

Where support needs vary markedly over time, for example episodic psychiatric disability, record the level of support needed during the reference week.

Mapping of the Disability Services NMDS to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) codes

DSS specific information:

For the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS) the following rules also apply.

Date of birth

In the DS NMDS, if the age of the person is known, the age of the person should be used to derive the person’s year of birth. If the person’s age is not known, an estimate of the person’s age should be used to calculate an estimated year of birth. An actual or estimated year of birth should then be converted to an estimated date of birth according to the following convention: 01/01/estimated year of birth. Where the date of birth is estimated, this should be indicated when the data is submitted using the date of birth estimated indicator.

It is important that service type outlets do not record estimated dates of birth by using ‘00’ for the day, month or year as this would not be considered a valid date by the system processing the data.

Date of birth estimated

For the DS NMDS, a date of birth estimate flag is collected in place of the 'Date—accuracy indicator, code AAA'.

1=‘Yes’ (date of birth estimated).

Sex

Code 3 Intersex or indeterminate is not used in the DS NMDS collection.

Conditional obligation:

Person—residential setting, accommodation type (NDA) code N[N]

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is collected twice.

The first occurrence refers to the postcode of the location of the service type outlet address and not the postal address. If the service type outlet is provided in the person’s home, the postcode of the service base from which the provider operates is to be entered, not that of the person. If recreation services are provided in various locations, the postcode of the service base from which the provider operates is to be entered.

The second occurrence refers to the postcode of a service user's usual residence ('usual' means 4 or more days per week on average). This is intended to capture the postcode of the 'geographic location' of a person, not their postal address postcode. The service user’s postcode must relate to their selected 'residential setting' (as captured in 'Person—residential setting, accommodation type (NDA) code N[N]').

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the number of hours of support received by the service user for the National Disability Agreement (NDA) service type (see 'Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN' for a list of service types). It is collected twice within the DS NMDS:

1. the number of hours of support received by a service user for a service type in the 7-day reference week (i.e. for the week preceding the end of the reporting period); and
2. the number of hours of support received by a service user for a service type for a typical 7-day week.

This data element is only collected for service type activity codes of 1.05-1.07, 2.06, 3.01, 3.03 and 4.01-4.05.

The total hours reported should be rounded up to the nearest whole hour.

Where less than one hour was received, agencies may record ‘900’.

If a service type outlet is funded to provide service type 2.06 Case management, local coordination and development, the following rules apply for calculating Hours of assistance:

• hours of assistance received by service users in terms of time spent on their behalf coordinating, managing or arranging brokerage of other services for service users should be reported;
• hours of assistance received by service users in terms of actual services delivered, that have been arranged, purchased or brokered by a service type outlet (as part of providing service type 2.06) should not be reported.

If a service type outlet sub-contracts the provision of part or all of a service type (other than 2.06) it is funded to provide to another agency, then it is responsible for providing relevant details about the sub-contracted activity (for example, in-home accommodation support provider sub-contracting the provision of some in-home accommodation support to another agency, which may or may not be funded under the NDA). Hours of assistance received that are sub-contracted to another agency should be included by the service type outlet that has done the sub-contracting, and should not be reported by the agency that has been sub-contracted (to deliver the services) by the service type outlet.

Note: The concept of a typical week may not apply to some service users. In these cases service type outlets may calculate this data element as an average of the actual hours received by the service user over the reporting period. This data element may be collected in one of two ways:

• as an average of the actual hours received by this service user in a typical week (over the reporting period). That is, it is derived from the 'total hours received during the reporting period'; or
• the service user's usual or typical weekly pattern of support while receiving your service in the reporting period. This enables service type outlets to indicate whether or not the reference week was typical.

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element should only be reported in relation to service users that have an informal carer (Person—informal carer existence indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N), with a value of 1).

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element should only be reported in relation to service users that have an informal carer (Person—informal carer existence indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N), with a value of 1).

DSS specific information:

In the DS NMDS, this data element refers to the person's main informal carer—the person who provides the most significant care and assistance related to the service user's capacity to remain living in their current environment. It is recognised that two or more people may equally share the caring role (for example, mother and father) however, for the purposes of this collection, characteristics are only requested for one of these carers.

A carer is considered to be co-resident if they usually live in the same household: ‘usually’ being 4 or more days per week on average.

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element should only be reported in relation to service users that have an informal carer (Person—informal carer existence indicator, code N, with a value of 1)).

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element should only be reported in relation to service users that have an informal carer (Person—informal carer existence indicator, code N, with a value of 1).

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the service user’s main informal carer—the person who provides the most significant care and assistance related to the service user’s capacity to remain living in their current environment. It is recognised that two or more people may equally share the caring role (for example, mother and father) however, for the purposes of this collection, characteristics are only requested for one of these carers.

If a person has more than one carer (for example, a spouse and a son), the coding response to carer relationship should relate to the carer who provides the most significant care and assistance related to the person’s capacity to remain living in their current environment (i.e. the main carer). The expressed views of the service user and/or their carer or significant other should be considered to be the primary or principal carer in this regard.

Code 9 (other female relative), allows for the wide range of family members who may be involved in a caring role with the service user. This code therefore includes the female family members not listed in the codes elsewhere (for example, aunts, nieces, female cousins, grandmothers, step mother, step daughters and so on).

Similarly, code 10 (other male relative) covers the range of male family members who may act as carers. This code includes the male family members not listed in the codes elsewhere (for example, uncles, nephews, male cousins, grandfathers, male grandchildren, step father, step sons and so on).

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), Code 3 ‘Unknown' refers to 'Not known’. Code 3 should only be recorded when it has not been possible for the service user or their carer/family/advocate to provide the information (i.e. they have been asked but do not know).

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is only answered if the service user has another disability in addition to their 'primary disability' (as captured in 'Person—primary disability group, code N[N]').

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is used in conjunction with 'Person—effective communication indicator, code N'.

In the DS NMDS, the method of communication along with how effective it is are collected in one question using the following codes:

1   Spoken language (effective)

2   Sign language (effective)

3   Other effective non-spoken communication (e.g. Canon Communicator, Compic)

4   Little, or no effective communication

5   Child aged under 5 years (not applicable)

If the communication method varies over time and it is difficult to say what the usual method is, report the most effective method during the reference week.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), the 10 most frequently reported countries of birth are listed on data collection forms to simplify data collection and minimise coding load on service type outlets and funding departments. Where the country of birth is known but is not specified in the listed countries of birth (i.e., is ‘other country’), funded agencies should specify it on primary data collection forms. These will then be coded by funding departments to the appropriate Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) code.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is used in conjunction with 'Person—communication method, code N'.

In the DS NMDS, the method of communication along with how effective it is are collected in one question using the following codes:

1   Spoken language (effective)

2   Sign language (effective)

3   Other effective non-spoken communication (e.g. Canon Communicator, Compic)

4   Little, or no effective communication

5   Child aged under 5 years (not applicable)

If the communication method varies over time and it is difficult to say what the usual method is, report the most effective method during the reference week.

DSS specific information:

For the purposes of the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), all employment services provided by the Australian Government through ‘case-based funding’ are considered to be provided on an individualised funding basis. Code 1 ‘Yes’ for this data element if the service type outlet is providing service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) values of ‘5.01—Open employment’ or ‘5.02 —Supported employment’.

If a service user receives multiple services from a funded agency, and is funded to receive these services from an individual funding package as well as another funding mechanism (for example, block funding) then code 1 ‘Yes’ should be recorded for this data element.

Examples of individualised funding include:

• Western Australia—Intensive Family Support funding
• Queensland—Adult Lifestyle Support Packages, family support programs and post-school programs
• Australian Government-funded programs—Case Based Funding (CBF) and Futures for Young Adults (FFYA)
• Australian Capital Territory—Individual Support Packages
• Victoria—Futures for Young Adults (FFYA), Individual Support Packages (ISP)
• Tasmania—Individual Support Program (ISP) and Supporting Individual Pathways
• Northern Territory—Client Focussed Funding (CFF).

In the DS NMDS, Code 3 ‘Unknown' refers to 'Not known’. Code 3 should only be recorded when it has not been possible for the service user or their carer/family/advocate to provide the information (i.e. they have been asked but do not know).

DSS specific information:

The term 'Indigenous status' does not include 'South Sea Islander origin'. People of 'South Sea Islander origin' should be recorded as code 4 ('Neither Aboriginal origin nor Torres Strait Islander origin').

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to whether someone, such as a family member, friend or neighbour, has been identified as providing regular and sustained care and assistance to the service user.

Informal carers include those people who receive a pension or benefit for their caring role but do not include paid or volunteer carers organised by formal services. This includes a host family or foster care situation where the family is paid to care for a service user.

A carer is someone who provides a significant amount of care and/or assistance to the person on a regular and sustained basis. ‘Regular’ and ‘sustained’ in this instance means that care or assistance has to be ongoing, or likely to be ongoing for at least 6 months.

Excluded from the definition of carers are paid workers or volunteers organised by formal services (including paid staff in funded group homes).

It is recognised that two or more people may equally share the caring role (for example, mother and father) however, for the purposes of this collection, characteristics are only requested for one of these carers.

It is also recognised that the roles of parent and carer, particularly in the case of children, are difficult to distinguish. Carers of children may consider they are a carer (as well as a parent) if they provide more care to their child than would be typical of the care provided to a child of the same age without a disability.

This data element is purely descriptive of a service user’s circumstances. It is not intended to reflect whether the carer is considered by the funded agency capable of undertaking the caring role.

In line with this, the expressed views of the service user and/or their carer should be used as the basis of determining whether the service user is recorded as having a carer or not.

When asking a service user about the availability of a carer, it is important to recognise that a carer does not always live with the person for whom they care. That is, a person providing significant care and assistance to the person may not live with the person in order to be called a carer.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is used in conjunction with 'Person—type of interpreter service required, spoken language/non-spoken communication code N'.

In the DS NMDS, the need for interpreter services, along with the type of the service required by the service user, is collected in one question using the following codes:

1   Yes—for spoken language other than English

2   Yes—for non-spoken communication

3   No

9   Not stated

If a person communicates with the assistance of a signer (i.e. not necessarily arranged by your agency) they should be recorded as 2 'Yes – for non-spoken communication’.

The data element 'Person—communication method, code N', provides the opportunity to indicate the use of sign language and the level of effective communication of the service user.

DSS specific information:

For the Disability Service National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS) the 'reference week' is the week preceding the end of the reporting period.

DSS specific information:

The Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS) defines ‘usual’ as where the person resides for four or more days per week on average. If it is difficult to determine the person’s ‘usual’ residential setting for the reporting period, the setting the person resided in during the reference week, and their living arrangements in that setting, should be reported.

The service user's living arrangements must relate to the same place described in the service user postcode ('Address—Australian postcode, code (Postcode datafile) NNNN') and 'Person—residential setting, accommodation type (NDA) code N[N]'.

People living in residential settings such as group homes and hostels may consider that they live alone or live with others. The expressed views of the service user should be used to determine whether they live alone or with others.

Code 2 'Lives with family' includes living with parents, a partner (married, de facto and same sex relationships), male relatives (sons, brothers, uncles, nephews, male cousins, grandfathers, male grandchildren, step sons and so on), female relatives (daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, female cousins, grandmothers, female grandchildren, step daughters and so on) and foster family.

Code 3 'Lives with others' includes sharing with friends or a carer (where the carer is not a family member).

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element must be completed if a response of 'yes' is recorded in response to 'Person—interpreter service required indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N.'

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is used in conjunction with 'Person—interpreter service required indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N'.

In the DS NMDS, the need for interpreter services along with the type of the service required by the service user is collected in one question using the following codes:

1   Yes—for spoken language other than English

2   Yes—for non-spoken communication

3   No

9   Not stated

If a person communicated with the assistance of a signer (i.e. not necessarily arranged by the agency/service provider) they should be recorded as code 2 'Yes—for non-spoken communication'.

The data element 'Person—communication method, code N', provides the opportunity to indicate the use of sign language and the level of effective communication of the service user.

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is only answered for service users who have stopped receiving services from the service type outlet. Otherwise it is left blank.

DSS specific information:

In the DS NMDS, this refers to the date on which the person ceased to be a service user of the service type outlet. It is only reported for service users who have ceased receiving services from the service type outlet, otherwise it is left blank.

The service episode end date must relate to the service type outlet ID (Service type outlet—outlet identifier, XX[X(26)]) and associated service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN).

A service user is considered to leave a service when either:

• the service user ends the support relationship with the service type outlet; or
• the service type outlet ends the support relationship with the service user.

The 'Service episode—service cessation reason, NDA code' and 'Service event—last service provision date, DDMMYYYY' should also be completed for service users who have exited.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this refers to the date on which a person began to receive support from a service type outlet.

A service is a support activity delivered to a person, in accord with the National Disability Agreement (NDA). Services within the scope of the collection are those for which funding has been provided, during the specified period, by a government organisation operating under the NDA.

A service user is considered to have started receiving a NDA service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) once they have been judged as eligible for the service type and have actually received support within that service type. Support may include assessment processes once the service user has been accepted as eligible for the service type. However it does not include assessment where assessment is for eligibility or for a place on a waiting list. Support does not generally include requests for information or phone queries.

At times, an outlet may only provide the service user with one-off assistance. For example, a service user may only require respite care on one occasion. Where this assistance is funded under the NDA, the general rule is that all service users details should be recorded as required for that service type. If the service user is not expected to use the service outlet again, an exit date and appropriate main reason for service cessation should be reported.

Service users who commenced services after 1 October 2002, should have their actual commencement date recorded (i.e. the date this service type was first received by the service user from the service type outlet).

Service users who commenced services prior to October 2002 should either be recorded as commencing the service type on:

• their known service start date, for example, a service user starting on 2 September 2002 may be recorded as 02092002;
• an estimate of their service start date by recording ‘0101’ for the day and month and estimating the year. For example, if a service user has been receiving support from a service type outlet for about 5 years, the outlet would record the Service start date as 01011997’; or
• on 1 October 2002 (i.e. 01102002). This option is used if the start date is unknown or cannot be recorded for some other reason.

The service episode start date must relate to the service type outlet ID (Service type outlet—outlet identifier, XX[X(26)]) and associated service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN).

If a service user formally exits a service and then ‘re-enters’ a service at a later date, a new period of service should be reported.

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is only answered for service users who have stopped receiving services from the service type outlet. Otherwise it is left blank.

DSS specific information:

The 'Service episode—episode end date, DDMMYYYY' and 'Service event—last service provision date, DDMMYYYY' should also be completed for service users who have exited.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this refers to the date the person last received a service from the service type outlet during the reporting period. It does not indicate the date that they exited the service, or the date in which the service user's form was completed.

A service is a support activity delivered to a person, in accordance with the National Disability Agreement (NDA). Services within the scope of the collection are those for which funding has been provided, during the specified period, by a government organisation operating under the NDA. Support does not generally include requests for information or phone queries.

This data element may be used as an indicator of the 'active' or 'inactive' status of service users, for a particular reporting period. It can also be used to calculate the length of time service users received a National Disability Agreement (NDA) service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) for those who have not exited the program and so not have an exit date (end date).

The last service provision date must relate to the service type outlet ID (Service type outlet—outlet identifier, XX[X(26)]) and associated service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN).

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the agency funded to deliver services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA).

This identifier generally contains a maximum of 8 characters.

This identifier must be included as part of the service type outlet identifier.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this refers to funding provided under the National Disability Agreement (NDA). Funding data should relate to the most recent financial year. This data element needs to be reported for all services funded under the NDA, both those delivered by government and non-government providers. Data provided should be consistent with that provided to the Productivity Commission for the Report on Government Services, but should also include expenditure on specialist psychiatric disability services.

Where possible NDA funding data should be linked to service type outlet identification numbers. Where the funding information is not available at the service type outlet level, funding departments are requested to allocate the funding information to broad service group level. Administrative expenditure and capital grants are to be provided on separate lines.

For example, funding should be allocated at least against the following:

• Accommodation support (service types 1.01–1.08)
  • Institutional accommodation (service types 1.01–1.03)
  • Group homes (service type 1.04)
  • Other accommodation support (service types 1.05–1.08)
• Community Support (service types 2.01–2.07)
• Community Access (service types 3.01–3.03)
• Respite (service types 4.01–4.05)
• Employment (service types 5.01–5.02)
• Advocacy, information and alternative forms of communication (service types 6.01–6.05)
• Other Support Services (service types 7.01–7.04)
• Administration
• Capital grants to non-government service providers.

Conditional obligation:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), SLA is optionally collected in relation to the service type outlet. It refers to a numeric 4- or 5-digit Australian SLA based on the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) classification (Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) July 2011, ABS cat. no. 1216.0).

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is collected for each service type outlet, except those of service types (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) 7.01–7.04 (other support).

It refers to the number of service users receiving services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA) of a particular service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN). The number of people who received a service during the whole reporting period is required, not just those who received a service in the reference week.

The total number of people receiving the service type indicated in response to this data element will usually be equal to the number of Service User Forms completed by the service type outlet. In some cases ‘number of service users’ may be greater than the number of Service User Forms. This may be because of service users who have not consented for their information to be transmitted as part of the DS NMDS; they should still be included in the ‘number of service users’.

For service type outlets, except service types (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) 6.01–6.05, the service type outlet must have allocated some of its resources (more than 15 minutes) to the person during the reporting period, for instance to a person residing in agency-operated accommodation, attending respite care, or attending a recreation service. Service users should not be counted if they have only made requests for information, minor phone queries etc.

Service types (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) 6.01–6.05 should count the following:

• 6.01 (Advocacy)—number of people who have received advocacy services in the reporting period.
• 6.02 (Information/referral)—number of people making a request for information or referral.
• 6.03 (Combined information/advocacy)—as for 6.01 and 6.02.
• 6.04 (Mutual support/self-help groups)—number of people attending sessions (i.e. if an individual attends a group session every Wednesday in the reporting period, count each person only once over the reporting period).
• 6.05 (Alternative formats of communication)—estimated number of people accessing the output from the service.

It may not always be feasible to count the actual number of service users receiving services from service types (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) 6.01–6.05. Where this is not possible, service type outlets are asked to estimate the number of service users accessing the service. For example, a radio station funded under the NDA (service type 6.05) should estimate the number of people who listen to the radio station. Where there is a number of people potentially receiving a 6.01–6.05 service type simultaneously (for example, an interpreter at a conference), estimate the number of people that are benefiting from the service (for example, how many people actually need the interpreter). If this is not possible, all people present should be counted as service users.

A funded agency may receive funding from multiple sources—however for DS NMDS purposes, only those services provided using NDA funds should be recorded. Where a funded agency is unable to differentiate all data according to funding source (i.e. NDA or other), they are asked to provide details of all service users and staff (for each service type). For example, if a service type outlet providing early childhood intervention is partly funded by your agency, through donations or fund raising, and partly by NDA funds, count all service users who receive this service during the reporting period, unless your accounting and staffing methods enable reporting separately.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the number of days per week the service type outletusually operates. It is asking about the amount of time the service type outlet is generally open for service provision to service users, not about the amount of time a service type outlet is staffed.

Days per week of operation are to be recorded as 1–7 (the actual number of days per week), or as '90' (‘no regular pattern of operation through a day’) if there is no regular pattern.

Service type outlets of service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) 7.01–7.04 may record ‘90’ (‘no regular pattern of operation through a day’), or, if possible and they wish to do so, they may record the actual number of days per week of operation.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the number of hours per day the service type outletusually operates. It is asking about the amount of time the service type outlet is generally open for service provision to service users, not about the amount of time a service type outlet is staffed.

A service type outlet is considered to be operating whenever it is open to service users (for example, if the service type outlet is staffed between the hours of 9am–5pm but is only open for service users between 10am–3pm, it is considered to usually operate for 5 hours per day).

Hours per day of operation are to be recorded as 1–24 (the actual number of hours per day), or as '90' (‘no regular pattern of operation through a day’) if there is no regular pattern.

Service type outlets that provide facility-based accommodation (for example, group homes) should record their hours as 24 per day if the service users reside in the facility on an ongoing basis and can access the facility at any time, even though the facility may not be staffed during parts of the day. In contrast, if service users are not able to stay in the residential facility during certain hours, the facility is not considered to be open or operating during these hours.

Service type outlets of service types 7.01–7.04 may record ‘90’ (‘no regular pattern of operation through a day’), or, if possible and they wish to do so, they may record the actual number of days per week of operation.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element refers to the number of weeks per year the service type outletusually operates. It is asking about the amount of time the service type outlet is generally open for service provision to service users, not about the amount of time a service type outlet is staffed.

A service type outlet is considered to be operating whenever it is open to service users. For example, if the service type outlet closes for only 2 weeks over the Christmas period it is considered to usually operate for 50 weeks per year.

Weeks per year of operation are to be recorded as 1–52 (the actual number of weeks per year), or as '90' (‘no regular pattern of operation through a year’) if there is no regular pattern (for example, a recreation/holiday program which is offered only if there are sufficient numbers (i.e. program offered on demand).

This data element is seeking information about the usual weeks of operation of a service type outlet. For example, if a service type outlet received funding from September but intends to operate for 52 weeks per year, ‘52’ is recorded for this data element, and ‘No’ is recorded for the 'Service provider organisation—full financial year funding indicator, yes/no code N' data element.

Service type outlets of service types 7.01–7.04 may record ’90’ (‘no regular pattern of operation through a year’), or, if it is possible and they wish to do so, they may record the actual number of weeks of operation.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), this data element is reported by funding departments in relation to all service type outlets. Service type outlets deliver a particular National Disability Agreement (NDA) service type (Service type outlet—service activity type, NDA service type code N.NN) at or from a discrete location.

This identifier generally contains a maximum of 14 characters.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), hours worked by paid staff refers to the actual total hours worked by all paid staff for a service type outlet, not full-time equivalents or rostered weekly hours. It includes hours worked by paid staff on behalf of the service type outlet both directly delivered to service users, and indirectly to service users (for example, indirect hours such as related committee meetings).

Paid staff are defined as those who are employed on a permanent, part-time or casual basis under an employment or other contract (including contract staff).

This data element is collected twice within the DS NMDS:

• the actual total hours worked by all paid staff for a service type outlet in the 7-day reference week (i.e. for the week preceding the end of the reporting period); and
• actual total hours worked by all paid staff for a service type outlet for a typical 7-day week.

Staff hours should be rounded up to the nearest whole hour.

Inclusions and exclusions for the calculation of staff hours:

• Includes:
  • staff hours worked by administrative staff, managers etc. (i.e. indirect staff relating to this service type outlet)
  • staff hours worked by Board members relating to this service type
  • staff hours worked on committees or at meetings relevant to this service type
  • staff hours worked as paid overtime (to be included with paid staff hours)
  • staff hours worked while staff receive payment for sleepover duties
  • staff hours worked by staff contracted to clean premises.
  • staff hours worked by staff receiving training relevant to this service type
  • staff hours worked while travelling to a location to assist/visit a service user.
• Excludes:
  • staff hours worked as unpaid work by usually paid or contract staff (should be included with unpaid staff hours)
  • staff hours for workers on leave (including public holidays, paid/unpaid sick leave, i.e. this data element relates to staff hours worked, not staff hours paid for)
  • staff hours normally worked in positions that are currently vacant
  • staff hours allocated to non-National Disability Agreement (NDA) service users.

For funded agencies with multiple service type outlets (and where staff hours per service type outlet are not known), all staff should be apportioned across service type outlets. To apportion staff across different service type outlets it is recommended that agencies:

• use fortnightly rosters as a starting point
• apportion total staff hours across funded service types
• divide this figure by two to get weekly staff hours for the week preceding the end of the reporting period.

This item is asking for hours worked by staff on behalf of this service type outlet both directly delivered to service users and on behalf of this service type outlet more generally (that is, indirect hours such as related committee meetings).

A funded agency may receive funding from multiple sources, however for DS NMDS purposes, only those services provided using NDA funds should be recorded. Where a funded agency is unable to differentiate all data according to funding source (i.e. NDA or other), they are asked to provide full details (in this case, staff hours) regardless of funding source.

If the service type outlet is funded to provide service type 2.06 Case management, local coordination and development, the following rules for calculating staff hours apply:

• record staff hours relating to the case coordination/management/brokerage activities undertaken (including administrative time, board member time etc. as above)
• do not record the staff hours for the agencies who provide any services arranged, purchased or brokered by your service type outlet as part of providing service type 2.06
• see also data elements 17e–f ‘hours received’ per service user, as similar rules apply to the calculation of hours received by service users.

If the service type outlet sub-contracts the provision of part or all of a service type (other than 2.06) they are funded to provide to another agency:

• the service type outlet who is sub-contracting another agency is responsible for providing relevant details about the sub-contracted activity (for example, in-home accommodation support provider sub-contracting the provision of some in-home accommodation support to another agency, which may or may not be funded under the NDA)
• the service type outlet who is sub-contracting another agency should include an estimate of the staff hours sub-contracted in this way with the staff hours allocation for their service type outlet (and the sub-contractor outlet should not include these hours in their service type outlet return, if they are also included in the DS NMDS)
• see also data elements 17e–f ‘hours received’ per service user, as similar rules apply to the calculation of hours received by service users.

DSS specific information:

In the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS), hours worked by unpaid staff refers to the actual total hours worked by staff, volunteers or students and others who do not receive payment for the work which they perform on behalf of the service type outlet. It collects hours worked, not full-time equivalents or rostered weekly hours. It includes hours worked on behalf of the service type outlet both directly delivered to service users, and indirectly to service users (for example, indirect hours such as related committee meetings).

This data element is collected twice within the Disability Services National Minimum Data Set (DS NMDS):

• the actual total hours worked by all volunteer/unpaid staff for a service type outlet in the 7-day reference week (i.e. for the week preceding the end of the reporting period); and
• actual total hours worked by all volunteer/unpaid staff for a service type outlet for a typical 7-day week.

Staff hours should be rounded up to the nearest whole hour.

Inclusions and exclusions for the calculation of unpaid/volunteer staff hours:

• Includes:
  • staff hours worked as unpaid work by usually paid or contract staff
  • staff hours worked by administrative staff, managers etc. (i.e. indirect staff relating to this service type outlet)
  • staff hours worked by Board members relating to this service type
  • staff hours worked by staff contracted to clean premises
  • staff hours worked by staff receiving training relevant to this service type
  • staff hours worked while travelling to a location to assist/visit a service user
• Excludes:
  • staff hours worked while staff receive payment for sleepover duties
  • staff hours worked on committees or at meetings relevant to this service type
  • staff hours worked as paid overtime (to be included with paid staff hours)
  • staff hours for workers on leave (including public holidays, paid/unpaid sick leave, i.e. this data element relates to staff hours worked, not staff hours paid for)
  • staff hours normally worked in positions that are currently vacant staff hours allocated to non-National Disability Agreement (NDA) service users.

For funded agencies with multiple service type outlets (and where staff hours per service type outlet are not known), all staff should be apportioned across service type outlets. To apportion staff across different service type outlets it is recommended that agencies:

• use fortnightly rosters as a starting point apportion total staff hours across funded service types
• divide this figure by two to get weekly staff hours for the week preceding the end of the reporting period.

A funded agency may receive funding from multiple sources, however for DS NMDS purposes, only those services provided using NDA funds should be recorded. Where a funded agency is unable to differentiate all data according to funding source (i.e. NDA or other), they are asked to provide full details (in this case, staff hours) regardless of funding source.

If the service type outlet is funded to provide service type 2.06 Case management, local coordination and development, the following rules for calculating staff hours apply:

• record staff hours relating to the case coordination/management/brokerage activities  undertaken (including administrative time, board member time etc. as above)
• do not record the staff hours for the agencies who provide any services arranged, purchased or brokered by your service type outlet as part of providing service type 2.06
• see also data elements 17e–f ‘hours received’ per service user, as similar rules apply to the calculation of hours received by service users.

If the service type outlet sub-contracts the provision of part or all of a service type (other than 2.06) they are funded to provide to another agency:

• the service type outlet who is sub-contracting another agency is responsible for providing relevant details about the sub-contracted activity (for example, in-home accommodation support provider sub-contracting the provision of some in-home accommodation support to another agency, which may or may not be funded under the NDA)
• the service type outlet who is sub-contracting another agency should include an estimate of the staff hours sub-contracted in this way with the staff hours allocation for their service type outlet (and the sub-contractor outlet should not include these hours in their service type outlet return, if they are also included in the DS NMDS)
• see also data elements 17e–f ‘hours received’ per service user, as similar rules apply to the calculation of hours received by service users.