- | Specialist Homelessness Services accommodation type and start/end date cluster |
|
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: Clients may have start and end dates for each of the accommodation types provided during the collection month. Multiple accommodation types, start dates and end dates may be entered. In a month of 31 days, up to 16 accommodation types, and related start dates or end dates are possible. The dates selected should be valid for the collection month (i.e. September the 30th is a valid date, but the 31st is not a valid date). |
1 | Supported accommodation type | Number
[1]
| 1 | Short-term or emergency accommodation | 2 | Medium term/ transitional accommodation | 3 | Long term accommodation | 4 | Other supported accommodation |
| DSS specific information: In the SHS NMDS, the accommodation type Other supported accommodation (CODE 4) is not a valid permissible value. |
2 | Accommodation period start date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | DSS specific information: In the SHS NMDS accommodation end date may be asked for three types of accommodation: 1) Short term or emergency, 2) Medium term or transitional, and 3) Long term. Clients may have breaks in accommodation, or shift between different types of accommodation. Clients may have multiple start and end dates for the various types of accommodation. |
3 | Accommodation period end date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | DSS specific information: In the SHS NMDS accommodation end date may be asked for three types of accommodation: 1) Short term or emergency, 2) Medium term or transitional, and 3) Long term. Clients may have breaks in accommodation, or shift between different types of accommodation. Clients may have multiple start and end dates for the various types of accommodation. |
- | Specialist Homelessness Services activity cluster |
|
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. |
- | Service activity outcome | Number
[1]
| 1 | Needs identified (service neither provided nor referred) | 2 | Service provided | 3 | Service referral arranged |
| |
- | Type of service activity | Number
[2]
| Housing/accommodation | | 1 | Short-term or emergency accommodation | 2 | Medium term/transitional housing | 3 | Long term housing | 4 | Assistance to sustain tenancy or prevent tenancy failure or eviction | 5 | Assistance to prevent foreclosures or for mortgage arrears | General assistance | | 6 | Assertive outreach for rough sleepers | 7 | Assistance to obtain/maintain government allowance | 8 | Employment assistance | 9 | Training assistance | 10 | Educational assistance | 11 | Financial information | 12 | Material aid/brokerage | 13 | Assistance for incest/sexual assault | 15 | Family/relationship assistance | 16 | Assistance for trauma | 17 | Assistance with challenging social/behavioural problems | 18 | Living skills/personal development | 19 | Legal information | 20 | Court support | 21 | Advice/information | 22 | Retrieval/storage/removal of personal belongings | 23 | Advocacy/liaison on behalf of client | 24 | School liaison | 25 | Child care | 26 | Structured play/skills development | 27 | Child contact and residence arrangements | 28 | Meals | 29 | Laundry/shower facilities | 30 | Recreation | 31 | Transport | 32 | Other basic assistance | Specialised services | | 33 | Child protection services | 34 | Parenting skills education | 35 | Child specific specialist counselling services | 36 | Psychological services | 37 | Psychiatric services | 38 | Mental health services | 39 | Pregnancy assistance | 40 | Family planning support | 41 | Physical disability services | 42 | Intellectual disability services | 43 | Health/medical services | 44 | Professional legal services | 45 | Financial advice and counselling | 46 | Counselling for problem gambling | 47 | Drug/alcohol counselling | 48 | Specialist counselling services | 49 | Interpreter services | 50 | Assistance with immigration services | 51 | Culturally specific services | 52 | Assistance to connect culturally | 53 | Other specialised service | Family/Domestic violence | | 54 | Assistance for domestic/family violence - victim support services | 55 | Assistance for domestic/family violence - perpetrator support services |
| |
- | Specialist Homelessness Services disability flag cluster |
|
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at presentation. |
- | Disability flag activity and participation life area (homelessness) | Number
[1]
| 1 | Self-care | 2 | Mobility | 3 | Communication |
| |
- | Homelessness disability flag need for assistance | Number
[1]
| 1 | Always/sometimes need help and/or supervision | 2 | Have difficulty, but don't need help/supervision | 3 | Don't have difficulty, but use aids/equipment | 4 | Have no difficulty |
| |
- | Specialist Homelessness Services financial assistance type and amount cluster |
|
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this cluster is collected at the end of the reporting period (for the current service episode only). |
- | Financial assistance amount | Currency
[5]
| N[NNNN] Total number of Australian dollars. | DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected for the current service episode only. It relates specifically to assistance provided by the specialist homelessness agency and not assistance provided by any other source. This item is repeated 5 times to capture the total amounts for the different types of financial assistance. The client should provide dollar amounts for each type of assistance that was provided during the reference period (ie up to 5 valid responses). |
- | Financial assistance type (homelessness) | Number | 1 | Payment for short term or emergency accommodation | 2 | Payment for establishing/maintaining a tenancy | 3 | Payment for training/education/employment | 4 | Payment for accessing external specialist services | 5 | Other payment |
| DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected for the current service episode only. It relates specifically to assistance provided by the specialist homelessness agency and not assistance provided by any other source. The client may check all types of assistance that applied during the reference period (ie up to 5 valid responses). |
- | Statistical linkage key 581 cluster |
|
| DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this cluster is collected at the date of presentation. For the purposes of the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS the SLK of the Presenting Unit Head will be recorded on each their accompanying member’s forms. |
1 | Letters of family name | String
[3]
| XXX A combination of alphanumeric characters. | |
2 | Letters of given name | String
[2]
| XX A combination of alphanumeric characters. | |
3 | Date of birth | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | |
4 | Sex | String
[1]
| 1 | Male | 2 | Female | 3 | Other | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| |
5 | Statistical linkage key 581 | String
[14]
| XXXXXDDMMYYYYX
A combination of the second, third and fifth alphanumeric characters of a person's family name, the second and third alphanumeric characters of a person's given name, a date in the format DDMMYYYY and a single alphanumeric character representing the sex of a person. | |
6 | Date accuracy indicator | String
[3]
| AAA | Day, month and year are accurate | AAE | Day and month are accurate, year is estimated | AAU | Day and month are accurate, year is unknown | AEA | Day is accurate, month is estimated, year is accurate | AEE | Day is accurate, month and year are estimated | AEU | Day is accurate, month is estimated, year is unknown | AUA | Day is accurate, month is unknown, year is accurate | AUE | Day is accurate, month is unknown, year is estimated | AUU | Day is accurate, month and year are unknown | EAA | Day is estimated, month and year are accurate | EAE | Day is estimated, month is accurate, year is estimated | EAU | Day is estimated, month is accurate, year is unknown | EEA | Day and month are estimated, year is accurate | EEE | Day, month and year are estimated | EEU | Day and month are estimated, year is unknown | EUA | Day is estimated, month is unknown, year is accurate | EUE | Day is estimated, month is unknown, year is estimated | EUU | Day is estimated, month and year are unknown | UAA | Day is unknown, month and year are accurate | UAE | Day is unknown, month is accurate, year is estimated | UAU | Day is unknown, month is accurate, year is unknown | UEA | Day is unknown, month is estimated, year is accurate | UEE | Day is unknown, month and year are estimated | UEU | Day is unknown, month is estimated, year is unknown | UUA | Day and month are unknown, year is accurate | UUE | Day and month are unknown, year is estimated | UUU | Day, month and year are unknown |
| Conditional obligation: Where a date of birth is estimated the date accuracy indicator should be used. |
- | Australian postcode | String
[4]
| 0097 | Not applicable | 0098 | Unknown | 0099 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is reported twice, for: |
- | Suburb/town/locality name within address | String
[46]
| X[X(45)]
A combination of alphanumeric characters. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is reported twice, for: |
- | Care arrangements (care and protection order) | Number
[2]
| 1 | Residential care | 2 | Family group home | 3 | Relative(s)/kin who are reimbursed | 4 | Foster care | 5 | Other home-based care (reimbursed) | 6 | Relative(s)/kin who are not reimbursed | 7 | Independent living | 8 | Other living arrangements | 9 | Parents | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). This data element is only collected for clients aged less than 18 years, who have a care and protection order. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. |
- | Case management goal status | Number
[1]
| 1 | Not at all | 2 | Up to half | 3 | Half or more | 4 | All |
| Conditional obligation: Conditional on a Yes (Code 1) response to Client—case management plan indicator, yes/no code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the end of each reporting period, i.e. each calendar month. |
- | Case management plan indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the end of each reporting period, i.e. each calendar month. |
- | Consent indicator | Boolean
[1]
| | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: The data collected in the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) NMDS will be used for policy development and agency activity reporting in a non-identifiable form. This information will enable better placement of agency services and enhance service provision to clients of homelessness agencies |
- | Reason case management plan does not exist | Number
[1]
| 1 | Client did not agree to one | 2 | Service episode too short | 3 | Part of another person's case management plan | 8 | Other | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: This data element is conditional on a response of No (Code 2) in the data element Client—case management plan indicator, yes/no code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the end of each reporting period, i.e. each calendar month. |
- | Other reason case management plan does not exist | String
[50]
| A[A(49)] A combination of alphabetic characters. | Conditional obligation: This data element is conditional on a response of Other (Code 8) for the data element Client—reason case management plan does not exist, code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the end of each reporting period, i.e. each calendar month. |
- | Australian Defence Force indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only collected for clients aged 18 years and over. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't know (Code 99) which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. Where a client is aged less than 18 years a response of Not applicable (Code 0) may be used. |
- | Australian state/territory identifier (person) | Number
[1]
| 1 | New South Wales | 2 | Victoria | 3 | Queensland | 4 | South Australia | 5 | Western Australia | 6 | Tasmania | 7 | Northern Territory | 8 | Australian Capital Territory | 9 | Other territories (Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Jervis Bay Territory) |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is reported twice, for: |
- | Conditions of occupancy | Number
[1]
| 1 | Leased tenure–nominated on lease | 2 | Lease in place–not nominated on lease | 3 | Couch surfer | 4 | Boarder | 5 | Living with relative fee free | 6 | Other | 8 | Not applicable | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. Please note that Leased tenure - nominated on lease (Code 1) - and Lease in place - not nominated on lease (Code 2) are only selected if a lease is in place. Codes 3 to 6 only apply if the person's name is not on a lease. |
- | Country of birth | Number
[4]
| NNNN
The Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC 2016) code set representing a country. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the AIHW. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). |
- | First service request indicator | Number
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 3 | Unknown | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is only collected for turnaways. Turnaways are people who have not received any requested services or assessment. This data element is applied to an individual 24-hour reporting period. |
- | Formally diagnosed mental health condition indicator | Number | 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 3 | Don't know/can't remember | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. Evidence suggests that the longer persons with mental health problems are supported by specialist homelessness services, the more likely they are to move into public, or community housing or rental housing rather than return to rough sleeping. Access to a range of longer-term supports and community-based services will increase the early intervention and recovery support options for people who are homeless with a mental illness and substance abuse disorders. |
- | Full-time/part-time status | Number
[1]
| 1 | Full-time | 2 | Part-time | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. This item is conditional on a response of Employed (Code 1) in the data element Person—labour force status, code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Centrelink customer reference number | String
[10]
| N(9)A A combination of numeric and alphanumeric characters that identifies a Centrelink customer, organisation or other entity. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the consent of the client. DSS specific information: The states and territories have agreed to include Centrelink customer reference numbers in the NMDS, however this information is not currently recorded as issues of confidentiality are yet to be resolved. |
- | Tenure type | Number
[2]
| Renter | | 1 | Renter - private housing | 2 | Renter - public housing | 3 | Renter - community housing | 4 | Renter - transitional housing | 5 | Renter - caravan park | 6 | Renter - boarding/rooming house | 7 | Renter - emergency accommodation/night shelter/women's refuge/youth shelter where rent is charged | 8 | Other renter | Rent free | | 9 | Rent free - private housing | 10 | Rent free - public housing | 11 | Rent free - community housing | 12 | Rent free- transitional housing | 13 | Rent free - caravan park | 14 | Rent free - boarding/rooming house | 15 | Rent free - emergency accommodation/night shelter/women's refuge/youth shelter where rent is not charged | 16 | Other rent free | Life tenure | | 17 | Life tenure scheme | Owner | | 18 | Owner - shared equity or rent/buy scheme | 19 | Owner - being purchased/with mortgage | 20 | Owner - fully owned | Other | | 21 | Other tenure type not elsewhere specified | 22 | No tenure | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. |
- | Indigenous status | Number
[1]
| 1 | Aboriginal but not Torres Strait Islander origin | 2 | Torres Strait Islander but not Aboriginal origin | 3 | Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin | 4 | Neither Aboriginal nor Torres Strait Islander origin | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Labour force status | Number
[1]
| 1 | Employed | 2 | Unemployed | 3 | Not in the labour force | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Living arrangement (homelessness) | Number
[1]
| 1 | Lone person | 2 | One parent with child(ren) | 3 | Couple with child(ren) | 4 | Couple without child(ren) | 5 | Other family | 6 | Group | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Main language other than English spoken at home | Number
[4]
| N[NNN]
The Australian Standard Classification of Languages (ASCL) code set representing languages. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. Where a client is without a home, record main language spoken other than English. This collection records the ABS classification supplementary code Not Stated (0002). |
- | Mental health services received indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Mental health services received timeframe | Number
[1]
| 1 | Currently receiving services | 2 | Received services in the last 12 months | 3 | Received services more than 12 months ago | 4 | Received services no timeframe reported | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the AIHW. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). This item is also conditional on the client responding to the data element Person—mental health services received indicator, Yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N with Yes (Code 1). DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | New client indicator | Number | 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 3 | Not sure | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is used to gain an idea of the 'trend of homelessness'. It does this by collecting data as to whether or not the presenting person has accessed a specialist homelessness agency before. |
- | Number of people presenting | Number
[2]
| N[N] Total number of people. | DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Participation in NDIS indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't know (Code 99) which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Time since most recent address | Number
[1]
| 1 | Less than 1 week ago | 2 | 1 week to 1 month ago | 3 | More than 1 month, to 6 months ago | 4 | More than 6 months, to 1 year ago | 5 | More than 1 year, to 5 years ago | 6 | More than 5 years ago | 9 | Don't know/not sure |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Don't know/Not sure (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Previously homeless indicator | Number
[1]
| 1 | Sleeping rough or in non-conventional accommodation | 2 | Short-term or emergency accommodation | 3 | Not homeless | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected a minimum of twice (for the client): - within the previous month
- within the previous year.
If a client has indicated that they were homeless in the last month, then by default they should be recorded as homeless in the last 12 months. This question allows the client to check all responses that apply, and therefore the client may have up to 3 valid responses for each instance of this question. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Recently left facility/institution indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the AIHW. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). |
- | Principal income source | Number
[4]
| NNNN
A code set representing a person's sources of income. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. This data element reflects the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Sources of income standard variable. Consequently, the value domain definitions explicitly exclude anyone aged under 15. If income information on children under 15 years is sought for the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) NMDS, these persons may also be asked the sources of income questions. However, if comparability with ABS collections is required, the SHS data can be filtered using the age data element to remove responses for children aged under 15. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. For the purposes of the SHS collection the following list is used which aggregates to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Sources of Income Classification. Government pensions and allowances Newstart allowance Parenting payment Disability support pension (Centrelink) Youth allowance Age pension Austudy/Abstudy DVA pension or payment Sickness allowance Carer allowance Carer payment Other government pensions and allowances Other sources of income Employee income Unincorporated business income Other income nec Nil income Not stated/not known/inadequately described |
- | Proficiency in spoken English | Number
[1]
| 1 | Very well | 2 | Well | 3 | Not well | 4 | Not at all | 7 | Not applicable | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is conditional on the client speaking a language other than English at home. The data element Person—main language other than English spoken at home, code (ASCL 2016) N[NNN] must receive a response of Yes, other - please specify for this data to be collected. This data element is also only collected for clients aged 5 years and over. For clients who respond to the data element Person—main language other than English spoken at home, code (ASCL 2016) N[NNN] No, English only and for clients aged less than 5 a Not applicable response is recorded. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't know (Code 99) which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. This collection records a response of Not applicable (Code 0) which is equivalent to the code Not applicable (Code 7) in the Standard. |
- | Reason for seeking assistance (homelessness) | Number
[2]
| 1 | Financial difficulties | 2 | Housing affordability stress | 3 | Housing crisis (e.g. eviction) | 4 | Inadequate or inappropriate dwelling conditions | 5 | Previous accommodation ended | 6 | Time out from family/other situation | 7 | Relationship/family breakdown | 8 | Sexual abuse | 9 | Domestic and family violence | 10 | Non-family violence | 11 | Mental health issues | 12 | Medical issues | 13 | Problematic drug or substance use | 14 | Problematic alcohol use | 15 | Employment difficulties | 16 | Unemployment | 17 | Problematic gambling | 18 | Transition from custodial arrangements | 19 | Transition from foster care and child safety residential placements | 20 | Transition from other care arrangements | 21 | Discrimination including racial discrimination | 22 | Itinerant | 23 | Unable to return home due to environmental reasons | 24 | Disengagement with school or other education and training | 25 | Lack of family and/or community support | 26 | Other | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element is collected twice (for the client): - for all the presenting reasons for seeking assistance; and subsequently
- for the main presenting reason for seeking assistance
In both cases the reasons are those nominated by the client. This question allows the client to check all responses that apply for all the presenting reasons for seeking assistance (up to 26 valid responses). The client should also select one main reason for seeking assistance. |
- | Other reason for seeking assistance (homelessness) | String
[50]
| A[A(49)] A combination of alphabetic characters. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element is conditional on the person responding with Other (Code 26), in the data element Person—reason for seeking assistance, homelessness code N[N]. |
- | Reason services not provided | Number
[2]
| 1 | Person did not accept service | 2 | Person wanted different services | 3 | Agency was in the wrong area | 4 | Agency had no accommodation available | 5 | Agency had no other services available | 6 | Agency had insufficient staff | 7 | Agency was inappropriate, wrong target group | 8 | Agency's facilities were not appropriate for a person with special needs | 9 | Person was refused service/ person did not meet criteria | 10 | No fee-free services, available at the time of request | 11 | Other |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected only for 'turnaways'. Turnaways are people who have not received any requested services or assessment. DSS specific information: This question allows the person to check all responses that apply, and therefore the person may have up to 11 valid responses. |
- | Registered/awaiting government payment indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is only collected for clients who report nil income (Code 17) in Person—principal source of cash income, code NNNN. This question establishes whether clients may have applied for a government benefit, pension or allowance, but are still awaiting their first payment. DSS specific information: This data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard |
- | Relationship to presenting unit head | String
[2]
| 1 | Self | 2 | Spouse/partner | 3 | Parent/Guardian | 4 | Child | 5 | Step child | 6 | Foster child | 7 | Sibling | 8 | Aunt or uncle | 9 | Niece or nephew | 10 | Grandparent | 11 | Grandchild | 12 | Other relative | 13 | Unrelated person | 14 | Unrelated flatmate or co-tenant | 15 | Other relationship | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Other relationship to presenting unit head | String
[50]
| A[A(49)] A combination of alphabetic characters. | Conditional obligation: This data element is conditional on the person responding with Other relationship (Code 15), in the data element Person—relationship to the presenting unit head, code N[N]. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Residential type | Number
[2]
| 1 | House/townhouse/flat | 2 | Caravan | 3 | Tent | 4 | Cabin | 5 | Boat | 6 | Improvised building/dwelling | 7 | No dwelling/street/park/in the open | 8 | Motor vehicle | 9 | Boarding/rooming house | 10 | Emergency accommodation | 11 | Hotel/motel/bed and breakfast | 12 | Hospital (excluding psychiatric) | 13 | Psychiatric hospital/unit | 14 | Disability support | 15 | Rehabilitation | 16 | Adult correctional facility | 17 | Youth/juvenile justice correctional centre | 18 | Boarding school/residential college | 19 | Aged care facility | 20 | Immigration detention centre | 21 | Other | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 99) in the Standard. |
- | Education at presentation | Number
[1]
| 1 | Enrolled and attending school | 2 | Enrolled in school but not always attending | 3 | Enrolled in school but not attending | 4 | Enrolled in school but waiting to commence | 5 | Home schooled | 6 | Neither enrolled nor home schooled | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS this data element is collected for all clients from age 4 to 18 years (inclusive). This data element is not collected for children aged 4 years who have not started school. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Service requested | Number
[1]
| 1 | Short-term or emergency accommodation | 2 | Other housing/accommodation | 3 | General assistance and support | 4 | Specialised services | 5 | Assistance for family and domestic violence | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is only collected for 'turnaways'. Turnaways are people who have not received any requested services. DSS specific information: This question allows the person to check all responses that apply, and therefore the person may have up to 5 valid responses for this question. |
- | Source of information indicating mental health issue | Number
[1]
| 1 | Agency worker | 2 | Health professional | 3 | Non-government agency | 4 | Family, friends, carers | 5 | Self-identified | 6 | Other | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). It is also conditional on a response of Yes (Code 1) to Person—source of information on a mental health condition, Yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element is collected from the perspective of the agency worker. The agency worker may answer this question based on their personal observations, or from information volunteered by the client. If the client does not agree to answer the questions which require consent, the agency worker will be unable to report this information. |
- | Source of information indicating mental health issue indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1) DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. |
- | Student type | Number
[1]
| 1 | Preschool student | 2 | Primary school student | 3 | Secondary school student | 4 | University student | 5 | Vocational education and training | 6 | Other education or training | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: Conditional on responding to Person—student/employment training indicator, Yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N with a Yes (Code 1). DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Student indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected four times, for the following points in time: Only one permissible value is selected in each case. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Inadequately described (Code 9) in the Standard. |
- | Type of facility previously resided in | Number | 1 | Hospital (excluding psychiatric) | 2 | Psychiatric hospital/unit | 3 | Disability support | 4 | Rehabilitation | 5 | Adult, correctional facility | 6 | Youth/juvenile justice correctional centre | 7 | Immigration detention centre | 98 | Other | 99 | Don't know/can't remember |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is conditional on the client providing consent to release their personal data to the AIHW. The data element Client—consent indicator, yes/no code N, must receive a response of Yes (Code 1). This item is also conditional on a response of Yes (Code 1) in the data element Person—previously resided in institution/facility indicator, Yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This data element refers to institutions or facilities the client may have been in during the last 12 months. This question allows the client to check all responses that apply, and therefore the client may have up to 7 valid responses. The value Other (Code 98) is not used by this collection. |
- | Urgency of requested assistance | Number
[1]
| 1 | Within 24 hours | 2 | Between 24 and 48 hours | 3 | In 3-4 days | 4 | In 5-6 days | 5 | In 7-14 days | 6 | In more than two weeks | 7 | Don't know/not sure | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is only collected for 'turnaways'. Turnaways are people who have not received the requested services or assessment. DSS specific information: This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Don't know/Not sure (Code 7) in the Standard. |
- | Year of arrival in Australia | Date/Time
[4]
| YYYY
The calendar year, beginning on the 1st of January and ending on the 31st of December. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is ascertained for all clients who have indicated that their Country of Birth is not Australia. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. The supplementary code Don't know (Code 9999) is used to process client data if a valid year of arrival is not provided. |
- | Formal referral source | Number
[2]
| 1 | Specialist Homelessness Agency/outreach worker | 2 | Telephone/crisis referral agency | 3 | Centrelink or employment service case worker | 4 | Child protection agency | 5 | Family and child support agency | 6 | Hospital | 7 | Mental health service | 8 | Disability support service | 9 | Drug and alcohol service | 10 | Aged care service | 11 | Social housing | 12 | Youth or juvenile justice correctional centre | 13 | Adult correctional facility | 14 | Legal unit (including legal aid) | 15 | School/other education institution | 16 | Police | 17 | Courts | 18 | Immigration department or asylum seeker/refugee support service | 19 | Other agency (government or non-government) | 20 | Family and/or friends | 21 | Other | 22 | Family and domestic violence service (non SHS) | 23 | Don't know | 88 | No formal referral | 99 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the SHS NMDS, this data element is collected at the date of presentation. This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Don't know (Code 23) in the Standard. The collection also records a response of No formal referral (Code 88). |
- | Episode end date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS this data element is the support period end date. |
- | Episode start date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS this data element is the support period start date. |
- | Collection month | Date/Time
[6]
| MMYYYY The month of a particular year. | DSS specific information: This data element reflects the month that information was collected from the person. It is recorded for both clients and turnaways. |
- | Service episode end reason | Number
[2]
| 1 | Client referred to another specialist homelessness agency | 2 | Client referred to a mainstream agency | 3 | Client's immediate needs met/case management goals achieved | 4 | Maximum service period reached | 5 | Service withdrawn from client and no referral made | 6 | Client no longer requested assistance | 7 | Client did not turn up | 8 | Lost contact with client | 9 | Client institutionalised | 10 | Client incarcerated | 11 | Client died | 12 | Other | 99 | Not stated/unknown |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients if the support period has finished. DSS specific information: This collection records a response of Don't Know (Code 99), which is equivalent to the code Not stated/Unknown (Code 99) in the Standard. |
- | Service ongoing indicator | Boolean
[1]
| 1 | Yes | 2 | No | 9 | Not stated/inadequately described |
| Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: The code Not stated/inadequately described (Code 9) is not used by this collection. |
- | Assistance request date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is relevant to 'turnaways' and clients. It captures the date on which a person sought assistance from a Specialist Homelessness Agency. This may not be the same date the assistance or service is received by the client. |
- | First service contact date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected for all clients. This data element is collected for the first service contact date within the reporting period. If the first service contact was also the start of the service episode, as recorded by the data element Service episode—episode start date, DDMMYYYY, then the same date will be recorded for both data elements. If the service episode is ongoing but the service event is new, then the actual date of the new service event should be recorded. This data element should ascertain the actual date of service, not the date when the data is recorded. |
- | Last service provision date | Date/Time
[8]
| DDMMYYYY
The day of a particular month and year. | Conditional obligation: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this item is only asked of clients. DSS specific information: In the Specialist Homelessness Services NMDS, this data element is collected for all clients. This data element is collected for the last service provision date within the reporting period. If the last provision of a service was also the end of the service episode, as recorded by the data element Service episode—episode end date, DDMMYYYY, then the same date will be recorded for both data elements. If the last provision of a service is not the end of the service episode (i.e. where other services continue to be provided) the actual date of the end of the service event should be recorded. However if the service event within the service episode is ongoing to the next reporting period, ie ongoing to the following month, then the Service event—last service provision date, DDMMYYYY will be recorded as the last day of the current month. This data element should ascertain the actual date of service, not the date when the data is recorded. |
- | Agency identifier | String
[6]
| NNNNNA A logical combination of numeric and alphanumeric characters that identify an entity. | |