Child protection (CP) client file cluster

Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type:	Data Set Specification
METEOR identifier:	706958
Registration status:	Children and Families, Superseded 03/11/2021
DSS type:	Data Element Cluster
Scope:	The Child protection (CP) client file cluster is used to collect demographic information on children and young people involved in any component of the child protection system (i.e. notifications, investigations, substantiations, orders and/or out-of-home care placements) during the reference period.

Collection and usage attributes
Guide for use:	For this file a person is a child or young person aged less than 18 years. This includes unborn children in jurisdictions where they are covered under the child protection legislation.
Collection methods:	Client attributes which may be reported differently over time, such as Indigenous status and disability status, should be reported as at the end of the reference period.
Source and reference attributes
Submitting organisation:	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Steward:	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Origin:	Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2018. Child protection national minimum data set, data collection manual 2017-18. Canberra: AIHW.
Relational attributes
Related metadata references:	Supersedes Child protection (CP) client file cluster Children and Families, Superseded 20/01/2021 Has been superseded by Child protection (CP) client file cluster Children and Families, Standard 03/11/2021
Implementation in Data Set Specifications: All attributes +	Child protection NMDS 2018-19 Children and Families, Superseded 26/05/2021 DSS specific attributes + Implementation start date: 01/07/2017 Implementation end date: 30/06/2019 Child protection NMDS 2019–20 Children and Families, Superseded 03/11/2021 DSS specific attributes + Implementation start date: 01/07/2018 Implementation end date: 30/06/2020

Metadata items in this Data Set Specification

Seq No.	Metadata item	Obligation	Max occurs
1	Person—person identifier, child protection NX[X(11)] *DSS specific information:* The person identifier (ID) is the identifier for the child (the child protection client). Each ID is used by only one client and each client has only one ID. The person ID in the Child protection client file must appear in at least one of the Notifications, investigations and substantiations (NIS), Care and protection order (CPO) and/or Living arrangements for children under care (LA) files. All person IDs in the NIS, CPO, LA, National out-of-home care standards, and Sibling files must appear once in the client file.	Mandatory	1
2	Person—letters of family name, text XXX *DSS specific information:* 'Letters of name' is collected as one item in cell number 2 in the Client file of the CP National minimum data set (NMDS). The 2nd, 3rd and 5th letters of the client's family name are combined with the 2nd and 3rd letters of the client's given name to obtain the 5 digit letters of the client's name. For children who were unborn at the time of the notification and who were subsequently born by 31 August, letters of name should reflect the name given to the child following birth.	Mandatory	1
3	Person—letters of given name, text XX *DSS specific information:* 'Letters of name' is collected as one item in cell number 2 in the Client file of the CP NMDS. The 2nd and 3rd letters of the client's given name are combined with the 2nd, 3rd and 5th letters of the client's family name to obtain the 5 digit letters of the client's name. For children who were unborn at the time of the notification and who were subsequently born by 31 August, letters of name should reflect the name given to the child following birth.	Mandatory	1
4	Person—date of birth, DDMMYYYY *DSS specific information:* This collection requires a non-standard format for this data item: DD/MM/YYYY. For children who were unborn at the time of the notification, estimated age can be calculated (e.g. – 1 month if due to be born in one month) from which an estimated date of birth (DOB) can be determined. For children who were unborn at the time of the notification and who were subsequently born by 31 August, date of birth should be updated where possible. When an estimate is required, all known fields should be entered (e.g. if only year is known use 01/01/YYYY, if year and month are known use 01/MM/YYYY. If the date is not known and cannot be estimated, record as 01/01/1900. If it is not applicable to record a date (i.e. the child has not been born by 31 August), record as 01/01/9999.	Mandatory	1
5	Person—sex, code N *DSS specific information:* For unborn children whose sex is unknown, 97 'Not applicable' should be recorded. Code 9 'Not stated/inadequately described' in the data element is equivalent to code 99 in the Child protection NMDS collection manual.	Mandatory	1
6	Person—Indigenous status, code N *DSS specific information:* Record 5 'Indigenous - not further specified' where no differentiation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander is made. This code is used in the CP NMDS and is not mappable to the Indigenous status standard. Code 9 'Not stated/inadequately described' in the data element is equivalent to code 99 in the Child protection NMDS collection manual.	Mandatory	1
7	Person—main language other than English spoken at home, code (ASCL 2016) N[NNN]	Mandatory	1
8	Person—disability status, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N *DSS specific information:* For unborn children, 97 ‘Not applicable’ should be recorded. Code 9 'Not stated/inadequately described' in the data element is equivalent to code 99 in the Child protection NMDS collection manual.	Mandatory	1
9	Child—new client indicator, yes/no/not stated/inadequately described code N *DSS specific information:* Code 9 'Not stated/inadequately described' in the data element is equivalent to code 99 in the Child protection NMDS collection manual.	Mandatory	1