Monitoring and reporting on how Victorian children and young people (0-17) are faring

1. Monitoring and reporting on how Victorianchildren and young people (0-17) are faring Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System (VCAMS)

2. Overview • Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring framework • Outcomes measurement and reporting • Information products

3. Background • DEECD lead a whole of government monitoring and reporting system on how Victorian children, young people (0 to 17 years) and their families are faring. • The purpose of this work is to: • Support the legislated reporting requirements of the Children’s Services Coordination Board (CSCB) under the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 • Ensure a consistent and high quality evidence base is available to support program, planning and policy decisions at State, Regional and Local levels; • Enable government to identify priorities for children and young people children and set the forward agenda; and • Provide local communities with good information that supports local decisions and planning. • Victoria has been regarded as leading the way nationally with this systematic approach to monitoring and reporting on child outcomes and making the information available to communities.

4. The Victorian Child and Adolescent Outcomes Framework • CSCB established a framework to support monitoring and reporting. • The framework recognises the importance of family and community in relation to child and adolescent health, wellbeing, learning, safety and development. • Four ‘priority’ populations agreed by the CSCB where more attention is required: • Aboriginal children • Children with a disability • Children from a recently arrived high needs immigrant or refugee background • Children in out-of-home care, child protection or family services

5. The Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System • VCAMS enables us to report on how children 0 to 17 are faring in the domains of health, safety, learning, development and wellbeing against the Outcomes Framework. • Informs state and local planning • Comprises 150 evidence based indicators that have been agreed across Victorian government • Maximises the utility of administrative data from government departments • Outcomes survey program for additional measures and priority populations (including the Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey and the Victorian Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Survey) • Analysis and reporting and making data accessible

6. VCAMS monitoring and reporting – past productsCommunity profile series City of Greater Shepparton Aboriginal Community 2009 City of Greater Dandenong 2011 Shire of Mitchell 2010

7. State of Victoria’s children report • Provide a comprehensive review of evidence on how children and young people are faring; focus on health, wellbeing, learning, development, safety • Inform service planning and policy development for children, young people and their families • Report on outcomes and indicators from the Victorian Child and Adolescent Outcomes Framework • Produced as a key output of the Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System (VCAMS) • Support reporting requirements by the Children’s Services Coordination Board (CSCB) under the 2005 Child Wellbeing and Safety Act

8. Statewide monitoring and reporting - State of Victoria’s children http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/children/annualreports.htm

9. State of Victoria’s children 2012 – rural and regional Each area has unique strengths and challenges • Highlights include: • Lowest rural rates of smoking during pregnancy • Concerns include: • Poor access to basic services, particularly transport • High levels of adolescent alcohol consumption, smoking and drug use • Highlights include: • High levels of community engagement and connectedness for children and young people • Concerns include: • High rates of child abuse substantiations and family violence Loddon Mallee • Highlights include: • Strong NAPLAN results for years 7& 9. • Concerns include: • Poor oral health outcomes and dental service access Grampians Hume Gippsland Barwon South West • Highlights include: • Young people in this region most likely to report enjoying school, and finding their subjects interesting • Concerns include: • Highest rates of developmental vulnerability, and risk of clinical problems at school entry • Highlights include: • Early childhood health, learning and development • Concerns include: • Adolescent sexual health, alcohol and drug use

10. State of Victoria’s children 2012 – early childhood The years from birth to eight provide the foundation for future health, wellbeing and development

11. VCAMS draft dashboards – SEHQ example

12. VCAMS draft dashboards – kindergarten example

13. VCAMS draft dashboards – AEDI example

14. VCAMS interactive web site Timeline for delivery • Web site to go live by end of 2013 • Currently being tested by DEECD staff • Data provider approvals in progress • Testing to be conducted by external users (for usability, clarity, etc) mid-November • Review and refinement until June 2014

15. Completing the loop – using evidence based interventions

16. Find data DEECD web site (education.vic.gov.au) Search VCAMS Search Community profile series Search AEDI Data.vic.gov.au Schools data, enrolments, attendance rates, school locations Contact – Connie Spinoso 9637 3215, spinoso.connie.c@edumail.vic.gov.au