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68
Accurately identify Aboriginal people in administrative data sets
That responsible authorities accurately identify Aboriginal people in administrative data sets such as those covering mortality, morbidity and other social indicators, where such action will provide basic information which will assist Aboriginal organisations to achieve their research and service development goals. While it is acknowledged that primary responsibility for the management of such data sets lies with the States and Territories, Commonwealth agencies such as ATSIC, the AIH and the AIC should be involved in this exercise in a co-ordinating role.
While the Standard Indigenous Question is now consistently asked across services, we’re concerned the accuracy and reliability of the data has declined, particularly in areas where increasing numbers of non-Aboriginal people are incorrectly identifying as Aboriginal.
Aboriginal Justice Caucus Assessment
The intent of Recommendation 68 was to identify Aboriginal people in health-related administrative data sets, providing baseline information for research and service development.
The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing reported that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal data is available through internal and external publications and data tools and considers this recommendation ‘fully implemented’. Aboriginal status is recorded across all client-related corporate data systems, including the Child Protection Client Relationship Information System, Family Services/Family Violence/Sexual Assault Integrated Relationship Information System, Housing Integrated Information Program, Homelessness Data Collection, and The Orange Door Client Relationship Management system, with ongoing work to improve data quality.
The Department of Health noted the introduction of mandatory cultural safety training for health service staff has helped to strengthen culturally appropriate identification practices. However, the number of Aboriginal people captured in Victoria’s mortality data remains too low for inclusion in ABS reporting, limiting the state’s ability to compare life expectancy outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Victorians. In partnership with the ABS, the Life Expectancy Working Group identified ‘Median Age of Death’ as a suitable alternative to life expectancy estimates, enabling more reliable jurisdictional and cohort comparisons.
While the Standard Indigenous Question is now consistently asked across services, we’re concerned the accuracy and reliability of the data has declined, particularly in areas where increasing numbers of non-Aboriginal people are incorrectly identifying as Aboriginal.
It was probably reasonably accurate at one stage. But now, it's probably nowhere near as accurate as it should be. (John Gorton, Chairperson, Grampians RAJAC)
Recommendation 68 is still relevant, particularly for Victoria, where data accuracy limitations continue to prevent reliable life expectancy estimates for Aboriginal people. Clearer guidelines, staff training, and community-controlled oversight could help strengthen data integrity. Further strengthening the quality of data remains essential, with the potential to improve Aboriginal organisations’ ability to undertake research and deliver services effectively.
Priority for Further Work:
Moderate
Relevance and potential impact | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low (0-2) | Moderate (3-4) | High (5-6) | |||
Extent of action taken and evidence of outcomes | High (5-6) | ||||
Moderate (3-4) | |||||
Low (0-2) | |||||
Potential Actions for Further Work
Improve the accuracy of Aboriginal identification in health data collection and Aboriginal oversight of it
The Victorian Government must commit funding and resources to systemic reform to facilitate, embed and ensure Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance in relation to First Peoples’ records, including through treaty by funding, resourcing and supporting the establishment of a Victorian First Peoples-controlled statewide body for First Peoples’ data, records and data governance expertise.
(Yoorrook for Transformation, Recommendation 97)
Background
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) emphasised that the use of alcohol and other drugs increases the risk of poor health outcomes and increases the vulnerability to death in custody. It found an underwhelming amount of data was available on these health statistics relating to Aboriginal people. Accurate Aboriginal representation in alcohol and drug related data sets was needed to provide organisations with the essential baseline information to conduct research and service development in this area.
Actions Taken Since Last Review
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
Child protection and family services policy and practice – action taken that supports the intent of this recommendation:
- ‘Asking the question’ mandatory e-learning modules for both Housing and Child Protection staff implemented in 2023 focuses on culturally safe practice including early identification of Aboriginal children.
- Dedicated SharePoint page created on internal Child Protection and Housing Learning Hubs, containing information on identification/de-identification processes.
- Child Protection Practice Induction Program was updated to strengthen identification/ de-identification of Aboriginal clients for new child protection practitioners.
- Monthly case discussion meetings between DFFH and the Commission for Children and Young People were established to review complex or sensitive de-identification requests, fostering shared oversight and accountability.
- Processes for de-identification were streamlined to improve timeliness.
- Information sheets were released in 2024 to assist child protection staff to record cultural identity accurately and consistently, with practical examples and clearer expectations.
- Work was undertaken with family services agencies to improve data collection.
- Improvements to identification of Aboriginal children/families made to data collection for referrals to The Orange Door.
Information system enhancements
- Child Protection Client Relationship Information System (CRIS) updates to the cultural information page and document, alternate views of Aboriginal status, information on the Aboriginal Child Care Placement Principle, including a dashboard and addition of ‘Traditional Country’ to the client case page.
- Family Services/Family Violence/Sexual Assault Integrated Relationship Information System (IRIS) updated in 2018 to make the capture of Aboriginal status mandatory. Prior to that, only the Aboriginal status of primary carer was mandatory. This improved ability to identify Aboriginal children and families receiving services.
- In June 2021, a prompt for practitioners to update Aboriginal Status at case closure was implemented in the Orange Door Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, for cases where ‘unknown status’ was recorded at referral stage.
Use of linked data
- Linked data analysis is being used to draw information about Aboriginality from across different datasets, enabling better identification of Aboriginality.
Department of Health
Following VACCHO’s briefing paper about issues relating to Victoria’s inability to report against life expectancy targets of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, VACCHO and the department established a Life Expectancy Collaboration in late 2024.
The collaboration, supported by a working group with members from VACCHO, the Department of Health, Department of Government Services and Ngaweeyan Maar-oo [Caucuses of Victorian Aboriginal Governance Forums] work with ABS, data experts and departmental communications teams to promote the importance of identifying Aboriginal status in health records and deaths certification.
The department also administers and works closely with VACCHO on several cultural safety initiatives that place Aboriginal identification at the centre of eight evidence based cultural safety domains that work together to improve the cultural responsiveness of mainstream health services.
Impact
Outputs
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
- Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal data is available in various internal and external publications/reports/data tools (e.g., Report on Government Services).
- The introduction of mandatory cultural safety training for all health services staff is an important structural impact that may aid in improving reliable, culturally appropriate identification systems and practices.
Outcomes
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
DFFH assessed this recommendation as ‘fully implemented’ as Aboriginal status is recorded in all client-related corporate data systems, including CRIS, IRIS, HiiP (Housing Integrated Information Program), Homelessness Data Collection and The Orange Door Customer Relationship Management system, and work has been undertaken to improve data quality.
Department of Health
The Department of Health recognised that the number of Aboriginal people reflected in Victoria’s mortality data is too low for capturing in ABS data and is therefore unable to be shared with the Commonwealth to monitor Closing the Gap targets. This impedes Victoria’s ability to compare its performance with other jurisdictions and importantly, comparing life expectancy estimates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Victorians.
The Life Expectancy Working Group has identified, with the support of ABS, that ‘Median Age of Death’ is a suitable, reliable alternative to life expectancy estimates. The method can allow comparisons between jurisdictions and cohorts.