IRIS Newsletter 53
May 2017

IRIS newsletter 531

IRIS 1.12 Upgrade

The IRIS Helpdesk traditionally releases one major software upgrade a year. This year there are likely to be two, one in July and one in October, with further and bigger changes in January 2018.

Several suggestions for changes to the software have been received from users over the past 12 months, and these have informed the changes to be included in the next (July) IRIS upgrade.In addition this upgrade will include changes to the Family Services and Family Violence substantive case types. The changes in this release will focus onthe collection of more detailed and specific information on children and partners in the substantivecases, to enhancebuilding a better understanding of family diversity and case planning.

These changes aim to improve the quality of data the Department collects, as well as enhance the reporting capabilitiesand the data collection process.

IRIS Monthly Reporting (DHHS Funded Organisations)

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) changed its reporting requirements from quarterly to monthlylast September 2016. All DHHS-funded agencies are obliged to submit a monthly IRIS data extract by the 10th of every month. The next submission is due on 10th of June 2017. (Please ensure you have completed the IRIS upgrade before generating and submitting your IRIS data export.)

Note: The process for generating the monthly reports is unchanged from the quarterly reporting process. Please run the reports as per the usual quarterly process, and we will extract the required month’s data from these.

Please note that thischange only applies to those organisations funded by DHHS.

Community service organisations funded by the Department of Education and Training (DET) and Department of Justice and Regulation (DJR) will continue with quarterly reporting.

All upgrade files and instructions can be found via the data submission timelines page on the Funded Agency Channel website:

The Department of Health and Human Services relies on accurate and timely data to support informed decisions about the performance and effectiveness of funded services and programs. Increasing the frequency of reporting from quarterly to monthly provides the department with more recentdata on service provision that can be used for monitoring demand and identifying pressure points in the service system. Other service systems such as homelessness and out of home care already report on a monthly basis and have found this beneficial.

Training

Please email to reserve your place. Bookings are essential.

Confirmed remaining IRIS Training Dates for 2017:

Friday 19May 2017 (10am - 12pm) (2pm - 4pm)

Friday 23 June 2017 (10am - 12pm)(2pm - 4pm)

Thursday 20 July 2017 (10am - 12pm)(2pm - 4pm)

Friday 22 September 2017 (10am - 12pm)(2pm - 4pm)

Thursday 16th November 2017 (10am - 12pm)(2pm - 4pm)

Friday 8 December 2017 (10am - 12pm)(2pm - 4pm)

Two daily sessions: Morning: 10:00am – 12:00pm & Afternoon: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Online training

Online training is available for IRIS users so you can learn at your own pace. You can access the online training modules from the training page on the Funded Agency channel website: <

Feedback Welcomed

The IRIS team welcomes any feedback, suggestions and improvements on the IRIS system, the IRIS processes and the communications (such as this) disseminated to funded organisations.

Next IRIS upgrade – July 2017

Major changes Include :

  1. Youth Case Type. The creation of a new Youth Services case aims to align data collection with current government initiatives in relation to family violence reform. This in turns supports the work of the Royal Commission into Family Violence, Recommendation 123 and the Roadmap for Reform project. The Youth Services case will also be able to be used by those agencies who are funded by the department to provide a range of support services to young people and allow better monitoring and oversight of programs and services provided primarily to them.
  1. Client data capture: changes to the Client page will apply to DHHS case types ( not including DoJ and DET, for instance). Changes proposed include broadening the definition / description of a Client’s gender (possibly including attributes such as sex, gender identity), ensuring the Client’s indigenous status is captured, and identifying a Client’s background as CALD or otherwise.
  1. Child FIRST and Family Services case, related people:the profile of client’s children and partners will be raised in Child FIRST and Family Services IRIS cases. Details about each child and partner will be made mandatory. These details include the child’s name, date of birth, gender, country of birth, indigenous status and information on whether the child or partner lives with the Client.

Specific Case Type Changes;

  1. Family Violence Services case type : The fields in the Case Details screen will be changed for Men and Women and Children, and there will be some changes to selections in the Issues and Services screens.
  2. Kindergartens List: Fields that contain kindergartens have been revised with the latest Department of Education and Training (DET) list of registered children’s services organisations.
  3. Child FIRST /Family Services case type: The existing ‘Client/Family Participation’ field will become mandatory, to capture participation by family members in interventions.
  4. Child FIRST /Family Services case type: Various existing fields related to children and partners of clients (related people) to become mandatory, and the indigenous status and country of birth fieldsalso will be added.
  5. Child FIRST /Family Services case type:specific advice will be made available within IRIS on the use of the fields “Significant Wellbeing Concern” and “Unborn report”.
  6. Consumer Affairs Victoria Financial Counselling Program:
  7. Family violence has been added as a sub program type
  8. The option to record the casework activity has been added
  9. The ability to record up to 4 types of financial difficulties has been added
  10. Interagency referrals and referrals to non-financial counselling agencies fields have been removed

General IRIS Changes;

  1. New Feature : Ability to add the history of client names such as Alias.
  1. New Feature : Ability to add the previous addresses.
  1. New Feature : Optional field to capture the client’s Transgender identity.
  1. New Feature : Optional field to capture the “Safety Alert” Information.
  1. Client page (all cases types): Rename and redefine the ‘Sex’ field as ’Gender’
  1. The replacement of the ‘How well speaks English’ field with ‘Proficiency in spoken English’.
  1. The capture of the client’s partner’s preferred language.
  1. The removal of the four ‘Ancestry’ fields and replacement with country of birth of mother, and country of birth of father.

There will also be some changes of a ‘technical’ nature:

  • FIX- Case notes printing issue.

Future IRIS upgrades – October 2017 and January 2018.

The department is undertaking a major outcomes project. As part of this IRIS will be updated to collect outcomes measures for Family Services cases. The outcomes measures, and how they will be captured in IRIS, are in the early stages of development and not scheduled to begin to appear in IRIS until January 2018.

In the meantime more basic improvements to the Family Services IRIS case are planned for an October release. These are linked to both the outcomes project and to recommendations previously made by the Auditor General with regard to family services data collections.

The October release is expected to include:

  • Collection of basic information on the disability and LGBTI status of Family Services clients, children and partners.
  • An "at a glance" profile of a Client's familyvisible in IRIS, with prominence given to a Client's child(ren) and partner(s), particularly those living with the Client.
  • Additional non-substantive case information capture: known family details including number of children in the family, age range(s) of child(ren), the family's ATSI status if known, and brief information on the callers concern.

IRIS Helpdesk: 03 9096 6919

Email (Help desk) (Data export)

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© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human ServicesJuly 2016

IRIS newsletter 531