Appendix 3 Methodology Date of death reporting for the register For the purpose of this report, the Committee has determined it will recognise the actual date of death of each child or young person in the ACT, rather than the registered date of death. This will provide an actual number of child and young person deaths for the reported five-year period and allow for a more accurate reflection of what was occurring at the time of the child or young person’s death, namely the circumstances, risk factors, relevant agencies’ policies and practices, and the political environment at that time. The time between the actual date of death and the registered date of death may be significant and, in that time, there may have been changes in the aforementioned circumstances. However, there may need to be adjustments if additional deaths of children and young people are registered at a later time. As the Committee is using the actual date of death rather than the registered date of death, there may be discrepancies between the information in this report and the information reported by the ACT BDM and other Australian jurisdictions. Less than five total deaths When a particular cohort of children and young people has fewer than five total deaths, the exact number of deaths will not be reported. This will ensure that the Committee complies with section 727S(3) of the Act and does not disclose the identity of a child or young person who has died or allow the identity of a child or young person who has died to be worked out. The number of deaths will be reported as , which means the number of children and young people who died is less than five but greater than zero. When a cause of death has fewer than five deaths, this report will not provide more detailed information about this cohort. This is not only to ensure the Committee’s compliance with section 727S(3) of the Act, but to ensure the child, young person and family’s right to privacy is maintained. Population estimates and rates The population estimates of the ACT and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are taken from the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) release of estimated resident populations, which provides the estimated resident population as at 30 June 2014 and a projected resident population at 30 June 2016. Rates are calculated using child death data contained in the register and both ABS estimated (2009 to 2014) and projected (2016) statistics of the ACT population. These rates are calculated per 10 000 children and young people by dividing the total number of deaths by the total population in each age group.
Appendix 3 Methodology Date of death reporting for the register For the purpose of this report, the Committee has determined it will recognise the actual date of death of each child or young person in the ACT, rather than the registered date of death. This will provide an actual number of child and young person deaths for the reported five-year period and allow for a more accurate reflection of what was occurring at the time of the child or young person’s death, namely the circumstances, risk factors, relevant agencies’ policies and practices, and the political environment at that time. The time between the actual date of death and the registered date of death may be significant and, in that time, there may have been changes in the aforementioned circumstances. However, there may need to be adjustments if additional deaths of children and young people are registered at a later time. As the Committee is using the actual date of death rather than the registered date of death, there may be discrepancies between the information in this report and the information reported by the ACT BDM and other Australian jurisdictions. Less than five total deaths When a particular cohort of children and young people has fewer than five total deaths, the exact number of deaths will not be reported. This will ensure that the Committee complies with section 727S(3) of the Act and does not disclose the identity of a child or young person who has died or allow the identity of a child or young person who has died to be worked out. The number of deaths will be reported as , which means the number of children and young people who died is less than five but greater than zero. When a cause of death has fewer than five deaths, this report will not provide more detailed information about this cohort. This is not only to ensure the Committee’s compliance with section 727S(3) of the Act, but to ensure the child, young person and family’s right to privacy is maintained. Population estimates and rates The population estimates of the ACT and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are taken from the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) release of estimated resident populations, which provides the estimated resident population as at 30 June 2014 and a projected resident population at 30 June 2016. Rates are calculated using child death data contained in the register and both ABS estimated (2009 to 2014) and projected (2016) statistics of the ACT population. These rates are calculated per 10 000 children and young people by dividing the total number of deaths by the total population in each age group.
FINAL-ACT-CYPDRC-Annual-Report-2016.docx