Examples of using the toolkit

Introduction to the examples

Below are 4 examples of how you could use the information in this toolkit. They show how some of the community-level data in the toolkit can be used together. They are useful for considering some initial analysis you could do with this data. 

The examples help understand how some data relate to each other. However, they do not show how one factor is causing an outcome. This is because data sources often relate to different groups of people.

Example one: Childcare services

You may want to see how many children in your community (SA3 in this case) are attending childcare services. You can investigate if there is any relationship between these figures and the proportion of children that experience developmental difficulties. 

In this case, you could consider these data sources:

1. Use ABS Regional population by age and sex release(Opens in a new tab/window) to understand the number of children aged 0-4 in your SA3 in 2023. 
2. Use the Department of Education’s data on childcare services(Opens in a new tab/window) to find the number of children in your SA3 that uses childcare services. 
3. Use the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)(Opens in a new tab/window) to see how many children are developmentally vulnerable in your SA3. The AEDC defines developmentally vulnerable in terms of 5 domains: communication, language, emotional, health and social.
4. Test your data analysis by using qualitative data, such as by talking to families in the community. Other sources of quantitative data (see for example useful data sources) can add to your analysis.

Example 2: Employment and migration

You may want to see how many people in your community (SA2 in this case) are unemployed and receiving an unemployment social services payment. You can also combine this with migration patterns in your community. This may help you understand if people are leaving your community for better opportunities elsewhere. 

In this case, you could consider these data sources:

1. use the number of unemployed persons available via Jobs and Skills Australia(Opens in a new tab/window) and link this information to the number of Jobseeker payment recipients(Opens in a new tab/window) available on the DSS website.
2. use ABS Regional Population release(Opens in a new tab/window) to identify net internal migration in the community.
3. test any data implications by using qualitative data, such as consulting with families in the community, and other sources of quantitative data (see for example useful data sources).

Example 3: First Nations and health services 

You may want to understand how health services support First Nations people in your community (IARE in this case). 

In this case, you could consider these data sources:

1. Use AIHW’s Health checks data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people(Opens in a new tab/window) to compare this number with the ABS Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians figure. 
2. Use Indigenous Relative Socioeconomic Outcomes(Opens in a new tab/window) published by CAEPR to provide an indicator of socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage in the community. 
3. Use the ABS Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians(Opens in a new tab/window) release to locate the number of First Nations people in your community. In this case, you can use the Indigenous Areas (IAREs) geographic level. This release is better for population counts than the Census, which can underestimate First Nations populations. However, the Census is important to use when you want to compare with other Census variables. 
4. Use qualitative data sources including relevant oral histories, maps and artifacts to help support a community to tell the story they want to tell. Other sources of quantitative data (see for example useful data sources) can add to your analysis.

Example 4: Homelessness and construction  

You may want to understand how the prevalence of homeless clients in your community (SA2 in this case) links to the level of existing and upcoming supply of homes. To do this, you could investigate the historical relationship between housing supply and the impact on homelessness in their community. 

You could consider these data sources:

1. Use data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare(Opens in a new tab/window) or from the ABS Census(Opens in a new tab/window) to observe how homelessness client data in your community has changed over time. 
2. Use the ABS Estimated Dwelling Stock(Opens in a new tab/window) to assess the connection, if any, of homelessness clients to historical construction activity in your SA2.
3. Use ABS Building Approvals(Opens in a new tab/window) to consider the pipeline of new construction in your SA2.
4. Test any data implications by using qualitative data, such as consulting with families in the community, and other sources of quantitative data (see for example useful data sources).