Census Reports
PDF files which open in 2nd windows:
- Highlights (14 pages, 112KB): a quick reference to some of the main census questions
- Summary Report (24 pages, 269KB)
- Health and AOD Highlights
- NESB & ATSI Highlights
Census questionaire form
- NSW Youth Services Census form (20 pages, PDF opens in 2nd window)
Enquiries
Nick Manning by email or phone extension 4, (02) 9319 1100 or 1800 627 323.
What is the census?
The first and only census so far was held in 2002. At the time YAPA hoped to repeat it every 2 years, but to date we have not been successful in gaining funding to hold another census.
Painting a picture…
There are hundreds of non-government non-residential youth services in NSW, funded by various government departments and local councils. Until now, no single set of comprehensive data about these services existed. Nobody knew basic things like how many young people these services worked with or how many youth workers worked in them.
Now YAPA has filled this gap by holding the first NSW census of youth projects and services.
The census reports on 770 youth projects, funded by 14 funding programs from 9 state and federal departments and over 80 local councils. The census results will help with:
1. putting youth services and the youth sector on the map
2. identifying the needs and issues affecting the NSW youth sector
3. advocating for government policy change
4. identifying the need for funding
5. setting priorities for YAPA.
About the Census (information provided to projects at the time of the census)
Just what is this Census?
The NSW Government has funded YAPA to conduct a census of 800 youth projects and services in NSW. This is the first census of NSW youth services. The Census will identify the needs and issues for youth services. It will help us to "paint a picture" of current youth work in NSW. Completing the Census will help with:
- Putting youth services and the youth sector on the map
- Finding out the needs and issues affecting the NSW youth sector
- Arguing for government policy change
- Arguing for funding
- Setting priorities for YAPA.
Why is the Census important?
We do not have enough facts and figures about youth services to argue the best possible case for youth policy change, government funding or priorities in the youth sector. This NSW Youth Services Census is an "evidence-based" approach to finding out the needs and issues affecting the NSW youth sector. Youth organisations and interagencies will be able to argue for funding and other priorities based on facts about the current state of play in the youth sector.
The Census will also assist YAPA, complementing YAPA's existing needs analysis strategies and assist us to gain a comprehensive picture of the sector as a whole. It will help identify gaps in service infrastructure, investigate "hot" issues and allow services to give direct input into the yearly priorities for YAPA. (YAPA is the peak community organisation for young people and youth services in NSW.)
Is it confidential?
Yes - it is completely confidential. YAPA has hired a professional consultant, Paul Bullen to analyse the data. The consultant will collate all the census forms. Only the consultant will see your form. Nobody else - not your funding body, YAPA staff or anyone else - will see your project's information. The consultant's report will include totals and averages - no details that could identify individual projects.
Which projects and organisations should do the census?
All projects funded by the following government grants are part of the census:
- Local council-funded youth workers and projects
- CSGP General Youth Project - Community Services Grants Program (DoCS)
- CSGP Adolescent Family Counsellors/ Adolescent Support Program - Community Services Grants Program (DoCS)
- AAS - Area Assistance Scheme - youth projects only (Planning NSW)
- Links to Learning (DET)
- Reconnect (FaCS)
- YAS - Youth Activity Service, and FLW - Family Liaison Workers (FaCS)
- SFC - Stronger Families and Communities (FaCS)
- JPET - Job Placement, Employment & Training
- RYIS - Rural Youth Information Services
- National Illicit Drugs Strategy - Community Partnerships Initiative (DHA)
- CSSS - Community Settlement Services - youth projects only (DIMIA)
- PCYC - Police & Community Youth Clubs
- Post Release Support Projects - Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)
- Crime Prevention - Aboriginal Youth Grants, Aboriginal Community Patrols, Safer Communities Development Fund, Council crime prevention plans (NSW Attorney General’s)
Do the census even if you don’t work with young people directly. Youth development workers, Council youth workers, researchers, resource developers and campaigners are all included in the Census (if funded from one of the grants listed above).
If your organisation has several youth projects, use a separate census form for each project. For the purposes of this Census a project is one or more workers funded by one funding program to do the same thing; or a worker(s) funded by more than one funding program but to do similar things.
If you have some youth clients and some children (under 12) or adults (over 25):
- If most of your clients are aged 12-25 years: Answer the census questions for all your clients.
- If most of your clients are aged under 12 or over 25 years: Don't do the census. Please contact YAPA so we don't send you reminders.
- If you have a significant number of clients aged 12-25 AND a significant number aged under 12 or over 25: Please contact YAPA for guidance about how to fill in the census.
Which projects and organisations are not in the census?
A few projects funded by one of the grants listed above should not do the census:
- if most of your clients are under 12 years or over 25 years old.
- if the project is over and the worker has finished work before Census Week 19-25 October 2002.
- if the grant from the source listed above did not fund a worker (eg. small grants for equipment or events only).
Projects funded by the following types of grants are not part of the census:
- SAAP (accommodation)
- residential care
- disability
- legal (eg. Community Legal Centres Funding Program)
- arts
- NSW Health (eg. youth health services).
A number of other youth-related workers and projects are not included in the census, because of the large number of these groups and difficulty contacting them all:
- youth workers funded by a charity or foundation or by the corporate sector
- projects that work mainly with younger children under 12 or adults over 25
- unfunded/volunteer youth groups, activist groups and youth councils.
However the final report will acknowledge the role these services perform in supporting young people.
Getting and filling in the census form
Because it is the first census we need to ask a lot of basic questions about projects and the services they provide. When the census is done gain in a couple of years’ time it will be able to be shorter than this first one. So thanks for being patient with the length of the first census.
- Most questions ask you to tick the most appropriate circle (eg Yes / No)
- Some questions ask you to rank items (eg, ...... your training needs)
- Some questions asked you to write in numbers (eg ...... how many staff).
"Census Week"19 - 25 October: what does this mean?
Some questions ask about your staffing, activities and clients in Census week. It is important for the accuracy of the census results that all projects answer these questions about the same week. So please read those questions now (questions 39-53) so that you are prepared.
If you can't answer about Census Week for whatever reason, please use one of the substitute census weeks:
9-15 November, or
30 November - 6 December.
Statistics
What if Census Week isn’t a typical week at your project? If Census Week is not a typical week for your project, for example because:
- a position is vacant
- a worker is on annual leave
- the project is temporarily closed
- the client numbers or staffing are lower or higher than usual
that's OK - record the actual numbers for Census Week (even if they are zero).
Across all projects in NSW these ups and downs will even out. Answer all the other questions you can. It is important for the accuracy of the results that all projects return the Census.
You will have the chance to say how typical or not typical Census week was.
If you don’t have exact figures about clients, staff or volunteers: If you cannot calculate exact numbers of clients or workers or get information about their backgrounds, then please make the best estimate you can. Your best estimate is much better than no data at all.
Who is the independent researcher?
Paul Bullen has experience with many community organisations and has helped the Local Community Services Association carry out a similar Census of neighbourhood centres for the past few years. More information about Paul Bullen’s consultancy, Management Alternatives is at his website www.mapl.com.au.
