The Family Domestic and Sexual Violence Integrated Data System (FDSV IDS)

What is the FDSV IDS?

The Australian Government Department of Social Services has funded the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to develop and test arrangements for a new FDSV IDS. The first version of the FDSV IDS aims to link administrative data from a range of sources where there is evidence of family, domestic or sexual violence (FDSV), to create a series of FDSV cohorts or ‘flags’ for use in analysis of linked data. 

The first version of the FDSV IDS includes anonymised person level data from community and health services. Specifically, it includes data from the Specialist Homelessness Services Collection (SHSC), Data Over Multiple Individual Occurrences (DOMINO), Hospital Admitted Patient Care, the National Death Index, and Australian Government funded programs delivered by community service organisations, such as Specialised Family Violence Services and Escaping Violence Payment data (as reported in the Australian Government Department of Social Services Data Exchange, known as DEX).

Why is it important?

The FDSV IDS will enhance the evidence base for people using and experiencing family domestic and sexual violence, through the creation of a larger FDSV cohort/s than has been previously available for analysis.

The long-term vision is that the FDSV IDS will:

• enable a set of FDSV flags for use in approved projects using the National Health Data Hub (NHDH) and other linkage systems, to facilitate research into risk factors and outcomes for people who have experienced FDSV
• enhance and expand the FDSV cohort/s over time
• be available to researchers and policy analysts for approved projects
• include information for both victim-survivors, and perpetrators of family, domestic and sexual violence.

Who has been consulted?

During the scoping phase, there were 3 consultation workshops, which included:

• Commonwealth and state and territory government agencies
• academic bodies and researchers
• peak bodies and advocacy groups.

During the development phase, the following additional consultations have occurred with:

• The data custodians for:
  • DOMINO (Income support-crisis payment data)
  • DEX (Government funded services relating to FDSV)
  • SHSC
  • NHDH (covering hospitals and deaths).
• People with lived expertise of FDSV.

What has been achieved so far?

In December 2024, ethics approval for this project was granted by the AIHW Ethics Committee and in mid-2025 the project was approved by the NHDH Advisory Committee.

Subsequently, all data sets in the FDSV IDS were linked to the NHDH. For more information about the NHDH, including the datasets and access arrangements, see the National Health Data Hub. 

The FDSV flags are currently being developed and tested by AIHW within a secure environment available to AIHW project analysts only.

Preliminary counts

As at October 2025, the FDSV IDS represents 760,000 individuals. This number is expected to change with the release of additional hospitals data towards the end of 2025. Of the 760,000 people, 72% are female and 28% are male.

What are the next steps?

Following the above development and testing phase, consultation to determine the feasibility and utility of an ongoing FDSV IDS will occur with groups including, but not limited to:

• data custodians
• people with lived expertise
• policy experts, academics and researchers.

A recommendations report will then be provided to Government outlining how to establish the FDSV IDS on an enduring basis, including governance arrangements to support appropriate access and use for approved data linkage projects.

In addition, a proof-of-concept report will be published on the AIHW website, demonstrating the use of the FDSV IDS within the NHDH to analyse health service interactions.

Where can I get more information?

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].