Government departments and agencies
NSW Department of Corrective Services | NSW Department of Community Services
Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
NSW Health | NSW Department of Housing | NSW Department of Education and Training
NSW Department of Corrective Services
The Department of Corrective Service’s mission is to protect the community by managing inmates in an environment which is safe, secure, fair and humane and in a manner which encourages inmates' personal development through the use of correctional programs and their own efforts.
The Department oversees:
- 26 correctional centres - 7 maximum, 8 medium and 11 minimum security facilities
- 11 periodic detention centres
- 1 transitional centre for female inmates
- 69 probation and parole offices
- The management of approximately 7,300 offenders in full time custody, including approximately 450 women
- The management of approximately 1,300 offenders, both men and women, in periodic detention centres in weekend and mid-week programs
- The supervision of more than 17,000 offenders in the community on parole, probation or serving community service orders.
| Probation and parole
The Probation and Parole Service is an arm of the criminal justice system with its core business divided into two areas - provision of advice to the courts and releasing authorities and the management of offenders within the community.
The mission of the service is to reduce the impact of crime on the community by effectively managing offenders and by decisively influencing sentencing and releasing decisions.
The Service is a division of the Department of Corrective Services, providing community-based offender programs from sixty-nine locations across New South Wales. Probation and Parole Officers fulfil an important role within the criminal justice system by supervising, managing and providing assistance to offenders on conditional liberty.
They also provide comprehensive information and advice to support judicial and other bodies in making sentencing and releasing decisions and are responsible for taking action against offenders in situations of non-compliance. Staff work in both institutions and within the community.
The major programs administered by Probation and Parole are:
- Court advice and Pre-Sentence Reports
- Pre-Release Reports
- Probation Supervision
- Parole Supervision
- Community Service Orders
- Fine Default Community Service Orders
- Home Detention
- Attendance Centre Orders
- Probation and Parole Office Locations
- Metropolitan Probation and Parole offices
- Regional Probation and Parole offices
In some areas Probation and Parole operates education programs for perpetrators of domestic violence. |
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NSW Department of Community Services
The Department of Community Services (DoCS) assists people most in need in New South Wales – children, young people and vulnerable families from diverse metropolitan, rural and remote communities. This assistance is provided by direct service provision, planning, funding and regulating a wide range of agencies within the human services system.
DoCS has a mandate to intervene in domestic violence situations under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 NSW.
DoCS Business
DoCS is the government agency empowered to protect the best interests of children and young people by providing quality services that secure their safety and well-being. These services cross the spectrum from assessment where a child or young person is at risk of harm to intervention where a child or young person is in need of care and protection. In some matters, DoCS places a child or young person in out-of-home care (with family members where possible) to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
DoCS provides or funds services for people (primarily women, children and young people) affected by domestic violence. DoCS is also a key partner in the NSW Strategy to Reduce Violence against Women. This strategy aims to improve the coordination and quality of service delivery through an integrated approach. The strategy employs 17 regional violence prevention specialists in NSW who work to improve links within and between government and NGO agencies, facilitate community education programs and develop projects to reduce violence against women. DoCS hosts 5 regional violence prevention specialists.
DoCS Services
Over 900 caseworkers work in more than 80 service outlets (called Community Service Centres) to work face to face with vulnerable children, young people and families in NSW. An additional 875 caseworkers will be employed to perform this work over the next 5 years (from 2003 to 2008).
DoCS operates the Helpline, a 24 hr, 7 days per week telephone service that receives reports about children and young people at risk of harm and performs an initial assessment. The Helpline may refer reports to the local DoCS CSC for further assessment and/or other action as needed. The Helpline also provides information to the public about DoCS role and functions and may respond to requests for assistance from children, young people and parents by referring to other services and agencies in NSW. Approximately 25 % of "child at risk" cases reported to DoCS involve domestic violence.
DoCS operates the Domestic Violence Line, (24 hours) 1800 656 463 (tollfree), a 24 hour, 7 days per week specialist telephone information and referral service for people (primarily women and young people) affected by domestic violence. The all-female staff understand domestic violence issues, and can provide crisis counselling, support and advocacy for callers. The DV Line has an extensive database and can refer callers to counsellors, support groups and refuges across NSW. All staff are experienced and skilled in using interpreters.
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DoCS is committed to supporting and strengthening families and communities within NSW and funds more than three and half thousand non-government organisations (NGOs) for this purpose. In 2003, DoCS received a significant increase in funding to further strengthen the wider child protection service system. The funding will enhance some existing prevention and early intervention services and provide an increased number and variety of support services in regions of high need. The development of these services will commence from 2004 and provide support to families at risk of entering the child protection system and families that through the provision of support services can be diverted from the statutory child protection system. Currently, DoCS funds:
- Over 80 accommodation and/or support agencies for women at risk from domestic violence through the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program. (SAAP).
- Approximately 500 youth services funded under either the SAAP program or the Community Services Grants Program (CSGP).
- Almost 300 family and individual support services under the CSGP.
- Just under 40 child protection services under the CSGP
- 70 SAAP services providing assistance to families
DoCS and the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction
The Director-General of DoCS is the Central Authority for the State of New South Wales in all matters relating to the Hague Convention.
The Hague Convention outlines principles and processes for the regulation of civil matters (primarily issues arising in Family Law) where a child has been abducted from one country and taken to another. The Hague Convention only applies to countries that are signatories to the Convention.
A defence to abducting a child may be argued by a parent on the basis that returning the child to their habitual place of residence may place the child at “grave risk of physical or psychological harm” (the grave risk defence). Exposure to domestic violence is frequently argued for this defence.
In Australia, the grave risk defence is very difficult to establish, as courts tend to view domestic violence as a matter for the court and child protection authority in the country of the child's habitual residence. There have been some cases in NSW and Victoria where the Family Court has found that severe domestic violence does amount to grave risk under the Regulations. In these cases, the Court has not ordered the return of the child.
If the court takes the view that despite the domestic violence, the child should return to the country of his or her habitual residence, DoCS will try to ensure that the overseas child protection authorities are alerted to the child's return. This is done as part of DoCS' obligations under the Convention to ensure the welfare of the returning child and parent.
Similarly, when children have been abducted from Australia to another country and a return is ordered by the overseas court, the Helpline is alerted to the child’s return if there is a concern that the child will be exposed to domestic violence."
For further information contact DoCS Legal Services: 9716 2307 |
Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
The Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs mission is:
Australia, enriched through the entry and settlement of people, valuing its citizenship and appreciating its cultural diversity and recognising the special place of the Indigenous people as its original inhabitants.
The Department is working to achieve three outcomes:
- Contributing to Australia's society and its economic advancement through the lawful and orderly entry and stay of people
- A society which values Australian citizenship, appreciates cultural diversity, and enables migrants to participate equitably
- Sound and well coordinated policies, programs and decision-making processes in relation to Indigenous affairs and reconciliation
The services provided by the Department overseas and in Australia include:
- Visa services for migrants, temporary entrants (eg. skilled workers), business visitors, students and tourists, including identifying those entitled to lawful entry into Australia
- Processing people moving into and out of Australia through Australian air and sea ports
- Assessing the character, health and bona fides of applicants for entry into Australia
- Identifying those entitled to the protection of Australia on humanitarian or other grounds and helping Australia fulfil its international obligations towards refugees and other humanitarian needs
- Locating, detaining and removing unlawful non-citizens
- Identifying and reducing people smuggling and other immigration malpractice and fraud
- Increasing the ability of migrants to participate in Australian life, through settlement programs, including English language tuition and translating and interpreting services
- Administering the Australian Citizenship Act 1948, and contributing to maintaining and further enhancing appreciation of Australia's cultural diversity within a framework of national unity.
| Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
The Office is an agency within the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs established to provide high level advice to the Minister.
The Office assists the Minister with Parliamentary duties, develops and evaluates policy and promotes better outcomes from government programs for Indigenous people.
It works closely with other Commonwealth agencies responsible for Indigenous affairs, notably the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
The Office's small multi-disciplinary team provides advice on major and emerging issues in relation to Indigenous reconciliation, the social and economic position of Indigenous people in Australia, land and resource matters, litigation involving the Commonwealth, and international Indigenous matters.
DIMIA and domestic violence
The Department has guidelines for allowing people applying for permanent residence in Australia on the basis of a spouse (including a de facto (common law) spouse) or interdependent relationship to remain eligible for permanent residence after the breakdown of their relationship, if they or a member of their family unit have experienced domestic violence.
See Part 4 Section B for details.
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NSW Health
The Role of NSW Health
NSW Health operates within the framework of NSW Government policy on domestic violence. Responses must be consistent with current NSW Government policies including the NSW Charter of Victims Rights (Victims Rights Act 1996) and the legislative requirements of other statutory agencies such as the NSW Police, the NSW Department of Community Services and the NSW Attorney General's Department.
The role of the NSW Health Department is to:
- identify resources needed to ensure a consistent high quality response to victims of domestic violence across all services
- promote strategies targeting prevention as well as identification of families at risk, and early identification
- ensure effective collaboration between health service providers, as well as with government and non-government agencies to address the needs of all victims and their children
- ensure that services are provided in a manner that is linguistically and culturally appropriate.
The Role of Area Health Services
Area Health Services must ensure that responses to individuals at risk of, or having experienced domestic violence are provided in a range of settings, including Community Health services and hospitals, as there is no specialist service stream for victims of domestic violence.
The role of Area Health Services is to:
- plan and resource local health services to meet local needs.
- provide responses including prevention, risk identification, early intervention, crisis intervention, treatment and follow-up counselling.
- establish an ongoing training strategy to ensure that health workers receive up-to-date information about domestic violence that is relevant to their position.
- implement routine screening to targeted programs to prevent and intervene early where violence is identified
- ensure that crisis and non-crisis intervention, medical treatment, appropriate counselling, information and referral services are provided to victims and non-offending family members
- ensure that responses to clients who are identified as perpetrators of domestic violence comply with NSW Health and NSW Government policy
- encourage intragency and interagency collaboration in projects, committees, and initiatives at the local level.
| NSW Aboriginal Family Health Strategy
The NSW Aboriginal Family Health Strategy is a key strategy for NSW Health and Aboriginal communities. It has been designed to:
- Address the most urgent issues relating to the occurrence of family violence and sexual assault in Aboriginal communities;
- Provide a framework for immediate government action aimed at dealing with these issues, including the provision and location of government funded services, and the strategic development of Aboriginal community controlled responses to the incidence of family violence and sexual assault; and
- Work within the context of Aboriginal Health as one in which self-determination is paramount and health is defined as "not just the physical well-being of the individual but the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community".
The NSW Aboriginal Family Health Strategy represents the commitment by Aboriginal communities, by the Aboriginal Health Resource Co-operative and the NSW Department of Health to an holistic and culturally appropriate approach to the reduction of family violence and sexual assault in Aboriginal communities.
Further details are available on the Internet.
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NSW Department of Housing
Purpose
The New South Wales Department of Housing works in partnership with the community to supply and sustain safe, decent and affordable housing for people on low incomes, and enables people in need to create environments where they live with dignity, find support and make sustainable futures.
People with housing needs
Most people buy or rent homes through the private market.
Circumstances –such as low income, unemployment, ill health, crisis, age, mental or physical disability –put such housing out of the reach of many people in our society.
Often these people also have special needs, arising from their health, age, disadvantage or other circumstances, that require support.
The work of the Department of Housing enhances the lives of people in housing need. | Roles and services
The Department’s main roles are:
- Providing subsidised rental accommodation in the public and community housing sectors for people in need
- Funding and supporting non- profit organisations to provide community housin
- Linking people living in public and community housing to support services, community life and educational opportunities
- Providing targeted home purchase and private rental assistance to low income earners
- Working with non-profit organisations, other government agencies and the private sector to foster a supply of affordable housing matched to local community and individual need
- Helping homeless people and others in urgent need to find emergency accommodation
- Helping smooth their way into stable and sustainable homes
- Helping tenants in public and community housing participate in community activities and decision making
- Shaping housing policy to ensure the availability of affordable housing for low income earners, and supporting government decision-making on housing issues.
Housing and domestic violence
The NSW Housing Department has a policy of giving priority to victims of domestic violence.
See Part 4 Section A for details. |
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NSW Department of Education and Training
The responsibilities of the Department of Education and Training in relation to domestic violence are:
- Protecting the children and young people from risk of harm while they are in the Department's care
- Informing students, including apprentices and trainees, of their rights to be protected from abuse and of avenues for support if they have concerns about abuse. It will also provide child protection education to children and young people in schools and teach protective strategies to children in pre-school and child care centres
- Ensuring all relevant staff are aware of their obligations to report suspected risk of harm, procedures for reporting and procedures for implementing agreed care and support plans
- Ensuring all relevant staff are aware of the indicators of child abuse and neglect
- Providing training and development for staff in professional standards related to relationships with students, trainees or apprentices and in the recognition and reporting of suspected risk of harm, implementing relevant curriculum and support strategies for students and implementing the Department's child protection policy and procedures
- Exchanging relevant information to progress investigations, assessments and case management as permitted by law
- Working with other agencies within agreed, coordinated procedures for the care and protection of children and young people in ways that strengthen and support the family
- Using best endeavours in responding to requests for assistance from the Department of Community Services provided the request is consistent with departmental responsibilities and policies
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