Annual Report 2021/2022

To:

Hon Nat Cook MP
Minister for Human Services

Hon Katrine Hildyard MP
Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence

This annual report will be presented to Parliament to meet the statutory reporting requirements of the Public Sector Act 2009, Public Sector Regulations 2010, Carers Recognition Act 2005, Disability Inclusion Act 2018, Gaming Machines Act 1992, Julia Farr Services (Trusts) Act 2007, Youth Justice Administration Act 2016, and the requirements of Premier and Cabinet Circular PC013 Annual Reporting Requirements.

This report is verified to be accurate for the purposes of annual reporting to the Parliament of South Australia.

Submitted on behalf of the Department of Human Services by:

Lois Boswell
Chief Executive

Date: 30 September 2022

I am pleased to present the annual report of the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the year ending 30 June 2022. This annual report provides a comprehensive summary of the performance and achievements of DHS, including the financial performance of the department, for the 2021–22 financial year.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the non-government sector for the assistance they have provided to the department during another challenging year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the past year, we have continued to respond to the pandemic through the administration of the State Based Paid Pandemic Leave Payment and supported the roll out of vaccines to people with disability and the broader community. The department and key partners have also worked collaboratively to support the disability services sector through training and guidance on managing workforce issues and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people with disability.

To safeguard our clients and staff, as well as those in non-government supported independent living, in the past year the department prioritised procurement and provision of rapid antigen test (RAT) kits. In partnership with the SA Housing Authority, we also distributed free RAT kits to our funded non-government organisations that provide direct frontline services to vulnerable cohorts for surveillance testing of staff.

In March 2021, the Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce was established to deliver a culturally responsive, human-centred strategy to improve outcomes for remote Aboriginal visitors to Adelaide. The multi-agency government response had representation of senior officials from across the State Government, along with the City of Adelaide, City of Port Adelaide Enfield and the National Indigenous Australian Agency. A range of strategies were developed by the Taskforce, including the establishment of Puti on Kaurna Yerta (meaning ‘Bush on Kaurna Land’), a multi-agency, time limited integrated service hub supported by Aboriginal leaders in the Adelaide CBD.

Puti on Kaurna Yerta operated in the southern Adelaide Park Lands from 25 October 2021 to 15 December 2021, engaging with remote visitors and connecting them with services to enable them to return to country or find safe respite or longer-term accommodation. Following the closure of Puti on Kaurna Yerta, intensive multi-agency individualised case planning services are continuing, along with coordinated efforts to return people to country and the development of more culturally appropriate and assertive outreach services for the park lands.

In conjunction with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, we have successfully implemented a model for the delivery of Aboriginal interpreting services to meet the needs of Aboriginal communities and government services. Commencing in December 2021, the Aboriginal Language Interpreting Service supports Aboriginal people experiencing community and/or cultural barriers when accessing services in South Australia. Operating as part of the DHS Interpreting and Translating Centre, the service offers Aboriginal language interpreting face-to-face in the Adelaide metropolitan area and Port Augusta, and by phone across South Australia.

To ensure that South Australia meets nationally agreed principles, the legislation for the South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation scheme commenced on 30 May 2022. Under the scheme, National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers must obtain authorisation for the use of regulated restrictive practices when delivering supports for NDIS participants.

A Restrictive Practices Unit, led by the Senior Authorising Officer, was established within the department to authorise regulated restrictive practices, promote the reduction of restrictive practices within the disability sector, and provide education and training relating to the use of restrictive practices. The scheme reflects the 2019 nationally agreed draft principles for restrictive practice authorisation and supports South Australia’s implementation of the 2014 National Framework for Reducing and Eliminating the Use of Restrictive Practices in the Disability Service Sector.

We have continued to lead the reform of the Child and Family Support System (CFSS) and reform DHS Disability Services to operate in line with the NDIS. In the past year, the department commenced procurement planning to recommission the current Family and Community Support Program - Family Support and Early Intervention, in line with the reform of the CFSS, and developed data collection infrastructure to enable a better understanding of the needs of families and service outcomes. In November 2021, DHS Disability Services successfully passed its first registration audit by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and is now registered to provide community nursing, transport and community participation.

In April 2022, I had the pleasure of launching our new Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan: April 2022 – March 2024. The Reconciliation Action Plan reflects our vision for reconciliation to be a core organisational value that guides our strategies, programs and services. It also demonstrates our commitment towards increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment across our department, co-designing a DHS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Strategy, and developing and implementing an Anti-racism Policy for our department.

Other highlights of the past 12 months include:

• Providing support through the Interpreting and Translating Centre to Afghanistan arrivals who fled danger in Kabul to relocate to South Australia in August 2021.
• Commencing the construction of an expansion of the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre, which will better support the needs of young people in custody by establishing the necessary infrastructure to provide access to better amenities, facilities and programs.
• Launching the new Statewide Perpetrator Response to provide specialist support and referral to perpetrators of domestic and family violence, their friends and family, and frontline workers.
• Expanding the Transition to Home (T2H) program with the establishment of a Southern Adelaide T2H program at the Repatriation Health Precinct, to support an extra 30 discharge-ready hospital patients with disability requiring transition back to the community.
• Launching the Minimising Gambling Harm in South Australia Investment Plan 2021–2026, which guides government spending of the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund, and the Here for the Game initiative that seeks to disrupt the growing normalisation of gambling in sport.
• Developing a Volunteering Strategy Action Plan 2021–2023 that sets out actions to be undertaken by key stakeholders to achieve priorities of the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021–2027.
• Launching ‘Pavely’, a smartphone app designed to assist South Australians with accessibility needs and promote social inclusion.
• Commissioning an independent review into the operation and effectiveness of the South Australian Disability Inclusion Act 2018.

I am proud of the continued work the department has done in delivering a range of services and supports to those in our community who most need it. Our clients, customers, communities, partners and volunteers are at the centre of what we do — and I look forward to more opportunities to make a difference for South Australians.

Finally, I would like to thank all DHS staff, particularly our frontline service workers, for their continued commitment, professionalism and dedication to delivering services that improve the wellbeing and safety of South Australians.

Lois Boswell
Chief Executive
Department of Human Services

Our Purpose

Making a difference so South Australia thrives.

Our Vision

Fairness, opportunity and choice for all South Australians.

Our Values

• Service
• Professionalism
• Trust
• Respect
• Collaboration and Engagement
• Honesty and Integrity
• Courage and Tenacity
• Sustainability.

Our Functions, Objectives and Deliverables

The Department of Human Services (DHS) delivers strategies, programs and services that improve the wellbeing and safety of South Australians. Our focus is on delivering the right services to people who most need them, and this aim shapes the way in which we plan, design and deliver everything we do.

With people at the heart of what we do, the department’s strategic priorities are:

• Increasing inclusion, independence and shared decision-making for all.
• Supporting our communities when it matters most.
• Delivering modern services for our communities.

DHS has lead responsibility on behalf of the South Australian Government in the areas of:

• Concessions
• Disability
• Domestic and family violence
• Early intervention to support children’s wellbeing
• Safety and wellbeing of children
• Screening services
• Youth justice.

DHS delivers a broad range of services and supports to South Australians across all of these areas. The department also leads the development of policy to ensure these services are appropriate, modern and effective in meeting the needs of our clients and customers.

The department provides a wide range of grants to community organisations. It also has lead policy responsibility across a range of important social inclusion areas such as women, youth, LGBTIQA+, Aboriginal practices and partnerships and volunteers.

The biggest key to our success is our people, our dedicated staff and volunteers.

During 2021–22 there were the following changes to the agency’s structure and objectives as a result of internal reviews or machinery of government changes:

• The establishment of the Financial Reform directorate within Finance and Business Services, which is responsible for implementing strategies to successfully transition DHS Disability Services to the NDIS and identifying reform opportunities and delivering business improvements.
• The establishment of the Restrictive Practices Unit within Community Investment and Support, which is responsible for administering the South Australian Restrictive Practices Authorisation scheme that regulates restrictive practices in NDIS services in South Australia.

Hon Nat Cook MP, Minister for Human Services

Minister Cook has responsibility for advancing the inclusion of people with disability, early intervention and support services for children and families, the administration of concessions and rebates, financial resilience programs, provision of statutory youth justice services, screening services, and lead policy responsibility in relation to youth, volunteers and carers.

Hon Katrine Hildyard MP,  Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence

Minister Hildyard has lead responsibility across government and the community to implement strategies to prevent domestic, family and sexual violence. The Minister also oversees policy development to improve women’s economic equality and participation in South Australia.

DHS Executive Leadership Team as at 30 June 2022

Lois Boswell, Chief Executive

The Chief Executive is responsible for the day-to-day management of the department and the conduct of its employees. This includes responsibility for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the department, including its effective contribution to the achievement of whole-of-government objectives.

Ruth Ambler, Executive Director, Community Investment and Support

The Community Investment and Support division is responsible for the following functions to build stronger and more connected communities:

• Concessions and Support Services, which administers a range of concessions and rebates that provide assistance to low income South Australians, and is responsible for the operations of the DHS Interpreting and Translating Centre.
• Community and Social Investments, which delivers funding and programs that support the capacity and wellbeing of communities including Grants SA, Regional Partnerships, Problem Gambling, and Community Connections.
• DHS Screening Unit, which provides screening checks that help protect children and vulnerable adults.

The Restrictive Practices Unit also sits within Community Investment and Support, along with the department’s procurement functions.

Nick Ashley, Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Business Services

The Finance and Business Services division is responsible for budgeting, financial analysis, monitoring and reporting, management accounting, monitoring financial compliance, accounting policy and strategic financial advice. The division is also responsible for the department’s internal audit function and for providing a broad range of corporate support services including asset and building management, security services, fleet and transport management, mail services and records management.

During the past year the Financial Reform directorate was established within the division to support the commercialisation of DHS Disability Services to operate fully under the NDIS.

Sue-Ann Charlton, Executive Director, People and Performance

The People and Performance division provides a broad range of corporate support services to enable the department to deliver its services. The division is made up of:

• HR, Wellbeing and Safety, which has responsibility for our people and ensuring their safety and wellbeing are priorities and they are cared for in the most appropriate way.
• Organisational Development and Learning, which leads DHS in respect of our workforce strategy, training and development needs and improving the end-to-end employee experience.
• Communications and Engagement, which provides services and advice across a range of areas including media management, communications and promotions, digital communications and design, events, and sector and stakeholder engagement.
• Business Improvement and Technology, which provides information, systems and technology support across the department.
• Incident Management Unit, an independent function within the division, which is responsible for the efficient management of incidents involving DHS clients and staff members, including Critical Client Incidents.

Katherine Hawkins, Executive Director, Inclusion and Reform

Inclusion and Reform is the department’s central reform unit, bringing together policy and reform expertise from different directorates and functions within DHS, including the Early Intervention Research Directorate (EIRD), Aboriginal Practice and Partnerships, Social Inclusion and the Reform Hub.

The division is responsible for delivering policy and program reform in partnership with other divisions across the department. This includes the design and implementation of the state’s early intervention approach to children and families at risk of entering child protection. This division is also responsible for state oversight of Disability Access and Inclusion Plans as required under the Disability Inclusion Act 2018, and coordinating the department’s response to Closing the Gap. It is also responsible for strategies to support young South Australians and the LGBTIQA+ community, and for leading the implementation of the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia.

Alex Reid, Executive Director, Community and Family Services

The Community and Family Services division is comprised of:

• Communities and Justice, which is responsible for strategies and funding to support vulnerable people and communities, including people with exceptional needs and targeted Aboriginal populations. The directorate is also responsible for the statutory supervision of young people in contact with the justice system, including the management of the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre.
• Safer Family Services, which is responsible for providing early intervention and targeted intensive support services to children and families at risk of entering the statutory child protection system.
• The Office for Women, which supports the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of life in South Australia and has a strong focus on addressing domestic, family and sexual violence. The Office for Women also provides state-wide information and referral services through the Women’s Information Service.

Joe Young, Executive Director, Disability Services

The Disability Services division is comprised of:

• DHS Disability Services, which provides supported independent living services to people with disability living in community-based group homes and the Northgate Aged Care Service.
• DHS Equipment Program, which funds and arranges equipment and home modifications for South Australians who are not eligible for these services through Commonwealth Government funding options.

Kelly Biggins, Office of the Chief Executive and Governance

The Office of the Chief Executive and Governance provides high quality and responsive support and advice to the Chief Executive and Ministerial Offices. It is responsible for a broad range of functions including corporate governance, Cabinet coordination and Parliamentary business, correspondence and briefings, strategic policy advice to the Chief Executive, Royal Commission responses, risk management and business continuity. The Director also has administrative reporting responsibility for staff in the Office of the Minister for Human Services and the Community Visitor’s Scheme.

• Carers Recognition Act 2005
• Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016
• Children’s Protection Law Reform (Transitional Arrangements and Related Amendments) Act 2017
• Cost of Living Concessions Act 1986
• Disability Inclusion Act 2018
• Disability Services Act 1993
• Julia Farr Services (Trusts) Act 2007
• Not-for-Profit Sector Freedom to Advocate Act 2013
• Supported Residential Facilities Act 1992
• Volunteers Protection Act 2001
• Youth Justice Administration Act 2016

The Human Services portfolio currently provides operational funding to support the disability Community Visitor Scheme (CVS). The CVS is an independent statutory scheme that reports to the Minister for Human Services.

Achievements and outcomes

• Accepting approximately 800 referrals for Intensive Family Services to support our most vulnerable families. $11.9 million commissioned non-government organisations accepting an additional 550 referrals and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations another 200.
• Provision of Intensive Family Services to parents of 3,182 children to support families where there were significant safety concerns for their children.
• Initiated a $1.75 million per annum (over six years) Resilient Families program to deliver a new model of service for families at imminent risk programs under a social impact bond.
• Continuing our work to establish our CFSS Pathways Service, a centralised triage line to provide a single point of entry into Child and Family Support System services. In 2021–22 there were 3,500 referrals to enable families to access home-based support and agency coordination. This helped to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in at-risk families, and provide a diversionary pathway to the Child Abuse Report Line for families.
• Supporting 57 clients of the Transition to Home (T2H) program to discharge from hospital and successfully transition to live in the community in 2021–22, contributing to a reduction in the number of long-stay patients with disability that are discharge ready. DHS Disability Services expanded the T2H total bed capacity from 25 to 55.
• Allocating approximately $171.4 million in household and public transport concessions to approximately 221,000 eligible South Australians.
• Distributing approximately $2.16 million in support grants to 182 projects through Grants SA.
• Distributing $18.9 million in community support through the Community Connections Program. Over 70% of participants made progress towards achieving their goals with program participants experiencing improvements in quality of life, independence, and reported levels of loneliness.
• Recommissioning the redesigned Youth Support and Development Program for up to nine years with a value of $1.9 million per annum. New program outcomes support the establishment of pathways to participation in education, training, employment or volunteering for at risk young people.
• Allocating approximately $1.33 million to a range of programs and initiatives to improve the wellbeing and life opportunities of South Australia’s young people, particularly those experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.
• Distributing approximately $19.6 million through the Family and Community Development Fund to services which advance the welfare of children, youth and vulnerable South Australians.
• Receiving and finalising 205,560 screening applications, with 62% of applications (127,449) finalised by the Screening Unit in one calendar week or less.
• Completing 66,932 interpreting assignments and 1,078 translating assignments through the DHS Interpreting and Translating Centre.
• Allocating $4.871 million to frontline response services in South Australia as Payment 1 of the National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021–23.
• Recording 27,370 contacts with clients of the Women’s Information Service.
• Providing 9,634 equipment items (new and reissued) and 357 home modifications to eligible clients through the DHS Equipment Program.
• Lodgement of 4,336 child safe environments compliance statements with the department representing 27,384 organisations over the life of the program. 626 organisations lodged a new compliance statement, an increase of 21% over the previous financial year.
• Implementing a revised assessment approach across Youth Justice Services, including the introduction of the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire (CAIDS-Q). This seven-item tool screens for possible intellectual disability and aims to support staff to identify children and young people who may require referral for further assessment.
• DHS Exceptional Needs Unit (ENU) expanding the Inclusion Support Program to include adult referrals, and in the Youth and Family team, increasing the focus on family assessment and coordination of supports, leading to more holistic and systemic outcomes for families. In 2021–22, ENU supported 438 individuals, a 52% increase from 2020–21.

As at 30 June 2022:

• There were 468 clients receiving long-term supported independent living services through DHS Disability Services, excluding the Northgate Aged Care Service and T2H clients.
• The Northgate Aged Care Service, which was established as a high-care residential facility specialising in supporting clients with intellectual disability, held 30 Commonwealth Residential Aged Care places, of which 27 were occupied.
• There were 41 active clients in the T2H program, which supports NDIS participants that are in hospital, discharge ready and are at risk of being long-stay patients to transition back into the community.

In 2021–22, a total of 292 individual children and young people were admitted to the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre. During this period, Community Youth Justice also supported 426 young people on community mandates.

The department played a key role in supporting the South Australian community during the COVID-19 pandemic through the administration of the State-Based Paid Pandemic Leave Payment. The $300 payment was available to eligible recipients who were required to self-isolate in accordance with SA Health guidelines while awaiting COVID-19 test results. During 2021–22, $1.02 million was paid to 3,413 recipients, with the state-based scheme closing on 30 June 2022.

DHS also referred workers who were close contacts (or carers of close contacts) to the Commonwealth for the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment. Under this scheme, workers required to undertake a COVID-19 test may be eligible for a payment of up to $750 per seven-day quarantine period. 3,341 applicants were referred to the Commonwealth scheme in 2021–22.

The Commonwealth payment ceased on 30 June 2022, with people only eligible to receive one of the above payments at any time.

A range of other supports were provided including food parcels to insecure households required to isolate due to COVID-19. 1,294 food parcels were provided by DHS in partnership with SA Health and Foodbank SA. The department also established a sourcing, warehouse and distribution site to ensure vulnerable cohorts had access to rapid antigen test (RAT) kits and support the surveillance testing of staff. Over 120 non-government organisations were supported by DHS, with 284,610 RAT kits supplied during the financial year.

A temporary clinic was established at Highgate Park in March 2021, which supported the SA Health vaccination roll-out for workers in disability and aged care environments. In June 2021, the scope of the Highgate Park Vaccination Clinic was expanded to support the wider community in line with SA Health Vaccination Guidelines. Over 15,000 COVID-19 vaccinations were administered by the clinic before closing on 25 March 2022.

The disability services sector was supported through training and the provision of guidance on managing workforce issues to ensure the safety of people with disability. The department also held a training session for providers of Supported Residential Facilities to support COVID-19 workforce planning and ensure the safety of residents. DHS has developed interim guidance for the management of COVID-19 outbreaks to support both Supported Independent Living providers and Supported Residential Facilities.

The Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre continued to be managed as a high-risk facility to better prevent outbreaks and transmission of COVID-19. There was no transmission of COVID-19 to children and young people within Kurlana Tapa during the 2021–22 financial year.

COVID-19 protocols have been implemented in Youth Justice and Disability Services. Personal protection equipment (PPE) and RAT protocols were in place for Youth Justice staff who conduct face-to-face supervision or home visits with children and young people on community-based mandates, and Disability Services support staff who provide care and support to people with disability in their homes.

Protocols have also been implemented in Kurlana Tapa through regular collaboration with the Communicable Disease Control Branch of SA Health.

Safer Family Services implemented COVID-19 protocols for staff, including on the use of PPE and social distancing when conducting home visits. Staff absences due to COVID-19 are being actively managed to ensure that children and families, particularly those with high and very high risk and safety concerns, continue to be supported.

The Puti on Kaurna Yerta COVID Isolation Hub was established to support people who had been relocated to medi-hotels in Adelaide from remote communities, who would be better suited in a more culturally appropriate facility. Staffed by DHS, SA Health, Anangu and Kaurna workers, the Isolation Hub operated from 25 January 2022 to 10 March 2022 in the West Park Lands. In the initial weeks of operation a total of 56 people registered, with 44 completing the ten-day quarantine and 26 people successfully returning to their home community.

Prior to the closure of the Isolation Hub, it was recognised that a significant number of people who had been in medi-hotels had not returned immediately to their home community and remained in Adelaide. The Isolation Hub was repurposed as a Return to Country site and program. This resulted in 197 people travelling back to their community. Approximately 70% of the people who returned had come to Adelaide for a COVID-19 related reason. Following the success of Return to Country from Adelaide, a small team of DHS and SA Health staff established and implemented a similar program in Port Augusta, in partnership with SA Pathology and cultural leaders. A total of 114 people were supported to return home from Port Augusta.

In February 2022, temporary regulations for Working With Children Checks were implemented to increase workforce availability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants, other than those who have committed certain serious offences, were able to work under supervision while their check was being processed.

DHS administers a wide range of concessions and rebates to provide assistance to households on low or fixed incomes who are experiencing cost-of-living pressures. These include the:

• Cost of Living Concession
• Energy Concession
• Medical Heating and Cooling Concession
• Water and Sewerage Concession Scheme
• Residential Parks Concession
• Emergency Services Levy (fixed property) Remission
• Transport Concession Card
• Emergency Electricity Payment Scheme
• Funeral AssistanceSA
• GlassesSA
• Personal AlertSA.

The South Australian Concessions Energy Discount Offer (SACEDO) is an ongoing offer available to energy concession customers. Origin Energy was selected to deliver SACEDO following a procurement process in 2017. As of 1 January 2021, the discount increased to 21%. SACEDO is reviewed annually.

Foodbank SA is a non-profit organisation that supports families and individuals who are experiencing food insecurity. DHS provides funding to Foodbank to support its food distribution activities, the purchase of food, as well as the operation of its Food Hubs in various locations across the state. Over the last three years, 2019–20 to 2021–22, the department will have provided over $1.13 million to Foodbank.

DHS also funds a range of financial assistance programs that are delivered by non-government organisations, which assist South Australians to manage their cost of living expenses and those experiencing financial stress and crisis. These include the:

• Emergency Financial Assistance Program, which funds not-for profit organisations to deliver material assistance including food parcels, transport, chemist vouchers, help with accommodation, payment of bills, budgeting assistance and referral to other services to help address the underlying causes of the crisis.
• Statewide Financial Counselling Services Program, which funds not-for-profit organisations to employ financial counsellors in every State Government region to provide free and confidential financial counselling, including debt advocacy and budget management.
• Utilities Literacy Program (or ConnectED), which is delivered by Uniting Communities to reduce financial hardship associated with utilities-related cost of living pressures.
• Low Income Support Program, which seeks to increase individuals’ and families’ financial resilience, as well as prevent financial crises and consequences of financial crises.

The department leads the reform of the Child and Family Support System, which includes the delivery of Intensive Family Services to families at risk of escalation of child protection involvement. Services include home-based support and agency coordination to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in at-risk families. The reforms include the development of data collection infrastructure to enable a better understanding of the needs of families and service outcomes. In 2021–22, over 3,500 referrals were received for Intensive Family Services.

In March 2021, the department commenced a recruitment drive to hire trainee disability support workers to work in Disability Services. By the end of the 2020–21 financial year, 39 trainee roles had been filled. As at 30 June 2022, this number had increased to 101, with 39 traineeships completed and 43 underway. The remaining 19 trainees have resigned.

Since November 2018, DHS has provided free screening checks for all volunteers to lower costs for organisations and attract people to volunteering. More than 135,000 volunteers have received free screening checks, saving volunteer and community organisations over $8 million in fees.

Our partnerships through policy, programs and services strengthen communities and enable South Australians to actively participate in community life.

Our programs and services are strength-based and ensure South Australians are safe, empowered and connected in their communities.

Our services reflect the changing needs of South Australians and are focused on supporting positive and lasting outcomes.

• The DHS Diversity and Inclusion Survey was undertaken to seek feedback on how we are doing and what more we can do to be an inclusive workplace. Results from the November 2021 survey are being used to help steer the direction of the department’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2020–2023 and inform policies and programs in 2022.
• In December 2021, DHS launched its new strategic plan and corporate branding. The DHS Strategic Plan 2022–24 has three ambitious priorities and 12 priority outcomes, in addition to value-based statements outlining the way in which the department will work to deliver against the Strategy.
• The DHS 'I Work for SA' Action Plan 2022 was launched in December 2021, in response to the results of the 'I Work for SA' - Your Voice Survey conducted by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE) in early 2021. A series of focus groups were undertaken to assist in the development of the Action Plan, which addresses five main action areas to make the necessary improvements to ensure DHS is an even better place to work.
• The department commenced the process to work towards Rainbow Tick accreditation, which is a nationally recognised quality framework that will demonstrate that DHS is a safe, inclusive and affirming service provider and employer. Rainbow Tick accreditation will be progressed from January 2022 to June 2023.
• The new DHS Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan: April 2022–March 2024 was launched in April 2022, demonstrating the department’s commitment to ensuring it takes action on reconciliation and social justice for Aboriginal staff, clients and the community. The DHS Reconciliation Committee is responsible for the implementation of the Reconciliation Action Plan on behalf of the Executive Leadership Team.
• The DHS Aboriginal Cultural Footprint is a continuous learning journey that allows the participant to build their own cultural capability, with the goal of building a workforce that is culturally safe and responsive when delivering services to the Aboriginal community. The Footprint was officially launched with the department’s new Reconciliation Action Plan in April 2022. As at 30 June 2022, 1,076 staff had completed Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training, 134 undertaken the South Australian History Trust - Impact Program, and 103 had completed the Aboriginal Cultural Appreciation Workshop.
• In April 2022, the Social Impact Framework and Assessment Tool was released. Developed by the department in partnership with the community sector, the Framework provides a blueprint for assessing and optimising our investment in the non-government sector.
• On 3 June 2022, the DHS Reconciliation Committee convened a panel discussion event to celebrate National Reconciliation Week. Over 300 staff attended (in person or via Zoom) with guest speakers exploring this year’s theme of ‘Be Brave. Make Change’, followed by a panel discussion.
• Teamgage is an online system that builds employee engagement by allowing staff to provide regular workplace feedback. Seven new metrics were included in Teamgage to reflect the focus areas that the department is working on in the DHS 'I Work for SA' Action Plan 2022 and key operational concerns for business units. The metrics comprise five core metrics for all teams across the department and two metrics chosen by divisions.
• The See Me For Me disability awareness campaign was launched to improve community understanding and attitudes about people with disability. The campaign, which ran from 30 June to 13 August 2022, was developed by the department in consultation with people living with disability and the disability advocacy organisation JFA Purple Orange.
• Wellbeing Rooms were established in the Riverside Centre, providing employees with access to private spaces to attend to wellbeing needs relating to disability, health care, breastfeeding/pumping, pregnancy, and cultural and religious purposes. The rooms were established in response to staff feedback through the DHS Diversity and Inclusion Survey. Similar spaces will be established at the department’s other worksites.

Program Performance

Program Performance

Work Injury Claims

Work Health and Safety Regulations

Return to Work Costs

Number of notifiable incidents (Work Health and Safety Act 2012, Part 3)

Number of provisional improvement, improvement and prohibition notices (Work Health and Safety Act 2012 Sections 90, 191 and 195).

The number of executives is based on the number as at 30 June 2022.

Data for previous years is available at: Data.SA - DHS Annual Report - Annual report data

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment provides further information on the breakdown of executive gender, salary and tenure by agency.

The following is a brief summary of the overall financial position of the agency. The information is unaudited.

Statement of Comprehensive Income

Statement of Financial Position

The following is a summary of external consultants that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for the work undertaken during the 2021/2022 financial year.

Consultancies | With a Contract Value Below $10,000

Consultancies | With a Contract Value Above $10,000

The following is a summary of external contractors that have been engaged by the agency, the nature of work undertaken, and the actual payments made for work undertaken during the 2021/2022 financial year.

Contractors | With a Contract Value Below $10,000

Contractors | With a Contract Value Above $10,000

Pursuant to Section 73BA of the Gaming Machines Act 1992, the Minister for Human Services is required to report on the application of the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund during the preceding financial year. This information is provided at "Reporting required under any other act or regulation".

Nil to report.

The DHS Risk Management and Audit Committee (RMAC) provides independent assurance and assistance to the Chief Executive (and the Executive Leadership Team) on DHS’s risk, control and compliance framework, and its financial statement responsibilities.

The Committee assists the Chief Executive in the identification of risks, determining priorities for action, developing and implementing strategies for effective risk management and in ensuring accountabilities are met. The Committee also oversees the focus and work undertaken by Internal Audit.

RMAC members are appointed by the Chief Executive with the current Committee comprising three members external to the department and two internal members.

The membership as at 30 June 2022 was:

• Carolyn Mitchell, Chair (external member)
• Jo King (external member)
• Elizabeth Moran (external member)
• Sue-Ann Charlton (internal member)
• Alex Reid (internal member).

The Committee met five times during the 2021–22 financial year.

The objective of Internal Audit is to undertake audit activities that:

• provide reasonable assurance over the adequacy and effectiveness of controls and processes in place to manage departmental risks
• identify opportunities to strengthen control weaknesses and contribute to the delivery of the department’s strategic objectives and services.

Internal Audit also considers the risk of fraud and maladministration in the course of their work. This includes assessment of current control environments to ensure effective protection against fraud and maladministration as a standard objective of most of their reviews.

The Incident Management Unit (IMU) is the primary investigative body within DHS. It is responsible for undertaking all investigations relating to potential fraud, misconduct or maladministration. This ensures consistency and efficiency in the department’s response to incidents and potential fraud and has strengthened controls and investigatory capacity.

The IMU is also responsible for care concern investigations, Critical Client Incidents, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption referrals, and requests for information under the National Redress Scheme in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. While investigations are primarily undertaken by the IMU, they may be assigned to Internal Audit where appropriate.

The department has a zero tolerance to fraud and maladministration with all incidents of discrepancies in client records, funds and/or property to be recorded on the internal DHS recording system.

The DHS Fraud and Corruption Control Framework addresses the processes for responding to and reporting incidents of fraud and corruption within the department. It aligns with the South Australian Government Fraud and Corruption Control Policy and summarises responsibilities of key areas.

During 2021–22, the department’s Executive Leadership Team established five high-level strategic decision-making sub-committees to support its functions. The Assurance Committee is accountable to the Executive Leadership Team for ensuring DHS meets all of its governance requirements and measures performance against deliverables.

The responsibilities of the Assurance Committee include:

• overseeing corporate governance and ensuring effective internal controls, including receiving reports from across all divisions and approving the annual internal audit workplan
• effectively monitoring, managing, and reporting on risks, internal audit findings and breaches to ensure compliance.

The Assurance Committee also has an overarching oversight role in ensuring the department is implementing and actioning RMAC recommendations.

Data for previous years is available at: Data.SA - Annual Reporting - DHS Annual Report Data

Legislative Reporting Requirement

Legislative Reporting Requirement

Report

The department administers the Gamblers Rehabilitation Fund (GRF) through the Office for Problem Gambling to provide funding for programs and services that aim to minimise or address the harm caused by gambling. This includes funding for gambling help services across South Australia, including services targeting cohorts at risk of experiencing gambling harm, and online and telephone gambling help services. During 2021–22, approximately $5.73 million was allocated through the GRF to 12 Gambling Help Services in each State Government region and 16 targeted services.

In August 2020, following changes to the Gaming Machines Act 1992, the scope of the GRF was expanded to allow for investment in early intervention and prevention activities, public education and information programs, and gambling research. In response, the department undertook a comprehensive consultation process with  key stakeholders in the South Australian gambling environment, which resulted in the release of the Minimising Gambling Harm in South Australia Investment Plan 2021–2026 in November 2021.

The Investment Plan describes clear goals for future investment, prioritises strategic areas of focus, and identifies evidence-based, practice informed opportunities to minimise gambling harm. Six key strategic projects have been identified as necessary to achieving the goal of the Investment Plan, which are being progressed in a phased approach over the life of the plan.

The University of Adelaide has been engaged to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to track progress and outcomes achieved under the Investment Plan. The Framework will also identify those areas of investment which have the greatest impact on preventing and minimising gambling harm in South Australia.

The first phase of the Here for the Game initiative was also launched in November 2021, which has involved the Office for Problem Gambling partnering with the Adelaide United Football Club to release a communications campaign that seeks to disrupt the normalisation of betting in sport and encourages fans to be ‘here for the game’. Initial evaluation has shown overwhelming support and positive sentiment towards the campaign from Adelaide United fans and traction within the broader South Australian community.

Legislative Reporting Requirement

Report

As at 30 March 2022, there were no residents living at the Fullarton campus, now known as Highgate Park.

In April 2020 the last resident moved from Highgate Park into aged care, in line with a commitment to relocate people with disability out of institutions.

During the preceding 12 months no previous residents returned to Highgate Park, which is now closed.

Legislative  Reporting Requirement

Reporting

Over the past year, the department has continued to implement a range of strategies and improvements to support the objects and provisions of the Youth Justice Administration Act 2016. These align with actions under Young People Connected, Communities Protected: South Australia’s Youth Justice State Plan 2020–2023 and include:

• The commencement of the Enhanced Support Team Pilot at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre in August 2021, to assist operational staff working with children and young people to proactively respond to behaviours of concern and support increased emotional and behavioural stability.
• The commencement of the Child Diversion Program in December 2021, which is trialling a triage and support service for Aboriginal children aged 10 to 13 years who are at risk of being remanded into custody.
• Sarah Constructions Pty Ltd commencing site works in April 2022 to deliver a $21.75 million capital works program to improve and permanently consolidate youth custodial services at the Goldsborough Road campus of Kurlana Tapa. The capital works program is expected to achieve practical completion by 30 June 2023 and will deliver:
  • a new 12-bed accommodation unit with a centralised office space and design considerations to better support young people with complex needs
  • a new 8-bed police custody unit to ensure that children and young people awaiting court appearances will be accommodated separately from children and young people on periods of remand or sentenced detention
  • new classroom space to enable education requirements to be met
  • an extended visiting space to support children and young people having time with families and visitors.
• Implementing a revised assessment approach across Youth Justice Services, including the introduction of the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire (CAIDS-Q). This seven-item tool screens for possible intellectual disability and aims to support staff to identify children and young people who may require referral for further assessment.
• The delivery in June 2022 of REFRAME training, an evidence-based staff training program aimed at upskilling frontline staff who are engaging with young people with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and other neuro-divergences. The majority of participants in the training were from Kurlana Tapa.
• No partially-clothed searches of children and young people being undertaken.
• The department continuing to facilitate and welcome the Training Centre Visitor’s independent visits, inspections, and oversight of Kurlana Tapa to promote the best interests and rights of children and young people.

During 2021–22, Kurlana Tapa continued to be managed as a high-risk facility to better prevent outbreaks and transmission of COVID-19. There was no transmission of COVID-19 to children and young people within Kurlana Tapa during the financial year.

Under Section 6 of the Carers Recognition Act 2005, the department is required to ensure all officers, staff or agents are aware and understand the principles of the Carers Charter, and promote consultation with carers or their representatives in policy or program development and strategic or operational planning.

During 2021–22, staff gained an awareness of the principles of the Carers Charter during induction and training. Flexible work and carers leave arrangements were also available across the department, including paid leave entitlements for employees with primary care responsibilities for a person with disability. This leave is in addition to family carers leave and special leave with pay.

Unpaid family or friend carers remained a priority cohort within the Community Connections Program, developed following the cessation of the South Australian Home and Community Care program on 30 April 2021. South Australia’s peak carer body, Carers SA, is the carer representative on the Community Connections Program Advisory Group to inform the implementation of the program.

Under the Community Connections Program, the department has continued to fund and engage with four carer support organisations, including Carers SA, to meet the needs of South Australian carers following national reforms, in particular the NDIS, My Aged Care and the national Carer Gateway. In 2021–22, DHS also funded Carers SA to undertake a pilot project that aims to improve the identification and support of young carers in schools.

During the year, the department’s Disability Engagement Group (DEG) was reviewed and refreshed to prioritise membership of people with lived experience of disability, including those caring for a family member with disability. Through the DEG, the department regularly engages with people with disability and carers to inform the implementation of Inclusive SA, South Australia’s first State Disability Inclusion Plan.

In May 2022, the Minister for Human Services announced a new Minister’s Disability Advisory Group, which will provide a direct voice to the State Government for people with disability and carers. The department will provide executive support to the Advisory Group once established.

The following summarises actions by the department to improve its management of complaints, and service improvements resulting from complaints or client feedback in 2021–22:

• In February 2022, the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC) released a public summary report into an investigation into the provision of health services by the Transition to Home (T2H) program. The investigation was undertaken following a complaint received by the HCSCC about the care of a T2H client. The department has undertaken to implement the recommendations.
• The Community Connections Program team developed an FAQ sheet for RDNS staff to provide to clients to ensure they receive accurate information. This was developed in response to feedback from a participant in the Adults with Chronic Conditions program who was unsure if her services would continue. She was also unaware that a longer-term service may be available under the new Community Connections Program if she was assessed as suitable.
• Concessions and Support Services developed and implemented an appeal process for declined Companion Card applications. The process was created in response to a request from a customer who was declined for a Companion Card on multiple occasions for the same reason. The process provides the declined customer with the opportunity to submit new information and have their application reassessed by a panel that is independent from the original decision.
• In response to public complaints and feedback regarding supply issues in the South Australian disability housing sector, DHS entered into a bilateral project agreement in February 2022 to support the delivery of Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for NDIS participants in South Australia. The project will deliver an increase in the supply of customised SDA arrangements for a cohort of NDIS participants with very high needs who have limited or no accommodation options available to them due to their exceptional needs and circumstances.
• Throughout 2021–22, DHS Disability Services has been working towards full registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, including registration to provide services under the NDIS. The Commission is responsible for safeguarding NDIS participants and monitoring service providers. As such, NDIS registration contributes to improvements in DHS Disability Services’ complaints management policy and processes.
• The Screening Unit has updated the email message sent to applicants notifying them that they are permitted to work with children. Following enquiries from applicants about the outcome of their Working With Children Check, the Screening Unit identified that the term ‘not prohibited’ was confusing for some applicants who believed it meant that they were not permitted to work with children. The email to applicants was updated with the term ‘not prohibited’ replaced with ‘cleared’. The Screening Unit no longer receives these types of enquiries from applicants.

The Department of Human Services is compliant with Premier and Cabinet Circular 039 - complaint management in the South Australian public sector.

The Department of Human Services has communicated the content of PC 039 and the agency’s related complaints policies and procedures to employees.