The agency's performance

The State Government’s Women: Safety, Wellbeing, Equality election policy included a commitment to introduce a Gender Equality Bill to improve economic and leadership participation for all South Australians. This will be achieved by requiring State Government agencies and local government to undertake positive actions to advance gender equality and embed them into business as usual.

It is anticipated that the Office for Women will undertake public consultation later in the year, which will include publishing the draft Bill on YourSAy for comment.

Established in September 2022, the South Australian Gender Pay Gap Taskforce was established to provide recommendations to address the factors that contribute to the gender pay gap in South Australia. The Taskforce provided its Interim Report to the Government and was published on the Office for Women’s website in April 2024.

The Interim Report identifies the following four focus areas to address the gender pay gap in South Australia:

• Drivers of the gender pay gap
• Needs of South Australian organisations
• Effective policies and practices
• Additional research.

The Taskforce will continue to research areas that focus on intersectionality and high priority cohorts for inclusion in the final report at the end of 2024.

The department is working closely with the Attorney-General’s Department to improve the legal system’s response to all forms of family and domestic violence. This includes the introduction of a Bill to create a new criminal offence of coercive control in intimate partner relationships.

In 2022–23, the Office for Women undertook a series of community consultation sessions with specific targeted cohorts to understand how criminalising coercive control will affect different community groups and how to most effectively implement the proposed legislation. This in-depth engagement contributed to the development of the draft Criminal Law Consolidation (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2023, which was released on YourSAy for public consultation from 29 August 2023 to 10 October 2023.

Through the consultation process, stakeholders and members of the community were provided with the opportunity to submit feedback by participating in a survey or through written submissions. There was significant interest in the Bill with 310 people completing the survey, 29 written submissions being submitted by organisational stakeholders, and 25 submissions being received from private individuals. The public consultation also included six information sessions led by the Office for Women and the Attorney-General’s Department.

In late 2023, the Office for Women hosted two roundtables to support engagement between key partners from the domestic, family and sexual violence sector and key bodies from the finance and real estate industries.

The first roundtable, held in Adelaide on 11 October 2023, focused on addressing the burden of unpaid rents on people experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence. The second roundtable, held on 20 November 2023, focused on the burden of unpaid mortgages and loans on people experiencing violence.

The department worked with the Autistic and autism communities to co-design the state’s first Autism Strategy, with the design process first commencing on 25 November 2022 with the release of a Discussion Paper for public consultation. During this consultation, over 1,000 submissions were received in response to the YourSAy survey, and approximately 200 additional written submissions were received. Feedback received throughout this process informed the Consultation Report which was published on 4 July 2023.

Following the release of the Consultation Report, the State Autism Strategy Advisory Committee and South Australian Disability Reform Interdepartmental Committee were consulted on the development of the draft Autism Strategy, including the proposed focus areas. The draft Strategy was subsequently released for public consultation between 4 March 2024 and 29 March 2024, with 126 responses received through YourSAy, together with 20 written submissions. Feedback was used to refine aspects of the strategy where necessary, and ensure it was responding to the aspirations and needs of the Autistic and autism communities.

The SA Autism Strategy 2024–2029 was formally launched by the Premier, Minister for Human Services and the Assistant Minister for Autism on 19 June 2024. The strategy is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and knowledgeable South Australia where Autistic people and their families can thrive.

The Autism Inclusion Charter was officially launched on 2 April 2024 to coincide with World Autism Awareness Day. The development of the Charter was led by the Office for Autism, with DHS participating in a pilot in late 2023 to inform the development of the Charter and training for agencies.

DHS is a signatory to the Charter and has made a firm commitment to its implementation alongside the SA Autism Strategy 2024–2029.

A review of the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 was conducted by Mr Richard Dennis AM PSM between 15 March 2022 and 10 May 2022, as required under section 32 of the Act. While the review noted that the Act appears to be working reasonably well, there are aspects of the Act where improvements could be made. The final review report highlighted 50 recommendations in relation to legislation (20), policy (9), and operation impacts (21) for consideration.

The Minister for Human Services introduced the Disability Inclusion (Review Recommendations) Amendment Bill 2023 into Parliament on 28 June 2023. The Amendment Bill represented 14 of the 20 legislative recommendations outlined in the final review report to enhance the Government’s commitment to disability access and inclusion in South Australia. The remaining policy and operational recommendations are being addressed by DHS as part of the review and development of the next State Disability Inclusion Plan.

The Disability Inclusion (Review Recommendations) Amendment Act 2024 was assented by the Governor on 27 June 2024.

In 2020, DHS engaged Think Human to lead a consultation process with disability stakeholders and the local community about the future of the Highgate Park site and the Home for Incurables (HFI) Trust. Feedback supported the sale of the site to benefit South Australians living with disability and highlighted that people living with disability should be at the centre of decision-making about the future of the Trust.

In response to the feedback received, JFA Purple Orange was contracted by DHS to establish and facilitate meetings of the HFI Trust Working Group to provide recommendations to the Minister for Human Services, as sole trustee of the HFI Trust, in relation to the future of the Trust. The Working Group, which included people with disability and sector representatives, met on seven occasions between April 2022 and April 2024.

The final report of the HFI Trust Working Group was prepared for the Minister for Human Services and includes recommendations for the future governance and use of the Trust.

On 7 November 2023, the department hosted a Supported Residential Facilities (SRF) roundtable with 39 stakeholders across Commonwealth, state, and local governments. Participants provided valuable insight into the current issues that surround the continued regulation and monitoring of SRFs in South Australia, including effective safeguarding of residents in SRFs.

Participants were asked to consider the following options for the future of SRFs in South Australia:

• no changes to the current regulatory approach
• repealing the SRF Act with no replacement
• a new SRF Act or an amended SRF Act is developed.

There was overall agreement that developing a new SRF Act and Regulations with reference to other existing regulatory schemes will ensure contemporary regulatory practice to meet the expectations of stakeholders, reduce ambiguity, align with other regulatory schemes and strengthen resident safeguarding measures for vulnerable people.

DHS will continue consultation processes to engage with stakeholders within the sector, including providers and those with lived experience. Consultation will inform a new legislative framework for SRFs, to be developed throughout 2025.

The Commonwealth Government is investing $5.4 million each year over four financial years to offer funding towards building Changing Places facilities in Local Government Areas. A Changing Places toilet provides suitable facilities for people who cannot use standard accessible bathrooms, supporting people with disability to have more equitable access to essential facilities in their community, and communities they wish to visit.

This initiative is being funded through a tripartite funding model with the State Government contributing one third of the funding to build Changing Places facilities in South Australian communities. This will support the state to build at least ten Changing Places facilities, in addition to the 24 existing Changing Places facilities in South Australia.

The Changing Places initiative will be implemented over four tranches, with two South Australian Local Government Areas identified in 2023–24 as meeting the criteria for Tranche Two by having a project in the ‘build ready’ phase and being able to fund 17% of the building costs. These are the:

• City of Marion, building a Changing Places facility in Glenthorne National Park in collaboration with the Department for Environment and Water
• City of Mitcham, building a Changing Places facility for the Pasadena Community Centre.

Construction will commence in 2024–25.

In the past year, the department continued to strengthen engagement and partnerships with Aboriginal communities and organisations to improve outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people involved with the youth justice system. Key deliverables include:

• The Aboriginal Practice and Partnerships Directorate commencing a partnership approach in Port Lincoln with KWY Aboriginal Corporation (Kornar Winmil Yunti), the Port Lincoln Aboriginal Community Council, and West Coast Youth and Community Services with the aim of designing a shared decision-making process to support Aboriginal children and young people and achieve better outcomes.
• Hosting a forum in response to concerns about escalating anti-social behaviour among youth cohorts in Port Lincoln and Port Augusta. Held in Port Lincoln on 6 December 2023, the forum was attended by community representatives, non-profit organisations, and government agencies to explore collaborative approaches.

The Early Intervention Research Directorate is commissioning a new support service for young Aboriginal families in northern Adelaide. The program is being commissioned through a newly developed cooperative dialogue approach, which facilitates shared decision-making with the Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations within the family and child safety sector in the design and implementation of this new service.

This partnership approach aligns with Closing the Gap Priority Reform One: Formal Partnerships and Shared Decision Making (Strong Partnership Elements).

The 2024–25 State Budget provided immediate and targeted cost-of-living relief with $51.5 million allocated to provide a once‐off additional Cost of Living Concession (COLC) payment to all recipients who received the COLC payment in 2023‐24. The additional payment of $243.90 was delivered by the department in June 2024 to approximately 210,000 South Australian households.

To address the rising cost of living in 2023–24, the department delivered Energy Bill Relief Fund payments in partnership with the Commonwealth Government to assist eligible South Australian households and small businesses with rising energy costs. The joint initiative provided up to $500 relief to households and up to $650 relief to small businesses on 2023–24 electricity bills.

As at 30 June 2024, the State Government had reimbursed retailers for payments to households of $90.3 million, and small businesses of $28.3 million.

Launched in February 2023, the concessions review was supported by a cross-government steering committee led by the major concessions administrators, and a reference group of non-government organisations to represent low-income groups. The intent of the review was to provide the State Government with advice and reform options that would improve how concessions target those most in need and ensure they are easy to access for families and households.

DHS collaborated with administering departments to analyse their concessions and consider options for change. Nine reforms identified during the review received funding in the State Budget for implementation during 2024–25.

This includes doubling the value of the Cost of Living Concession for tenants and Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card holders to match that of homeowners, broadening eligibility for public transport concessions and providing more subsidised glasses, funerals and emergency electricity payments.

Personal AlertSA (PASA) subsidises the cost of monitored personal alert devices to support eligible older South Australians to remain safe and independent in their homes. Since February 2021, all new PASA customers have been issued a 4G compatible personal alert system.

With 3G mobile networks due to close in October 2024, PASA customers using 3G devices need to upgrade their devices to maintain services. In response to the network closures, the department established a two-year project to transition eligible PASA customers to 4G devices or alternative arrangements.

In the past year, the project team has continued to successfully engage with PASA customers to upgrade their device or confirm they will exit the program. Customers without a confirmed transition plan, or who have not purchased a device via their My Aged Care plan are being followed up as a matter of urgency.

The Community and Neighbourhood Development Program was recommissioned to provide a more equitable distribution of funding and establish a more consistent funding model, whilst also funding more community centres. Recommissioning was achieved via a combination of open tender and direct allocation, with the outcomes announced in May 2023.

Community centres combat social isolation, promote a stronger sense of belonging among disadvantaged individuals, and foster inclusive, equitable, and resilient local communities at a grass roots level across South Australia. Contracts with a total value of $5.3 million in 2023-24 covering 66 community centres commenced from 1 July 2023.

Twenty-two centres are receiving funding for the first time, and 19 centres are located in regional areas. There are two Aboriginal-specific centres.

The tender was not fully subscribed in several regions with the department actively working with the community to establish additional community centres in the Far North (Port Augusta) and Barossa Light and Lower North (Gawler). DHS also continues to work with Aboriginal organisations to increase the number of Aboriginal community centres.

Following extensive sector consultation and a competitive tender, DHS commissioned services for a new Financial Wellbeing Program from 1 July 2023. With a total value of approximately $5 million in 2023-24, the program provides financial counselling services, emergency relief, and connection and prevention activities for those facing financial insecurity.

The former Statewide Financial Counselling, Emergency Financial Assistance, Low Income Support and Utilities Literacy programs are combined into the new Financial Wellbeing Program to streamline access to services and provide a one-stop shop for services for people facing financial stress and vulnerability. Eight service providers are engaged to deliver the program in the 12 State Government regions, as well as a Sector Capacity Building Partner, a Multicultural Capacity Building Partner, and an Aboriginal Capacity Building Partner.

Due to growing demand on the Child and Family Support System (CFSS), the Government committed an additional investment of $35.7 million over four years in the 2023-24 State Budget for Intensive Family Services. In the past year the additional funding has resulted in:

• DHS Safer Family Services (SFS) establishing a new inner north metropolitan region for intensive family services, which commenced in January 2024. The new service will address service gaps across the region and deliver intensive family services to an additional 250 families per year.
• The permanency of the CFSS Pathways Service, which provides coordination and oversight of all referrals into CFSS with a focus on referring families to the most appropriate service at the right time. The additional funding will ensure the permanency of the service, enabling stabilisation of the workforce and supporting longer term planning and embedding of the service within the CFSS.
• Additional positions being established and recruited to support increased quality and clinical and cultural governance across SFS. The children and families that SFS work with are presenting with multiple complexities that have stretched the capacity of the existing governance structure to support and lead quality service and practice.

The department continued to support Aboriginal people from rural and remote communities through the continued leadership of the Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce. Achievements in 2023-24 include:

• Establishing a Safer Place to Gather at Edwards Park in the Adelaide Park Lands to provide vulnerable remote Aboriginal visitors a safer place to seek shelter and access culturally appropriate support services.
• Establishing a Remote Visitor Hub in Adelaide and a multi-disciplinary Remote Visitor Outreach Team to provide assertive outreach in Adelaide.
• Supporting 2,753 journeys for remote Aboriginal visitors to return to their home communities through the statewide Return to Country program.
• Facilitating the development of the draft Port Augusta Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan with the community, service providers, and three levels of government to support safety and wellbeing in the region and ensure a sustainable and culturally appropriate service response for the next four years.
• Engaging Umoona Community to trial the delivery of assertive outreach and Return to Country support in Coober Pedy from January 2024 to January 2025.
• Establishing a Port Augusta Youth Outreach Service to divert young people from high-risk behaviours through increased recreation activities, and ongoing outreach support.
• Leading the Port Augusta Intensive Youth Response alongside multiple key agencies, to provide intensive wrap-around support for young people engaging in the justice system.

South Australia continues to be on track to exceed Closing the Gap Target 11, with national data published by the Australian Productivity Commission reporting a 34% reduction in the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in detention between 2018-19 (baseline reporting year) and 2022-23. While this is a positive achievement, reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in contact with the youth justice system continues to be a key focus of the department.

This commitment is reflected in the Child Diversion Program, which provides an alternative to police custody for Aboriginal children who have been charged with an offence but have been refused police bail due to lack of suitable accommodation. The program provides short-term, culturally safe, supported accommodation, and supports Aboriginal children and their families in the community.

The scope of the program, which commenced as
a two-year pilot in December 2021, has been expanded in the past year following the decision
of the Government to allocate $1 million in the 2023-24 State Budget to continue the program for a further two years. The eligible age range was expanded from 10 to 13 years to 10 to 14 years, and components of the program can now be activated anywhere in the state on any day of the week.

DHS is directly responsible for three socio-economic outcome targets of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (CTG). Actions undertaken in the past year to progress the achievement of CTG targets, in addition to those delivered through the Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce, include:

• Continued delivery of programs and services including the Aboriginal Community Connections Services, Aboriginal Gambling Help Services, Aboriginal Community Centres, Services to Aboriginal Youth, Aboriginal Language and Interpreting Service, Child Diversion Program and programs delivered through Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services.
• Establishment of the Closing the Gap Policy and Transformation directorate, which is tasked with reviewing the Australian Productivity Commission’s first review of progress on the National Agreement on CTG and assisting the department with accelerating its progress to transform in line with the four Priority Reforms to ultimately improve Aboriginal people’s lives.
• Establishment of the Aboriginal Practice and Partnerships directorate, which is responsible for delivering program, service, and policy responses in partnership with Aboriginal communities and their organisations.
• Development and implementation of the CTG Framework to ensure all departmental business areas embed the CTG priority reforms in the development of policies and projects.
• The Office for Women partnering with other government agencies and the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON) to establish the Women’s and Family Safety Partnership Committee. The Committee’s role is to oversee actions designed to tackle domestic, family, and sexual violence.
• Recruitment of a Principal Aboriginal Workforce Consultant to lead the implementation of the DHS Aboriginal Workforce Strategy 2021-2023.

Since 1 May 2023, DHS has partnered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to deliver the South Australian Coordination and Assessment Team (SA CAT) pilot, which provides Specialist Support Coordination to assist participants facing barriers to discharge from hospital to locate community accommodation or return to their existing home. 115 participants were successfully discharged during 2023-24, with the department working with the NDIA to ensure SA CAT can continue its successful work after the pilot ends in May 2025.

DHS has also continued to work with SA Health and the NDIA to minimise hospital discharge delays. During 2023-24, eight participants discharged from hospital entered Transition to Home (T2H), a DHS-SA Health transitional service for NDIS participants awaiting longer-term accommodation.

The Here for the Game initiative seeks to disrupt the normalisation of betting in sport and educate parents and young people about preventing gambling harm. As part of the broader initiative, the department partnered with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in 2023-24 to deliver the Here For The Game Community Program.

The free accreditation program for community sporting clubs seeks to educate members (including players, parents, children, and club officials) about the risks of gambling harm, ways to identify and resist techniques used by sports betting companies to entice young people to bet, and to challenge the normalisation of gambling in sport. As at 30 June 2024, a total of 53 clubs had joined the program.

In the past year, domestic violence prevention and recovery hubs have been established in southern and northern Adelaide to support women experiencing, or at risk of, domestic, family and sexual violence. Launched on 1 December 2023, the Southern Hub, named The Yellow Gate, is run by Community Justice Services SA as the lead coordinating agency and is located at the Colonnades Shopping Centre, Noarlunga. The Yellow Gate brings together local supports and services in a safe and accessible space where women can drop in and access support, information, and referrals, and maintain community connections.

Officially launched on 22 May 2024, the Northern Hub is being led by the South Australia Police (SAPOL) and Women’s Safety Services SA, and has been designed to increase collaborative and coordinated safety responses for women. The hub has commenced through a phased approach with the Northern Domestic Violence Service and SAPOL delivering services from the site. Located in the northern suburbs, the Northern Hub is accessible by referral or appointment only.

Since 1 July 2018, the department had been operating its disability services in an in-kind arrangement under the Bilateral Agreement between the Commonwealth and State Government. This arrangement concluded on 30 September 2023, with DHS Disability Services transitioning to operate as a full NDIS service provider.

During 2023-24, Disability Services continued to support clients through the transition from in-kind to NDIS funding. This included engaging with clients and their guardians to establish service agreements for all NDIS funding.

All eligible clients have now transitioned to individualised plans under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.

Commencing from 1 October 2023, costs for services provided by Disability Services to clients are being claimed from their NDIS plans. The change in funding has required significant changes to be made to the systems and processes across the service. Reforms continue so that there is improved alignment of systems, the workforce, and service delivery to client funding packages.

DHS provided input into the NDIS Review through cross-government coordination of information including agency input, development of briefings and submissions, and participation in intergovernmental forums including the Disability Ministerial Reform Ministerial Council.

Following the release of the NDIS Review’s recommendations in December 2023, the department continues to work closely with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and relevant State Government agencies to lead South Australia’s engagement in specific recommendations from the NDIS Review. This includes the recommendation that the Commonwealth and state and territory governments jointly fund and design an ecosystem of disability supports outside the NDIS through the introduction of Foundational Supports.

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was established in 2019, in response to determined and persistent advocacy of people with disability and their supporters to investigate widespread violence against and abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability. The Final Report of the Disability Royal Commission was released on 29 September 2023, containing 222 recommendations to improve outcomes for Australians living with disability.

On 5 March 2024, Disability Ministers issued a joint national statement in which they committed to responding to the Disability Royal Commission’s Final Report by mid-2024. DHS led the development of South Australia’s response to the Disability Royal Commission by coordinating a joint response across key agencies and through extensive consultation at both the state and national level. This includes:

• partnerships with key State Government agencies and interjurisdictional collaboration
• stakeholder consultation through a series of focus groups conducted by JFA Purple Orange with people with lived experience
• sector workshop and individual meetings with key organisations.

The disability community will continue to be consulted as South Australia’s response to the Disability Royal Commission is implemented.

In late 2023, a tender was released on the SA Tenders and Contracts website for an Autism Assessment and Diagnostic Service, which will provide a free service to vulnerable clients of DHS’ Safer Family Services, Youth Justice and Exceptional Needs Unit, and support the department in providing appropriate referrals and services for clients. The service will prioritise the most vulnerable based on a variety of risk factors, including clients who are a risk to self, a risk to others, or a risk to the community.

Following a rigorous tender process, Autism SA, Solasta Wellbeing and Connect Disability Services were selected to deliver this service, commencing from April 2024. An Autism Referral Triage Committee, chaired by the Exceptional Needs Unit, has been established to support DHS in providing referrals to the new service and triage clients most vulnerable to one of the nominated service providers.

Funding of approximately $800,000 has been provided to support the service until June 2026.

A Youth Justice Practice Framework is being developed to articulate, confirm and guide the department’s approach to working with children and young people under youth justice supervision, including custodial and community based supervision. During 2023-24, a draft of the high-level framework was prepared following extensive research and targeted consultation. Broad consultation also occurred with staff to seek feedback on the proposed draft.

Consultation with other key stakeholders, including young people, will occur during 2024-25. It is anticipated that the implementation of the Youth Justice Practice Framework will support consistent and holistic practice across DHS youth justice services.

In the past year the department achieved the practical completion of the capital works program at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre, which has delivered:

• a new 12-bed accommodation unit with counselling and sensory rooms to better support children and young people with complex needs
• a new eight-bed pre-court custody unit to ensure that children and young people who are not granted police bail are accommodated separately to those on remand or sentenced mandates
• a new education building with two classrooms (music and STEM), to enable education requirements to be met with all population cohorts on site
• an extended visiting space that connects the community and medical centres and provides additional rooms for family and professional visits.

Commissioning of the accommodation buildings is underway and expected to be finalised in late 2024. This investment has established the necessary infrastructure to support the permanent consolidation of youth custodial services at the Goldsborough Road campus and allows for the vacating of the Jonal Drive campus.

The new 12-bed accommodation unit at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre will be launched in late 2024 with an enhanced support service model of care, to better support young people with complex and disability-related needs. The new model of care aims to provide intensive individualised support to young people with complex needs through culturally centred, relational and therapeutic responses.

The enhanced support service model has been finalised and work has commenced to develop the accompanying operating model in consultation with staff and onsite partner agencies. The project timeframes for the model have been updated to align with completion and commissioning of the new 12-bed accommodation unit, and to ensure adequate staffing and resources to implement an operating model that will meet the desired service outcomes, within existing resources.

The Screening Transformation Program will provide generational digital transformation of screening services to modernise screening in South Australia and strengthen protections for vulnerable people. The scope of the program will involve improvements to business processes and customer experience, enabled by contemporary technology.

The Director of Screening Transformation was appointed in December 2023, with a small program team mobilised to commence the detailed design prototyping and design phase. The outcomes of the discovery phase will include recommendations for the implementation approach, indicative timing and costing and a high-level design for the screening service. An acquisition planning process will be undertaken to select a technology partner to support the design, build, test, and implementation of the end state solution.

The Screening Transformation Program is being funded through the South Australian Digital Investment Fund and is anticipated to be completed in mid-2026.

One new Aboriginal trainee was recruited through the South Australian Public Sector Aboriginal Traineeship Program during the 2023-24 financial year. From the previous intake, one trainee completed their traineeship and is an ongoing DHS employee.

Aboriginal employees were supported and funded to undertake leadership development programs. This includes five employees who completed the Aboriginal Leadership Program through the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and one employee who undertook the Governor’s Leadership Foundations Program.

The department trialled a new cadetship program with a focus on providing on the job experience for people with a refugee background. Supported by Community Corporate, a social enterprise that specialises in working with refugee and migrant communities, two people were selected from an initial pool of seven candidates for placement within Business Improvement and Technology.

During 2023-24, 18 new graduates were recruited comprising four AHP1 Graduate Practitioners and 14 ASO3 Graduate Officers. As at 30 June 2024, two graduates had accepted higher-classification roles within the department prior to the completion of the program.

DHS continued to increase and maintain the department’s disability workforce with 181 Disability Support Officers recruited over nine intakes during 2023-24.

During 2023-24, the department continued to support an Aboriginal psychology student, now a DHS employee, studying part-time through the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program.

DHS is proactive about staff wellbeing given that they can deal with very distressing content in the workplace. An example of this is the department’s participation in SafeWork SA’s Organise Your Own Workplace Activity competition, in which participants undertook initiatives to address specific risks to their staff.

The department received a Silver Award in recognition of the following initiatives held during National Safe Work Month in October 2023:

• Influencing Wellbeing and Safety in the Workplace workshop, which provided insights, tools and strategies to support the department’s Health and Safety Representatives.
• A leadership forum for managers, which provided an introduction to psychological safety and information on what constitutes a psychological risk.

The department’s health and wellbeing programs also include:

• The voluntary DHS Influenza Vaccination Program, which contributes to infection control strategies and the prevention of seasonal pandemic influenza. The program is supported and funded as part of the department’s health and wellbeing initiative.
• The Fitness Passport, a discounted workplace health and fitness program available to employees and their families.

An Employee Assistance Program for all staff and their families through the Corporate Health Group.

In June 2024, DHS achieved the Advanced Workplace tier of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Workplace Recognition Program.

The MHFA Workplace Recognition Program celebrates organisations across Australia who invest in developing mental health first aid skills in their people, and who show a strong commitment to embedding the MHFA training into their organisation’s culture through actions including senior leadership support, relevant policies and continuous improvement.

Wellbeing and safety health checks enable divisions to assess their current compliance and examine their local safety systems and practices. The two checks also provide an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and include:

• The Psychosocial (work-related stress) Health Check and the Preventing Harm Psychosocial Hazards and Work Related Stress Workbook, which have been developed to assist in identifying key psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
• The Safety Health Check, which examines local safety systems and practices and is an effective way to ensure wellbeing and safety is embedded across the business unit.

Wellbeing and safety partnerships are crucial as they foster a healthier, more secure, and productive work environment, ultimately enhancing employee satisfaction and performance.

DHS has established Wellbeing and Safety Divisional Consultative Committees and conducted the election and training of Health and Safety Representatives across divisions.

Divisions are required to develop and maintain a Wellbeing and Safety Risk Profile Register to record operational wellbeing and safety risks.

The department has identified priority risks and documented agency and divisional Wellbeing and Safety Risk Registers, which are formally appraised as part of the departmental enterprise risk management process.

An Annual Safety Assessment tool has also been development as a key aspect of the department’s risk management approach and supports monitoring the effectiveness and compliance of the Safety Management System.

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