The agency's performance

Following a period of extensive engagement and targeted consultation including a series of six roundtables with community groups in late 2022 and early 2023, the Criminal Law Consolidation (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2024 was drafted and then introduced to Parliament on 29 August 2024. The draft Bill creates a new criminal offence of coercive control against current or former intimate partners. It criminalises a pattern of behaviour that a reasonable person would see as having a serious controlling impact on a partner, if the behaviour was intended to control that person or cause them apprehension or fear.

The Bill passed the House of Assembly on 12 November 2024 and the Legislative Council, with amendments, on 21 August 2025. The Bill will now return to the House of Assembly to be finalised. When the Bill passes, the Act will come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

The Gender Pay Gap Taskforce was established in September 2022 to consider the factors that contribute to the South Australian gender pay gap and provide informed, evidence-based recommendations on the systemic and related approaches the public and private sectors can undertake to reduce and ultimately eliminate the gender pay gap. The Taskforce’s final report was published on the Office for Women website on 5 March 2025 and focuses on three key areas to address the gender pay gap in South Australia:

• The needs of South Australian employers.
• The need for South Australian data and research on gender inequality.
• The role of the public sector.

The State Government is considering the recommendations of the final report.

On 3 July 2024, the Office for Women hosted the Driving Women’s Participation in South Australian Industries Forum, bringing together almost 100 industry leaders and key public sector agency representatives from the construction, manufacturing, mining, defence, space, cybersecurity and renewables industries. The forum discussed the importance of acting to address systemic change, cultural shifts, and government-industry collaboration to support women in these traditionally male-dominated industries.

A summary report was published on the Office for Women website on 16 April 2025, which included opportunities for further work in this space. The Office for Women is considering this future work, including exploring opportunities with other government agencies and engaging with key male-dominated industries to improve the recruitment and retention of women.

Changing Places facilities are funded through a tripartite funding model, where the Commonwealth, South Australian Government and Local Government Areas (LGAs) share the costs to build a Changing Places facility. During 2024-25, two new facilities were completed under earlier Tranches of the initiative at the Glenthorne National Park (Department for Environment and Water and City of Marion), which opened in November 2024, and the Fabrik Arts and Heritage Centre (Adelaide Hills Council), which opened in December 2024.

In September 2024, a Federation Funding Agreement for Tranche Three Ad-Hoc round was approved by the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments for a new Changing Places facility to be built on the Dukes Highway at Coonalpyn (Coorong District Council).

On 25 February 2025, the Commonwealth Government announced a $17.1 million investment from 2024-25 to 2027-28 to work in partnership with states and territories to increase accessibility in community spaces across Australia through the new Commonwealth Accessible Australia initiative, which builds on Changing Places.

Three LGAs (Mount Barker District Council, District Council of Loxton Waikerie and City of Tea Tree Gully) and the Department for Environment and Water (Belair National Park), have been identified as meeting the criteria for Tranche One of the Accessible Australia initiative, for building new Changing Places facilities. Work continues with local councils to identify opportunities through future Tranches of the Accessible Australia initiative.

During 2024-25, consultation was undertaken with key stakeholders in the supported residential facilities (SRF) sector, including proprietors, residents and local councils, to inform the next steps to develop legislation amendments and associated regulations. Consultation with proprietors was undertaken via a YourSAy online survey and full day workshop between September and October 2024, which assisted in building an understanding of the sector from the perspective of those who manage and operate SRFs.

Consultation with residents from five different SRFs across South Australia was completed in December 2024, through a series of one-on-one interviews. The outcomes of this consultation are being used to inform the next steps of the legislative reform work.

DHS will work to ensure any future framework considers the recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS Review, and broader safeguarding and tenancy protections for people with disability.

The department continued to work with the disability community to develop a new State Disability Inclusion Plan (State Plan), to build on progress made under South Australia’s first Sate Disability Inclusion Plan 2019-2023, Inclusive SA. Work on the new plan commenced in the second half of 2023, with extensive consultation with people with disability, advocacy organisations, government agencies and local councils. Feedback was consolidated in a consultation report that was released in July 2024.

Key themes identified through this process were used to develop the new State Plan domains, priority areas, measures and outcomes, in addition to ensuring the new State Plan is responsive to the needs of the disability community.

Public consultation on the draft State Plan was undertaken during April and May 2025, including targeted engagement with the seven priority groups identified in the Disability Inclusion Act 2018, and a public consultation process via YourSAy. Feedback from this consultation was used to inform the finalisation of the State Plan and ensure it reflects the aspirations and needs of disability communities. A co-design workshop was also held on 11 June 2025 with members of the Disability Minister’s Advisory Council to inform the finalisation of the State Plan.

The new State Disability Inclusion Plan 2025-2029: A South Australia where no one is left behind will be released on 22 August 2025.

Clear Horizon Consulting was engaged to undertake the Final Impact Review of South Australia’s Plan for Ageing Well 2020-2025 and Statewide Conversations project, which will develop priorities, actions and potential collaborations for the next state ageing well plan. A co-design group was established to inform the project comprising seven older people representing diverse lived experiences and six professionals contributing expertise from key organisations.

Stage 1, the Final Impact Review was undertaken between July and November 2024, which included a community perceptions survey reaching over 2,800 respondents, 14 targeted interviews, four focus groups with priority populations, and an analysis of government policies and media representation of older people to understand age-inclusivity. The Stage 1 findings informed the themes for Stage 2 of the project, Statewide Conversations with a diverse range of older people and stakeholders to inform the priorities, actions and potential partnerships for the next ten year plan.

Stage 2 explored the themes of Wellbeing, Stronger Connections, Life Transitions and Home and Community, which were identified from the findings of the Final Impact Review and a desktop scan of national and international ageing well/age friendly plans.

Findings from the Statewide Conversations, led by older people and the co-design group members, will be presented at a consolidation workshop in August 2025. The workshop will consolidate the findings and confirm the priorities, potential actions and partnerships identified by older people that are critical to ageing well. Office for Ageing Well will commence drafting the new state ageing well plan following the workshop.

In early 2024, the department initiated a project to refresh the Volunteering Strategy and align it with the new National Strategy for Volunteering
2023-2033. A discussion paper was released in March 2024 outlining the approach the department proposed to take in refreshing the strategy and stakeholder consultation activities undertaken, which included face-to-face meetings, a facilitated workshop and online survey. A consultation report was developed summarising stakeholder feedback with these findings informing the drafting of the refreshed focus areas and priorities, recommended changes to governance arrangements, and proposed Steering Committee membership.

The refreshed Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021-2027 was officially launched on 5 December 2024 to celebrate International Volunteers Day. Following the launch, the department worked with strategy partners and sector stakeholders via a Steering Committee to develop a three-year Action Plan, which was launched by the Minister for Human Services during National Volunteers Week in May 2025. The Action Plan 2025-2027 sets out a range of actions to support the implementation of the Volunteering Strategy over the next three years and will evolve and adapt over time to meet the changing needs of the sector.

The department, in collaboration with relevant government agencies and young people, developed South Australia’s new Youth Action Plan, which aims to promote fair and equitable access to opportunities, resources, and support for South Australian young people aged 12 to 25 years. To ensure that the new Youth Action Plan genuinely reflects the needs and aspirations of young people, the department completed three phases of consultation in which over 1,000 South Australians, including 854 of young people, were engaged:

• Phase One - Open public consultation through a YourSAy survey, workshops and written submissions (June to August 2023).
• Phase Two - Targeted consultation with young people through an in-person forum, interviews and yarning circle delivered in partnership with Tauondi Aboriginal College, and focused discussion with the Youth Minister’s Advisory Council (July to September 2024).
• Phase Three: Open public consultation on the draft Youth Action Plan through a YourSAy survey and written submissions (December 2024 to January 2025).

South Australia’s Youth Action Plan 2025-2028 was launched on 9 April 2025, coinciding with the announcement by the department of the introduction of the Youth Action Plan Life Skills Grant for community organisations to increase support for young people as they transition to adulthood. DHS has also commenced exploring the development of an online youth hub, which was identified by young South Australians as a means to access youth friendly information on a range of important matters.

In July 2024, the department published the report of its review into the Carers Recognition Act 2005. This report makes 24 recommendations for changes to the Act, including broadening the definition of ‘carer’, expanding the scope of the Act and reporting requirements, and additions to the Carers Charter.

DHS is currently progressing legislative amendments following the review, which were previously on hold while the Commonwealth Government considered its own Carers Recognition Act 2010 to allow a nationally consistent definition of ‘carer’ be explored. The legislative amendments will take into account the state review, the House of Representative’s Inquiry into the Recognition of Unpaid Carers and the National Carer Strategy 2024-2034.

Further public consultation will be undertaken on the proposed amendments to the state legislation.

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

• Continuing to support and fund the Safer Place to Gather at Edwards Park with assertive outreach by DHS’s multi-disciplinary Remote Visitor Outreach Team.
• Supporting 2,291 journeys for remote Aboriginal people to return to their home communities through the statewide Return to Country program.
• Continuing to support the Ceduna Services Collaboration to minimise harm by delivering effective service responses through a human services system that is community-centred, locally driven, coordinated, responsive, proactive and culturally safe.
• Leading a coordinated summer response across all priority regions, with place-based approaches in Adelaide, Port Augusta, Ceduna/Far West Coast, APY Lands and a targeted approach in Coober Pedy.
• Finalising the Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce Systems Theory of Change, an important strategic piece of work that will frame the focus and actions of the Taskforce moving forward.
• Including Whyalla as a priority area for the Taskforce in response to an increase in visitor numbers. In Whyalla, DHS works closely with Aboriginal tenancies in partnership with the South Australian Housing Trust’s Wali Wiru team, the regional office and the South Australia Police and facilitates Return to Country arrangements for remote visitors who wish to return to their home communities.
• Securing funding to refurbish the Amata Youth Shed and upgrade the Fregon Youth Shed on the APY Lands.

Re-opening the Mimili laundromat based on feedback and support from the community.

The Port Augusta and Davenport Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan was co-designed with the community, service providers and the Commonwealth, state and local governments, to identify the focus areas to support safety and wellbeing in the region. In July 2024, the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments committed to providing funding of $12 million over three years to deliver the next phase of the plan.

In October 2024, the Port Augusta and Davenport Community Alliance Group was established to finalise the plan, identify priority actions linked to the funding, and establish monitoring and evaluation of outcomes. The community governance group has representatives from native title and traditional owner groups, Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations, Port Augusta Business Association, service providers in the safety and wellbeing space and youth representatives, in addition to representatives from both the Commonwealth and State Governments.

The department leads two Closing the Gap (CTG) Socio-Economic Outcomes (SEO) and co-leads a third with the Department for Child Protection (DPC):

• SEO 11: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
• SEO 12: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not overrepresented in the child protection system (co-led with DPC).
• SEO 13: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and households are safe.

Actions undertaken in the past year to progress the achievement of the above SEOs, in addition to those delivered through the Safety and Wellbeing Taskforce, include:

• Continuing to deliver programs and services including the Aboriginal Community Connections Program, Aboriginal Gambling Help Services, Aboriginal Community Centres, Services to Aboriginal Youth, Aboriginal Language and Interpreting Service, Child Diversion Program, Aboriginal Youth Pathways to Employment (RAW) Program, Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services, and programs delivered through the Child and Family Support System.
• Reconsidering traditional tendering methods within procurement processes in favour of greater innovation to increase the proportion of services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, particularly community-controlled organisations, as required under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
• Establishing South Australia’s Youth Justice Working Group in partnership with the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON), to further focus effort to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the youth justice system.
• Establishing the Aboriginal Outcomes Executive Committee (AOEC) to prioritise the department’s performance on Aboriginal outcomes. Accountable to the DHS Executive Leadership Team, the AOEC is responsible for providing departmental consistency, transparency, and accountability by monitoring the implementation and performance of strategies, initiatives and policies designed to improve Aboriginal outcomes, including our responsibilities under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
• Implementing several targeted initiatives to address family, domestic, and sexual violence in Aboriginal communities. Central to this has been working with the Commonwealth on the Our Ways - Strong Ways - Our Voices plan, a dedicated ten-year strategy to improve safety outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

The department also commenced a Transformation Strategy to embed the six elements of CTG Priority Reform 3, by engaging an independent Aboriginal-owned provider to conduct cultural competency testing and deliver recommendations to strengthen organisational cultural capability.

In 2024-25, the State Government directed $1.2 million over three years to South Australian organisations to provide two perpetrator programs - the Aboriginal Domestic Violence Youth Worker Program and Don’t Become That Man. Delivered by OARS Community Transitions, Don’t Become That Man is a statewide early intervention program for men who are concerned about their controlling or violent behaviour. Commencing on 1 July 2024, the program offers counselling services via phone, face-to-face and through virtual platforms to support men understand their behaviour and make positive changes to ensure their behaviour is no longer harmful to women and children.

The Aboriginal Domestic Violence Youth Worker Program, delivered by KWY Aboriginal Corporation, is only available in metropolitan Adelaide.

The gambling harm public health campaign ‘Spot the Harm. Stop the Harm.’ ran from 16 February 2025 to 13 April 2025. Phase 1 of the campaign focused on raising awareness of gambling harm and how to get help by sharing the perspectives of both those who gamble, and the people around them who may be affected.

Outlined within the Minimising Gambling Harm in South Australia Investment Plan 2021-2026, Spot the Harm was a large-scale mass media campaign that featured on South Australian television, radio and social media channels, and static advertising opportunities such as bus stops and billboards. The campaign sought to communicate to the community that gambling harm is not just about losing money, it can also impact mental health, relationships, work and overall wellbeing.

In response to the recommendations of the review into the state’s concession system, the State Government approved a package of cost-of-living relief and concessions reform in the 2024-25 State Budget worth $61.3 million over four years. The reforms included extending access to concessions for tenants in share houses, including those in disability accommodation and rooming houses.

The concessions review highlighted that people living in shared accommodation settings were missing out on household concessions because of the income of their housemate or their type of tenancy agreement. Commencing 1 January 2025, the assessment of co-resident income as part of the household concessions application process was abolished. As a result, more tenants are eligible for energy concessions and the Cost of Living Concession.

Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021-2031 is a national plan that aims to improve the inclusion of people with disability across Australia. The strategy was underpinned by five initial Targeted Action Plans (TAPs), which concluded during 2024-25. These focused on the outcome areas of: Emergency management; Safety; Early childhood; Community attitudes; and Employment.

South Australia had 69 actions across the five initial TAPs of which:

• 46 actions were completed
• 21 actions were ongoing
• two actions were discontinued.

The discontinued actions were led by the Department for Education and the South Australian Housing Trust, and were discontinued because they rely on the outcomes of broader State Government work, such as early childhood reforms and the new State Disability Inclusion Plan.

Three new TAPs have been developed in consultation with public sector agencies, which focus on: Community Attitudes; Inclusive Homes and Communities; and Safety, Rights and Justice. The South Australian Government has ten actions across the three new TAPs, which conclude in 2027.

DHS is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the actions under the TAPs.

The Commonwealth Government has committed $165 million over four years through the National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Responses 2021-2030 for 500 new frontline community workers for the family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV) sector nationally. South Australia has been granted $12.167 million to recruit 36.8 full-time equivalent (FTE), new frontline community workers over 2022 to 2026.

This funding supports frontline workers in the FDSV specialist sector and those in intersecting services including shelters, crisis support, financial counselling and child support. It includes staff for metropolitan and regional organisations, as well as specialist workers for First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, the LGBTIQA+ community and women with disabilities.

As at 30 June 2025, 46 workers (34.1 FTEs) across 36 service contracts in metropolitan and regional South Australia have been recruited. The Office for Women is working with service providers to ensure the remaining workers are recruited in a timely manner.

On 27 November 2024, the South Australian Parliament passed new laws to amend the Retirement Villages Act 2016, that give effect to recommendations of an independent review of the Act and to increase consumer protections. The Retirement Villages (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2024 increases consumer protections for residents and prospective residents of retirement villages by mandating greater contract transparency, strengthening standards applying to retirement village operators and village staff, and strengthening the powers and functions of the Registrar.

Supporting regulations are required before the new laws can commence. Consultation on Amendment Regulations to support the Amendment Act closed in May 2025. Office for Ageing Well are considering all submissions in the process of finalising the regulations.

Once supporting regulations are made, Office for Ageing Well will conduct a public awareness raising campaign to assist operators and residents to understand their rights and responsibilities under the new laws, which will commence on 2 February 2026.

The department developed and released its Child and Family Support System Research Approach 2025-27, which sets out research priorities, methods and evidence development activities. The Research Approach will inform thinking and planning around several activities, including the future allocation of resources and the progression of research partnerships with external organisations.

By progressing the goals of the Research Approach, the department will be developing social data assets that will contribute to the State Government’s social data capabilities, and ultimately lead to improved outcomes for South Australian children and families.

As part of this approach, research work to assess the efficacy of Intensive Family Support services continues to be a high priority. Further progress has been achieved with DHS completing a data-linkage project with the University of Adelaide BetterStart team (through SA/NT Data Link). This has allowed for detailed outcome modelling work to commence using the BetterStart BEBOLD platform.

The department’s Safer Family Services have put in place key workforce and practice initiatives. These include strengthened cultural governance to support culturally safe and responsive practices, a dedicated position to improve service responses for families with complex disabilities, and the rollout of new training to support staff when working with men who use violence.

Expansion of the Child and Family Safety Networks into the APY Lands and Coober Pedy has ensured greater service reach to families through multi-agency partnerships and collaborative approaches.

The Lived Experience Network has continued to play an important role in advising how the Child and Family Support System can better support families. Key achievements have included providing advice to the South Australian Social Work Registration Board in preparation for the new social worker registration scheme, and working with the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence to develop an online, anonymous consultation tool for families to share their experience of domestic, family and sexual violence.

Delivering the Communities of Practice has been a key driver to bring practitioners and leaders together across government, non-government and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, to foster a collective approach to problem solving and sharing practice insights to better support children and families. Particular attention has been given to supporting the workforce with practice wisdom and tools to engage dads and men who use violence.

The Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre has extensive security hardware to support the operational needs of the site. To address security concerns and update security hardware, the State Government committed $5.4 million over two years from 2024-25, which will ensure the continued safety and security of young people and staff at Kurlana Tapa and the community.

In the past year, work has progressed on the development of new equipment specifications, verification audits for equipment targeted for replacement, and market research on alternative systems that are suitable for Kurlana Tapa. A new contractor sign-in system and hostile vehicle mitigation system have been installed, along with the purchase of new two-way radios and supporting infrastructure.

The electronic security infrastructure at Kurlana Tapa is being upgraded as part of scheduled works and to integrate with new technology from the consolidation capital works. These critical upgrades will continue in 2025-26, including the installation of new CCTV cameras, body scanners and an x-ray baggage scanner.

The development of the Enhanced Support Model (ESM) has progressed and will be trialled in the Eucalyptus Unit at the Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre when finalised. The ESM will improve responses to children and young people, including those with complex and disability related needs, and is underpinned by trauma informed practice principles and a Positive Behaviour Support approach. This aligns with services provided by the Youth Justice Enhanced Support Team and provides a framework for a specialised, person-centred intervention model that aims to increase wellbeing and reduce behaviours of concern.

The launch of the ESM is expected to be achieved in late 2025, subject to staff and other stakeholder consultation.

During 2024-25, the University of Adelaide were engaged to undertake a review of the case management model to identify opportunities to strengthen assessment and case planning within the department’s Youth Justice services. The University delivered their findings and recommendations to DHS, including opportunities to integrate a more culturally safe and trauma-informed approach to assessment and case planning.

The review phase has been completed and an implementation plan is being finalised. This work will progress during the next 12 months and include piloting new assessment and case management tools that strengthen trauma informed and therapeutic practice approaches.

The review recommendations were also considered while finalising the Youth Justice Practice Framework to align this work and approaches to service delivery. This aims to ensure consistent messaging for staff and promote a common understanding of the purpose and practice principles that underpin Youth Justice services.

The Youth Justice Practice Framework has been developed in collaboration with staff and key stakeholders to promote consistent standards and practice approaches across the department’s Youth Justice services. The framework articulates the purpose, principles and theoretical underpinnings that guide service delivery and practice, and recognises the importance of periodic review of data and outcomes to inform continuous improvement. This aims to ensure Youth Justice services continue to respond effectively to the changing needs of young people in contact with the justice system and support contemporary youth justice reforms.

The draft Youth Justice Practice Framework will be subject to stakeholder consultation prior to finalisation in late 2025, and will align with the findings of the case management model review.

While 2024-25 represented the first full year of Disability Services operating fully under the NDIS, reforms to the service have continued to align with the requirements as a NDIS and Aged Care provider. Disability Services has been in the process of redesigning their operating model and end to end process to reflect the needs of operating in a commercial, consumer driven environment.

A Financial Sustainability Plan has been developed that identifies savings/revenue targets across a three-year period to the end of 2027-28, which is projected to deliver a reduction in net expenses. A program of works has also been developed that addresses a range of assessed gaps that will support Disability Services to deliver quality and compliant services, ensure clients are at the centre of all we do and support financial sustainability.

The program of works addresses:

• strategy and governance
• operating model
• engagement
• resourcing and workforce
• service delivery
• practice and quality.

A project delivery team will be responsible for supporting the implementation of the program of works, with governance arrangements in place to monitor and provide oversight of progress.

Released on 7 December 2023, the final report of the NDIS Review makes 26 recommendations with 139 supporting actions for the consideration of all governments. Since the release of the report, the department has worked closely with the Commonwealth and state and territory governments to progress reforms that respond to the recommendations of the NDIS Review, including legislative changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and the development of the new Foundational Supports Strategy being led by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

The first tranche of legislative amendments to the NDIS, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No.1) Amendment Act 2024 (NDIS Amendment Act No.1), commenced on 3 October 2024. The NDIS Amendment Act No.1 includes various amendments to access, planning and budget settings for NDIS participants and increases the powers of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission to protect participants from illegal and unethical conduct.

Many of the changes recommended by the NDIS Review will need to be implemented through new NDIS Rules. Any new rules will be developed in consultation with people with disability, their families and carers, and the sector.

South Australian disability officials continue to work with State Government central agency leads, the Commonwealth and other states and territories on the national disability reform program and further responses to the NDIS Review.

The South Australian Government released its initial response to the Disability Royal Commission on 31 July 2024, along with the joint response between the Commonwealth and other state and territory governments. The response sets out the Government’s position on the Disability Royal Commission’s 222 recommendations, of which 129 are the responsibility of the South Australian Government to implement.

To inform the response, DHS consulted widely across government, with a total of ten South Australian agencies responsible for implementing the 129 South Australian recommendations. South Australia has already progressed responses to several of the recommendations and provided an interim update on implementation to National Cabinet in late 2024. The first full joint-report on progress will be released early in 2025-26.

In the 2024-25 State Budget, the Government allocated funding for the establishment of a central response unit to support the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in its investigations.

Established in July 2024, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (OfPDFSV) acts as the coordinating response unit between the South Australian Government and the Royal Commission. Activities undertaken by the OfPDFSV in the past 12 months include:

• Responding to information requests, notices to produce and summonses that have been issued to government agencies by the Royal Commission.
• Establishing the whole-of-government Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Executive Steering Group, which is responsible for overseeing, leading and coordinating across-government initiatives to address domestic, family and sexual violence.
• Consulting across all State Government agencies and drafting the whole-of-government response to the Royal Commission Issues Paper, submitted to the Royal Commission on 29 October 2024.
• Connecting the Royal Commission with key State Government agency contacts for the purposes of identifying witnesses to appear at public hearings.

Monitoring and briefing the Government on Royal Commission activity, including public hearings, submissions received, emerging issues and risks.

Following the transfer of the homelessness function to DHS, and in response to historical commissioning and a 2024 Auditor-General report into the management of specialist homelessness services, the department commenced preparations to design a Homelessness System Review. The primary objective of the review is to assess and provide recommendations on the current commissioning methodology and models for homelessness services to ensure they are agile, responsive, outcome-focused, culturally informed, and integrated across South Australia.

The independent review team was competitively tendered and includes a dedicated Aboriginal consultant. The review will commence in August 2025 with the report and recommendations to be delivered by 30 June 2026.

DHS continues to drive improved collaboration between specialist homelessness services and remote visitor outreach teams to ensure effective and culturally appropriate service responses for people sleeping rough in the CBD. This work is driven through the service coordination function of the:

• Adelaide Zero Project, which identifies people sleeping rough in the Adelaide CBD and then works to ensure that appropriate housing can be provided to all people who wish to be housed. The project is a collaboration between the City of Adelaide, State Government and homelessness sector.
• Wright Place Pilot on Wright Street, which was implemented to address the need for short-term accommodation options for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Adelaide. The pilot was a collaboration between the Toward Home Alliance, Baptist Care SA, and Carrington Cottages. Tenancy management has now transitioned to Baptist Care SA.
• Baptist Care SA Paya’adlu site at Millers Court, where specialist homelessness services and government agencies can come together to find solutions for people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.

DHS supported a range of engagement and consultation forums in redeveloping the Homelessness Outcomes Framework within the department’s broader Commissioning and Outcomes Frameworks. This included:

• Purposeful elevation and centring of Aboriginal voices, including funded Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, facilitated by an Aboriginal consultancy.
• Development and distribution of a System Survey Pilot to provide a baseline to better understand the partnership between DHS and specialist homelessness services, and to identify areas for improvement.
• Development of client level and system level theories of change, which outline how the Homelessness Outcomes Framework will drive both improved outcomes for people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, as well as for the homelessness system that supports these people.

Over the past year, the following strategies were implemented to increase the proportion of services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations:

• Traditional tendering methods within procurement processes were reconsidered in favour of greater innovation to attempt to break down barriers to competitive tendering.
• A collaborative dialogue model was developed and implemented to genuinely partner with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations sector in the development and delivery of the Young Aboriginal Families in the North project, eliminating adversarial tendering.
• Cultural responsibility was incorporated as a weighted criterion in more tenders to ensure the department is contracting sound corporate citizens.
• New procurement methods were encouraged, which focus more on storytelling rather than paper-based responses.
• Limited procurement processes were allowed to ensure Aboriginal businesses are delivering services to Aboriginal communities.

Aboriginal employees were supported and funded to undertake leadership development programs. This includes seven employees who completed the Aboriginal Leadership Program, two employees who completed the Manager Essentials Program, and two who completed the Executive Induction Program. All programs were run through the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment.

During 2024-25, 20 new graduates were recruited, comprising five AHP1 Graduate Practitioners and 15 ASO3 Graduate Officers.

The department strengthened its disability workforce by recruiting 195 Disability Support Officers across nine induction intakes.

DHS continued to support staff undertaking tertiary studies in social work, with four staff members assisted with study support in the form of leave, financial reimbursement and/or paid university placements.

Launched in November 2024, the Health and Wellbeing Framework and Implementation Plan establish a clear strategic direction for enhancing worker wellbeing and safety. Implementation of programs and initiatives are primarily on schedule to achieve the 2026 targets.

A range of health and wellbeing initiatives are offered to support employee safety, mental and physical health, and financial wellness. These include:

• Corporate Partnerships:
• Bank SA and Westpac: Financial education, exclusive loan offers, and personalised support via a dedicated Corporate Partners Manager.
• Medibank, HCF and Bupa: Discounted health insurance, digital health programs, and telehealth services tailored to staff needs.
• Employee Assistance Program: Confidential counselling and support services provided through the Corporate Health Group, available to employees and their families.
• Fitness Passport: Discounted gym and fitness memberships for staff and their families to promote physical wellbeing.
• Influenza Vaccination Program: Fully funded annual flu vaccinations to support infection control and staff health.
• Psychosocial Hazard Communications: Monthly updates raise awareness of psychosocial risks and promote prevention strategies across the department.

Vicarious Trauma Training: Regular training sessions integrated into the wellbeing program to support staff mental health.

As part of the independent Audit and Verification System (AVS) program, Ashurst Risk Advisory was engaged by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment (OCPSE) to review the department’s work health and safety risk management processes.

The review evaluated how well the department identifies hazards, assesses and controls work health and safety risks, monitors and reviews controls, and integrates work health and safety into its broader risk management framework. The department received a ‘Proactive’ audit rating, reflecting a mature and effective approach to work health and safety risk management.

Work has continued to develop, review, and mature the department’s Safety Management System to ensure ongoing legislative compliance. This will also provide a structured framework for risk management and continuous improvement in preparation for the external AVS audit scheduled for early 2026.

The department established a dedicated Wellbeing and Safety Committee as a high-level advisory body to provide strategic guidance on wellbeing and safety matters. Reporting to the Executive Leadership Team, the committee includes representatives from high-risk operational areas, divisional wellbeing and safety committees, and employee-led networks to ensure diverse, inclusive input across DHS. It also acts as an escalation point for issues unresolved at the divisional level.

The Wellbeing and Safety Committee within Disability Services was re-established to reinforce the directorate’s commitment to a safe, inclusive and supportive workplace. The committee offers a structured, accessible consultation process through a virtual platform, enhancing staff engagement. To strengthen workforce representation, 13 new Health and Safety Representatives were appointed. Additionally, two dedicated Safety, Wellbeing, and Injury Management Advisors were recruited to support and build local wellbeing and safety capabilities.

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