NSW Office of the Public Guardian: agencies providing services to people with disabilities and their supports

Agency / Contact details / Type of Disability / Services provided
Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) / 1800 052 222 (referrals)
/ DementiaAge related / ACAT undertake assessments for aged care placement or community support services. ACATis staffed by a range of medical and allied health professionals, such as psychiatrists, social workers, nurses and occupational therapists.
NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)– Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division / 02 9223 4677
1300 006 228
/ All disabilities / NCAT’s Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division review administrative decisions made by NSW Government agencies, such as the Public Guardian and NSW Trustee and Guardian.
Aged Care Complaints Commissioner(ACCC) / 1800 550 552
/ DementiaAge-related / The ACCCinvestigates concerns or complaints about any aspects of an Australian Government subsidised aged care service, such as hostels and nursing homes.
Carer Gateway / 1800 422 737
/ All disabilities / Carer Gateway is a National on-line and phone service that provides practical information and resources to support carers.
Carers NSW / 1800242636
/ All disabilities / Carers NSW arethe peak body for carers of people with disability. They provide information, referrals, emotional support and counselling.
Community Justice Centres (CJC) / 1800 990 777
/ All disabilities / CJC provide free mediation and conflict management services to help people resolve disputes.
Community Legal Centre(CLC) / 02 9212 7333
/ All disabilities / CLC is the peak body that supports local community legal centres, which in turn provide generalist and specialist legal advice. The website enables you to search for legal support in your local area or in relation to specialist services, such as Indigenous or discrimination-related legal matters.
Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) / 1800 424 065
/ Intellectual disabilities / CID runs an information service for people with intellectual disability, their family and friends. They also provide written resources, community events and workshops for people with disability and their families.
Dementia Australia / 1800 100 500
/ Dementia / Alzheimer's Australia is the peak body that provides a range of services to people with dementia, their families and carers. Services include information, support, counselling, advocacy and education.
Family Advocacy NSW / 1800 620 588
/ All Disabilities / Family Advocacy provides information and skills based workshops and events, advocacy related support, advice and systemic advocacy.
Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) / 1800 043 159
/ All disabilities / HCCC acts to protect public health and safety by resolving, investigating and prosecuting complaints about health care services in NSW.
IDEAS / 1800 029 904
0458 296 602
/ All disabilities / IDEAS maintain extensive information resources that can be accessed online and over the phone. They provide information about community services, disability equipment, travel (including holidays), different languages, home modifications
Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) / 02 9318 0144
1800 666 611
/ Intellectual disability / IDRS is a community legal centre providing legal advice to anyone with anintellectual disability to exercise and advance their rights. Advice can also be given to family members, carers and advocates.
LawAccess / 1300 888 529
/ All disabilities / LawAccess is a free government telephone service providing legal information and referrals for people who have a legal problem.
Mental Health Advocacy Service (MHAS) / 1800 999 057
/ Mental illness / The MHAS provides free legal advice about mental health law. They represent people in hearings that relate to their detention and treatment in hospitals and the community, and the management of their money. They also provide representation for people with other disabilities before the Guardianship Tribunal
Multicultural DisabilityAdvocacy Association (MDAA) / 02 9891 6400
/ All Disabilities / MDAA provide a range of advocacy services and projects for all people in NSW who have a disability and their families and carers with particular focus on those from culturally and linguistically diverse background.
National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline / 1800 880 052
/ All disabilities / The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline is an Australia wide telephone hotline for reporting abuse and neglect of people with disability.
NSW Ombudsman / 02 9286 1000
/ All disabilities / The NSW Ombudsman handles complaints in different areas, some of which include public sector agencies (e.g. NSW Health, Housing), local government, the police, community services, correctional centres and, freedom of information. The Ombudsman has the power to investigate conduct that is illegal, unreasonable, unjust or oppressive, improperly discriminatory, based on improper or irrelevant grounds, based on a mistake of law or fact, or otherwise wrong.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) / 1800 800 110
/ People with disability under the age of 65 / The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to people with disability, their families and carers.
People with Disability Australia (PWDA) / 1800 422 015
02 9370 3100
/ All disabilities / PWD is adisability organisation providing a disability information and advocacy (individual and systemic) across NSW.
NSW Trustee and Guardian (NSW T&G) / 1300 360 466
/ All disabilities / The NSWT&G provides financial management services for people with disabilities who have financial management orders. They also oversee private financial managers in their roles.
NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal) – Guardianship Division / 1800 463 928
/ All disabilities / In addition to making guardianship and financial management orders, applications can also be made for the Tribunal to review existing orders: to add or change functions, guardians or financial managers.
Seniors Rights Service / 02 9281 3600
Regional: 1800 424 079
/ People with disability over the age of 65 / Seniors Rights Service is a community legal centre that provides non-legal advocacy for the residents of Commonwealth funded hostels and nursing homes and recipients of in-home aged care in NSW, and legal advice and advocacy for residents of self-care retirement villages. Seniors Rights Service also runs a legal service specifically for older people.