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The Secretary is the principal officer of DCJ.
DCJ consists of eight (8) divisions led by senior executives who report to the Secretary:
DCJ also supports several independent statutory office holders.
Visit About DCJ to download organisational charts outlining the executive structure of DCJ and the structure of the Communities and Justice Agency Portfolio.
Further information about DCJ’s divisions is accessible below by expanding the relevant section.
Child Protection and Permanency (‘CPP’) provides services relating to the care and protection of children and young persons in NSW.
Child protection functions exercised by DCJ are primarily governed by the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW). These functions include:
Most child protection casework is undertaken by Community Services Centres across 16 geographic districts in seven (7) groups. A map of the districts and groups is available online.
The Senior Practitioner drives positive practice change within DCJ. Partnering with child protection practitioners and practice leaders, the Senior Practitioner develops, supports, and promotes best practice to achieve positive outcomes for families.
Community Services Statewide Services provides specialised operational support to child protection districts across NSW. It provides the following services:
CPP’s functions ensure that children and young persons receive the care, support, opportunities, and stability they need to reach their full potential. Decision-making involving children is undertaken in a structured way to ensure that the unique circumstances of children and their families are considered and that consistent outcomes are achieved in the best interests of the child.
Visit Children and Families for more information.
Corporate Services provides integrated support to other divisions to facilitate service delivery and business functions across DCJ. It includes the following:
Communications delivers communications strategy, media and social media services, marketing, campaigns, events, corporate branding, and digital experience for DCJ websites and intranets.
Finance and Procurement provides financial management, financial reporting, procurement and financial strategy support, and accounting and internal control policy advice across DCJ. It monitors Departmental activities to ensure DCJ meets financial integrity standards, certification frameworks, and continuous improvement strategies.
Governance, Risk, Audit and Compliance manages organisational risk, supports DCJ’s Executive, oversees compliance with government policy, and provides divisional support to achieve strategy, planning, governance, reporting, and change management outcomes.
Information and Digital Services provides information technology (‘IT’) and related services to support service delivery and business functions across DCJ, including:
Infrastructure and Assets manages infrastructure and non-financial assets, including accommodation and properties owned or leased by DCJ. This directorate supports the transformation of DCJ’s asset management capabilities in accordance with the NSW Government Asset Management Policy.
People manages human resources, workplace health and safety, workplace inclusion and diversity, conduct and professional standards, and talent acquisition.
Corporate Services’ functions aim to enhance the public’s interactions with DCJ and ensure public accountability by:
Courts, Tribunals and Service Delivery (‘CTSD’) provides services relating to the NSW justice system. It manages and supports the largest network of courts and tribunals in Australia.
Services include the following:
CTSD provides court registry and administrative support services for courts and tribunals in NSW. Additionally, it provides operational support to facilitate court and tribunal service delivery, such as data analytics and insights, digital customer experience and online services, and court recording and transcription services.
These functions assist the public to access court and tribunal services in NSW and provide integral administrative and operational support to courts and tribunals, allowing them to operate as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Sheriff of NSW exercises functions under the Sheriff Act 2005 (NSW) or any other Act or law that gives functions to the Sheriff. These include:
The Sheriff may delegate their functions to Sheriff’s officers or any person employed by DCJ.
The functions of the Sheriff facilitate the responsible and effective administration of justice in NSW. These functions give effect to court and tribunal orders, ensure that courts and tribunals are safe and secure for the public, staff, and judicial officers, and assist in the effective administration of court and tribunal processes.
The Commissioner of Victims Rights exercises functions under the Victims Rights and Support Act 2013 (NSW) and any other law that confers or imposes functions on the Commissioner. These functions may be delegated by the Commissioner to staff employed for the purposes of the Act.
The Commissioner’s functions include:
Victims Services seeks to recognise, promote, and give effect to the rights of victims of crime in NSW.
Homes NSW was established in February 2024 to consolidate housing services previously provided across DCJ, the Aboriginal Housing Office, and the NSW Land and Housing Corporation. It includes the following:
The Aboriginal Housing Office (‘AHO’) is a statutory body established under the Aboriginal Housing Act 1998 (NSW). It plans, develops, delivers, and evaluates programs and services aimed at meeting the housing needs of First Nations persons in NSW.
The AHO seeks to:
Disaster Welfare and Business Continuity co-ordinates evacuation centres and provides welfare services for people affected by natural disasters. It aims to relieve hardship and distress among disaster-affected individuals, families, and communities.
Housing Portfolio manages Australia’s largest social housing portfolio, with over 125,000 properties across NSW. Its functions include:
Housing Services delivers a range of housing and homelessness assistance products. This includes:
Strategy, Policy and Regulation develops and informs Housing Services’ policy by:
The functions exercised by Homes NSW assist those in the community who may be experiencing financial and personal hardship or face barriers in accessing affordable housing. These functions are essential to ensuring that the supply of housing in NSW is accessible, adequate, affordable, and responsive to the needs of the community.
Visit Housing and homelessness for further information.
Law Reform and Legal Services (‘LRLS’) provides a range of legal and policy services.
LRLS supports the following independent statutory offices which are addressed in Part 4 of the AIG:
LRLS consists of the following:
Divisional Support and Public Accountability (‘DSPA’):
Legal is led by DCJ’s General Counsel and consists of the following practice areas:
Legal does not provide legal advice or representation to members of the public. It provides in-house legal services to DCJ and to the Attorney General, including but not limited to:
While most services are provided internally or to the Attorney General, some services are provided to members of the public. These include:
Legal’s functions have direct and indirect effects on members of the public by:
The Surveillance Devices Commissioner is appointed under the Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (NSW) (‘SD Act’) by DCJ’s Secretary in consultation with the Attorney General. The Commissioner is supported by the General Counsel, DCJ Legal.
The Attorney General may delegate any functions of the Attorney under Pts 3 or 5 of the SD Act to the Commissioner. The functions exercised by the Commissioner include:
These functions aim to ensure the responsible and lawful use of surveillance devices by balancing the rights of individuals against the need for community safety, law enforcement, and the administration of justice.
Ministerial and Parliamentary Services (‘MaPS’):
Policy Reform and Legislation (‘PRL’) aims to ensure that the legal and policy framework for DCJ is consistent with the NSW Government’s current priorities. Its services include:
The Strategy Unit supports strategic development within the organisation and assists the Executive to make effective strategic decisions. It aims to:
These functions assist DCJ in building its strategic capabilities and ensures the cohesion and strategic alignment of service delivery across the organisation.
Strategy, Policy and Commissioning (‘SPC’) provides policy and strategic support and data analytics across many of DCJ’s functions. It includes the following:
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (‘BOCSAR’) provides statistics and conducts research on crime and criminal justice in NSW. It aims to:
These functions assist policy makers and administrators in the criminal justice system to develop and implement evidence-based strategies for reducing crime and provide for a more efficient, effective, and equitable justice system.
Commissioning and Planning centralises DCJ’s commissioning and planning activities to promote a uniform approach to our work with non-government organisations and provide support to the human services sector in NSW.
Disability, Inclusion and Early Intervention supports the implementation of policies and programs relating to seniors, persons with disability, carers, and young people. This includes:
Partnerships builds and maintains relationships between DCJ and contracted service partners in the delivery of human services. This includes:
Partnerships assists contract managers across DCJ to effectively manage contracts between DCJ and contracted service providers. It supports non-government organisations that provide human services under a contract with DCJ, ensuring that clients receive quality human services regardless of whether these services are provided by DCJ or through a contracted service provider.
Family and Community Services Insights, Analysis and Research (‘FACSIAR’) conducts research, analysis, and evaluation of human services within DCJ. It works with other government agencies and non-government organisations on specific projects, data linkage, and research and evaluation.
These functions guide evidence-based improvements to human services and outcomes for individuals and communities, particularly in relation to child protection and out-of-home care, domestic and family violence, social housing, homelessness, disability, ageing, and the human services sector’s resourcing and business operations.
The Women’s Safety Commissioner provides leadership and oversight across the NSW Government to strengthen responses to domestic, family, and sexual violence. The role provides collaboration and co-ordination across the public sector, the private sector, and the community.
The Commissioner’s role seeks to give victim-survivors of domestic, family, and sexual violence a greater voice in the development of policies and programs, raise awareness, and engage with the public to deliver improved women’s safety outcomes.
Women, Family and Community Safety leads strategic reform, policy development, and program delivery to address systemic challenges in domestic, family, and sexual violence. It also manages a range of justice-related programs including the Justice Advocacy Service, Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment Program, and Traffic Offender Intervention Program.
These services support prevention, intervention, and long-term safety outcomes for individuals, families, and the community.
System Reform is leading reforms to services and support delivered to at-risk families, children, and young people. Its functions aim to improve service delivery and programs delivered in key focus areas to achieve better outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
System Reform includes the following:
Child and Family is responsible for policies and programs relating to early intervention, volunteering, carers, and youth participation. It is responsible for policy and program management relating to the delivery of out-of-home care by DCJ and contracted service providers.
Child and Family dually reports to the Deputy Secretary, Strategy, Policy and Commissioning.
High-Cost Emergency Arrangements works with DCJ caseworkers to reduce the number of children and young persons in high-cost emergency accommodation. This includes working with emergency foster carers and non-government organisations to facilitate more stable, lower cost accommodation for children and young persons in out-of-home care.
Youth Justice (‘YJ’) exercises functions in relation to young persons aged 10 to 18 who have come, or who are at risk of coming, into contact with the criminal justice system. It primarily exercises functions under the Children (Detention Centres) Act 1987 (NSW) and the Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW).
YJ operates six (6) youth justice centres (‘YJCs’) across NSW which accommodate young offenders on remand or who are subject to a control order under the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW). YJCs offer a range of services such as psychology services to support young offenders in custody, while external agencies provide detainees with education and health services to support wellbeing, development, and reintegration into the community on release.
Youth Justice Community Offices supervise young people subject to a community-based legal order and provide intervention programs to young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.
These functions seek to ensure the safety of the community against criminal behaviour, support young offenders and their families to appropriately address offending and criminogenic risk factors, and reduce the risk of reoffending or continuing to offend into adult life.
Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes provides a range of services leading to improved outcomes for First Nations persons in areas such as criminal justice, child protection, and housing. This division supports other divisions of DCJ to educate staff and improve service delivery to achieve meaningful and permanent outcomes for First Nations.
Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes aims to address systemic causes of disadvantage and meet the National Agreement on Closing the Gap targets relating to child protection, criminal justice, housing, and domestic violence prevention.
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