The Department of Social Services (DSS) is a
department of the
Government of Australia charged with the responsibility for national policies and programs that help deliver a strong and fair society for all Australians. The department develops and implements
social policy.
The head of the department is the
Secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...
of the Department of Social Services, currently
Ray Griggs,
[.] who reports to the
Minister for Families and Social Services
The Minister for Social Services is the Australian federal government minister who oversees Australian Government social services, including mental health, families and children's policy, and support for carers and people with disabilities, and ...
. Previously, the
Minister for Social Services was
Paul Fletcher from 2018 to 2019. In the
Turnbull Government, the ministers were assisted by the
Assistant Minister for Disability Services, the Hon
Jane Prentice and the
Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon
Craig Laundy
Craig Arthur Samuel Laundy (born 16 February 1971) is a former Australian Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party politician who served as Australian House of Representatives, Member of Parliament for Division of Reid, Reid from 2013 Australia ...
.
The head office of the department is located in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. I ...
suburb of
Greenway.
History
The department was formed by way of an
Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 18 September 2013
and replaced the majority of the functions previously performed by the former
(FaHCSIA); with the exception of
Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
__NOTOC__
The Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination (OIPC) was the Australian Government-led unit for the coordination of policy, programs and services for Indigenous Australians from July 2004 to August 2011.
The OIPC was formally establish ...
, that was transferred to the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Operational activities
In an
Administrative Arrangements Order made on 18 September 2013, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters:
*
Ageing research
*Income security and support policies and programs for
families with children,
carers
A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...
, the aged,
people with disabilities
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
and people in hardship
*Income support policies for students and apprentices
*Services for families with children, people with disabilities and carers
*Services for older people, including their carers
*Policy for and promotion of active ageing, other than employment policy
*Community mental health
*Community support services
*Family relationship, Family and Children’s Support Services
*Social housing, rent assistance and
homelessness
*Child support policy
*Housing affordability
*Services to help people with disabilities obtain employment
*Arrangements for the settlement of migrants and humanitarian entrants, other than migrant child and migrant adult education
*Non-profit sector and volunteering
*Multicultural affairs
Secretary of the Department
The Secretary of the Department Social Services is the head of the department, also known as the
secretary
A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a ...
of the level of ''Senior Executive Service Band 4'' in the
Australian Public Service as per the ''Public Service Act 1999''.
See also
*
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
*
List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities
References
External links
Department of Social Services website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Department of Social Services (Australia)
Social Services
Adoption in Australia
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
Housing in Australia
Public policy in Australia
Government agencies established in 2013
Social security in Australia