Department of Human Services

What Department of Human Services does

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is a South Australian Government state department headquartered at Riverside Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide, with a workforce of over 3,000 staff delivering human services to approximately 1.77 million South Australians. It is the mandated lead agency for child wellbeing and safety, disability services, domestic, family and sexual violence, screening, and youth justice, and holds policy responsibility for women, youth, and volunteers. The portfolio spans 18 service categories, including the Child and Family Support System (with Intensive Family Services supporting around 2,600 children annually at a 93.2% family preservation rate after 24 months), DHS Disability Services, the Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card, the Office of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, the Office for Women, LGBTIQA+ services, Youth Justice (including Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre), homelessness support, concessions and financial hardship programs, gambling harm support, and grants administration. Core technology consists of centralized data systems including the CFSS Pathways Service (a single point of entry for family referrals tracking demographic and outcome data), population data capture tools supporting the CFSS Learning System, and the Results Reporting Data Dock (R2D2) for Results-Based Accountability reporting. Services are delivered through a hybrid channel model: direct DHS offices across metropolitan and regional South Australia (Adelaide, Daw Park, Kadina, Mawson Lakes, Mount Gambier), phone hotlines, online portals, and a funded partner network of NGOs, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (which receive 30% of CFSS funding), and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. DHS is funded entirely through South Australian Government budget appropriations; services are provided free at point of delivery, with no commercial revenue model or pricing structure.

Name

Department of Human Services

Legal name

Department of Human Services

Website

https://dhs.sa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Department of Human Services is the South Australian Government department delivering child protection, disability, ageing, domestic violence, youth justice, and community support services to 1.77 million residents, funded through state budget appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare-Linked Social Benefits Administration (e.g., Medicaid/Means-Tested Health Coverage) (BPAIAKAH), Family & Child Benefits Administration (Child Allowance, Parental Leave) (BPAIAKAD), Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Administration (BPAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Human services delivery
• Child and family support
• Disability support services
• Youth justice services
• Community welfare programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: DHS is a government department funded through South Australian Government budget appropriations. Revenue comes from consolidated revenue funds allocated by the government to deliver public services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is a South Australian Government department that delivers a comprehensive portfolio of social services spanning child and family support, disability services, ageing well programs, concessions, youth justice, domestic violence prevention, homelessness support, screening checks, interpreting services, and grants administration. It serves more than 1.77 million South Australians through direct service offices, online portals, phone hotlines, and a funded network of NGOs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations. Services are funded by government appropriations and provided free at point of delivery to eligible residents.

Product overview

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is a South Australian government department offering a comprehensive portfolio of social services organized across 18 major service categories. The portfolio operates as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product, spanning child and family support (including the Child and Family Support System with Safer Family Services and Intensive Family Services), disability services, ageing well services (including Seniors Card and Office for Ageing Well), homelessness support, youth services, youth justice (including Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre), domestic violence prevention, gambling harm support, carer services, concessions and financial hardship assistance, community programs (Community Connections, Community Visitor Scheme), Aboriginal services, LGBTIQA+ services, women's services, NGO sector support (including ASES accreditation and Child Safe Environment Program), interpreting and translating services, screening checks, volunteering support, and grants administration. Key digital services include the Family Safety Portal for professionals and Results Reporting Data Dock (R2D2) for program reporting. In 2026, Safer Family Services achieved Rainbow Tick accreditation as the first South Australian Government service to do so.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Safer Family Services: A service within DHS that helps families facing complex challenges keep children at home, connected to family, community and culture. In 2026, became the first South Australian Government service to achieve Rainbow Tick accreditation.
• Office for Ageing Well
• Office of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence
• Office for Women
• LGBTIQA+ Services
• Screening Unit

Products and services

• Child and Family Support System (CFSS) A combined system of non-statutory services and supports delivered by government, NGOs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations designed to respond to different degrees of complexity and safety concerns of children and families in South Australia.
• Safer Family Services Helps South Australian families facing complex challenges keep children at home, connected to family, community and culture.
• Intensive Family Services (IFS) High intensity family support for families where there are high to very high-level child safety concerns, supporting around 2,600 children per year with a 93.2% family preservation rate after 24 months.
• DHS Disability Services Services for people with disability who need regular support to live independently at home and in the community, including personal care assistance and community participation support, delivered through regional disability offices.
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) DHS provides a range of Specialist Disability Accommodation houses for South Australians with disability.
• Exceptional Needs Unit Supporting individuals and families who have multiple complex needs and risk factors.
• Seniors Card Free card for eligible South Australians 60+, offering discounts on public transport, retail, entertainment, and more.
• Office for Ageing Well Offers programs and services shaped by older South Australians to support the government's commitment for ageing well in South Australia.
• Concessions Program Government-provided range of concessions and programs to eligible South Australians including Companion Card, GlassesSA, and personal alert systems.
• Financial Hardship Support Services helping with household bills, food relief, rent or mortgage including Affordable SA, No Interest Loans, and Financial Counselling.
• Homelessness Support Services Support for people experiencing homelessness or at risk, including services to stay safe, get support, and access housing.
• Office of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Supports the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence and coordinates government response to domestic, family and sexual violence prevention.
• Youth Justice Services Programs and support including psychology, speech pathology, and child diversion pathways for young people in contact with the youth justice system.
• Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre A safe, supportive custodial space for young people aged 10 to 21 years who are either in custody or have been refused police bail.
• Screening Checks Manages Working with Children checks, NDIS Worker checks, and Aged Care Sector Employment checks on behalf of the South Australian Government.
• Grants Program Funding provided to vulnerable or disadvantaged communities in South Australia to help improve community participation, wellbeing, and quality of life, administered through Grants SA.
• Office for Women Works toward achieving gender equity and positive change for women in South Australia by collaborating across government and the community.
• LGBTIQA+ Services Services helping LGBTIQA+ South Australians access information on rights, discrimination, gender identity, and relationships, with Safer Family Services becoming the first South Australian Government service to achieve Rainbow Tick accreditation in 2026.
• Interpreting and Translating Centre Translation and interpreting services in over 100 languages spoken in South Australia, including the Aboriginal Language Interpreting Service (ALIS).
• Carer Support Services DHS funds carer support services in South Australia and partners with carer support providers to connect carers with available services.
• Community Connections Program Supports people to enhance their wellbeing by strengthening connections with communities, social networks, and services.
• Gambling Harm Support SA Support available to help South Australians change their gambling, available through the Gambling Harm Support website.
• Aboriginal Language Interpreting Service (ALIS) Helps establish clear and accurate spoken communications with Aboriginal language speakers in South Australia.
• Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services (MAYFS) A dedicated Aboriginal service with a focus on diverting young people away from the justice system and toward improved life outcomes.
• Family Safety Portal A secure web space for professionals who support people affected by domestic, family, or sexual violence, facilitating risk assessment, referral and case management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93.2% family preservation rate after 24 months for CFSS Intensive Family Services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Carers SAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDHS works with Carers SA, the main carer service in SA, to support families across metropolitan, rural and remote areas with care and advocacy services. DHS funds carer support services in South Australia.
• University of Adelaide - BetterStart Health and Development Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership providing evidence development for the Child and Family Support System, including quasi-experimental evaluation of Intensive Family Services and population data science.
• Relationships Australia SAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on development of e-learning resources to complement the DHS SFS Practice Guide, Centring the Child's Voice, available to the CFSS sector.
• Youth Affairs Council of South Australia (YACSA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYACSA is the peak body representing young people and the non-government youth sector in South Australia. DHS provides sector support and advocacy funding to YACSA.
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACCOs deliver CFSS services alongside government and NGOs. DHS dedicates 30 percent of all funding to ACCOs and embeds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander System Design Criteria in commissioning.
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACCHOs deliver child and family support services as part of the combined CFSS system of government, NGOs and ACCOs.
• Community Transport South AustraliasupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in the Community Connections Program, providing transport services to support community connection and access to services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NSW Department of Communities and Justice: NSW's consolidated state department covering child protection, housing, community services and justice policy. Directly comparable on portfolio structure (child safety, ageing, disability, community services) and on operating a large hybrid state-direct plus NGO/ACCO delivery model.
• Western Australian Department of Communities: WA's lead state department for child protection, housing, disability, youth justice and community services, serving a geographically dispersed population. Directly comparable to DHS on mandate and on the delivery challenges inherent to remote-area servicing.
• Queensland Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety: Queensland's lead state department for child safety, seniors, disability services and family support. Highly comparable on portfolio mix, statutory child protection mandate and regional service delivery across a geographically dispersed state.
• Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH): Victoria's lead state department for child protection, family services, housing, disability and social housing, operating at the largest state scale in Australia. Closely comparable to DHS on mandate (child safety, family support, housing/homelessness, disability, family violence) and on being a state-level consolidated human-services department.
• Tasmanian Department of Communities Tasmania: Tasmania's lead state department for child safety, youth justice, housing, disability and community services. Comparable to DHS as a smaller-state human-services department serving a limited population base with analogous portfolio responsibilities.
• Northern Territory Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities: NT's lead department for child protection, housing, community services and remote service delivery. Highly comparable to DHS on operating across a vast geographic area with significant Aboriginal/remote community service delivery needs and statutory child protection responsibility.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Government Department of Social Services: Australian federal department responsible for social security, welfare, ageing and disability policy and funding. Operates at the federal level above DHS on policy and funding frameworks, with overlapping agenda areas (disability, ageing, family services) but a federal rather than state mandate.
• New Zealand Ministry of Social Development: New Zealand's national ministry responsible for social welfare, income support, child welfare and community services. Comparable to DHS at the national level on mandate (child welfare, elder care, social services delivery) and on operating a mixed direct-delivery and provider network.

Regional players

• ACT Community Services Directorate: ACT's lead directorate for child and youth protection, housing, community services and disability. Comparable to DHS on portfolio scope but operating within a smaller single-city jurisdiction rather than a multi-region state.

Others

• UK Department for Work and Pensions: UK central government department responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy and delivery. Functionally adjacent to DHS as a national-scale social-services department but operating within a different welfare-state structure and policy framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/humanservicessa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/HumanServicesSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumanServicesSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humanservicessa
• Instagraminstagram.com/humanservicessa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Human Services