Women's Information Service

What Women's Information Service does

Women's Information Service (WIS) is a South Australian Government service operated by the Department of Human Services since 1984, providing free information, referral, and support to women across the state on topics including domestic and family violence, relationships, health, housing, financial matters, education, and career. The service delivers across three primary channels: a phone line (Adelaide 8303 0590 plus a toll-free rural line 1800 188 158), a website with information resources and a service-finder, and an in-person shopfront at 101 Grenfell Street, Adelaide. This metropolitan footprint is supplemented by a network of Regional Safety Hubs (Havens) and Children's Centre outreach points across at least eight regional centres (Gawler, Goolwa, Mount Barker, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Pirie, Berri, Whyalla) plus Aboriginal-controlled safety hubs in Port Augusta (Kornar Winmil Yunti) and Port Lincoln (Yarredi Services). Its core technology platform is the Family Safety Portal, a secure authenticated web platform launched in 2024 that lets multi-agency caseworkers conduct risk assessments, share information, and coordinate referrals within the Family Safety Framework across 17 SA Government regions. Supporting offerings include the Family Safety Framework itself (the SA Government's multi-agency coordinated response to domestic, family and sexual violence since November 2013), a Family Court Support volunteer accompaniment program, a Rural Women's Phone Link Up, a Tax Help Service, a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, and policy initiatives such as the SA Women's Equality Blueprint 2023–2026, Gender Impact Assessment Tools, Investing in Equality budget analyses, SA Women's Week, and SA Women of Impact Awards.

The business model is fully government-funded through the South Australian Department of Human Services budget allocation, with no revenue generated from end users: all services are provided free of charge, and the entity has no subsidiaries, no investors, and no commercial funding rounds. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-public via physical, phone, and online service delivery rather than a commercial sales motion — the office serves women in South Australia regardless of ability to pay, with particular targeting of women experiencing domestic violence, regional and rural women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, multicultural women, and women navigating Family Court proceedings. Strategic positioning is anchored in statutory coordination of the Family Safety Framework with core partner agencies including SAPOL, Department for Child Protection, SA Housing Authority, Department for Correctional Services, SA Health, Adult Mental Health Services, Drug and Alcohol Services SA, Department for Education, and Women's Domestic Violence Services. The parent DHS holds White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation (first SA Government department accredited in 2014, all departments by 2016), and WIS itself has been in continuous operation for over 40 years.

Name

Women's Information Service

Legal name

Women's Information Service (Department of Human Services, South Australian Government)

Website

https://officeforwomen.sa.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Information Service is a South Australian Government service (since 1984) providing free information, referral, and support on domestic violence, family, health, housing, financial, and legal matters to women across South Australia via phone, online, and in-person services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Service: Fully government-funded service provided free of charge to South Australian women. No revenue generation as this is a public service initiative of the South Australian Department of Human Services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Women's Information Service (WIS) is a free, government-funded public service of the South Australian Department of Human Services that provides information, referral and support to women in South Australia online, over the phone and in person. It covers family life, relationships, domestic violence, health, housing, financial matters, education and career, and operates Regional Safety Hubs (Havens), a Shopfront in Adelaide, Family Court Support volunteers, a Rural Women's Phone Link Up and, through the Family Safety Framework, a coordinated multi-agency response to Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence.

Product overview

Women's Information Service (WIS) is a South Australian Government service providing information and support to women through multiple channels: online, phone, and in-person at shopfronts and Havens across the state. The core offerings include the WIS information service, the Family Safety Framework (a coordinated multi-agency response to domestic, family and sexual violence), and the Family Safety Portal (a secure online case management platform). Supporting services include Regional Safety Hubs/Havens, Family Court Support volunteers, and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. The Office for Women also runs policy initiatives such as SA Women's Week, the SA Women's Equality Blueprint, Investing in Equality budget analyses, and SA Women of Impact Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WIS Haven / Safety Hub: Safe local places where women can speak privately to trained volunteers for information, support and referrals
• WIS Children's Centre Outreach
• Family Court Support
• Tax Help Service
• Rural Women's Phone Link Up

Products and services

• Women's Information Service (WIS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Family Safety Framework operates across 17 regions statewide
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South Australia Police (SAPOL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013SAPOL is a core partner in the Family Safety Framework, chairing Family Safety Meetings across 17 regions and coordinating the multi-agency response to high-risk domestic violence cases. They assess referrals and manage case coordination.
• Department for Child ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core agency in Family Safety Framework providing child protection services and coordinated responses for families affected by domestic violence.
• SA Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core partner in Family Safety Framework providing housing support and assessments for victims of domestic violence.
• Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Parent department that houses Office for Women and WIS, providing administrative oversight of Family Safety Framework.
• Department for Correctional ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core partner providing information on perpetrators and coordinating accountability measures in Family Safety Framework.
• SA HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core partner including community health, women's health, Aboriginal health, midwifery, nursing and hospital staff in Family Safety Framework.
• Adult Mental Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core agency providing mental health support as part of coordinated domestic violence response.
• Drug and Alcohol Services SAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core partner providing assessment and referral for substance use issues in domestic violence cases.
• Department for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Core partner providing school liaison and support for children affected by domestic violence.
• Women's Domestic Violence Services (NGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Non-government organisation partners providing specialist domestic violence support services within Family Safety Framework.
• SA Housing TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Partner organisation providing housing support for people affected by domestic violence through Family Safety Portal.
• Women's Domestic Violence ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013Partner NGO providing specialist domestic violence services through Family Safety Portal.
• Women's Safety Services SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation helping promote safe, respectful relationships and providing community education.
• Multicultural Communities Council of SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organisation helping reach culturally diverse communities with domestic violence information and support.
• Veterans SAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped fact sheets on family violence for the military community in partnership with Office for Women.
• Gawler Community HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for The Haven Gawler providing safe space for women to discuss safety concerns.
• Centacare Catholic CountryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting Havens in Riverland and Whyalla, providing family and community services.
• Kornar Winmil YuntiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAboriginal community organisation delivering Port Augusta Safety Hub (KWY Safety Hub).
• Yarredi Services Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation delivering Port Lincoln Women's Wellbeing and Safety Centre at 34 Mortlock Terrace.
• Our WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organisation working to prevent violence against women. Office for Women partners on community education campaigns.
• Zahra FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides financial counselling for women who have experienced domestic and family violence. Outreach worker visits WIS Shopfront monthly.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lifeline Australia: National 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention service. Overlaps with WIS on crisis referral pathways for women in distress, but serves a much broader population and is not women-specific.
• Relationships Australia: Federation of state-based Relationship Australia services providing family and relationship counselling, mediation, and family law support nationally. A broader incumbent with overlapping capability in family dispute resolution and DV referral, but spanning all genders and relationship types rather than women-focused.

Direct peers

• 1800RESPECT: National 24/7 domestic, family and sexual violence counselling and referral service operated by Medibank Health Solutions on behalf of the Australian Government. Directly comparable to WIS as a referral/information service for women experiencing DFV, though operating nationally rather than state-scoped.
• Women's Safety Services SA: SA-based specialist domestic and family violence service provider that is both a WIS partner organisation and a direct functional peer — providing crisis accommodation, counselling, and safety planning to women experiencing DFV in the same geography as WIS.
• Women's Legal Service Australia: National peak body for women's legal services in Australia providing legal information, advice and referrals to women, including on family law matters overlapping with WIS's Family Court Support Program and domestic violence referral services.

Regional players

• DVConnect: Queensland statewide domestic and family violence telephone service and crisis accommodation gateway. Provides DFV information, referral and crisis response comparable to WIS's telephone services but scoped to Queensland.
• Domestic Violence NSW: Peak body for DFV specialist services in New South Wales. Comparable to WIS in coordinating DFV responses but operating in a different state jurisdiction with NSW-specific policy framework.
• Multicultural Communities Council of SA: SA-based peak body for multicultural communities and a WIS partner organisation. Comparable in reaching culturally diverse women in South Australia with information and referrals, but broader in scope covering all multicultural community needs.

Emerging players

• Our Watch: National primary prevention organisation working to prevent violence against women and their children through community education and policy. A WIS partner on community education campaigns, with thematic overlap on DFV prevention but different scope (prevention vs. direct service).

Others

• Centacare Catholic Country: SA-based community services organisation hosting WIS Havens in Riverland and Whyalla. Comparable as a host of family and community services in regional SA, but broader in mission than the women-focused WIS service.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sawomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-for-women
• Xx.com/wis_adelaide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's Information Service