News
Media Release - 1 November 2001
National Disability Service Abuse & Neglect Hotline Now Taking Calls
A national hotline for the reporting of allegations of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities who receive Government funded services is open and is now taking calls.
The Hotline will receive reports of abuse and neglect and refer these to appropriate Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies for investigation. Callers will also be referred to a range of other potential avenues of assistance, including complaint resolution agencies, and disabilities advocacy organisations.
Callers will be encouraged to provide as much information as they can to facilitate quick investigation of the matter, including their own contact details. However, anonymous calls will be accepted.
The Hotline takes a broad view of abuse and neglect which incorporates physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, restraint and restrictive practices, financial exploitation, legal and civil abuse, and systems abuse.
The Hotline will arrange advocacy assistance for callers with disabilities who require assistance to report an allegation. All staff working on the Hotline are experienced in working with people with disabilities.
The Hotline is in an establishment phase and will be fully operational by the end of the year. Staged promotion of the Hotline, including in community languages and accessible formats for people with disabilities, will occur over the next four months. However, the Hotline is now open to take calls. The Hotline will operate between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm across Australia.
The Hotline is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services. It is operated by People with Disabilities (NSW) Inc, an independent, non-government, non-profit disabilities rights organisation.
The Hotline contact points are:
Telephone: 1800 88 0052
TTY: 1800 301 130
National Relay Service: 1800 555 677
Telephone Interpreter Service: 131 450