This report looks back on the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and report on what we have seen, primarily through the lens of complaints received from individuals about the actions taken by NSW Government agencies.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the NSW government imposed public health restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus in the community. This issues backgrounder provides a chronology and summary of all public health orders made up to 31 October 2020.

OCHRE commits the NSW government to ‘work with Aboriginal communities, policy practitioners and service providers to advance the dialogue in NSW about trauma and healing and to begin developing responses informed by evidence of good practice’. This special report to the NSW Parliament comprehensively details the assessment of OCHRE over the past five years.

This guide is made up of nine separate guidelines reflecting the key considerations for implementing an effective complaint management system which upholds the rights of children and young people. There is a range of practical tips throughout the guide. Additional advice and tools can be found in the attached appendices.

This report demonstrates the need for a comprehensive safeguarding approach in NSW for vulnerable adults living in the community – including an effective response to the abuse and neglect of both vulnerable adults with disability and older people.