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Reports

Published

Actions for Distributing Legal Aid in New South Wales

Distributing Legal Aid in New South Wales

Justice
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

We found the Commission to be performing well in delivering legal aid services. It has maintained and expanded services despite funding pressures and increasing demand. Overall, we found the Commission’s practices of making people aware of legal issues and its services to be comprehensive. Communication is via brochures, telephone and internet. We also found its processing of applications for legal aid to be sound.   Parliamentary reference - Repo

Published

Actions for Attracting, retaining and managing Nurses in hospitals

Attracting, retaining and managing Nurses in hospitals

Health
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

The department has done well to attract and retain nurses. Between 2001-02 and 2005-06 the average number of nurses employed increased to 39,804 with the annual resignation rate falling from 16 to 14 per cent. Overall, the public health sector gained 5,588 nurses, representing an average annual increase of four per cent. Despite the gains, there are indicators that there may still not be enough nurses.   Parliamentary reference - Report numbe

Published

Actions for The Police Assistance Line: Follow-up audit

The Police Assistance Line: Follow-up audit

Justice
Management and administration
Procurement
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

In this 2006 follow-up audit, we found that NSW Police had addressed most of the key areas for improvement we identified in 2003. The contact centre which operates the Police Assistance Line (PAL) is well managed, and has implemented several improvements since our 2003 audit. The centre’s speed in answering and handling PAL calls is better than in 2003. Caller satisfaction with PAL services is high, and NSW Police calculate it releases 200 police fo

Published

Actions for Helping older people access a residential aged care facility

Helping older people access a residential aged care facility

Health
Community Services
Compliance
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Risk
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

Assessment processes for older people needing to go to an Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) vary depending on the processes of the Aged Care Assessement Teams (ACAT) they see and whether or not they are in hospital. The data collected on ACAT performance was significantly revised during 2004 making comparisons with subsequent years problematic. ACATs have more responsibilities than assessing older people for residential care. It is not clea

Published

Actions for Major infectious disease outbreaks: Readiness to response

Major infectious disease outbreaks: Readiness to response

Health
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Risk
Service delivery
Shared services and collaboration
Workforce and capability

NSW Health is working to increase its preparedness to respond to a major infectious disease outbreak. It is also contributing to the development of national policies, strategies and capabilities, which affect its level of preparedness. We found however little evidence that other jurisdictions were significantly further advanced than NSW in preparation and testing of plans for a pandemic. In our view NSW Health needs to balance the costs of over-prep

Published

Actions for Educating primary school students with disabilities

Educating primary school students with disabilities

Education
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Service delivery
Workforce and capability

Special education programs so far have been able to support schools to accommodate these students and as a result, we have an inclusive education system. Our concern is that as the number of students with disabilities increases, pressure will be placed on both funding and the capacity of schools to provide quality services. The Government’s special education initiative is a positive step towards addressing these problems. Nevertheless, other changes nee

Published

Actions for Condition of State Roads

Condition of State Roads

Transport
Infrastructure
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration
Procurement
Project management
Service delivery

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has improved the overall surface condition of State Roads in the last decade. Country road surfaces are now generally much better. Ride quality has improved and cracking has been reduced. The RTA has also achieved a substantial reduction in the number of structurally deficient bridges over the same period.  Despite a significant increase in the State’s contribution to maintenance since 1999-2000, the RTA h

Published

Actions for Fraud control improvement kit: Meeting your fraud control obligations

Fraud control improvement kit: Meeting your fraud control obligations

Whole of Government
Fraud
Internal controls and governance
Management and administration

Fraud risks, and fraud control obligations, are growing at a rate which demands that more be done.  Our 2005 report showed that still only 50 per cent of NSW public sector organisations had achieved an adequate level of performance in developing and implementing a fraud control strategy.  In response to this, our 2005 report provided a range of recommendations for improving fraud control and urged that fraud control become a key item for attent

Published

Actions for Regulating the clearing of native vegetation: Follow-up audit

Regulating the clearing of native vegetation: Follow-up audit

Environment
Management and administration

There has been progress towards achieving the Government’s objectives. A new regulatory system has been established that is capable of ending illegal clearing of native vegetation. However this system is not yet fully operational and it is too early to assess its performance.  The Department of Natural Resources is now in a position to achieve the Government’s main objective of reducing illegal clearing, especially in the west of the State. It

Published

Actions for Managing sick leave in NSW Police and the Department of Corrective Services: Follow-up audit

Managing sick leave in NSW Police and the Department of Corrective Services: Follow-up audit

Justice
Management and administration

Not all recommendations from our 2002 audit have been fully implemented, despite both agencies accepting them all at the time. NSW Police has not established sick leave targets to measure and report progress. And the Department of Corrective Services has not been able to implement a revised sick leave policy to formalise proposed changes in practice. We found significant problems with the accuracy and completeness of NSW Police sick leave data. Repo