| Agency Name: | Department of Social Services |
| Picture Caption: | The head office of the Department of Social Services, located in, Canberra |
| Preceding1: | Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs |
| Type: | department |
| Jurisdiction: | Australian Government |
| Employees: | 2,305 (2017–18) |
| Minister1 Name: | Amanda Rishworth |
| Minister1 Pfo: | Minister for Social Services |
| Minister2 Name: | Bill Shorten |
| Minister2 Pfo: | Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme |
| Minister3 Name: | Clare O'Neil |
| Minister3 Pfo: | Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness |
| Minister4 Name: | Justine Elliot |
| Minister4 Pfo: | Assistant Minister for Social Services and Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence |
| Chief1 Name: | Ray Griggs |
| Chief1 Position: | Secretary |
| Child1 Agency: | Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency |
| Child2 Agency: | Australian Institute of Family Studies |
| Child3 Agency: | National Disability Insurance Agency |
| Child4 Agency: | Social Security Appeals Tribunal |
| Child5 Agency: | Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission |
The Department of Social Services (DSS) is a department of the Australian Government charged with the responsibility for national policies and programs that help deliver a strong and fair society for all Australians. The department develops and implements social policy.
The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Social Services, currently Ray Griggs,[1] [2] who reports to the Minister for Families and Social Services.
The head office of the department is located in the Australian Capital Territory suburb of Greenway.
The department was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 18 September 2013[3] and replaced the majority of the functions previously performed by the former Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA); with the exception of Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination, that was transferred to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.[4] [5] [6]
In an Administrative Arrangements Order made on 18 September 2013, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters:[3]
The Secretary of the Department Social Services is the head of the department, also known as the secretary of the level of Senior Executive Service Band 4 in the Australian Public Service as per the Public Service Act 1999.
| Name | Postnominal(s) | Term began | Term ended | Time in Appointment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary | ||||||
| Finn Pratt[7] | align=right | align=right | ||||
| align=right | align=right | |||||
| align=right | align=right | Incumbent | ||||