If you support someone with disability in Tasmania and something feels wrong, you should not have to guess who to tell. There are dedicated services for reporting abuse and neglect of people with disability, and each one publishes a contact point that anyone can use, including family members, friends, carers and support workers.
Knowing the right number before you need it makes a hard conversation easier. What follows is a practical rundown of the kinds of concerns that can be reported, the main contacts in Tasmania, and what to do when a situation is urgent or involves a child.
The kinds of concerns that can be reported
Tasmania's Disability Commissioner works with concerns about violence, abuse, neglect, coercion and exploitation of people with disability. Guidance for mandatory reporters describes reportable matters as including physical or sexual abuse, neglect, and being threatened with death, abuse or neglect.
Abuse is not always obvious or dramatic. Neglect can build up slowly over weeks and months, and coercion can look like ordinary pressure or control to someone standing on the outside. If an instinct tells you that a person with disability is unsafe, unsupported or being treated badly, that instinct is worth acting on.
Official sources in Tasmania are consistent on one point: if you or someone you know with disability is experiencing violence, abuse, neglect, coercion or exploitation, speak up. You can help by telling someone who can act on it.
Who to contact in Tasmania
Different contacts suit different situations. In an emergency, emergency services come first. For everything else, the table below covers the main reporting pathways available to people with disability in Tasmania and the people who support them.
| Service | What it covers | How to make contact |
|---|---|---|
| National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline | Abuse and neglect of people with disability, Australia wide | 1800 880 052 |
| Disability Commissioner Tasmania | Violence, abuse, neglect, coercion and exploitation of people with disability | 1800 249 179 (free call), contact@disabilitycommissioner.tas.gov.au, or the online report form |
| Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline | Suspected elder abuse | Freecall 1800 441 169, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, plus text and email options |
| Disability Gateway safety and help listing | General support alongside the abuse and neglect Hotline | 1800 737 377 |
Contact details for government and community services do change from time to time. If a number does not connect, check the relevant government website rather than relying on an older printed list or a saved screenshot.
The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline
The National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline is a free, independent and private service. You can call it on 1800 880 052.
The Hotline exists to help keep people with disability safe. It is there for people with disability and for their supporters, so you can use it whether you have experienced something yourself or witnessed it happening to someone else.
One important detail: the Hotline is not a crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services first and use the Hotline afterwards. If you need help communicating by phone, the JobAccess page on reporting abuse or neglect lists 1800 555 677 alongside the Hotline.
Telling the Tasmanian Disability Commissioner
The Disability Commissioner in Tasmania accepts reports directly from the public. You can make a report by phone on 1800 249 179, which is a free call, by email at contact@disabilitycommissioner.tas.gov.au, or through the online form on the Commissioner's make a report page.
The Commissioner's role covers violence, abuse, neglect, coercion and exploitation. The website also carries a find help page for people who need support while they work out what to do next, and it is fine to step away from the information and come back to it when you feel steadier.
You do not need to have all the answers before you make contact. If you believe something is happening to a person with disability, telling the Commissioner is one way to make sure it is looked at by someone outside the situation.
Suspected elder abuse in Tasmania
When the person with disability is older, the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline is the first port of call. The freecall number is 1800 441 169, and the helpline operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Text and email options are also available for people who would rather not call. The exact text number and email address are published on the Elder Abuse Tasmania support services page, and published contact lists do vary between sources, so check that page for the current details before sending a message.
Anglicare Tasmania recommends the helpline as a first point of contact for Tasmanians who suspect elder abuse, whether they are the person affected or someone who knows them.
Urgent situations and concerns about a child
If there is immediate danger to a person with disability, contact emergency services before anything else. The abuse and neglect Hotline is set up for reporting and referral rather than for emergencies.
Where the concern involves a child, Tasmania's Department of Education, Children and Young People runs a Safe Children pathway with a report a concern page, which carries the current contact details for child safety matters. A concern can be raised with more than one service at the same time if both disability abuse and child safety are involved.
Some national listings of reporting contacts also include Tasmania's Department of Health and Human Services on 1300 737 639, with 1800 622 258 and 1800 199 008 listed for after hours. These numbers appear in third party listings rather than on a Tasmanian Government page, so confirm them with the department before relying on them.
If you work in disability support
Support workers are often the people who notice changes first: a participant who has gone quiet, an injury that does not match the explanation given, or a home that is no longer being kept safely. Workers can report concerns to the Hotline and to the Disability Commissioner in the same way anyone else can.
Some roles also carry mandatory reporting duties, which means certain matters must be reported. The matters listed in mandatory reporting guidance include physical or sexual abuse, neglect, and threats of death, abuse or neglect. If you are unsure whether your role is covered, ask your employer or the relevant government agency rather than assuming it is not.
Raising a concern about a colleague or a workplace practice is not disloyal. It is part of keeping people safe, and Tasmania's reporting services are designed to receive that information.
Reporting as a participant, family member or friend
You do not have to be the person affected to make a report. The Hotline is available to supporters as well, and the Disability Commissioner accepts reports from community members who are worried about someone else.
If you receive support from a provider and something does not feel right, you can raise it directly with that provider as well as with an external service. Unique Needs is a locally owned disability support provider based in Launceston, working across Northern Tasmania with personal care, in-home support, community access, respite and daily living assistance. We are a small team by choice, which means participants and their families can usually speak directly with the people managing their supports.
That closeness matters when something goes wrong. Concerns raised with us are taken seriously, and nobody should feel that speaking up will cost them their support. Dignity, respect, safety and wellbeing sit at the centre of how we work, and that includes being clear about what happens when a concern is raised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline a crisis service?
No. The Hotline is not a crisis service. It is a free, independent and private service for reporting abuse and neglect of people with disability, and it is available to people with disability as well as their families, friends and supporters. If someone is in immediate danger, contact emergency services first, then follow up with the Hotline or the Tasmanian Disability Commissioner.
How do I report a concern to the Tasmanian Disability Commissioner?
You can make a report by phone on 1800 249 179, which is a free call, by email at contact@disabilitycommissioner.tas.gov.au, or by using the online form on the Commissioner's make a report page. The Commissioner handles concerns about violence, abuse, neglect, coercion and exploitation of people with disability in Tasmania.
Who do I contact about suspected elder abuse in Tasmania?
Contact the Tasmanian Elder Abuse Helpline on freecall 1800 441 169. It operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Text and email options are also available, so check the Elder Abuse Tasmania support services page for the current details. If the person is in immediate danger, contact emergency services first.
Do I need proof before reporting abuse or neglect?
No. You do not need to be certain or have evidence in hand before you speak up. Official sources encourage people to report what they have seen or suspect, and both the Hotline and the Tasmanian Disability Commissioner exist so those concerns can be examined. Report what you saw, heard or sensed, and let the service take it from there.
What if the person with a disability is a child?
Child safety concerns in Tasmania can be raised through the Department of Education, Children and Young People, which runs a Safe Children report a concern page carrying the current contact details. If the concern also involves abuse or neglect of a person with disability, the National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline on 1800 880 052 is another option.
