Annual Report

2024 – 2025

Welcome to the Seniors Rights Service 2024-2025 Annual Report.

As the largest Ageing Peak Agency in NSW we have continued to support older people and their carers across New South Wales with free legal advice, aged care and financial advocacy and information.

Our role is to advocate for older people, assisting them and their carers to claim their rights and support them in exercising those rights so that they enjoy a rich life as seniors and respected members of the community with dignified and equitable access to the care and support they need.

As an organisation dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights of older people, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged groups we have continued to provide leadership on a broad range of issues that impact the rights and dignity of older people in NSW. Through this 2024-2025 annual report we share highlights of our many achievements from the year.

This online version of our Annual Report is intended as an executive summary to improve accessibility and transparency. You can view and download the full report at the base of this page.

About us

Protecting and advancing the rights of older people

Our Vision

A society that respects and upholds the rights of older people.

Our Purpose

The purpose of Seniors Rights Service is to raise awareness and empower older people to activate, uphold, extend and defend their individual rights. We foster communities of respect, and we value seniors and their rights. We achieve our purpose by providing accessible and confidential legal services, aged care advocacy and information.

Our Service Principles

In all of our endeavours, we will:

empower older people as rights holders and active contributors to society
provide high quality, appropriate and timely services
provide equitable access to services for seniors, regardless of race, nationality or ethnic origin, gender, marital status, disability, religion, political beliefs, sexual preference, or any other characteristic
support the capacity development of our staff to ensure they can deliver high quality services
collaborate with other organisations in pursuit of common goals
work with broader civil society to foster respect for older members of society and their individual rights

Our Priority Populations

Seniors Rights Service prioritises engagement with older people who:

are disadvantaged and vulnerable
are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
reside in regional, rural and remote locations
are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer or other.

Always was, Always will be, Aboriginal land

Seniors Rights Service recognises and acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as Australia’s First Nations Peoples and their ongoing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to Elders – past, present and emerging.

Seniors Rights Service is a proud member of:

At a Glance

Our Services

Legal Assistance

6,611

Advocacy Cases

2,303

Information Enquiries

10,378

Education Sessions

1,454

Community Events

275

Social Media and Website

Facebook Followers

3,589

Linkedin Followers

1,575

Instagram Followers

1,486

Website Visitors

56,000

Net Promoter Score

79

Net Promoter Score is an industry standard for tracking how likely a client will recommend a service to another person and overall client satisfaction based on customer feedback.

Our Board

Seniors Rights Service thanks all our Board members for their guidance and thoughtful contributions over the year.

Ours is a voluntary Board and we acknowledge the time they generously give to the organisation.

Hakan Harman, Chairperson

Hakan is a Non-Executive Director, Director, Committee Chair, Company Secretary, CEO, COO and CFO with over three decades of board level experience across organisations in community services, aged care, human rights, governance, arts and culture as well as extensive prior private sector experience.

At Board level he helps organisations to make a greater impact by leveraging expertise in finance and accounting, operations, governance, strategic planning, government relations, grants management, funding, compliance, revenue diversification, risk mitigation and change management. Hakan has deep knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion and multicultural communities of New South Wales. He is passionate about human rights, social cohesion, governance and risk.

Andrew Byrnes

Andrew is Emeritus Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), an associate of the Ageing Futures Institute and the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and of the Australian Academy of Law. He has served as President of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law and Vice-President of the Asian Society of International Law, as well as external legal adviser to the Australian Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights and as a member of the Human Rights Committees of the NSW Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia.

Matthew Cleary, Chairperson, Finance Audit and Risk

Matthew has extensive management and not for profit governance experience across a range of sectors including health, social and disability. Within the aged care space he has worked as a Senior Project Manager for the Older Persons Advocacy Network. Matthew has also worked extensively overseas in humanitarian management roles supporting people and communities in need. Additionally, he has worked for St Vincent de Paul as Executive Officer based at the Matthew Talbot Hostel and as a consultant at PwC on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care.

Nitika Bhala

Nitika is the General Manager Finance at YWCA Australia with extensive experience across both the not for profit and private sectors. She leads the financial operations of multiple entities and also provides strategic oversight in budgeting, financial planning, compliance and risk management. Nitika has strong expertise in managing property development projects, community housing operations and government grants to ensure sound governance and sustainable outcomes. She holds a Master of Business Administration alongside a Master of Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce. Nitika is also an Associate Member of Certified Practising Accountants Australia.

Sandra Di Bella

Sandra Di Bella holds a Bachelor of Arts/Law from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Laws (Hons) from the University of Sydney. With over 40 years legal experience across corporate, government and not for profit sectors, she was a partner at Deacons (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and later held senior legal and governance roles within the National Australia Bank Group. Sandra founded her own practice supporting consumer protection and charities and served as the inaugural in house legal adviser to the Art Gallery of NSW. She is dedicated to justice, governance and protecting seniors rights.

Deanna Henville

Deanna holds a Diploma of Management – Juvenile Justice and a Bachelor of Social Work from UNSW. She brings strong grassroots experience in community engagement, particularly through her work with the City of Sydney Council. Her involvement in issues such as homelessness combined with a practical, common sense approach and ability to connect with communities are recognised as key assets she brings to the Board.

Deanna has contributed extensively as a volunteer, supporting people experiencing homelessness at the Wayside Chapel, visiting socially isolated elderly clients through Sisters of Charity Outreach in Eastern Sydney, and providing respite and recreational support to people with disability in Maroubra.

Chairperson and CEO Report

In the 2024 – 2025 financial year Seniors Rights Service continued to provide expert legal services, aged care and financial advocacy and information to people over the age of 65 across NSW and to First Nations people over the age of 50.

Our purpose is to advocate for older people, assisting them and their carers to claim their rights and supporting them in the exercise of those rights, so they enjoy a rich life as seniors and respected members of the community with dignified and equitable access to the care and support they need. This lies in empowering older people from all walks of life to age with dignity and respect, ensuring their rights are recognised and prioritised in every aspect of care and support.

Our efforts remained on working with all older people with a particular focus on older people who are isolated and disconnected, in unstable or transient housing, have communication or cognitive limitations, are from First Nations communities and those experiencing or at risk of experiencing violence or trauma.

The services we provide remain in high demand for a number of demographic, economic and societal reasons. New South Wales is experiencing an ageing population, coupled with rising living costs and increasing levels of digital and physical isolation. These trends will continue into the foreseeable future, prompting us to devote significant resources towards preparing for the challenges ahead.

Across the year, the work undertaken in continuous quality improvement and refining our systems has supported the most important aspect of our work, enabling solicitors and advocates to spend more of their time doing what matters most – working with older people.

In the 2024–2025 financial year, we provided seniors with legal assistance and critical advocacy in, and information about, aged care services and aged care financial matters. Each interaction represents a step towards ensuring that older Australians are heard and that we actively work towards achieving meaningful outcomes for them.

Our Aged Care Advocates delivered 951 information sessions in aged care homes, empowering residents with knowledge of their rights to safe, high quality care, to live free from abuse and to choose a trusted person – including an aged care advocate – to support or speak on their behalf.

We also facilitated 441 community group sessions to raise awareness of the challenges faced by older people and to promote the support available through Seniors Rights Service.
As a Community Legal Centre, we have stood firmly alongside older people in need of legal advice and representation. Our solicitors provided 2,189 legal advice sessions to 1749 clients and actively engaged in 170 community legal education sessions covering various topics pertinent to older people.

Seniors Rights Service is committed to making systemic contributions to policy discussions and research that improve our understanding of older people’s needs and enhances their rights. Throughout this period, our leadership team has played an active role in consultations regarding the new federal Aged Care Act, elder abuse, coercive control, the health impacts of isolation and disability access standards tailored for older individuals.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our funding bodies:

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care through the Older Persons Advocacy Network
Legal Aid NSW
NSW Department of Communities and Justice through the Ageing Peaks program
NSW Fair Trading

To the Seniors Rights Service team, we express our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering commitment to safeguarding and advocating for the rights of older people across NSW. Your care, expertise, passion and respect for older residents enable us to excel in our mission and to ensure that dignity and fairness remain at the heart of everything we do. It is because of your dedication that Seniors Rights Service is able to stand alongside older people, amplifying their voices and supporting them when they need it most.

We also wish to acknowledge our Board members whose continued support, guidance and strategic insights provide the strength and stability that underpin our work. During this time we also welcomed Sandra Di Bella and Deanna Henville to our Board. Your leadership ensures that Seniors Rights Service remains a trusted, credible and impactful advocate for older people, now and into the future.

We take immense pride in the work our staff undertake across the state – whether in providing legal advice, delivering advocacy, offering education or engaging directly with communities. Each contribution, large and small, makes a meaningful difference in the lives of older people and advances our shared vision of a society where the rights of older people are recognised, valued and protected.

We are deeply proud of the remarkable contributions our staff and Board members make every day to improve the lives of older Australians and to defend their rights. As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting your vital work and recognising the lasting impact you create.

Hakan Harman
Chairperson

Shannon Wright
Chief Executive Officer

Our People

Seniors Rights Service are actively committed to creating a vibrant workplace where every individual feels welcomed and valued for their unique perspectives. We understand that by providing a great employee experience we ensure that our team is dedicated to our vision and purpose which ultimately benefits the clients we serve.

Employee feedback highlighted opportunities for us to enhance the employee experience. In response we implemented several initiatives during the year to ensure we listened to and acted on the recommendations we received.

We shifted our recruitment practices to prioritise internal appointments wherever possible. This resulted in 12 successful transfers within our organisation. We invested in leadership development to empower our leaders with the skills they need to unlock their potential and inspire their teams to excel.

We implemented an annual Inspire Awards program to recognise employees for service milestones and excellence at work and we Introduced an employee newsletter to inform employees about changes and opportunities and deepen our connection to each other through sharing staff achievements and contributions.

These initiatives reflect our ongoing commitment to enhancing the employee experience and nurturing a culture of growth and recognition.

Making Society Better for the Older People We Serve

Seniors Rights Service has represented the interests of older people to effect policy and systems change to improve older people’s lives and with almost four decades of experience in giving voice through our advocacy, information, education and advice we are the premier ageing peak agency in NSW.

In 2024-2025 we continued to work closely with the NSW and Federal Governments and the relevant Commissions and Agencies to inform, influence and advocate for older people. We had extensive input through the Department of Communities and Justice to further the NSW Government’s Ageing Well in NSW: Senior Strategy 2021 -2031 and have a specific role under the Ageing Well actions plan under Focus Area 4: Being Resilient and Informed.

Alongside our extensive work with the Office of the Attorney General NSW, the NSW Ageing and Disability Commission and the Aged Care and Quality and Safety Commission we worked with the NSW Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing to continue to advise and inform on the needs and issues of older NSW residents.

Within the ageing sector we work with our peers through membership and collective action to call for systemic and community change for older people, especially those older people who are vulnerable. We do this through the working with agencies including Community Legal Centres NSW, the NSW Women’s Alliance, NSW Council of Social Service, Elder Abuse Action Australia, the Older Person Advocacy Network, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People and the International Federation of Ageing.

As the largest NSW Ageing Peak agency we provided system design and policy input at state and federal levels in Australia, worked on submissions for the new Aged Care Act, Retirement Village Regulation, the Progress of Royal Commission, Independent Commission for Victims Rights and we endorsed proposed changes and provided feedback on the Ageing and Disability Commissioner Act amendment.

Aged Care Advocacy

Seniors Rights Service provides free, confidential and independent information to older people and their representatives on the complexities of the aged care system. Our services empower older people to understand their aged care rights, enabling informed choice, confident decision making and self advocacy.

We provide advocacy support, information and education to older people living in residential aged care as well as those receiving or seeking to receive aged care services in the community.

Our dedicated team of specialised Intake Officers, Aged Care Advocates and Financial Advocates play a vital role in supporting older people who reach out for assistance. The team of highly qualified and trained professionals listens carefully, responds with expertise and ensures that every concern is addressed with respect and care.

Aged Care Advocates provide tailored, individualised advocacy support. This may include helping people understand their care needs and arrangements, improving communication with service providers, explaining aged care fees and charges and assisting with concerns or complaints. In every instance, our goal is to stand beside older people and ensure their voices are heard and their rights upheld.

The impact of our advocacy is profound. Having someone on your side can be life changing for older people. The information and advocacy topics we advise on include:

understanding your aged care rights and responsibilities
support to engage with My Aged Care
supported decision making
aged care service providers fees, rules and charges
interacting with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

The Financial Advocacy team supports older people in making informed aged care decisions and resolving issues related to the financial aspects of home care packages and residential aged care. Our Financial Advocates assist clients in reviewing their care costs, understanding the fees they are being charged and clarifying any concerns about pricing. They work closely with clients to ensure transparency and support informed consumer choice, helping older people feel confident and in control of their financial decisions within the aged care system.

Each year we strive to visit every residential aged care home across NSW and this year we made 971 visits. When we go to a residential aged care home we deliver an engaging aged care rights session that outlines older people’s rights when they receive aged care, what to do if they are not happy with their care arrangements and how to go about talking with their provider to make things better. While we are there we can speak to clients who have any issues and support them to have them addressed then and there, or work with the older person and the facility if the issue takes longer to resolve.

In addition to our Financial and Aged Care Advocates we have a small team of Community Development Officers who undertake activities in the community to let people know how they can contact Seniors Rights Service and what sort of support we can provide to them.

The team continues to build and maintain relationships and referral pathways through community engagement and in this financial year has planned and delivered more than 200 events. These events included reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community through Fair Day, attending the Elder Olympics and NAIDOC Week events where we engaged with older First Nations people as well as various other metropolitan and regional community engagements.

A focus for the Community Development Officers was to deliver awareness raising sessions and expand our reach across the geographical area of NSW using a statewide approach. This resulted in the delivery of awareness raising sessions to community groups and organisations such as the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme, NSW Men’s Shed annual gathering, State Emergency Service branches and volunteers, coordinators of Care Finder services within Primary Health Networks, Services Australia’s Aged Care Specialist Officers and Financial Information Service Specialist Officers, the South West Sydney Community Transport annual staff and volunteer conference, the Meals on Wheels annual conference and many other local government initiatives.

Our Support for a Human Rights Act in NSW and Australia

Seniors Rights are Human Rights

Since our founding, the fulfilment and realisation of rights has underpinned not only our establishment in 1986 but all our work over the past four decades. Seniors Rights Service exists to advocate for older people, assisting them and their carers to claim their rights and support them in the exercise of those rights, so they enjoy a rich life as a senior and respected member of the community with dignified and equitable access to the care and support they need.

The support of human rights is part of our very fibre and we are lending our voice and committing our collective action to campaigns calling for the legal articulation and protection of rights through the formation of a Human Rights Act.

Seniors Rights Service calls on the New South Wales and Australian governments to place human rights at the heart of laws, policy and decisions and implement a Human Rights Act at both state and federal level.

The implementation of a Human Rights Act will safeguard the rights and dignity of all and allow for meaningful pathways to justice when a denial has occurred. We see firsthand the detrimental impacts the lack of access to rights can have on older people and we also know it does not have to be this way. Through education, access to information and a change in approach and practice we can enable better outcomes and in turn ensure that a rich life is within reach of all older people in NSW.

Legal Services

Our Strata Legal Service that assists clients that are lot owners within a strata scheme and who seek advice in relation to by-laws, repairs to common property, a proposed collective sale agreement and other disputes with the Owner’s Corporation.

Our Supported Accommodation Legal Service assists clients that live in, or are looking to move into, supported accommodation such as retirement villages, residential age care homes, boarding houses or hostels. Common issues that clients seek assistance with include recurring charges, budgets, termination of agreements, repairs and disputes with management.

In addition to our specialist services above we have a generalist Legal Service for assistance on all other legal issues that are within scope for Seniors Rights service including consumer complaints, guardianship, Wills probate, power of attorney, residential tenancy agreement including land lease communities, credit and debt issues and domestic, family and sexual violence matters.

Our legal team partners with the University of NSW to provide placements for interns over a 10 week period each term as part of their ‘Work Integrated Learning’ subject. Interns assist solicitors with research, drafting documents and client engagement.

We gratefully acknowledge the funding we receive from NSW Fair Trading for our Strata and Supported Accommodation legal services. We also gratefully acknowledge the funding of the Community Legal Centres Program administered by Legal Aid NSW for our Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence and Generalist legal services.

Thank you to our pro bono partners
We continue to work with Baker McKenzie, Dentons, Hall & Wilcox, Holding Redlich and Wotton Kearney in our pro bono clinics we remain very grateful for the support of these partners who enrich the work we do with older people in NSW.

Each firm kindly contributes the time and experience of their solicitors to advise our clients on a roster basis. Their assistance enables Seniors Rights Service to take on more complex and impactful casework that would otherwise need to be referred to private solicitors.

Wotton Kearney, in addition to their pro bono clinic assistance, have provided a secondee paralegal from their team to assist our First Nations clients one day per week. The paralegal works with our solicitors to engage with clients and with our intake team to provide information and referral services to clients that we cannot assist with advice.