Strategies for community workers

If you are someone who advises clients, consumers or members of your community about their rights and you are approached for assistance about a discrimination problem, your options include:

• Empowering your client to solve the complaint on their own by providing them with information about the law and suggesting strategies to deal with the issue.
• Assisting the client to complain to the organisation that discriminated against them, by helping them write a letter or acting as their advocate.
• Assisting the client to lodge a complaint with Anti-Discrimination NSW.
  

How do I know if what happened to my client is against the law?

There are a number of types of discrimination which are against the law in NSW in certain public places. 

You can also contact our enquiry service for more information, particularly on more complex matters.

To find out whether your client's problem is covered by anti-discrimination law, and to work out the best way to help them, you may need to know:

• What happened?
• Where and when did it happen?
• Why do you think it happened?
• Who was involved?
• Is the unfair treatment still happening?
• How has the unfair treatment affected your client? Are other people affected?
• Have you tried to resolve the situation? If so, what did you do and how has the other party responded? Have you had help or advice from anyone else?
• What are the names and contact details of the person or organisation that you think are responsible?
• Were there any witnesses and are they prepared to support your client’s story? If so, what are their names and contact details?
• What does your client want to happen? Do you think this is realistic? If not, why not?

How do I help my client to make a complaint?

We can only investigate complaints about the types of discrimination covered by the Act.

Complaints must be received in writing. Find out more about making a complaint.