Forensic disability support in Melbourne
24/7 support workers, a place to live and a plan for the move home, from one registered NDIS provider. For people with disability leaving custody or living in the community on a court order.
Call 1800 844 995 Make a referralWe support people who are
- Leaving custody
- On bail, probation or parole
- On a community-based or forensic order
- Moving home from hospital or a secure setting
We provide
- 24/7 support workers
- Supported independent living homes
- Specialist disability accommodation
- Release and transition planning
Melbourne offices: Williams Landing, Melbourne CBD and Dandenong. Also supporting Perth.
What we provide
One registered provider for the support workers, the home and the planning.
Support workers, day and night
Round-the-clock help through our 24/7 complex support and supported independent living services.
A place to live
Specialist disability accommodation for eligible participants. See SDA housing in Melbourne.
Release and transition planning
Help planning the move home, working with the NDIA, your coordinator and the people involved in your order. We also provide NDIS hospital discharge support and support for people with an acquired brain injury.
Therapy and behaviour support
Occupational therapy and other supports through our NDIS therapy and allied health services.
We are a registered NDIS provider in Melbourne, and we assess every referral to check that we can support the person safely. If something goes wrong with our service, tell us on our feedback page.
How a referral works
Call us as early as you can. Planning before release gives everyone time to get it right.
Call or send a referral
Tell us who the person is and where they are now. Call 1800 844 995 or use the referrals page.
We talk through what is needed
We ask about the NDIS plan, support needs and the conditions of any order, and we explain who we share information with, including justice agencies where an order requires it.
We check we can support them safely
If we can, we plan the home, the roster and the support team with the person and their coordinator.
Supports start
We work with the NDIA, health and justice contacts so the move home is ready on the day.
Where we support in Melbourne
Where you live after release matters as much as who supports you.
Our team works from offices at Williams Landing, Melbourne CBD and Dandenong. We support participants across Melbourne's west and south-east, including Wyndham, Werribee, Point Cook, Truganina, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Sunshine, Footscray, Caroline Springs and Melton.
Court orders in Victoria, in plain English
Victoria's Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 covers serious mental illness and cognitive impairment. A court can find a person unfit to be tried, or not guilty because of mental impairment, and may then make a supervision order.
- Custodial supervision order. The person is detained in a forensic psychiatric hospital.
- Non-custodial supervision order. The person lives in the community with support and supervision. Breaching its conditions can lead to custody or hospital.
These orders have no fixed end date, and only a court can change the level of supervision. This is general information, not legal advice, so speak to your lawyer about your own order.
What to check about location
- Is the home close to family, a GP, therapists and the people who support you?
- Does it fit any conditions on your order, such as places you must stay away from?
- How far do support workers travel, and how do you get to appointments?
Perth and Western Australia
The NDIS rules apply across Australia. WA adds its own court pathway.
From 1 September 2024, WA's Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023 replaced the 1996 Act. A person found unfit to stand trial, or not guilty because of mental impairment, may be placed on a custody order or a community supervision order.
- Mental Impairment Review Tribunal. It oversees these orders and can allow leave of absence from custody on set conditions, relaxing them over time as the person progresses.
- Supervising Officer. Each supervised person has one, who monitors compliance and engagement while they are on leave or under community supervision.
- Bennett Brook Disability Justice Centre. A secure residential alternative to prison in Caversham for people with intellectual or cognitive disability. The WA Government explains who is eligible on its Disability Justice Centre page.
This is general information, not legal advice. The NDIS rules apply across Australia.
When the move to the community comes, the steps are the same: tell the NDIA, plan before release and line up the home and team. Call 1800 844 995 to talk about support in Perth.
Who pays for what
The NDIS explains the split on its NDIS and the justice system page.
- In custody
- The justice system handles day-to-day care and supervision. The NDIS may fund supports specific to your disability needs, such as some assistive technology.
- Leaving custody
- The NDIA works with you on a new plan or a reassessment so supports are in place. Examples include support coordination, a psychosocial recovery coach, therapy and behaviour supports.
- Housing
- The NDIS does not pay rent. SIL funds support workers and SDA funds the building for eligible participants.
Questions to ask us
Use these when you compare providers.
- Have you supported people with orders like mine before?
- Are support workers there 24 hours a day, including overnight?
- How do you work with justice, health and the NDIA?
- What training do your workers have in behaviour support?
- What happens if something goes wrong, and who do you tell?
- Can I see the home, and who else will live there?
- What will you need from me or my coordinator before you start?
Questions people ask
What is forensic disability support?
It is support for people with disability who are involved in the criminal justice system, so they can live safely and well in the community. It usually combines NDIS-funded supports with justice, health and state disability services.
Who do you support?
NDIS participants with disability who are leaving custody, living in the community on bail, probation, parole, a community-based order or a forensic order, or moving home from hospital or a secure setting.
How do I refer someone to Caring Hearts?
Call 1800 844 995 or use our referrals page. We will ask about the person's NDIS plan, their support needs and the conditions of any order, and we check that we can support them safely before agreeing.
Can you start planning before someone is released?
Call us as early as you can. Planning before release gives the NDIA, the person's coordinator and us time to line up the plan, the home and the support team.
Does the NDIS fund forensic disability support?
In part. The justice system looks after day-to-day care and supervision while a person is in custody. The NDIS may fund supports specific to their disability needs, including capacity-building supports for release. The NDIS explains the split on its NDIS and the justice system page.
Does the NDIS pay for housing after release?
The NDIS does not pay rent. Supported independent living (SIL) funds the support workers in the home, and specialist disability accommodation (SDA) funds the building for eligible participants. See supported independent living in Melbourne.
Do SIL providers have to be registered?
From 1 October 2026 the NDIS says SIL supports can only be delivered by registered providers, or providers who applied to register before that date. Caring Hearts is a registered NDIS provider.
What is a justice liaison officer?
A justice liaison officer (JLO) is an NDIA staff member who helps people with disability in the justice system connect to the NDIS. They can help with applications, consent and documents, and work with the person's NDIA planner.
Which Melbourne suburbs do you support?
Our team works from offices at Williams Landing, Melbourne CBD and Dandenong. We support participants across Melbourne's west and south-east, including Wyndham, Werribee, Point Cook, Truganina, Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing, Sunshine, Footscray, Caroline Springs and Melton. Call us to check a specific suburb.
Do you support people in Perth, Western Australia?
Yes. We provide NDIS supports in Perth as well as Melbourne, for example hospital discharge support in Perth. Call us to talk about a forensic referral.
What is a supervision order in Victoria?
Under Victoria's Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997, a court can find a person unfit to be tried, or not guilty because of mental impairment, and may make a supervision order. A custodial order means detention in a forensic psychiatric hospital. A non-custodial order means living in the community with support and supervision. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do custody and release orders work in Western Australia?
From 1 September 2024 WA's Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023 replaced the 1996 Act. A person found unfit to stand trial, or not guilty because of mental impairment, may be on a custody order or a community supervision order. The Mental Impairment Review Tribunal oversees these orders and can allow leave of absence from custody on set conditions. The WA Government explains the Disability Justice Centre on its Disability Justice Centre page. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is Victoria's forensic disability service the same as the NDIS?
No. The Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing runs forensic disability services for Victorians with a cognitive impairment who are involved in the criminal justice system. It delivers them in partnership with the NDIS and the health system, so a person may have both.
Start a forensic support referral
Call our Melbourne team for a confidential conversation about the support needed and whether we are the right fit.
1800 844 995Make a referral