Acting Chief Executive Officer
Brian Woods
BA (HMS), MHlthSc Hons (Ex&SpSc), MBA
Brian was appointed to the role of NSW Public Guardian in March 2023, and has been Acting Chief Executive Officer, NSW Trustee and Guardian since 26 September 2023.
Brian has a background in health and human services across public and private sectors and has dedicated the last 20 years to achieving outcomes for some of our most vulnerable cohorts.
Prior to joining NSW Trustee and Guardian, Brian spent 9 years in the position of Director Disability Policy and related roles within the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, responsible for strategic planning, design, implementation and performance monitoring of the NSW response to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Brian has provided direct support for the functions of the NSW Minister for Disability Services, the NSW Disability Board and other governance groups, and has led the NSW response to national disability policy reform.
“I am pleased to be joining the NSW Trustee and Guardian at a time when there is heightened focus on people with disability at both the state and national level. The outcome of the NDIS Review, the Disability Royal Commission and other reforms to service delivery and quality and safeguarding arrangements will have profound implications for all people with disability. It is critically important that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard in the response.”
Prior to his disability roles, Brian worked with the NSW Ministry of Health responsible for strategic planning, research and evaluation, health system development, informatics, capital development, financial oversight and performance monitoring for the mental health and drug and alcohol portfolios. Prior to that, his focus was on state-wide strategic initiatives in Aboriginal health.
As the NSW Public Guardian, Brian leads a team of guardians who can be appointed by a court or tribunal to make health and lifestyle decisions for people with disability that affects their capacity to make decisions. This is achieved through the practice of guardianship, advocacy and education. Brian’s teams also include an information and support service for legally appointed private and enduring guardians.
An important aspect of Brian’s experience across agencies is his role in coordinating responses for matters where disability and other services for some of our most complex clients breaks down. Brian has been a key member of various escalation, service response and oversight groups, successfully negotiating outcomes for individuals and cohorts across and between levels of government.
Additional to the experience listed above, Brian has a Master level qualification in health sciences and business administration. Brian is a champion of the use of data analytics to provide insights for policy development, strategic planning and operational response. Brian was the project director for the early development of the National Mental Health Service Planning Framework (and the drug and alcohol service equivalent) and played a critical role in the establishment of the National Disability Data Asset pilot and subsequent development of an enduring asset.