The NSW Legislative Council committee would examine barriers such as privacy laws that sometimes prevented service providers from talking to each other and co-ordinating services, committee chairwoman Nationals MLC Bronnie Taylor said.

The inquiry was referred to the committee by Dubbo MP and Deputy Premier Troy Grant.

Among its terms of reference was to consider “initiatives such as the Dubbo Minister’s Action Group and best practice models for the co-ordination of services”.

“Communities with high social needs are crying out for assistance and co-ordinated help,” Ms Taylor said.

“We are keen to hear from government and non-government organisations but we don’t just want a broad brush submission from big city departments, we want to hear from people on the ground.

“I’d love for people involved with and affected by the Minister’s Action Group in Dubbo to make a submission to this inquiry.”

The committee, which included Labor, Liberal and Christian Democratic Party members, was “bi-partisan, and not a witch hunt”, Ms Taylor said.

“We do, however, have to get on the same page, and if there is duplication of services we have to be big and brave enough to accept that and think how we can do better,” she said.

“It also needs to be kept in mind we are dealing with vulnerable people and they should be at the centre of our care.”

An example of how co-ordination of services was important could be explained by the example of a child who continually fell asleep at school, Ms Taylor said.

“We may not find out what we need to until we contact Family and Community Services, for instance, and discover the child’s parent is really sick and the family’s going through cancer treatment, because the teacher might not know,” she said.

“Often we have the right intentions with our clients but it can be frustrating when different people or organisations don’t speak with each other.

“Sometimes they quote privacy legislation and we can get stuck in that mindset.”

Ms Taylor said the committee would assess whether government agencies and non-government service providers were working together to best meet the needs of clients and their communities.

She said communities with “high social needs” did not necessarily refer to particular geographical areas.

“That’s everyone’s first thought,  but just as there are affluent areas of Sydney there are affluent areas of Dubbo and there may still be high social needs,” Ms Taylor said.

The closing date for submissions was August 16, and public hearings and a site visit would be determined based on those. The committee was expected to report by December 11, 2015.