Advocacy Sector Conversations forum series

Posted January 17, 2019

Demand for advocacy  is growing while, at the same time, the rules seem to be changing every day. Advocates are increasingly challenged to keep their knowledge base up to date in order to respond to new situations. Geoff Southwell from Leadership Plus, demonstrates a new app that they have developed. It is a secure platform where advocates  can connect to share information, advice and fresh perspectives with links to relevant resources and information. Continue reading

Posted January 17, 2019

While the tussle for the provision of mental health services continues between state health departments and the NDIS, mental health consumers are feeling abandoned and confused. Jenny Bretnall presented a paper at the National NDIS Mental HealthConference in October, representing the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council, where she talked about the  detrimental effect of uncertain support services. Jenny gives a repeat presentation here even though she has now moved on to a new position at Independent mental Health Advocacy (IMHA). Continue reading

Posted January 4, 2019

Communication Rights Australia developed this toolkit through a collaborative process with educators, speech pathologists, students with communication support needs and their families, and the Victorian Department of Education. It provides teachers with the latest information and practical step-by-step recommendations for supporting students with little or no speech,   to reach their highest potential both academically and socially. Monique Sweetland steps us through the scope of the resource. Continue reading

Posted August 3, 2018

This session provides a unique opportunity for the Office for Disability to update the sector directly on key government initiatives including ongoing work to strengthen the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program. Felix Neighbour, Manager of Strategic Engagement invited Michael Cromie, Manager, Engagement, NDIS Transition and  Peter van Vliet, Assistant Director, Disability and NDIS Branch to join the discussion and take questions from the floor. Continue reading

Posted August 3, 2018

The Transport Accessibility project was undertaken by the Disability Resource Centre to capture the experiences of Victorians with disabilities who use (or want to use) public transport, taxis and Uber. Kerrie Cassidy and Katherine Marshall share their findings and outline the next steps arising from the project. Then Colleen Furlanetto takes the floor. She started her new role as the Disability Commissioner at the Taxi Services Commission in January 2018.  Colleen outlines her plans for the industry and  what her focus will be during her term. Continue reading

Posted August 3, 2018

The Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Framework has changed the way people with disabilities access housing. The focus should be on choice and control, however it seems that only people with "extreme" disabilities are receiving funded support for housing. Dr George Taleporos and Penny Paul from the Summer Foundation, present the pathway to SDA under the NDIS, some useful housing resources, and a discussion of the emerging systemic advocacy issues related to the implementation of the SDA framework. Continue reading

Posted August 3, 2018

The updated Medical Treatment and Planning Decisions Act 2016 came into effect in March 2018, following on from the changes to the Powers Of Attorney Act 2014.  Guardianship and Administration Act is next in line to continue the transition of decision-making laws to bring them into line with international human rights law to protect the right of people with cognitive disability to make decisions about matters that effect them. Sharon Cutrale, a Medical Decision Support Officer at the Office of the Public Advocate, provides an overview of what the changes are, how to work with them and the impact they will have on people with limited decision-making capacity. Continue reading

Posted February 27, 2018

This session provides a unique opportunity for the Office for Disability to update the sector directly on key government initiatives including ongoing work to strengthen the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program. Felix Neighbour from the Office for Disability and Michael Cromie from the NDIS branch in the Department of Health and Human Services took questions from the floor. Continue reading

Posted February 27, 2018

Stephanie Gotlib, CEO at Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA), set the scene by giving an overview of the variable experiences of children and young people with disabilities across Australian educational jurisdictions. All the reports that have come out over the past decade show that students with disability continue to experience exclusion on a daily basis. However education departments describe their practices and cultures as inclusive which only seeks to perpetuate the inherent ableism in the system rather than embracing a reform agenda towards education that is truly inclusive. Continue reading

Posted February 27, 2018

Leah van Poppel, Executive Officer at Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), shared the findings from a consultation YDAS conducted with students with disabilities aged 12 -24 where they were asked about their views and experience of inclusion in education and employment. Surprisingly, attitudes came out as the number one barrier identified. Continue reading

Posted February 16, 2018

Julie Phillips, Manager at Disability Discrimination Legal Service (DDLS), ponders why, despite the glut of inquiries, reviews and research, the rights of students with disabilities to be included equally in education, has seemingly done nothing to increase the understanding of what inclusive education means. Recent case studies highlight how this ignorance by teachers, principals and departments of education results in dire , unacceptable consequences and far from satisfactory educational outcomes for children with disability. Continue reading

Posted December 14, 2017

DARU has published the Disability Advocacy by the Numbers report which interprets the data collected by disability advocacy organisations funded through the Victorian Office for Disability.  Llewellyn Reynders, Policy Manager at VCOSS gave a summary  of how some of the advocacy issues are trending and then followed up with a consultation on future resourcing for DARU to feed into the next strategic planning process for 2018-21. Continue reading

Posted December 14, 2017

Melanie Muir, President of Disability Advocacy victoria, introduced Mary Mallett, CEO at Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA), who presented the findings from the research that investigated the true cost of disability advocacy Australia wide. This ground-breaking research was supported by Leadership Plus, Disability Advocacy Victoria (DAV), VALID and Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO). Continue reading

Posted December 14, 2017

Felix Neighbour, manager Strategic Engagement at the Office for Disability provided the participants at the Advocacy Sector Conversations forum an update on what the Office has been doing since the last time we met. Continue reading

Posted November 27, 2017

To determine the sustainability of self-advocacy and self-advocacy groups in the shift to individualised funding, the Self Advocacy Resource Unit (SARU) have been leading several projects. Sue Smith, Dean Dadson and self advocates, Bec Biddle and Fran Lee, provided updates and findings from the initiatives SARU has been involved in over the past year. Continue reading

Posted May 26, 2017

Alison McDonald from Domestic Violence Victoria discussed the family violence reforms and how they impact on people with disability experiencing family violence. She also covered protections available for people with disability, and other information that advocates working with people with disabilities in vulnerable situations need to know. Continue reading

Posted May 26, 2017

Llewellyn Reynders, Policy Manager at VCOSS, showcased Disability Advocacy by the Numbers report that uses the data collected by the Victorian Office for Disability advocacy program through the Quarterly Data Collection (QDC) provided by organisations funded under the program. He stepped us through the advocacy issues and identified trends through graphic representation and analysis. Continue reading

Posted May 23, 2017

Carl Thompson from Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) provided an   in-depth overview, including pros and cons for the various support management options, that would assist advocates when working with people with disability through their NDIs plan implementation phase. This was followed by an update from Felix Neighbour from the Office for Disability. Continue reading

Posted May 23, 2017

Barbara Carter and Kate Fitt discussed issues around child protection and provided some practical tips on how to support parents with disability in their dealings with child protection agencies. Continue reading

Posted March 21, 2017

The NDIS is rolling out across Victoria giving thousands the opportunity to start new plans for the first time while investigating local support options. Catherine McAlpine, Manager Disability Loop at AFDO introduced a new ‘Tip Sheet’ for the planning process and provided some perspectives on the Local Area Coordinators and the Service Coordination roles at the NDIS. Continue reading

Posted March 20, 2017

Absolutely everyone: state disability plan 2017-2020 started on 1 January 2017. Mark Feigan, Senior Policy Officer and Angela Healy, Manager from the Office for Disability provided an overview of the new plan which was followed by Q&As and small group discussions to explore how the plan might be used as an advocacy tool. Continue reading

Posted March 20, 2017

Zero Tolerance’ of abuse in disability services is the focus of the Victorian Government’s response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Abuse in Disability Services. The response was tabled in Parliament on 26 November 2016. Anna Guglielmucci, Assistant Director and Vanessa Stevens-Downie, Principal Policy Officer, Safeguarding and Disability Supports, DHHS provided an update on implementation of the response and discussed opportunities for collaboration with the advocacy sector. Mary Mallet, CEO at Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) was present in the audience and obligingly presented an overview of the recently released NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework. Continue reading

Posted December 16, 2016

Peter Norbury from Social Security Rights Victoria updated us on the changes Centrelink made to the impairment tables in 2012 highlighting the contradictions and identifying the hurdles that need to be overcome to pass the eligibility criteria. Len Jaffit, who has been working with the Centrelink Appeals Tribunal at Victoria Legal Aid for many years then stepped us through what you need to do if you are unhappy with a Centrelink decision. Continue reading

Posted December 15, 2016

Felix Neighbour, the Acting Manager Strategic Engagement at the Office for Disability brought Martin Turnbull, Assistant Director, Diversity and Disability along to this Q&A session to fill us in on the boost to advocacy funding announced as part of the 'Zero Tolerance' initiative. An update with the ongoing dialogue with NDAP and NDIS and the launch of the State Disability Plan to start in 2017 was also discussed. Continue reading

Posted December 15, 2016

Tony Newman, the Assistant Director of the Implementation support department at the Victorian Housing Register outlined the changes to the Housing Register. This was followed by Steve Staikos from Community Housing Federation Victoria who spoke about the impacts of the changes. Continue reading

Posted December 5, 2016

The panelists represented people with disability who are either not eligible for the NDIS or who have complexities that make interaction with the agency difficult. A range of issues were raised, and information shared, however many more questions than answers were left in the air. Continue reading

Posted July 4, 2016

session at the Advocacy Sector Conversations forum held on 23 June 2016 at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre. Paul Brady, Coordinator at Colac and Otway Ranges Advocacy Service (CORAS), and Carole Okai, Executive Officer at Assert 4 All, will step us through the process in becoming an NDIS Service Provider. Both advocacy organisations have undergone this process and have been operating successfully in the NDIS Barwon trial site. Continue reading

Posted July 4, 2016

Catherine McAlpine, Senior Manager of NDIS Disability Loop, from Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) introduced the NDIS Opportunities training series that have been developed to resource and assist small community organisations as they navigate the significant changes the new market environment brings. Particular emphasis was given to how advocacy might fit within the NDIS Price Guide and Support Clusters. Continue reading

Posted June 29, 2016

This was the first session at the Advocacy Sector Conversations forum held on 23 June 2016 at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre. This session was dedicated to a consultation process to provide feedback for shaping the next State Disability Plan 2017-2020 The facilitators were Llewellyn Reynders, Policy Manager, and Carly Nowell, Policy Analyst from VCOSS. Continue reading

Posted March 10, 2016

This session was a conversation with Fleur Campbell, Senior Project Officer, DHHS Office for Disability. The Q&A is a standing agenda item for this forum series. Continue reading

Posted March 10, 2016

This was the third session at the Advocacy Sector Conversations forum held on 1 March 2016 at the Jasper Hotel. In this session, Catherine McAlpine, Senior Manager, NDIS Disability Loop at Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) told us about the NDIS workshop series for community organisations and train the trainer workshops for people with disability that have been developed. Continue reading

Posted February 29, 2016

Toni Van Hammond, Assistant Director - Engagement & Community Strategy, NDIA Barwon office, explained the role of an NDIA planner and took us through what happens during the planning process. Continue reading

Posted February 29, 2016

This panel provided different perspectives of the NDIS appeals process and included Kylie McCutcheon, NDIS participant and AAT complainant, James Keith , Geelong Area Advocate, Coordinator of SPSP, EMRS Support Officer, Rights Information & Advocacy Centre Inc (RIAC), Len Jaffit, Manager Commonwealth Entitlements Civil Justice, Victoria Legal Aid and Rosalinda Casamento, Senior Lawyer, Victoria Legal Aid, Civil Justice Program. Continue reading

Posted November 23, 2015

Michael Cromie, Manager Strategic Engagement, DHHS Office for Disability, introduced Noble Tabe, Acting Director, NDIS reform branch who provided an overview of the work of the Victorian Government to roll out the NDIS in Victoria. Continue reading

Posted November 23, 2015

On 1 September 2015, the new Powers of Attorney Act came into effect. . It includes a new supportive attorney appointment provision. Helen Rushford, Coordinator Advice and Education Service, at the Office of the Public Advocate talked about resources developed by OPA to assist people with disability and disability advocates to understand and use the new law. Continue reading

Posted November 23, 2015

In June 2015, the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, released Reporting and investigation of allegations of abuse in the disability sector: Phase 1 – the effectiveness of statutory oversight. The report has informed the current Victorian parliamentary inquiry into disability abuse. The Ombudsman spoke about recommendations arising out of the report and discussed the issues facing people with disability. Continue reading

Posted November 10, 2015

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has provided funding to some disability support organisations to conduct consultations about activity areas which should be funded by the ILC Framework. Mary Mallett, CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) gave a brief presentation about the consultation process and explain how DSS plans to develop a commissioning process to fund delivery of ILC. Submissions for the framework close on 30 October 2015. Continue reading

Posted September 14, 2015

This forum was held on 30 July 2015 at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. On this page you will find transcripts, contact information and links to resources for the following sessions: 1.Setting the scene for housing services in Victoria 2.Advocacy and housing 3.New Powers of Attorney Act 4.Q&A with the Office for Disability Continue reading

Posted September 14, 2015

Navigating appropriate housing options in victoria is complex. Public , community, private and supported housing tenures all operate under different acts with different application processes and eligibility criteria. Pauline Williams, Housing Rights Coordinator at Action for More Independence in Accommodation (AMIDA), facilitated a panel discussion to identify what support and information services are out there and how these can be utilised by advocates to get the best outcome for their clients. Continue reading

Posted September 14, 2015

More than 5,000 Victorians with disability live in state funded disability supported accommodation. In this year’s State Budget, the Victorian Government announced the provision of 830 more individual support plans. Whilst this will go some way towards addressing the unmet housing and accommodation needs of people with disability, there are many more Victorians with disability requiring housing. Pauline Williams, Housing Rights Coordinator at Action for More Independence in Accommodation (AMIDA), focussed the  discussion on supported accommodation with panel members. Continue reading

Posted September 14, 2015

Robyn Gaile, the DARU Coordinator, facilitated a conversation with Michael Cromie, Manager Strategic Engagement from the DHHS Office for DisabilityMichael updated the sector on staffing at the Office for Disability and assured everyone that Service Agreements are on their way for the 2016-19 period. Other topics covered included the Disability Awards, State Disability Plan consultations and VDAC. Continue reading

Posted April 15, 2015

Mary Mallett, CEO of Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) presented on the importance of advocates contributing their 'on the ground' experience in submissions to national inquiries to support systemic advocacy issues. This was followed by Robyn Gaile, DARU Coordinator introducing the 'PUSH' key messages tool kit. Continue reading

Posted April 2, 2015

This forum was held on 24 March 2015 at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. On this page you will find session summaries, audio podcasts and transcripts for each session: ◾Violence against women response services ◾Influencing government: telling the disability advocacy story ◾Q&A with the Office for Disability Continue reading

Posted April 2, 2015

Michael Chromie, Manager Strategic Engagement, Office for Disability, provided an update on the activities of the Office and took questions from the floor relating to current service agreements for disability advocacy organisations. He announced that all Victorian Government funded disability advocacy organisations will shortly receive contracts for the rollover of funding for the next financial year. Continue reading

Posted September 3, 2014

This was the third Advocacy Sector Conversations forum held at the queen Victoria Women's Centre on 2 September 2014. Presentations included how Victorians can be involved with the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse, how to make a successful representative complaint with VEOHRC, issues facing deaf people accessing hospital services and the regular segment with the Office for Disability. Continue reading

Posted September 1, 2014

This was the second in the advocacy Sector Conversations forum series held at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre on 5 June 2014. Presentations included an introduction on how the NDIS will safeguard the rights of people with disability, showcasing a successful self advocacy partnership between New Wave and ASSIST in Gippsland, the rules advocacy organisations need to know regarding incident reporting and the open forum with the Office for Disability. Continue reading

Posted October 25, 2013

This is the first in the Advocacy Sector Conversations forum series that aims to support disability advocates to regularly get together and discuss matters which directly impact on their work, as well as to provide informal time to network. Continue reading