The committee is particularly moved by evidence that participants feel distressed, frustrated, and unheard when planners do not understand their lived experience of disability. Planners are a key interface between participants and the NDIS. If planners do not understand a participant’s disability and how it impacts their daily life, this is likely to have a negative effect on a participant’s plan and their experience of the NDIS.
The Independent Review of Services Australia and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) Procurement and Contracting examined the procurement processes leading to the award of contracts to Synergy 360 and associated entities. The review focused on internal agency practices and processes and the conduct of Services Australia and NDIA officials in undertaking the relevant procurements. the Independent Review produced an Independent Reviewer’s Report as well as a Taskforce Report to the Independent Reviewer.
This report lays bare the failures of Victoria’s criminal justice system in a comprehensive assessment that reveals “jailing is failing”. It is increasingly clear that in Victoria, the growth in the adult imprisonment rate has not been driven by severity of offending or crime, but rather by systemic failings, and policy and legislative choices, that have resulted in people being funnelled unnecessarily into imprisonment. In particular, this includes those denied bail and awaiting sentencing and those denied parole.
The research report looks at what should be done to make a more inclusive society that supports people with disability to be safe and independent. It considered several questions about inclusion and it found that inclusion is more than just being in the community physically. Inclusion is when people with disability feel welcome and know they belong, are safe and can speak up and have their say.
The report provides an overview of all measures being tracked under Australia’s Disability Strategy at ‘baseline’ – that is, when the Strategy began in December 2021. Moving forward, baseline data will be the point of comparison against which changes for each of the measures will be compared over the life of the Strategy.
The Royal Commission has published a research report titled Economic Cost of Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability. It estimates that the economic costs of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation (maltreatment) of people living with disability is $46 billion annually, or $9,600 on average per person with disability.
In October to November 2022, the Housing Hub ran a series of workshops designed to gather collective knowledge about SDA-funded group homes from providers and stakeholders. This report provides background to the workshops, and discusses the main findings and recommendations towards a better future for people with disability who choose to live in shared arrangements.
Disabled people working in Australia’s screen industry face prejudice and systemic discrimination, including lower pay, greater casualisation and stigma and stereotyping, a new report finds. The findings, drawn from a national survey of more than 500 people – both disabled and non-disabled – and in-depth interviews, are included in the Disability and Screen Work in Australia: … Continued
The Royal Commission has published its Report on Public hearing 21, which was held in February last year. The hearing examined the experiences of people with disability engaging with the Disability Employment Services (DES) program. It focused on Mzia (not her real name) who has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
The Pandemic Research Project looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health and wellbeing of women with disability. Women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to several factors, including economic insecurity, over-representation in certain sectors of the economy, and caring responsibilities.
Supported decision-making needs to be implemented across all sectors to ensure people with cognitive disability are empowered to make their own choices, says a new report commissioned by the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
This first Inquiry focused on the experiences of NDIS participants living in supported accommodation. The Inquiry examined reportable incidents and complaints that have been made to the NDIS Commission in connection with the supported accommodation services provided by 7 of the largest providers of these services over the period 1 July 2018 to 30 September 2022. The inquiry report describes trends in issues that are occurring in supported accommodation, what is causing those issues, models of best practice to eliminate or address these issues, and how the NDIS Commission can use its powers to support the delivery of higher standards of support in these settings.
The purpose of the annual Charter Report is to examine the operation of the Charter in any given year – how it interacts with law and policy to protect and promote human rights. 2021 was another year of major upheaval in the lives of Victorians as they adapted to the Victorian Government’s public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report continues to focus on the impact of COVID-19 and provides an update on the Charter issues that emerged in 2021 in relation to additional measures the Victorian Government took to protect Victorians.
The Inquiry examined reportable incidents and complaints made to the NDIS Commission in connection with the supported accommodation services (specifically group homes). The Inquiry’s purpose was to enable the NDIS Commissioner to identify trends in issues occurring in supported accommodation, what is causing those issues, models of best practice to eliminate or address these issues, and how the NDIS Commission can use its powers to support the delivery of higher standards of support in these settings.
The National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) aims to connect data about people with disability in Australia together, including information about health, employment and support services. The test pilot was recently completed with New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland state governments and the disability community. The pilot tested the best ways to link data about people with disability. It focused on housing, justice, early childhood, education to employment, and mental illness and psychological distress.