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The Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc. continues to provide an individual disability advocacy service which is based on enabling people with disabilities to access their human, civil and legal rights and to address grievances and complaints about access to services and service delivery.
During the 2005-06 financial year our advocates worked on 478 issues. The main issues addressed included legal issues such as discrimination in employment and education, detention and community treatment orders, administration and guardianship orders; access to services and personal care, and access to the built environment, transport and accommodation.
Our clients have indicated a high level of satisfaction with our services in our feedback sheets. We have received no serious complaints about our performance, which is an excellent outcome in a very busy year.
This year Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc. continued to attend the Disability Advocacy Network, which is an alliance of disability advocacy services in South Australia. The network meets bi-monthly and shares information as well as trends emerging in individual advocacy programs.
Throughout this year the network has faced serious challenges. Disability Action Inc. was de-funded. In December a National Disability Advocacy Program review was announced by our funding body, the Department for Family and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
As from June 2006 all National Disability Advocacy agencies were notified that they will have funding until 31 December 2006. Ongoing funding will be subject to the Minister adopting set recommendations from the review consultants.
The network has worked together on finding some solutions to respond to a possible tendering process and changes in the guidelines of the funding agreement.
The Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc. has taken several steps in the past year to review and improve our performance in relation to the National Disability Services Standards. We have adapted these standards and developed Key Performance Outcomes to the delivery of advocacy services.
Organisational Changes
This year has seen some significant changes, increased staffing levels, a new interior, a new database and client management system, and the presence of two groups, which our organisation is sponsoring and supporting.
We reviewed all our policies and created three manuals, one for employees, one for volunteers, and one for the Management Committee. These manuals contain all procedures, policies and documents, which should be available to all staff members, volunteers and the members of the Management.
The South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability (SACID) re-started its activities in our offices after several years of being hosted by the Intellectual Disability Services Council. We have supported SACID throughout the year.
In June 2005 and December 2005 we applied for six grants from the Community Benefit Scheme SA. Lady Luck struck in form of the Minister for Disability Services, the Honourable Jay Weatherill. The Minister asked for all applications from the Community Benefit Grant SA, which came from disability organisations, and he funded them all. Thank you, Minister.
The grants were dedicated to the
•development of our library and the purchase of new literature;
•development and purchase of a database and client management system;
•development of an accessible website;
•purchase of outdoor equipment and promotional equipment to promote the agency and assist fundraising efforts of volunteers;
•purchase of a laptop and projector for training and community education;
•purchase of software to enable people with intellectual and learning disabilities to communicate electronically.
In August 2005 we started hosting the OUR VOICE SA Committee, a self advocacy group for people with intellectual and learning disabilities. We received funding to employ Monika Baker as the OUR VOICE SA Project Coordinator for one day per week and extra funding to cover the expenses of meetings.
The OUR VOICE SA Committee received a grant from the Department of Premier and Cabinet in January 2006 to design and deliver a training program for consumer reps and for peer mentors with intellectual and learning disabilities. Both training courses will be available as downloads on the OUR VOICE SA website, which is hosted by the Enable Net of the Disability Information and Resource Centre.
In October 2005 the OUR VOICE SA Committee travelled to New Zealand with seven members. For many members it was their first overseas trip and flight. Raising the money and developing and filming a second video were huge achievements for the group. In New Zealand at the Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for the Study of Intellectual Disability, OUR VOICE SA delivered a workshop and showed their video.
The new database was installed at the beginning of July 2005, just in time to be able to report within the time frame set by FACSIA. The database had a few glitches which were resolved by March 2006. The glitches did not prevent us from collecting reliable data about our activities.
Our new website was up and running in October 2005 and our library will be launched in November 2006.
The OUR VOICE SA Committee has been out sausage sizzling with our new marquee and trailer, and we attended several expos with our new expo wall and banner.
In March 2006 we received one off funding to address the needs of people with disabilities who were left stranded as a result of the closure of Disability Action Inc.
This led to full time employment of Monika and part time employment of existing volunteers, Leatha, and Eloise.
We were well prepared to house our new advocates, before Christmas we divided our board room and created another office. Over Christmas we painted our office and welcomed the New Year with a fresh face.
The new signage in the front and back window completed the renewal of our office.
Future Development at Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc.
Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc. is currently developing and negotiating Memoranda of Understanding with the Office of the Public Advocate, Disability Services SA, Mental Health Services, Indigenous Disability Services Network, and the Guardianship Board. We want to ensure good cooperation between our agencies and the above mentioned organisations for the benefit or our clients.
We are planning to extend our outreach services, and are planning to develop partnerships in Mount Barker, Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier. An extension of Whyalla's services to the Eyre Peninsula and Aboriginal communities in Ceduna is being developed by the Whyalla Office.
The closure of Disability Action Inc. has meant that South Australia does no longer have a systemic advocacy program. We are prepared and willing to deliver a systemic advocacy program. We are actively campaigning for the return of a systemic advocacy program. We hope that as a result of the current review the systemic advocacy program will return to South Australia..
We are also campaigning for an additional 0.8 FTE mental health advocate. The need for mental health advocacy is great. Whenever patients of the psychiatric wards can get hold of us while we are visiting our clients they ask for our assistance. A mental health advocate could move around to the mental health facilities on a regular basis and assist patients to access their rights.
Finally, our biggest fight will be to keep our doors open. Our service agreement only runs to the 31st of December 2006. If we are not informed by the 1st of October 2006 whether we are continue to receive funding beyond the 31st of December, we will begin the process of closing down. We certainly hope that this will not be the case.
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