Office of the Public Advocate
OPA's Lived Experience Advisory Committee members with the Public Advocate, Colleen Pearce. From left: Anat Bigos, Colin Hiscoe AM, Colleen Pearce AM, Jane Rosengrave - Proud Yorta Yorta Woman and Victoria Cini.
OPA's Supported Discussions Project is about diversion from guardianship in appropriate matters.
The voice of people with lived experience of disability is at the heart of the project.
The project was initiated by an Australian Government Department of Social Services grant to deliver a project in 2023-24 relating to Australia’s Disability Strategy and Safety Targeted Action Plan.
The project consists of:
- Education sessions for workers from sectors that commonly make guardianship applications (NDIS support coordinators, hospital social workers and child protection workers). These education sessions provide information about guardianship and will promote exploration of less restrictive options and strategies for supporting people with disability to navigate service systems. The voice of people with lived experience of disability will be at the heart of these sessions.
- The development of a short video targeted at workers and co-designed with people with disability, which will explore similar themes.
- The piloting of a model to divert appropriate matters from guardianship to short-term advocacy (at least 20 matters). The short-term advocacy is provided by the disability advocacy organisation Leadership Plus. The aim is to develop a model that could be replicated in other states and territories
Achievements to 30 June 2024
- Developed presentation Guardianship as a last resort: Exploring alternatives
- Presented online and in person to 458 people including NDIS support coordinators, hospital social workers and others working with people with disability
- Significant interest in more presentations from workers keen to learn more about alternatives to guardianship.
- Presentations and audio interviews with Leadership Plus
- Development of 2 short videos: Decision Making: A Human Right (below) and Decision Making: Rights of People with Disability
