NATIONAL DISABILITY ADVOCACY CONFERENCE PRESENTATION July 2007

DISABILITY ADVOCACY IN TASMANIA Rebecca Thompson, Advocacy Tasmania Inc Julie Fraser, Speak Out

STATE OF TASMANIA

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE Disability Advocacy in each region: Advocacy Tasmania and Speak Out Three FaCSIA-funded agencies in Tasmania: Citizen Advocacy - their own Model of matchingNth Region Speak Out - Self Advocacy & Individual AdvocacyStatewide Advocacy Tasmania - Individual Advocacy Statewide Other State-funded service: Association for Children with a DisabilityStatewide

GAPS IN SERVICE NO GEOGRAPHICAL GAPS IN DISABILITY ADVOCACY IN TASMANIA GAPS IN COVERAGE IN ADVOCACY TYPE: SYSTEMIC ADVOCACY - NONE FUNDED MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY

COMPLEXITIES OF A SMALL STATE In Australia, Tasmania has: The Most decentralized population Highest Proportion of Disability Highest Level of Disadvantage Highest Proportion of Ageing

NATURE OF NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION Informal Quite regular between the two Individual Advocacy Services Living Independently Project - A Special Collaborative Project between Speak Out, Advocacy Tas & State. Transfer of state accommodation services to the private sector

NATURE OF NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION Quarterly Liaison Meetings with State Disability Services and State funded advocacy services - Systemic Issues and Relationship Issues.

NATURE OF NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION Liaison with FaCSIA state and federal offices - specially scheduled with all agencies when there are issues such as Employment and NDAP Reform

NATURE OF NETWORKING AND COLLABORATION Individual liaison with FaCSIA state office - when there are particular Systemic Issues.

THE KEY ISSUES FOR THE ADVOCACY SECTOR IN TASMANIA For Advocacy Agencies: No funding for Systemic Advocacy Insufficient Mental Health Advocacy funding Small complicated state LIP: State getting out of direct accommodation service provision - due to ongoing service quality issues and conflict of interest in service provision & monitoring. Very vulnerable client group of the most disabled.

THE KEY ISSUES FOR THE ADVOCACY SECTOR IN TASMANIA For Client Group: UNMET NEED - supported accommodation; day support; individual support packages; respite & equipment. No increase in Disability Services funding for service provision for past two years and very little increase in the 3 years prior to that. Challenges in: Abuse Service Quality - lack of effective QA Monitoring and Evaluation

FUNDING BY SOURCE Total FaCSIA Funding For Advocacy in Tasmania $451,944

FUNDING BY SOURCE Advocacy Tasmania Inc 5 Disability Advocates (2 full-time, 3 part-time) 0.75 FTE Disability Advocate State-wide FaCSIA 2 FTEs Disability Advocates State-wide State 1 FTE LIP Advocate to June 08 NE & Sth State Plus HACC, Mental Health, Residential Aged Care & Dementia Advocacy Programs State & Comm

FUNDING BY SOURCE Speak Out 5 Disability Advocates (1 full-time, 4 part-time) 2 FTEs Advocates State-wide FACSIA 1.5 FTEs Advocates State-wide State 1 FTE LIP Advocate to June 08 NE & Sth State Citizen Advocacy Citizen Advocacy 2.5 Admin & Recruitment paid staff Launceston Region Inc 55 Volunteer Advocates North East FaCSIA Association for Children with Disability (Tas) Inc State-wide State

THE FUTURE In response to the upcoming FaCSIA competitive assessment process, I am sure that some advocacy agencies in Tasmania will be seeking additional funding to meet the unmet need for Advocacy Services in that state.