Admin, Author at Queensland Advocacy Incorporated

Nundah Scams Awareness Group offering presentations

Nundah Scams Awareness Group (NSAG) is a community action group of people with disability who have come together to support the community on how to stay safe from scams.

NSAG was awarded a grant through the NDIS to hold community education sessions to inform and educate people with disability and the wider community about scams, and some tips on how to stay safe.

They have a few different presentations, their focus topics include:

Phishing/digital information scams
Romance scams
‘Mate crimes’ (face-to-face scams from false friends)
Scamming behaviour from both real and fake businesses

They make these engaging and fun, and are able to adapt them to fit into a shorter or longer presentation time, for example ranging from 30 minutes to 2-hour workshops. They can also present online over Zoom or a similar technology if desired. They also have the capacity to travel across the Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast regions.

If you think a group you are involved in would be interested in a presentation from the Nundah Scams Awareness Group, you can get more information by contacting them at:

NSAG@communityliving.org.au

Follow their activities: www.facebook.com/nundahfraudsafety

Keep up to date with scams affecting all Australians: www.scamwatch.gov.au

NDIS Market in Queensland

QAI systems advocates Sophie Wiggans and Chris Coombes presented at the Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC) earlier this week.

The QPC is currently completing an inquiry into the operation of the NDIS market in Queensland.

Sophie and Chris raised concern about the lack of accountability of many NDIS service providers in the market. They spoke about the human rights implications of the suggested reforms to the rules regulating Restrictive Practices. They also highlighted the lack of support available to prisoners with disability, who are essentially being left out of the NDIS.

In conjunction with the presentation by Sophie and Chris, QAI made a written submission to the QPC, which you can read in full at the links below.

Building Better Homes Campaign

Please sign this petition to make accessible housing available for all Australians!

The Building Better Homes campaign is fighting to make accessibility standards mandatory for all new residential homes.

We know the campaign will be strongly opposed by many vested interests across the building industry – that’s why we need your help to win this campaign.

Please, sign and share this petition to show you support for people with disabilities, seniors, and those with mobility impairment.

QAI Statement on January 26

QAI respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples and the Owners/Custodians of the land on which we work and live. We recognise the important role they have within community and country and pay our respects to the Elders of this land past, present and future.

QAI also recognises First Nations Australians with disability and the intersectional disadvantage they experience in the form of ableism and racism.

We acknowledge the tremendous hurt and mourning of First Nations peoples on the 26th of January.

QAI has released a statement on our view of January 26, along with a short list of First Nations Peoples, their creative works, organisations and resources, which we can all learn from.

Recruiting – Mental Health Senior Solicitor

ABOUT US

QAI’s mission is to promote, protect and defend, through advocacy, the fundamental needs and rights and lives of the most vulnerable people with disability in Queensland.

QAI is a specialist community legal service and disability advocacy organisation dedicated to the promotion, protection and defence of the fundamental needs and rights and lives of the most vulnerable people with disability in Queensland.

QAI provides legal services in mental health and human rights law and non-legal advocacy in NDIS appeals and decision support, education, Disability Royal Commission and criminal justice matters. We also publish and educate in our fields of expertise to empower clients and their supports to self-advocate, and consider law reform and challenging systems as one of our primary purposes.

ABOUT THE ROLE

QAI is looking for a Mental Health Senior Solicitor to join QAI’s Mental Health Legal Service on a full-time basis, to work in our Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) Referrals Team.

QAI offers competitive remuneration under the SCHADS Award, with remuneration commensurate with experience and includes advantageous salary sacrifice and flexible working arrangement options.

The position reports to and is supervised by the Principal Solicitors.

The functions of the role include:

Provide legal advice and representation within the scope of QAI’s legal services, including in relation to the Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld), the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) and the Forensic Disability Act 2011 (Qld), with representation before the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) and the Mental Health Court Queensland as required; and
Working with other members of the Mental Health Legal Service.

Additionally, the role includes opportunities to work with other QAI team members:

Collaboration with systems advocates supporting law reform activities; and
Representing QAI at conferences, meetings with external stakeholders, and other events.

The successful applicant will be an experienced senior solicitor with at least (4) years plus, post admission experience (PAE) with an unrestricted Practising Certificate (or eligibility for one), who is able to meet the following selection criteria:

Strong commitment to social justice principles including the promotion and protection of the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.
Advice and casework experience with knowledge in relevant areas of law, or an ability to quickly acquire knowledge, working strategically, innovatively and efficiently in complex matters to achieve outcomes.
Experience providing legal advice and representation to highly vulnerable individuals in the community.
Demonstrated success in leadership, supervision and teamwork including collaboration with external stakeholders.
Well developed legal casework, advocacy and negotiation
Excellent interpersonal & verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate sensitively with clients and other people from diverse
Excellent written skills, including ability to convey information in simple
Highly developed organisational skills to identify priorities, manage workload, and maintain records within a resource-poor community legal
Good knowledge of the welfare and/or disability sector/s with understanding of what makes people vulnerable.
Current driver’s licence as travel is required as part of this role.
Willingness to meet the Department of Health Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) screening requirements as required for all practitioners appearing before the MHRT. Documentation is required, confirming the successful applicant has been vaccinated against or is not susceptible to the following VPD’s is required: Hepatitis B; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chicken Pox); and Pertussis (Whooping Cough).
The position is conditional on accreditation to represent clients before the MHRT as determined by Legal Aid Queensland.

Position description PDF document
Position description Word document

Please address your cover letter and resume and any questions to the Principal Solicitors, Carly Dennis and Emma Phillips, at QAI, Tel: 3844 4200 and/or email qai@qai.org.au using the subject line: Mental Health Senior Solicitor enquiry.

Applications for this position are open until filled, with a deadline of 5pm Wednesday 27 January 2021.

Recruiting – Mental Health Solicitor

ABOUT US

QAI’s mission is to promote, protect and defend, through advocacy, the fundamental needs and rights and lives of the most vulnerable people with disability in Queensland. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

QAI is looking for a Mental Health Solicitor to join QAI’s Mental Health Legal Service on a full-time basis, to work in our Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) Referrals Team.

QAI offers competitive remuneration under the SCHADS Award, with remuneration commensurate with experience and includes advantageous salary sacrifice and flexible working arrangement options. 

The position reports to and is supervised by the Principal Solicitors. 

The functions of the role include: 

Provide legal advice and representation within the scope of QAI’s legal services, including in relation to the Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld), the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) and the Forensic Disability Act 2011 (Qld), with representation before the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) and the Mental Health Court Queensland as required; and 
Working with other members of the Mental Health Legal Service.

Additionally, the role includes opportunities to work with other QAI team members: 

Collaboration with systems advocates supporting law reform activities; and

Representing QAI at conferences, meetings with external stakeholders, and other events.

The successful applicant will be an experienced solicitor with at least (2) two years post admission experience (PAE) with an unrestricted Practising Certificate (or eligibility for one), who is able to meet the following selection criteria: 

Strong commitment to social justice principles including the promotion and protection of the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. 
Experience in Mental Health Law, Criminal Law with prior experience in the disability, mental health or social services sectors required.
Demonstrated experience providing legal advice and representation to highly vulnerable individuals in the community.
Admitted, or eligibility to be admitted, to legal practice in Queensland, with at least (2) two years Post Admission Experience (PAE).
Well developed legal casework, advocacy and negotiation skills.
Excellent interpersonal & verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate sensitively with clients and other people from diverse backgrounds.
Excellent written skills, including ability to convey information in simple English.
Highly developed organisational skills to identify priorities, manage workload, and maintain records within a resource-poor community legal service.
Good knowledge of the welfare and/or disability sector/s with understanding of what makes people vulnerable.
Current driver’s licence as travel is required as part of this role.
Willingness to meet the Department of Health Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) screening requirements as required for all practitioners appearing before the MHRT. Documentation is required, confirming the successful applicant has been vaccinated against or is not susceptible to the following VPD’s is required: Hepatitis B; Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chicken Pox); and Pertussis (Whooping Cough).
The position is conditional on accreditation to represent clients before the MHRT as determined by LAQ.

Position description PDF document
Position description Word document

Please submit your cover letter and resume and any questions addressed to the Principal Solicitors, Carly Dennis and Emma Phillips at QAI, Tel: 3844 4200 and/or email  qai@qai.org.au  using the subject line: Mental Health Solicitor enquiry.

Applications for this position are open until filled, with a deadline of 5pm Wednesday 27 January 2021.

NDS and NDIS Outcomes Frameworks – QAI Submission

QAI made a submission to the Department of Social Service regarding their consultation paper on the NDS (National Disability Strategy) and NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) proposed Outcomes Frameworks.

QAI agreed with the Department’s stated intention to focus on improving the implementation of both the Strategy and the NDIS, with renewed attention on measuring, monitoring and reporting of outcomes. QAI stated that if the Strategy and NDIS are to genuinely improve the lives of people with disability, there must be tangible change that facilitates the self-determination of people with disability and ensures the accountability of all stakeholders.

QAI made several recommendations, including the following:

The principles of universal design must be applied to all policy-making. The extent to which they are adhered to throughout the built and natural environment, services and programs and the provision of information is a quantifiable measure that could be incorporated into the Outcomes Frameworks.
The autonomy of people with disability must not be lost amid efforts to quantify progress in the Outcomes Frameworks. Rather, progress under the Outcomes Frameworks should be relative to the extent that people with disability exercise choice and control over their lives.
All people, regardless of their disability status, have a right to a basic standard of living. The level of payment under Australia’s welfare system and its equivalence with the minimum wage is a quantifiable measure that could be included in an Outcomes Framework. The eradication of ADE’s and the abolition of productivity-based wage assessment tools, when coupled with the expansion of meaningful employment roles in open employment, could also be indicators of increased economic security.
Progress towards achieving equitable access to suitable housing for people with disability can be measured through a reduction in the number of tenancies in congregated, segregated and Supported Independent Living (SIL) settings.
Measuring health and wellbeing requires more than quantifying a person’s access to health care services. The Outcomes Framework must be nuanced enough to decipher the quality of healthcare services that are accessed by people with disability as well as improvements in mortality rates.
A person’s ability to feel safe and have their rights promoted, upheld and protected is integral to the CRPD and must be ensured through robust accountability measures. The ongoing funding and uptake of a well-resourced disability advocacy sector is fundamental to achieving success in this domain. With Article 12 of the CRPD enshrining the right to equal recognition before the law and the model of supported decision-making, the level of a paradigm shift away from substitute decision-making approaches should be tracked under the Outcomes Frameworks through measures such as reduced applications for guardianship and administration, involuntary treatment and the use of Restrictive Practices.
The Australian Collective for Inclusive Education (ACIE) has produced a roadmap for achieving inclusive education in Australia, outlining six core pillars where efforts for change should be focused and providing a comprehensive list of short, medium and long-term outcome measures that will track progress over a ten-year period. As a member of ACIE, QAI endorses the roadmap and the outcome measures contained therein.
Personal and community supports must remain person-centred. This is in keeping with the diverse needs of people with disability and their right to self-determination. Continuity of service provision, together with the clarification of the interface between NDIS and mainstream services and education and training regarding this issue are important outcome measures. The introduction of the NDIS should not have the unintended effect of absolving state and territory governments from their responsibilities and the Outcomes Frameworks must remain alert to this throughout the life of the new Strategy.

Disability Information Helpline

Do you have disability? Are you currently in New South Wales, or have recently visited? Do you have concerns about coronavirus? Support is available to you.

You can contact the Disability Information Helpline to talk about your concerns in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19), for example if:

your support worker has not turned up
your provider has stopped services
it’s hard for you to get food, groceries, medications or other essential items
someone close to you has symptoms of coronavirus
you are feeling really upset
anything else is worrying you.

To contact the Disability Information Helpline, please call 1800 643 787.

The Helpline is available Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm (AEST). It is not available on national public holidays.

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can call the National Relay Service on 133 677.

If you require support in another language, you can use the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) free of charge by:

calling the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 643 787 and asking for an interpreter. The counsellor will make the arrangements, or
calling TIS on 131 450 and asking to be connected to the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 643 787.

The Disability Information Helpline is free, private and fact-checked.

The Disability Information Helpline is funded by the Australian Government.

For more information about the Disability Information Helpline, including Easy Read and Auslan resources about coronavirus, visit www.dss.gov.au/disabilityhelp.

Restrictive Practices – QAI Submission to the DRC

QAI has provided a submission to the Disability Royal Commission in response to the Issues Paper on the use of Restrictive Practices. QAI told the Commission that the use of Restrictive Practices infringes the fundamental human rights of people with disability. Despite being cited as necessary to ensure safety, Restrictive Practices are often the result of prejudicial and discriminatory attitudes towards people with disability. Poor quality service provision that stems from a lack of understanding of the person and the perceived ‘behaviour of concern’ can lead to the use of Restrictive Practices in situations where less restrictive alternatives are available, yet not pursued. QAI highlighted the lack of evidence showing the efficacy of Restrictive Practices in addressing ‘behaviours of concern’ as well as the significant harm caused through their continued use. The fragmented approach to reporting and regulation was also raised as a key concern.

Here is an extract from the submission:

The perceived ‘behaviour of concern’ must be seen within its wider context. That is, a community that has historically devalued people with disability, where unconscious bias is entrenched into the minds of those supporting people with disability and where motives of personal gain through risk adversity are rife. It must also be viewed as the social construct that it is. What someone considers to be a ‘challenging behaviour’ may differ from one person to the next, based upon their understanding of the individual concerned.

QAI called for change in the way that people with disability are viewed and subsequently treated. People with disability must be supported to exercise control over their lives through the model of supported decision-making, including in decision-making regarding the use of Restrictive Practices. Increased safeguards and oversight must also be implemented through legislative reform.

Farewell Tribute to Dianne Toohey

Speaking Up for You (SUFY) is an individual advocacy organisation and long term ally to QAI. The people at the heart of SUFY’s beginnings have been connected with the advocacy movement in Queensland for three decades.

Dianne Toohey, is a woman of substance who dedicated herself to improving the lives of many people with disability, shared her expertise with many burgeoning advocates, and is now retiring after 26 years.

Listen to the podcast that pays tribute to the legacy Di has made and left for us all to learn from.