Recommendation 6.22 – Improved data collection and reporting on met and unmet demand for disability advocacy

What has been achieved to date

Further to updates provided at recommendation 6.21, all governments have commenced activities under the Disability Advocacy Work Plan 2023-2025  to build an evidence-base to assist in improving national consistency and service delivery for disability advocacy. It is intended the evidence gathered through these activities will be used to inform future work such as better coordination and direction of disability advocacy funding nationally. 

Further work is required to strengthen existing data collection practices across jurisdictions, and identify where individual disability advocacy services are available nationally.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is working with local advocacy services to strengthen data on territory-funded individual advocacy in the ACT. This includes exploring ways in which data collection can be enhanced to better understand systemic patterns, demographics, advocacy wait times and unmet needs in the ACT.

In March 2024, the New South Wales (NSW) Government announced $28 million in funding to extend the NSW Disability Advocacy Futures Program (DAFP) for a further two years. In July 2024, the NSW Department of Education announced a further $3.1 million until 30 June 2026 to the DAFP to enhance advocacy service providers’ capacity to support students with disability who attend a NSW public school. 

Alongside this, NSW has developed a new outcomes and reporting framework, which is being introduced over 2024-2025. This new framework will provide improved data on service demand and usage of individual advocacy and introduces data capture on the outcomes being achieved. The new framework will also help NSW to better understand the systemic issues impacting people with disability by capturing data on the services for which they need advocacy support.

The Northern Territory Government remains committed to funding organisations to deliver advocacy services to assist Territorians with disability, their family members and carers. Future work includes identifying met and unmet demand across the Northern Territory to inform policy decisions regarding the prioritisation of funding and capacity building. The Northern Territory Government continues to collaborate with the Australian and other state and territory governments to deliver on work through the National Disability Advocacy Framework, to improve access to advocacy services, including culturally appropriate advocacy, and improve coordination and sustainability of funded advocacy services.

The Queensland Government continues to fund organisations to deliver advocacy services to assist Queenslanders with disability, their family members and carers. Through work to deliver on the National Disability Advocacy Framework, the Queensland Government is collaborating with the Australian and other state and territory governments to improve access to advocacy services, including culturally capable advocacy, and improve coordination and sustainability of funded advocacy services.

The Tasmanian Government is committed to funding ongoing disability advocacy to support Tasmanians with disability to actively participate in decisions and processes which advance their rights, wellbeing and interests. The Tasmanian Government works with advocacy providers to recognise trends and systemic issues, including unmet demand and their causes, and the experiences of culturally diverse Tasmanians with disability. Through work to deliver on the National Disability Advocacy Framework, the Tasmanian Government continues to collaborate with the Australian and other state and territory governments to improve access to, and the coordination and sustainability of, funded advocacy services. 

The Victorian Government has progressed work to develop a Performance and Outcomes framework for the Victorian Disability Advocacy Program, which will improve data collection and reporting on met and unmet demand for disability advocacy. This work is occurring in parallel with work at a national level to improve data consistency under the National Disability Advocacy Framework Work Plan.

The Western Australian Government is exploring options to improve its data collection and reporting about disability advocacy, including demand for advocacy supports across the state.

What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report

The Australian Government and state and territory governments should improve data collection and reporting on met and unmet demand for disability advocacy within their jurisdiction. At a minimum, this data should:

• be collected and published on an annual basis
• include demographic indicators that show geographic location, First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse status
• identify, where possible, whether a request for disability advocacy is from or concerns a person with disability who lives in supported accommodation or is in prison or juvenile detention.

This data should be collected and reported on an ongoing basis.

The Australian Government and state and territory governments should include data collection and reporting as a priority work area in the Disability Advocacy Work Plan associated with the 2023–2025 National Disability Advocacy Framework, and progress this as part of future National Disability Advocacy Frameworks or equivalents.

The Australian Government and state and territory governments should work together to ensure consistent definitions and methodologies allowing comparisons across jurisdictions and trends over time.

Publication of the data should commence no later than 1 July 2026.

Joint Government response July 2024

The Australian Government and the state and territory governments recognise the importance of advocacy in supporting people with disability to defend and protect their rights.

On 21 April 2023, Disability Ministers endorsed the National Disability Advocacy Framework 2023-2025 (NDAF) and associated Disability Advocacy Work Plan. The NDAF commits all governments to work together to improve national consistency and access to advocacy services for people with disability across Australia. Its purpose is to ensure people with disability have access to effective disability advocacy that promotes, protects and ensures their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, enabling community participation and inclusion.

All governments support prioritising work on increasing culturally appropriate and accessible advocacy services for First Nations people with disability, people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ people with disability.

More recommendations

View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.