As a result of the advocate’s services, the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) granted suitable housing for her client in their desired suburb with access to nearby medical and social facilities. What a feat in these times! Especially in the busy holiday period.

The client experienced a series of dangerous housing issues including an overgrown swaying tree, dirty gutters, and rotting window frames. Unfortunately, the DCJ considered this a non-urgent matter and advised it would take years to fix. They were not responsive to additional requests. Eventually, the case was escalated to the NSW Ombudsman whom regraded the issue as urgent. As a result, contractors were sent out to trim the tree, clear the dirty gutters, and assess the rotting window frames.

Once our individual advocate was on board, within four months we managed to get Housing to do a full inspection that highlighted a chronic leaking roof as the source of damp insulation facilitating chronic mould growth in the wall and ceiling ventilation.

Weeks ago, the client was able to have a new roof installed, old insulation replaced and the ceiling painted. Our individual advocates were also able to secure funding for a skip so all the water-damaged carpet and furniture that had been moved onto the lawn could be taken away. Our client was extremely happy with the progress and we’re so glad we were able to make a positive impact in her life.

In the past year, the ADE discovered that this man didn’t have access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and therefore wasn’t getting supported employment funding for his position. The ADE supported him to lodge an NDIS application, this application was declined and the ADE told him unless he gained access to this funding he would lose his job.

Our advocate intervened and looked at the information from the original application and decided he needed a comprehensive assessment. They liaised with a neuropsychologist in the area around what was required. A diagnosis and functional assessment was arranged.

The neuropsychologist completed the assessments and gave the young man a formal diagnosis and a comprehensive functional capacity assessment. The advocate then supported in lodging a new access request. After a week, the application came back as “access granted”.

The young man can now keep his job and has increased supports to ensure he can live his best life with the most appropriate supports.

As a result, the client received a new driveway, kitchen, bathroom modifications and laundry. After 2+ years of advocacy with Housing NSW and the AHRC, the case has finally been completed.

After we liaised with the housing provider, her support coordinator, and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a lockbox was successfully installed. The client’s support workers can now access the building.

The client had been requesting access to an amount of $625 he had accrued as an overpayment on his rent. The client had been requesting this payment prior to his transfer in January. In late April he had finally received a response from the social housing landlord indicating that the overpayment amount had been used to cover outgoing maintenance costs arising from the previous Evans Head property.

SCIA attempted to resolve this matter with the social housing organisation who refused to concede they had erred from their statutory responsibilities. On behalf of our client, SCIA lodged an application through the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), securing an Order for the social housing landlord to pay our client the full amount of $625 within 14 days of the July 22 ruling. Our client was particularly appreciative of the assistance they had received in resolving this matter.

The family of two moved to our region during the pandemic after escaping a domestic violence environment. Feeling isolated and alone with no family or friends in the area, the mother reached out to our service. After hearing about us through the SASH program (Home Modifications, Enable NSW). The son has a physical disability and was declined twice before SCIA came on board to help his mum navigate the NDIS process. Working closely with local community health OT’s and Physios and his specialists, we were successful with his application.

Next, we focused our attention on the mother who has a psychosocial disability that required a different approach. With the help of our SCIA advocate, the mother was guided one step at a time to encourage her not to feel too overwhelmed by the complex NDIS process.

It took six months and countless setbacks to gather and prove a 20-year history of the psychosocial disability before she was successfully granted access. Her first plan includes significant COS funding, which will be instrumental in making sure they engage with local service providers.

Recently speaking to the mother, she advised, “life has vastly improved since gaining access to the NDIS. SCIA advocacy is such an amazing service. I am grateful for my advocate being able to explain things in simpler terms and help me and my son gain access to the NDIS.”

Our client is only 50 years old and he approached our Northern Rivers team to assist him in revoking the financial management and guardianship he was placed under.

Our team assisted him in gaining access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme and connecting him to a Support Coordinator who helped him organise supporting assessments and reports.

We submitted the revocation paperwork, alongside the assessments and we are pleased to say that as of this month the order of financial management and guardianship has been revoked.

He is unable to communicate his needs, non-verbal and non-weight bearing. He and requires assistance with all of his daily activities.

As his disability requires very specific needs, he requires specialised staff that are able to work with him in a slow kind and caring way otherwise he becomes very anxious and display aggressive behaviours.

Our client resides in a nursing home and the staff are not trained to look after him and he was often just left on his own in his bed and neglected. This was obviously unacceptable as he was also at serious risk of choking and injuring himself.

His sister appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) to have his NDIS plan reviewed by the NDIA with assistance from our advocate in the Northern Rivers.

We’re so pleased to let you know that after our intervention we successfully fought for 12 hours per day one-on-one support worker assistance 52 weeks per year so that he could receive the care and support that he needs.

This AAT Appeal was successful and he is now very happy and well cared for by wonderful support workers.

The place they resided in had high rent and even though client received a private rental subsidy. they were required by Housing NSW to keep a rental diary to demonstrate they had explored all avenues for housing.

Client had difficulty complying with Housing’s requirements to keep housing search records, and when our client tried to explain that her disability was complex and finding housing was unsuccessful, client says that Housing NSW staff talked over her and overall she felt discriminated.

A complaint was made to the Anti-Discrimination Board for Housing NSW to abide by their policies regarding disability and to recognise the housing needs specified by her general practitioner.

A phone conference was held between the Anti-Discrimination Board, Housing NSW, our client and our advocate. After five months of negotiations a Terms of Agreement was finalised.

Housing NSW has apologised for the threatening approach and has parked the requirement for our client to search for alternate housing.

We located assistance animal providers with capacity for new clients, most had a waitlist of minimum two years, however one particular provider with capacity helped us design a proposal for the NDIA.

A wonderful and compassionate lawyer helped support us and the client at the AAT conference, and finally as of March this year the NDIS approved funds for a psychological assistance animal.

At the AAT, the DSP was refused on the grounds that the condition had not been “fully treated”. In the interim, we applied for Job Seeker with an exemption due to her medical condition.

After various home visitations, supporting medical documentation and telephone interviews with Centrelink, as well as a Centrelink appointed doctor, our client was successful in receiving the DSP in March 2021, backdated to January 2021.

• Staff were sleeping during a night shift where it is required that support workers must be alert for any emergency
• Support workers speaking over client and making decisions on her behalf
• Items missing
• Support workers dispatched who cannot drive to assist client. This specification has been stated in client’s care plan
• Reports of staff covering surveillance cameras

Fortnightly meetings were taking place with the provider to speak about these and addition issues that were arising, and to plan strategies to ensure duty of care and due diligence.

The provider was reluctant, but after a face-to-face meeting with our client, general manager of the agency and other management we are now successful in having two agencies engaging, with intention of including a third agency, to ensure that one is not dominant.

Our admin wizard, Donna, up here in Alstonville has helped piece together an NDIS Eligibility Toolkit, with some handy hints for you and your health care professionals, aimed at ensuring you tick all the required boxes for access.

We spoke with them, provided some information around what was required, helped them compile the information needed and submit it to the NDIS reviews team. This was submitted within the 100 days the NDIS give you to review a decision.

However, over the course of a couple of weeks, the submission ran over the 100 days without us hearing back from the NDIS. Our advocate called up, explained the situation, but was told that due to it now being outside of 100 days, the review can’t be actioned in our central office.

The review was forwarded to the NDIS Northern team, and our advocate escalated the issue to our contact in the NDIS complaints department. The next day, an NDIS representative called up our client to say they had been successful in being admitted to the scheme! What a great outcome!