Our individual advocacy client required assistance with all of her daily living support – totally dependent on support in all areas of their life, no informal network support either. The client was labelled as “difficult´ with” challenging behaviours” due to the desired level of control concerning her service support.

The communication between many staff and the client had become quite strained and difficult – if staff felt the client was talking to them in a rude or disrespectful way, they were authorised to cease service on the spot if they felt it was appropriate. This would result in the client having to be hospitalised due to lack of service – an ambulance would be called and she would be transported to hospital.

The client was at risk of losing their choice to continue to live independently in her home (public housing ). The client did not feel ready to consider other options, such as a supported accommodation group home setting or a nursing home.

With advocacy assistance to address the concerns the client was supported to engage with other providers who were more understanding of the client’s situation and character. They came with a more flexible and person centred attitude in their service provision.

Our individual advocate commenced working with a 54-year-old man who had an accident in 1990, resulting in him becoming an Incomplete paraplegic. After many failed attempts, the client came to our Advocacy service for assistance to apply to the NDIS. I set to work reviewing all of his documentation.

Working closely together for the next nine months, we focused on gathering a treatment list and getting detailed information on his functional capacity, which resulted in his application being approved. In the client’s words: “Getting into the NDIS has been life changing.”

This client can now get the appropriate assistive technology equipment to help me maintain his independence and access the community safely. A fantastic result!

A client of our individual advocate wrote to SCIA to give amazing feedback to our advocacy team: “I wanted to share the final end to the battle you’ve helped me fight these last years and thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my Mum.

“Without you we would have never gotten to this point and I am forever grateful. The work you do is so important and you have helped change my life for the better. I really cannot express enough how thankful I am that I had you on my side, helping me through one of the hardest and most traumatic things I’ve ever had to go through. I hope this brings you a sense of closure and justice as it has to me.

“Without advocates like you, so many more people like me would suffer needlessly, so thank you, this is one for the good guys.”