Courage over Comfort: Speaking up and Advocating for Others

Professional or not, no-one really likes those tricky conversations.  The ones where it feels like it is from a movie or a bad punch line.  No matter how much experience you have or how many stories you’ve heard, hearing or seeing something tricky like a disclosure of abuse, or a concern about neglect, particularly when involving children, is hard.  So, what do we as adults do?

Did you know there are multiple systems and avenues in place that are available not only to professionals but also to families, carers, friends, and the wider community, to speak up and advocate for adults and kids that are unable or unwilling to do so themselves.  It’s our job really, isn’t it?  To look out for each other – particularly our children!

There are multiple avenues available to support you if needed…

In every establishment you will be involved in, there is a level of management – even schools!  Sometimes tricky things happen at school, not necessarily due to anything the school or educators have done, but they can happen none the less.  In my experience, liaising with management is the best avenue not only for actions to be put in place for the child of concern, but also so things can be put in place for all children within that establishment.  Teaching staff, wellbeing leaders, assistant principals and principals are all brilliant people to contact when concerns happen at school.

Sometimes we don’t feel heard, and that isn’t okay.  For major school-based issues, the Department for Education has a formal complaints system.  This is not something to be overlooked, particularly if your child is not okay.  The Department for Education is the body for all public/government schools; however Catholic Education also has a reporting system under their advocating body.  For independent schools, contact with the school board is the primary place for major concerns. Please click this link that details how to give feedback and complaints to the department of education:

www.education.sa.gov.au/department/feedback-and-complaints/raising-complaint-department

We like to think all service providers are acting in the best interests of all clients.  Sometimes this is not the case, but also sometimes accidents can happen.  Either way, reports are necessary for growth and development of that service provider, but also to ensure the safety of clients.  This may look like a direct report to the service provider or their manager.  Did you know that all registered NDIS providers are required to provide avenues that facilitate complaints and feedback?  Sometimes this is available on the providers website, or via email or phone are also appropriate avenues.

Your local area coordinator (LAC) is a great place to go for complaints and feedback regarding NDIS service providers.  Your representative at the LAC can provide you with direction and recommendations regarding processes and steps to ensure that you’re heard, and that appropriate action is taken in response to your reports. Please see the following website for more information on how to contact your local area coordinator:

www.ndis.gov.au/contact/locations

If you have, know of, or have witnessed a NDIS funded service provider doing the wrong thing, like using restrictive practices, neglecting client safety, and causing harm to a client, or if you are unsure if their service provision is appropriate, the NDIA wants to know.  The way to tell them is via the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission.  This can be done via phone call or via an online documentation process.  If you’re not sure, ring anyway, the person on the other end of the phone can walk you through what they recommend and how to achieve it. Please see the following link for more information on how to make a complaint to the quality and safeguards commission:

www.ndiscommission.gov.au/

CARL is reachable both by online reporting and verbatim reporting via phone call.  CARL is an initiative run by the Department for Child Protection.  Within your own and your child’s life there are many people who are “mandated reporters”, meaning if they hear or see something that constitutes as harm, abuse, or neglect, they must report it, by either of the above-mentioned methods.  Your OT is a mandated reporter, as well as educators, police officers, health care workers and more.  Mandated reporters are so important, but you do not have to be one to get in touch with CARL and to make a formal report.  If you witness or are told of an experience of harm, abuse or neglect directed towards a child under 18 years, please go onto the CARL website and follow the steps.  You can remain anonymous, and your actions might save a child’s life. Please see the following link:

www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/reporting-child-abuse

Advocating for disability is a primary role as an Occupational Therapist, but again this is not limited to professionals!  Advocacy for Disability is an amazing organisation that supports families and clients in advocating for when they do not feel heard or for when an issue needs to be addressed directly. Please refer to the following link for more information:

www.advocacyfordisability.org.au/organisations.php

In conclusion, making a report to anyone, whether it be a professional body, someone in management or someone you know, can be tricky.  It is important that questions, comments, concerns, and queries are not only listened to, but responded to, for the best interests of all concerned.  If you’re unsure, we recommend that you reach out to your TPAG OT or another professional in your life that can support you through the processes.  Remember, it is okay to have hard conversations, and you will be supported.