Monthly Update, October 2023

Dear Friends and Advocates,

Welcome to the October edition of the NCDA Advocate.

The NCDA is growing. In September, we welcomed Kerry Golding to the NCDA team as another Education and Engagement Officer. Kerry has previously worked for Carers Victoria and has a background in education. Find out more about Kerry below.

During the September webinar: Why data is important, Stephen Popescu from the Department of Social Services (DSS) shared why advocacy data reporting matters and gave a snapshot of data collected under the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP).

Ken Griffin from the Australian Primary Care Nurses Association (APNA) also presented and spoke about the opportunities that come when a sector takes ownership of data, rather than seeing data as only to be used to meet reporting requirements to funding bodies. Data is a valuable asset that helps tell part of the story of what advocates do on the ground. He spoke about how APNA started doing workforce surveys to find out more about its members which was used in their advocacy for their members.

October’s webinar is focusing on the power of case studies. We want to share how telling stories can create an emotional connection between the issues our clients face and wider society, to inspire change at all levels. We will hear from El Gibbs (Director of Policy and Advocacy, DANA) and Rachel Ball (CEO, Reichstein Foundation) on the key components of effective case studies. Following the webinar, all participants will receive a PDF copy of our case studies guide, which outlines the benefits, a brief template, and some tips to writing powerful case studies.

The NCDA and DANA want to learn more about advocacy organisations and their workforce, to help demonstrate the qualifications and experience of disability advocates. To help gather this information, the NCDA will be conducting a Census Week from October 23 to 27. We will be asking everyone working in the independent disability advocacy sector, including CEOs, advocates, and administrators to complete an online survey. DANA undertook a similar survey in 2015 so we are keen to see what has changed. The final report will be as good as the data we receive so we politely ask everyone working in the sector to put aside ½ hour during census week to complete the survey.

After the survey, the data will be analysed and put into a report to be provided back to the sector.

Lastly, the NCDA has arranged suicide prevention training for those located in NSW. safeTALK, delivered by LivingWorks will help advocacy sector staff learn how to respond to individuals experiencing crisis using best practice methods. Registration information is below.