A Year of Change & Collective Impact
This past year brought significant change for the people we support and for ADACAS as an organisation. Across the ACT, Murrumbidgee, Illawarra Shoalhaven and Southern NSW, people with disability, older adults, people experiencing mental ill health and carers continued to navigate complex systems. ADACAS advocates worked beside people in hospitals, aged care facilities, custodial settings, closed mental health units and at home, helping them understand their rights, make informed decisions and speak up for themselves.
We focused strongly on inclusion and access. More First Nations people and members of the LGBTIQA+ community engaged with our services, reflecting deliberate efforts to ensure advocacy is culturally safe and responsive. Our work with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds remained steady and strong, and so did our reputation for fair, culturally responsive support.
Throughout the year, the demand for advocacy increased and we saw the issues people needed help with were more complex. We supported nearly 1,800 people through individual advocacy, reflecting a 9% rise. More than 900 new people contacted ADACAS for the first time, and we carried over 3,200 active matters that often required long-term coordination across sectors. These issues are reflected across the community, including a 51% increase in housing-related advocacy for people with disability, a 45% rise in matters related to aged care access or finding suitable care, and a 33% increase in advocacy for people experiencing mental ill health. We also saw a 60% increase in matters related to the education system and a 57% rise in advocacy for older people who had experienced abuse.
These numbers represent real people holding enormous emotional load while trying to make decisions about care, housing, safety or independence. ADACAS supported these individuals to stay informed and in control with a heartfelt commitment: that every person is heard, valued and supported. As systems continue to evolve through national reforms in aged care and the NDIS, ADACAS will stay focused on ensuring that people’s rights are at the centre of these changes and they can live a life where choice and self-determination is fundamental.
We will approach the coming year with a deeper understanding, knowing that our work creates change when stories are listened to and people are supported to act on them. The stories from the past year have contributed to shape better systems and more equitable outcomes for thousands of people.
