ADACAS - ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service

22/06/2026

A lot of people in the ACT don’t know there’s a free program that offers short-term help at home during illness, recovery, or times of change.

The ACT Government’s Community Assistance and Temporary Supports (CATS) Program helps eligible residents access temporary practical support while they recover, remain safely at home, or wait for longer-term services like the NDIS or My Aged Care.

Depending on individual needs, support may include:
✅ Individual advocacy
✅ Domestic assistance
✅ Personal care
✅ Medical transport
✅ Food services
✅ Support for carers

The program aims to reduce hospital admissions and stays, and help people stay well and independent at home whenever possible.

ADACAS offers free, confidential, and independent advocacy through the CATS Program. Our advocates help people find the right supports and guide them through the system during what can be a stressful time.

Short-term support can offer stability when it's needed. Contact our intake team to see if we can help you by calling 02 6242 5060 or visiting our website at www.adacas.org.au.

19/06/2026

We are looking for a full-time Intake and Information Officer to join our team in Weston, ACT.

This important frontline role is the first point of contact for clients using ADACAS services.

As an Intake and Information Officer, you will play a crucial role in assessing client needs, gathering essential information, and directing individuals to appropriate support services.

This role is central to ensuring clients receive timely, accurate guidance and are connected with the resources they require.

Please send your resume and a cover letter explaining how you meet the key responsibilities of the role via Seek by COB 24 July 2026.
https://au.seek.com/job/92823640

ADACAS may close applications early if we find a suitable candidate.

If you need any adjustments, support during the application or interview process, or want to discuss the role, please contact ADACAS on (02) 6242 5060 or [email protected].

Make a real difference supporting vulnerable people. Flexible work, professional development, and a supportive team culture await.

18/06/2026

Last week, we met with the Seniors Liaison Officers and Disability Justice Liaison Officers from ACT Policing. Both roles play an important part in promoting community safety and inclusion.

The Seniors Liaison Officers work with older people to build trust, share useful information to help keep them safe, and connect them with the information they need. We know from experience how important it is for older people to get access to support services early.

The Disability Justice Liaison Officers help people with access and inclusion matters and support them in working with the police. This aligns with ADACAS’ goal of advocating for choice, dignity, and fair access for people with disability and people experiencing mental ill-health.

By staying connected with and informed about the wider service system and how our work fits in, we can keep helping older people and people with disability find the right support when they need it and make sure their voices are heard.

You can find out more about ADACAS and the free, confidential and independent support we provide here: www.adacas.org.au

17/06/2026

AusAlert community testing finishes this Sunday, with the last test happening in Queanbeyan at 2:00pm on Sunday, 21 June.

For the older Australians, people with disability, those experiencing mental ill-health, and carers we support at ADACAS, having accessible emergency information can make a real difference at a crucial time.

AusAlert is Australia’s new national warning system for compatible mobile devices and is being tested before its planned launch in October 2026. The system includes accessibility features such as being heard through hearing aids, text-to-speech (when enabled), and compatibility testing is underway for other assistive technologies. Community testing helps make sure alerts reach and are understood by as many people as possible, across different devices and access needs.

The AusAlert website features a Disabilities & Extra Support section with a full description of accessible features and expectations to help prepare to receive alerts. You can access the information at this link: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/community-resources/disabilities-extra-support

If you are in or near Queanbeyan on Sunday afternoon, you might get a Priority Alert test on your mobile device. The alert will clearly state that it is a test and that you do not need to take any action. This is a chance to see how your device reacts and to get used to what an AusAlert message looks and sounds like before it is used in real emergencies.

⚠️ Important safety information:
AusAlert test messages can stay active on your device for up to an hour and may still come through even if your phone is on silent or Do Not Disturb. If you could be at risk from an alert showing up on your device, such as if you are experiencing violence or coercive control, it is best to turn off your device or switch it to aeroplane mode one hour before the test if you are in, or within 15 kilometres of, a test location. To avoid getting the test alert, keep your device off or in aeroplane mode during the test and for up to 24 hours after. AusAlert could increase risk by revealing safety devices, so please take steps to protect your safety and privacy if an alert could put you in danger.

A national AusAlert test is planned for Monday, 27 July 2026. On that day, a test alert will be sent to compatible mobile devices across Australia.

16/06/2026

For many survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, deciding to share their story is deeply personal. Often, people open up to professionals who they trust and make them feel understood. You could be the first person someone chooses to confide in, so the way you respond matters.

You can refer someone to ADACAS or share our information so they can connect with us directly when and if they are ready.

ADACAS is a Redress Support Service that provides free, confidential, and trauma-informed support for the National Redress Scheme. This includes helping people understand the Scheme, and our advocates can also help with the application process. Our approach is grounded in listening and respecting each person’s autonomy and voice.

The decision to seek redress is complex, and there is no single pathway or right way to engage. It matters that people are supported to move at their own pace, with clear information and respect for their choices.

Applications to the National Redress Scheme must be submitted before 30 June, 2027. Early conversations can help ensure that people have time to consider their options and engage.

ADACAS can support all eligible people across Australia. Face-to-face support is available across our service areas in the ACT and New South Wales, and remotely for those living elsewhere.

Learn more or refer:
https://adacas.org.au/services/abuse-and-redress/

16/06/2026

Recently, ADACAS staff participated in a Culturally Informed Practice in Family Law training, delivered by the Family Law Pathways Network on the South Coast.

The session aimed to strengthen understanding of how to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people navigating family law, highlighting the roles of culture, kinship, and community in decision-making. It also addressed the importance of culturally appropriate communication and supporting children’s rights to maintain connections to culture, community, and Country, while recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may encounter additional barriers in legal systems.

For ADACAS, this learning enhances our ability to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in ways that respect lived experience and cultural knowledge. Culturally safe practice requires ongoing commitment to listening, reflecting, and adapting our work.

ADACAS provides free, independent, and confidential advocacy for people with disability, older people, those experiencing mental ill-health, and carers. Learn more at: www.adacas.org.au

15/06/2026

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), a global event held on 15 June to highlight the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older people, and to reaffirm that every person has the right to feel safe, respected, and in control of their life.

Elder abuse is not always easy to see. It can happen in everyday situations, such as how decisions are made, how information is shared, or whether someone feels comfortable speaking up about their concerns. In Australia, an alarming number of older people living in the community report experiencing abuse each year, and many do not seek support.

At ADACAS, we know how important it is for people to have a chance to be heard. When we visit residential aged care services and when we meet with older people living in the community, we talk about their rights, share information about elder abuse, and offer practical resources to help people understand their options and make informed choices.

We also work with residential aged care staff by providing education sessions that encourage respectful, rights-based practices. These sessions help create environments where people can safely raise concerns and know they will be treated with care.

Today, our team is taking time to reflect on our work and how we can keep supporting older people to feel confident, informed, and respected in the decisions that affect their lives. Preventing elder abuse begins with listening, paying attention, and making sure that every person’s voice and choices are respected.

Speaking with an ADACAS advocate can help older people and their families understand their rights, raise concerns, and feel supported as they make decisions. Our advocacy is free, independent, and confidential. We are here to support you every step of the way.

11/06/2026

ADACAS walks alongside people with disability every day as they navigate complex systems, ask for reviews of decisions, and we advocate for the supports they need to take part in their communities. Because of this, we know the NDIS helps people gain independence, feel included, find stable housing, get jobs, and stay safe and well. It is not just a funding system.

Reform is needed, and it is important to keep the NDIS sustainable for the future. But any changes must be made carefully so they do not accidentally limit access to vital supports or put people at risk. It is crucial to get this right, not just for NDIS participants, but also for their families and carers, who rely on a strong disability support system.

Any reform must protect access to necessary supports, practical review rights, choice and control, self-management, fair assessment, and pathways to correct plans before people reach crisis.

People should not lose NDIS supports or be redirected to other systems unless those supports are genuinely available, accessible, appropriate, timely and accountable. Independent advocacy will be essential during any major NDIS reform so people can understand changes, explain their needs, seek review, and protect their rights.

NDIS reform must first listen to and protect the rights of the people it is meant to serve, while also ensuring the Scheme’s sustainable future.

10/06/2026

When it comes to aged care and Support at Home, decisions often happen during everyday conversations, not just at obvious moments. If information is shared quickly, it can be hard to know what questions to ask, what choices are available, or what to do next. Many want to support a loved one while also respecting their independence, but it is not always clear how to stay involved in a way that feels helpful and appropriate.

Having the right information, at the right time, can change that experience by helping people feel more confident in making decisions that reflect what matters most to them. Speaking with an ADACAS advocate can help both older people and their supporters by focusing on communication, rights, and shared understanding.

Over the next few weeks, we're holding drop-in information sessions at hospitals across Canberra, where you can talk with an ADACAS advocate about aged care rights and learn how advocacy can help older people and their families have their voices heard.

No appointment is needed.

📍 Today, we’ll be at:
Canberra Hospital, Garran
Thursday, 11 June at 12.30pm

📍 Next week, we’ll be at:
North Canberra Hospital, Bruce
Thursday, 18 June at 12.30pm

📍 Next month, we’ll be at:
University of Canberra Hospital, Bruce
Thursday, 2 July at 12.30pm

Our advocacy is free, confidential, and independent. We are here to support you, not providers, if you need help raising concerns or understanding your options.

09/06/2026

Thank you to DANA for highlighting the concerns that many people in the disability community have raised about NDIS Bill No. 3.

ADACAS has also made a submission to the Senate inquiry, drawing on de-identified advocacy experience from people with disability, people experiencing mental ill-health, older people and carers who have needed support to be heard, understood and treated fairly within the NDIS and related systems.

Changes to access, review rights, and participation in the NDIS can have a big impact on people with disability and their families.

We are concerned that reforms of this scale should not be rushed. Changes affecting access, planning, reassessment, funding, review rights and the supports people rely on need proper scrutiny, co-design and consultation with people with disability, families, carers, advocates and affected service systems.

ADACAS supports a sustainable, safe and accountable NDIS, but sustainability must not come at the cost of people’s rights, safety, choice and control, or access to necessary disability supports.

A key safeguard must be “no exit without a safety net”: people should not be redirected away from the NDIS or have supports reduced unless alternative supports are genuinely available, accessible, appropriate, timely and accountable.

ADACAS supports making sure that the voices and experiences of people with disability stay at the heart of decisions about the NDIS’s future.