Deadline: 02-Aug-21
The Queensland Government has launched a call for applications for the Queensland Disability Advocacy Program to organisations to deliver individual advocacy services to Queenslanders with disability, their family members and carers that supports them to safeguard their rights, experience equality and overcome barriers that can affect their ability to participate in the community and access services.
This includes assisting and supporting people with disability:
- in understanding their rights
- in navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme and other mainstream services
- in addressing gaps in support
- to address discrimination, conflict, and unfair treatment
- to make informed decisions
- to build capacity to advocate for themselves
- ensure their fundamental needs are being met
- through legal matters
- with information and referral to disability to support services, and
- in highlighting special needs arising during active disaster events, including natural disasters and pandemic related lockdowns or other public health related restrictions.
Disability advocacy services provide supports to people with disability to safeguard their rights, experience equality and overcome barriers that can affect their ability to access services and participate in the community.
Queensland Disability Advocacy Program grants are available for organisations to deliver:
- the first-ever centralised Queensland Disability Advocacy Hub, which will have an important leadership role for advocacy state-wide, including establishing the Queensland Disability Advocacy Network and identifying and escalating systemic issues
- specialist services providing individual advocacy support for First Nations people with disability; people with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; and children and young people with disability aged up to 18 years
- regional individual advocacy support to people with disability across the state on an individual basis.
Funding Information
- A total of $5.9 million (GST exclusive) will be made available through an open grants round for Queensland based organisations to deliver disability advocacy services from 1 January 2022 to June 2023.
Target Group/Service Users
Queensland Disability Advocacy Program grants will be used to support all Queenlanders with disability across all disability types, including but not limited to:
- People with disability in rural and remote areas of Queensland
- First Nations people with disability
- People with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Younger people with disability
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply your organisation must:
- have experience in providing advocacy services in Queensland for at least 12 months
- be able to demonstrate compliance with relevant requirements of the Disability Services Act 2006, including worker screening requirements
- be a registered busines and have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- have operations or deliver services in Queensland
- be registered for the purposes of GST, and
- hold public liability insurance to the value of not less than $10 million, or provide evidence of plans to obtain insurance to the value of not less than $10 million to cover the proposed project, and
- be one of the following entity types:
- a company incorporated in Australia
- a company incorporated by guarantee
- an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
- an incorporated association
- a partnership
- an entity auspiced by an eligible organistion
- a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation
- local government body
- a consortium.
For more information, visit https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/industry-partners/funding-grants/funding-available