The Public Advocate Anne Gale appeared before the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability on Wednesday 8 June 2021 at Public Hearing 14.
In her statement, the Public Advocate raised issues relating to clients of the Office of the Public Advocate, who are some of South Australia's most vulnerable people.
She highlighted:
- the challenges and complexity for OPA clients in accessing timely supports, housing and services - in particular when they experience a crisis.
- potential safeguards and the need for State and Commonwealth agencies to work together to ensure that these are implemented for the most vulnerable South Australians.
The Public Advocate also emphasised that just because a person has a disability, it does not mean they are necessarily vulnerable.
Public Advocate Statement - Disability Royal Commission (PDF, 12.1 MB)