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ADA Law
ADA Law

Professional Education

ADA LAW

Professional Education/Training

Guardianship and administration matters can be complicated. You may be asked to provide support for a person to make a decision, or to work with their decision maker. This often requires a solid understanding of Supported Decision making, Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) documents, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) orders and working with decision makers.

ADA Law offers specialised education and training to the Aged and Disability industry. See below for an overview of the training services.

ADA australia professional development
EDUCATION TYPE PARTICIPANTS COST/STRUCTURE TRAINING OVERVIEW SESSION TIME/LOCATION
UNDERSTANDING DECISION MAKING STAFF TRAINING Health, aged, disability and related sector staff. Numbers are capped to ensure a high level of engagement and learning. Fee for service, Individual tickets, or in house group training. Training to help people understand:
  • Decision making capacity
  • Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Guardianship and Administration systems in Qld
  • Support available (strategies) for vulnerable people whose decision making capacity is questioned.
 Choice of 4 hour or 6.5 hour sessions. Offered anywhere in Qld. In-house or Individual. Enquire
HEALTH DECISION MAKING TRAINING Health, aged, disability and related sector staff. Numbers are capped to ensure a high level of engagement and learning. Fee for service. In house group training Overview of health care decision making to help staff understand how to undertake supported and substituted decision making for a range of scenarios. 2 hours Offered anywhere in Qld. Enquire
ELDER ABUSE INFORMATION SESSIONS Groups of older people and service providers in the Greater Brisbane area. Free These talks aim to increase awareness of elder abuse in the community and residential care. 1 hour offered in the Brisbane and Greater Brisbane area. Enquire

Understanding Decision Making Training

ADA Australia offers individual and group based training sessions on “Understanding Decision Making” to help people understand the intricacies of guardianship and administration issues.

Our courses are designed to increase knowledge, build understanding and provide an informative overview of guardianship and administration and Enduring Power of Attorney matters. Previous participants have praised our training approach and course content for its relevance to workers in the aged care, disability, mental health, nursing, allied health, residential care and community sectors. Training typically is best suited to workers who support people with questionable, impaired capacity.

ISSUES ADDRESSED RELATE TO:
  • Supported decision making and Substitute decision making, particularly for health matters
  • How to access support when a person’s decision making capacity is impaired or questioned, and when decision makers are not acting in a client’s best interest
  • Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) and Advanced Health Directive (AHD) documents, their powers, limits and how they relate to everyday decisions
  • The roles of the statutory agencies: Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), Office of the Public Guardian and the Public Trustee.
The key concept of capacity is addressed and how it relates to decision-making in aged care, disability, mental illness, and health. It is delivered in an interactive way, facilitating applied knowledge to common work practices and real life scenarios. Topics include:
  • Exploring capacity and consent
  • Understanding supported and substituted decision making for health, finance and personal matters
  • Understanding Advance Health Directives
  • Understanding Enduring Powers of Attorney; their role and the limits of their power
  • Applying substituted decision making, guardianship and administration in real-life scenarios
  • Understanding the role of the Public Trustee, Public Guardian, QCAT and tribunal hearings.

This training provides workers with a crucial understanding of legal and ethical considerations to best support clients whose decision-making capacity is substituted, diminished, or being questioned. It equips workers with the skills to ensure the rights of their clients are upheld and their choices protected. The course explains the legal responsibilities and limitations of Enduring Powers of Attorneys, Guardians and Administrators. The course also covers how to make informed professional decisions and safeguard the client’s rights, through improved practice.

Independent evaluations of this workshop revealed more than 95 per cent of participants found the information very useful to their daily practice, and that participants were more confident in their work roles following the training.

TRAINING OPTIONS:

Understanding Decision Making Workshop for Individuals

Workshops run from 9.00am to 3.30pm with Morning Tea and Lunch provided. The cost of the workshop is $165 (gst inc.) per person.

Sessions are held in various locations around Queensland. Enquire below to find out when we will next be near you.

Understanding Decision Making Workshop for Staff

Our Decision Making training workshop can also be delivered in-house, upon request. We find staff often attend this training day as an individual, realise the benefits to their professional practice, then recommend their colleagues complete the training as well.

ADA Australia tailors content to suit your organisation’s specific requirements and has experience delivering these sessions to workers in the aged care, disability, social work, mental health, nursing, allied health, residential care and community sectors. Please contact us for pricing and information.

For a quick view of our Understanding Decision Making Training options CLICK HERE

For a quick view of Understanding Decision Making Training pricing CLICK HERE

Enquire

Health Decision Making Training

Understanding Decision Making Workshop for Staff (2 hour sessions)

This health care decision making workshop aims to educate participants on health care substitute decision making, particularly when caring for clients who have limited decision making capacity, or when Enduring Powers of Attorney are in place.

These short workshops (2 hours) offer important insight into the legal and ethical aspects of substituted decision making for health care matters. It offers essential background information for those in roles that undertake health decision making processes on behalf of others.

Topics include:

  • Health care decision making
  • The four substituted decision making pathways: Advance Health Directives, Attorneys under Enduring Power of Attorney documents, Guardians and Statutory Health Attorneys.
  • Informed consent and the right to refuse care
  • Principles for decision makers and understanding exploitation in substitute decision making.

Workers who understand these important topics can better protect their clients human rights, feel more confident in the type of decisions they can make and know how to undertake healthcare decision making professionally. These workshops are particularly essential for anyone in the health, aged, disability or related workforces (nurses, carers, allied health, social workers).

For a quick view of Health Decision Making Training pricing CLICK HERE

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Elder Abuse Information Session

ADA Law offers free Elder Abuse Prevention information sessions to groups of older people and service providers in the Greater Brisbane area.  These talks aim to increase awareness of elder abuse in the community and residential care.

The talks offer general information on a range of topics including:

  • What is elder abuse?
  • Risk factor for elder abuse
  • Types of elder abuse
  • Safeguards to prevent elder abuse
  • Who can help?

These talks are funded through the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) as part of the Commonwealth Government’s response to addressing elder abuse across Australia.

If you would like to book an Elder Abuse Prevention information session, please contact ADA Law on 1800 818 338 or email guardianship@adaaustralia.com.au (Note: This service is only available in the Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Redland Bay and Ipswich Council areas).

Elder Abuse Education Flyer

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Elder Abuse Advocacy Page - Reuben's story

Ruben’s story

Ruben is a gentle natured Dutch speaking gentleman, who was living in an aged care home and was very unhappy. Ruben’s grandson Neils contacted the Older Persons Advocacy Network as he was concerned about his grandfather, claiming he had been moved into the aged care home unnecessarily and Ruben was now very isolated. Neils explained that his Aunty Dorma (Ruben’s daughter) was using Ruben’s inability to speak English to take his money. After gaining Ruben’s permission to become involved, through the use of an interpreter, an advocate met with Ruben and Neils at the aged care home to find out what was going on. It became clear that Dorma had taken her father Ruben to the doctor and used Ruben’s language barrier to get a medical directive that Ruben no longer had decision making capacity. This enacting his Enduring Power of Attorney document granting legal access to Dorma to manage all Rubens financial and personal affairs. Dorma had then sold Ruben’s house and moved him into an aged care home, where she asked the home to restrict access to his friends, thus isolating Ruben from people who could help him. The advocate assisted Ruben to see a GP (with an interpreter) to assess his decision-making capacity. The GP deemed him to have capacity, which enabled Ruben with the advocates help to stop Dorma accessing his money. Ruben then got a new phone and computer and has reconnected with his local friends and his family in his home country. He has also been connected to a Dutch speaking social group in the area.

Human Rights Advocacy Page - Aunty Lorna. Please only use lady in red.

Aunty Lorna’s story

Aunty Lorna explained that some of her family had moved in with her a few months ago to ‘help out’ after her stroke as she was unable to cope. She explained that even though they moved in she was still not getting any help. Aunty Lorna explained that she paid the rent, but she did not see any of her pension money anymore, as her large family used it for their needs. Aunty Lorna said that she did not want to upset her family, but she would like to have some money for herself. Aunty Lorna was also concerned about what would happen if she became unwell, whether her family would continue to pay the rent ensuring she would have somewhere to live. The advocate explained that they could assist her to look at her options. Aunty Lorna asked if an advocate could meet with her at her respite centre on one of the days she was there, so that her family would not know. The advocate reassured Aunty Lorna they would meet where she liked, and that the advocate would also not take any action without her permission.

The advocate met with Aunty Lorna and explained that she had a right to make her own financial decisions and that she could also ask someone she trusted to make decisions for her if she felt she was unable to make them for herself, by appointing them as her Enduring Power of Attorney for financial matters. Aunty Lorna decided that she believed her oldest daughter Karen (who did not live with her) would be the best person to make the financial decisions for her, which she felt were out of her ability. The advocate supported Aunty Lorna to appoint Karen as Aunty Lorna’s Attorney, so she could protect Aunty Lorna’s financial interests. The advocate also helped Aunty Lorna arrange some home care services to ensure she was cared for.

Human Rights Advocacy Page - Valerie

Valerie’s Story

Valerie contacted the Older Persons Advocacy Network as she was concerned that her daughter, who is acting in the role of Attorney under an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) Document, was misusing her money. Valerie told the advocate that she was no longer receiving bank statements, had no idea of what was being paid, and had received a letter from one of her utility providers stating she was in arrears, which had never happened before. Valerie was concerned that her daughter was overwhelmed by the EPA role and was unable to effectively manage the responsibility.

The advocate discussed all of the options available with Valerie. Valerie decided it would be best to revoke her Enduring Power of Attorney and appoint a new one. The advocate liaised with other services including an elder abuse specific legal service, which agreed to help Valerie revoke the EPA and write a new one. Valerie met with the lawyers, revoked her daughter as EPA and appointed a trusted friend instead. Once Valerie told her daughter about the change, her daughter revealed that she was overwhelmed by being the EPA and was relieved to not have to do it anymore. On a follow up phone call Valerie told the advocate that she was much happier now and she again felt confident with her financial management arrangements.

Professional Education

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Please select from the following two options below to complete your enquiry.

I need information for myself
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ADA Law have a range of services that offer different types of support to eligible clients. To check if you are eligible for our service you can go to the following pages:

Human Rights
Elder Abuse
Disability Royal Commission
Mental Health Review Tribunal

For Aged Care and Disability Advocacy, please refer to

ADA Australia’s website.

Mental Health Review Tribunal Page - Anthony's story

ANTHONY’S STORY

Anthony is a 28-year-old man who has had a diagnosis of Depression for 10 years. Anthony lives by himself and accesses support from family and friends, as well as community support agencies. From time to time Anthony becomes very unwell and requires hospitalisation, and sometimes Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT). When Anthony is this unwell he does not have sufficient capacity to consent to the ECT, so his treating team must apply to the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) for permission to provide the therapy.

Legal Aid appointed ADA Law as Anthony’s legal representative, to assist him with his MHRT hearing. His legal representative is Tanya.

Anthony meets with Tanya prior to his hearing, either by phone or in person, and they discuss what his views and wishes are in relation to ECT, and what is important to Anthony. Tanya and Anthony attend his MHRT hearing and ensure his views, wishes and concerns are discussed with the Tribunal and Anthony’s treating team.

Disability Royal Commission Page - Kiara's Story

KIARA’S STORY

Kiara is a young woman who has lived with disability since birth. During that time Kiara has had good and bad experiences, and has found that sometimes she is discriminated against because of her disability.

When Kiara was younger, she found herself in trouble with the police, and this led to her experiencing physical and psychological abuse by the systems which were set up to protect and support her.

Kiara has been able to work through that experience and now is feeling strong enough to be able to tell her story, in the hope that her story can be used to make a better system for other people.

Kiara is working with an ADA Law Disability Royal Commission Advocate, Trevor, and together they are documenting Kiara’s experience, and creating a submission for the Royal Commission. Trevor will assist Kiara to send the submission to the Commission, and if Kiara is given the opportunity to appear at the Commission, Trevor will accompany her and provide her support. Trevor is working with Kiara to assist her to speak for herself. If Kiara is not ready to speak, Trevor will be there to tell Kiara’s story.