Royal Commission

In the time since the Royal Commission was established in April 2019, there has been a lot of work undertaken.

On 20 December 2019, the Royal Commission released the First Progress Report providing an overview of the work undertaken in 2019, and an outline of the Royal Commission’s program for 2020. Click here to read the First Progress Report.

Just some points of importance include;

• Public hearings held on:
  • education for students with disability,
  • group homes and accommodation for people with disability and
  • the experiences of people with cognitive disability in the health system.
• Issues papers released and responses encouraged on:
  • education,
  • health care,
  • criminal justice system,
  • group homes,
  • emergency planning and
  • restrictive practices – this issues paper was released by the Royal Commission on 26 May 2020. It looks at the use and impact of restrictive practices on people with disability. The Royal Commission encourages responses from individuals and organisations to this issues paper by 28 August 2020. Click here to read the paper and for information about how to respond.
• More than 830 submissions received by the Royal Commission from people who shared their experience of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation.
  Click here for information about how you can make a submission.
• More than 3,500 phone enquiries received by the Royal Commission.
  Click here for the best contact details to use if you wish to make a phone enquiry.
• 220 people registered? for private sessions with the Royal Commission, to share their stories in a private and confidential conversation.
  Click here to for information about private sessions and how you apply for one.
• Community forums have been held in Adelaide and Gawler in South Australia, Townsville, Ipswich and Logan in Queensland, and Hobart in Tasmania.
• Regional and remote communities visits have occurred to Toowoomba, Palm Island and Cherbourg in Queensland, and Papunya in Northern Territory.
• Workshops were held across Australia.
  Since the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face engagement activities have ceased however the Royal Commission is using technology to keep in touch with people.

Keeping updated with the Royal Commission

The Royal Commission’s newsletter Connect, is available fortnightly to provides updates and news on the Commission’s work. Click here to read Connect.

All information about the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability is available at www.disability.royalcommission.gov.au.