Disability Royal Commission
We support the work of the Royal Commission
Melba Support Services, alongside many organisations in the disability sector, strongly supports the work of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission).
We're a registered NDIS provider Victoria. With that, comes the responsibility to speak up and act. We believe the abuse and neglect of people with disability is completely shameful and totally unacceptable. Furthermore, we have zero tolerance for abuse and other violations of the rights of individuals.
The Disability Royal Commission provides a comprehensive and independent review into systemic issues of abuse, and importantly, provides an important opportunity for the voices and experiences of people with disability and their loved ones to be heard.
Melba encourages, and will support individuals, families and staff to tell their story and contribute to the work of the Disability Royal Commission.
As a leading human rights-based organisation, we welcome the Royal Commission making important recommendations on reform, policy, and practice to address repeated and systemic issues of violence, abuse and neglect.
other helpful links and information
If you would like to learn more generally about the Disability Royal Commission, you can find regular updates, information and contact details on the official website.
Disability Royal Commission reports can be found here.
You can subscribe to the Disability Royal Commission’s regular e-newsletter here.
If you have experienced childhood trauma, you can speak with a Blue Knot Helpline trauma counsellor including for support and applications around national redress here.
National Counselling and Referral Service
A national counselling and referral service is available for people with disability, their families and carers, and anyone affected by the Disability Royal Commission. It also provides a support service for people with disability, their families and carers who have experienced or witnessed abuse, neglect or exploitation.
You may contact this service on 1800 421 468 (9am to 6pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends) for support for your emotional well-being, support for decisions around telling your story, and/or information on other practical supports available to you.
If you would like to know more about available supports, please visit:
https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers/disability-counselling-and-advocacy-support
apply for a private session
The Disability Royal Commission have announced key dates in 2022 for making submissions and registering for private sessions. People’s experiences of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation - shared through submissions and private sessions - are critical to the work of the Royal Commission.
Submissions and private sessions help the Royal Commission understand the nature and extent of the violence, abuse and neglect people with disability face, as well as identify systemic issues that must be addressed. These stories of people with lived experience of disability have informed the work of the Royal Commission to date and will also inform the contents of the Final Report and the Royal Commission’s recommendations.
The Final Report is due to be delivered to the Governor-General by 29 September 2023. Registrations for private sessions and submissions must be finalised well in advance of this date in order to ensure the information can be processed and used for the purposes of the Final Report of the Royal Commission.
We ask anyone who would like to have a private session to register before 30 June 2022.
Private sessions will still be held after 30 June 2022, but registrations will need to be finalised by 30 June. This deadline will ensure all information provided to us during private sessions can be taken into account in preparing the Final Report. Royal Commission strongly encourages individuals who wish to have a private session register as soon as possible and in any event prior to 30 June 2022.
We ask that any submissions be sent to and received by the Royal Commission by 31 December 2022.