The DVA ATDP team have posted 2 new CPD modules called MRCA Dependant Claims and DRCA Dependant Claims.

To access the CPD portal, log into your ATDP profile on the ATDP website, and navigate to the CPD tab. Alternatively, you can click on the blue 'Visit CPD' button on the right of the ATDP home page, and log in to the CPD portal from there.

The ATDP CPD system also includes a number of pre-approved activities that you may like to engage in. DVA also encourages advocates to engage in external events such as formal training, Communities of Practice, and other relevant events. For an activity to be approved for points allocation, it will be reviewed to ensure it is consistent with the course and services provided by advocates to the veteran community. Information regarding this process is available on the ATDP CPD page.

If you have any questions please contact your PSO or email ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

This is to let you know that the November ATDP Update is delayed.
Updates will continue to be provided in this newsroom

Are you aware that our upcoming ATDP Assessment Programs and Workshops are listed near the bottom of the ATDP Home Page?

All programs have pre-requisite requirements that need to be met prior to an invitation being sent. However, it can be a great motivator to be aware of the upcoming schedule of programs to adequately plan ahead.

ATDP Programs are either Online or In-Person. All programs require minimum numbers to proceed. 

For In-Person programs to proceed, a minimum number of 8 trainees needs to be confirmed two weeks prior to the program dates.  In the event that minimum numbers are not met, the training program will become an Online program to enable trainees from other locations to attend.

This is a reminder that when you see a program called “FLP” it refers to the new Facilitated Learning Pathway for Level 1 trainees. More information about FLP Modules can be found inWhat to Expect as a Level 1 Trainee.

For those at Level 2 and above, see the How to Guide for Consolidation and Assessment.

Please reach out to your Program Support Officer if you have any further questions.

The DVA ATDP team have posted a new CPD module called Compensation Offsetting, Training for Advocates.

To access the CPD portal, log into your ATDP profile on the ATDP website, and navigate to the CPD tab. Alternatively, you can click on the blue 'Visit CPD' button on the right of the ATDP home page, and log in to the CPD portal from there.

The ATDP CPD system also includes a number of pre-approved activities that you may like to engage in. DVA also encourages advocates to engage in external events such as formal training, Communities of Practice, and other relevant events. For an activity to be approved for points allocation, it will be reviewed to ensure it is consistent with the course and services provided by advocates to the veteran community. Information regarding this process is available on the ATDP CPD page.

If you have any questions please contact your PSO or email ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

In the June ATDP Update we provided information about the roll out of the revised Level 1 training which commenced on 1 July 2024.  These changes were implemented as a result of feedback, consultation and the finalisation of 4 pilot programs (in person and online).

Some of the differences include:

Detail about the Level 1 training program can be found in the What to Expect as a Level 1 Trainee.pdf.

Most existing Level 1 trainees, their mentors and ESO authorised persons have now been contacted with information about the revised Level 1 training.  They have the choice in whether they would like to continue with the WEL based Level 1 training or transfer to the new Level 1 Facilitated Learning Pathway (FLP).  WEL based Level 1 training will continue to operate until 30 June 2025. 

If you are undergoing Level 1 training and haven’t been contacted by ATDP, please contact your PSO.

It’s time for the annual audit!  The ATDP audit will ensure that information contained within the ATDP Portal and the Advocacy Register is accurate.

Who will be contacted?
ATDP will be contacting all trainees, advocates and ESO Authorised Persons. 

When?
Authorised Persons will be contacted this week.
Trainees and Advocates will be contacted the following week.

What will need to be verified?
Trainees and advocates will be asked to verify their:

• Name and DOB
• Contact information
• Mentor (if relevant)

Mentors will also be asked to confirm their:

• Mentor availability status

Authorised Persons will be asked to verify:

• ESO Contact information that appears in the Advocacy Register; and
• Authorised Person contact details; and
• Trainees and Advocates who are listed within their ESO.

We appreciate your assistance in ensuring that our data is accurate so that veterans and families can find the support they need.

If you have any questions about the audit please email:  ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

As we draw to the end of the CPD year (June 30), it is recommended that you check your CPD status, and discuss CPD requirements with your ESO.

To assist you with maintaining CPD currency, DVA has launched new activities, and refreshed some previous offerings.

The 15 new and updated activities cover topics that are beneficial to both compensation and wellbeing advocates of various levels including areas such as medical, aged care services, and trauma informed care.

To access the CPD portal, log into your ATDP profile on the ATDP website, and navigate to the CPD tab. Alternatively, you can click on the blue 'Visit CPD' button on the right of the ATDP home page, and log in to the CPD portal from there.

The ATDP CPD system also includes a number of pre-approved activities that you may like to engage in. DVA also encourages advocates to engage in external events such as formal training, Communities of Practice, and other relevant events. For an activity to be approved for points allocation, it will be reviewed to ensure it is consistent with the course and services provided by advocates to the veteran community. Information regarding this process is available on the ATDP CPD page.

If you have any questions please contact your PSO or email ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

Mentors provide a valuable contribution to the ATDP by supporting and mentoring trainees undertaking advocacy training. In doing this, mentors also continue to develop their own knowledge and expertise through self-directed learning. In recognition of both these attributes and in collaboration with the ATDP Regional Managers, it was agreed that each mentor will be allocated five CPD points when their first mentee achieves a Statement of Attainment in a CPD year.

Key information:

• Mentors will now be allocated 5 CPD points per year as long as at least one mentee achieves a Statement of Attainment.
• The 5 CPD points is the maximum number of points allocated regardless of the number of mentees who receive a Statement of Attainment in that CPD year.
• The CPD year is from 1 July to 30 June each year. 
• The Mentor will not need to apply for the CPD points.  The points will be allocated by the ATDP Team following the receipt of the monthly Statement of Attainment report from Major Training Services.
• CPD Points will be allocated to the mentor that is assigned to the trainee at the time the trainee achieves a Statement of Attainment.
• This change is effective from 1 July 2023.

The ATDP team will commence allocating these points over the next week.  You will receive an email if you are eligible for point allocation.

If you have any questions please contact your PSO or email ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

Attention advocates: 1800 SeMPRO have provided a short information package to explain what 1800 SeMPRO is, how it can help the veterans you support, and why advocates should include 1800 SeMPRO in the list of support options offered to veterans and their families.

Please navigate to the resources tab within your ATDP profile to view this information.

DVA are aware that many ATDP trained advocates have a vested interest in the Veterans' Legislation Reform and will be attending various forums, workshops, and Community of Practice activities.

As a reminder, we encourage advocates to speak with the event organiser and ask the organiser to submit their event for CPD consideration. Submissions can be made via the ATDP website - External CPD event application.

Once the event is completed and attendance records have been lodged, points will be assessed and allocated as appropriate.

DVA would like to remind advocates that CPD activities are not restricted to those available within the CPD portal. There are many courses, events, workshops etc. in the community that would provide skills to an advocate, and increase the provision of services to veterans and their families. Please reach out to cpd@atdp.org.au if you have any questions.

A new How to Guide has been uploaded to the ATDP website, located here.

If you have any questions about the Consolidation and Assessment process, then this guide may be able to help answer them. It also gives a step by step process of what happens throughout the whole process and who is involved at each milestone.

As always, if you have any further questions about this guide, please feel free to reach out to the Program Support Officer for your region.

Your feedback matters! DVA has received a lot of interest from Veterans and Advocates to understand the distinctions between DVA’s new Claim Support Officer (CSO) and Delegate roles. This page provides information on the differences between these two roles along with a glimpse into the tailored training provided to our dedicated compensation claims staff.

At DVA we are committed to providing staff with a comprehensive and structured learning pathway. This pathway unfolds in stages across DVA staff careers in the Department, building on fundamental principles and concepts. Our training approach adopts a modularised structure, ensuring that programs support the diverse responsibilities of staff in the Client Benefits Division undertaking claims processing activities.

Click here for more in-depth insights into the training journey that equips our dedicated staff with the knowledge and skills essential for effective service delivery to Veterans and families.

As always, we are committed to transparency and continuous improvement at DVA.

Whilst we might love numbers, we appreciate that they are not for everyone.

ATDP statistics will no longer be provided in the bi-monthly ATDP Update newsletter. If you have a love for numbers, you can access ATDP statistics under the News and Information tab, located at the top of this website.

If you have any questions, or require any further assistance, please contact your region’s Program Support Officer or ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

We have recently added another feature to the ATDP portal to assist you to update your ATDP contact information. This reminder will occur every 6 months if you have not made any changes to your contact information within that time.

The below Pop-Up box will appear when you log into your ATDP profile.

If your contact information has not changed: Click the green button “I confirm that the above information is correct”. The ATDP Portal will record the date that you confirmed your contact details.

If your contact information has changed: Click on the yellow button “The above information is incorrect”. It will bring up the following pop-up which will take you to EDIT Profile.

You can then update your records accordingly.

You do not have to wait for the checkbox reminder to update your details. If you have a change of contact details, please remember to update your ATDP profile at that time.

If you require any further assistance, please contact your region’s Program Support Officer or ATDPEnquiries@dva.gov.au

DVA is currently in the process of revising the CPD program. As part of this process, a CPD policy is being shaped which is informed by the feedback received from the ATDP advocacy community since 2018, alongside structured reviews of various CPD policies, procedures and systems.

The initial draft version was sent for feedback on 31st October 2023 to the CPD committee, Regional Managers, and members of the advocacy community and ESO representatives who provided a response to the request for ATDP CPD feedback (ATDP Newsletter and newsroom) in August and September 2023.

Once this feedback has been reviewed, and second version will be drafted and provided to the ATDP advocacy community for wider feedback.

As we strive to embrace a culture of continual improvement, it is crucial for us to engage with stakeholders who possess a broader perspective and diverse insights. Your expertise and knowledge have always been instrumental in shaping our decision making process, and we firmly believe that your input will be invaluable in further enhancing the effectiveness of our CPD policy.

We look forward to receiving your feedback in due course.

The WA Advocates' and Support Officers' Seminar (WAAS) will be held on 21 Nov 2023 at the South of Perth Yacht Club. The WAAS will start at 08:30am for 08:55am and conclude at 16:30pm. The Seminar is free with all day tea and coffee and lunch provided. There is ample free parking at the venue.

The Seminar is an excellent opportunity for WA Advocates and Support Officers to come together, share experiences and learn from Veteran Community Specialists.

The WAAS Program is highlighted by Guest Speakers including The Hon. Paul Papalia CSC MLA, Mr Peter King (DC WA), and the new Repatriation Commissioner Mr Kahlil Fegan DSC AM. The theme for the Seminar is "The Advocate Community - a collaborative approach to Veteran and Family support" and the Program will cover the full range of Wellbeing and Compensation topics.

For Advocates who have a CPD obligation, CPD points have been allocated.

All Advocates can register online through the ATDP web site.

If you have any questions then please contact Geoff Harrison: rm2@atdp.org.au

The ATDP Update - August sought your feedback on CPD by 07/09/2023 prior to a workshop being held on 11-15 September with the volunteer CPD Team and Regional Managers.

Although the workshop will now not go ahead on the planned dates, your feedback and thoughts about CPD are still welcome.

Feedback can be provided to cpd@atdp.org.au

So far, we have received 23 responses. Your insights and suggestions are much appreciated - Thank you!

Last week, the Department of Defence released an Advocacy Information / Fact Sheet, which is available on the Defence internet site. The information sheet was developed with DVA's assistance and input and seeks to advise veterans and their families their options when considering engaging an advocate.

In addition, Defence published two fact sheets on Superannuation considerations for transitioning ADF members (one is general in nature and the other is related to medically separating ADF members). These were developed in consultation with CSC and the ADF Financial Services Consumer Centre (ADFFSCC).

These fact sheets are available on the Defence internet site

Attached: Defence Advocacy Information / Fact Sheet

We are pleased to confirm that we have completed the audit of the Advocacy Register in regards to individual advocates and trainees.

The audit was rolled out state by state as per below:

Note: There is a duplication in trainees and advocates. If an individual is both a qualified advocate and a trainee, they received one email.

Advocate Audit Summary

Emails were sent to:

• the Authorised Person/s of each ESO informing them of the audit process and
• Each qualified advocate on the register

Each advocate was requested to confirm their contact information and the ESO that they provide support to.

Trainee Audit Summary

Emails were sent to:

• the Authorised Person/s of each ESO informing them of the audit process and
• Each trainee on the register

Each trainee was requested to confirm their contact information and the ESO that they provide support to.

Current Statistics

Since the audit, we have has a number of our trainees complete their Statement of Attainment, as well as additional trainees join the program.

Total numbers as of 14/08/2023

The ATDP Update Newsletter will have further information regarding the location of current advocates and trainees.

We thank you for your support during this process.

The Quarterly Update - Education, Support and Training (QUEST) recordings for FY Quarter 1 2023-2024 are now available in the QUEST Newsroom

These recording are available to assist with the professional and technical development of advocates, and provide information about changes and updates in DVA legislation, policy and procedures.

Each quarter, we will aim to add additional resources in this section, which may be of interest to the advocacy community.

The new videos available for your viewing are:

• Medical Forms Review Project
• DVA Overpayments Policy
• Granny Flat Arrangement
• Above General Rate of Pension VEA Section 24
• DRCA Non-Economic Loss (NEL) Compensation

As advised on 18 May, DVA are introducing a multi-factor authentication process to ensure that the information contained in the ATDP Portal and Advocacy Register remains protected.
We have completed an initial roll out with Regional Mentors and Regional Managers and are now ready to fully implement.

From 10am on Tuesday 20 June, you will find the login process to the ATDP Portal has a couple of additional steps:

Login to the portal as normal;

1. Next screen will ask where you’d like to receive a four digit code (SMS or email);
2. The code will be sent to your mobile/email;
3. Enter that code into the portal and proceed as normal.

The instruction guide (including screenshots) is located here: 

MFA Guideline for users

You will also receive an email confirming the process.

Don’t forget to ensure that your mobile is correctly recorded in the ATDP Portal!

Our friendly PSO’s remain on hand ready to support you with the change.

We are now focussing on the final two States for the National Audit on the ATDP Advocacy Register (AR). We will be shortly sending out emails to the ESO Authorised Persons as well as to the advocates and trainees for Queensland and New South Wales.

We have undertaken this task to ensure the veterans can find accurate up-to-date information when seeking support from advocates and ESOs in their region.

A big thank you for those who have responded so far!

The ATDP Team are continuing on with the audit of the ATDP Advocacy Register details to verify the validity and veracity of the information.

We have already contacted the ACT, TAS, NT and WA advocates and trainees in the past couple of weeks, and this week we will be sending out emails to the South Australian and Victorian advocates and trainees. Keep an eye out in your Inbox and please respond this week.

The ATDP Team are continuing on with the audit of the ATDP Advocacy Register details to verify the validity and veracity of the information. We have already contacted the ACT, TAS and NT advocates and trainees and this week we will be sending out emails to Western Australian advocates and trainees.

The ATDP Team are continuing on with the audit of the ATDP Advocacy Register details to verify the validity and veracity of the information. We have already contacted the ACT, TAS and NT advocates and trainees and this week we will be sending out emails to Western Australian advocates and trainees.

The ATDP Portal and Advocacy Register contain advocates’ personal information that requires protection.  

As required under the Privacy Act, 1988, DVA takes its responsibility of protecting your information very seriously.  To this end, we’ve contracted an organisation specialising in ICT security to review how the ATDP Portal and Advocacy Register are accessed and to make recommendations to ensure your information remains secure.

One of the recommendations is that DVA introduce a multi-factor authentication process.  This simply means that there will be a two-step authentication process before you can access any information in the ATDP portal.  This will be similar to online banking applications you may already be familiar with.

Once implemented, the steps will be:

1. Log in to the portal as normal;
2. Next screen will ask where you’d like to receive a four digit code (SMS or email)
3. The code will be sent to your mobile/email.
4.  Enter that code into the portal and proceed as normal.

We’re aiming to introduce this process by the 30 June, 2023.  Detailed instructions, including screen shots, will be provided – so stay tuned!  We’ll also email these instructions to all users of the ATDP Portal.

To help with this process, now would be a good time to check that your mobile number is correctly recorded in the ATDP portal.

Our PSO’s will also be on hand ready to support you with the change.

Thank you for supporting us to ensure your information stays secure.

The ATDP team are currently conducting an audit across all States to verify the validity and veracity of the information that is currently found in the ATDP Advocacy Register (AR). We began our audit a few weeks ago for those in the ACT and are in the final stages. We focussed on Tasmania last week and this week we’re heading to the Northern Territory.

If you are an ESO Authorised person, advocate or trainee in Northern Territory you will shortly receive an email to request that you confirm a number of details. We appreciate your assistance in ensuring that our data is accurate so that veterans and their families can find the support that they need.

Lorraine Grey recently resigned as the Regional Manager for Region 2.   Lorraine took on the position in October 2021.  A big thanks to Lorraine for her contribution and support of the ATDP!

Following a formal selection process, we can now confirm that Geoff Harrison is the new Regional Manager for Region 2.

Congratulations and welcome to the team!

The Wellbeing and Compensation Advocacy Handbooks have been reviewed and updated to ensure the information is up-to-date and consistent with the Department’s policy, legislation and procedures. The updated handbooks are available at the DVA Website: https://www.dva.gov.au/civilian-life/support-ex-service-organisations-and-advocates/advocacy-handbooks

Handbooks for wellbeing and compensation support officers will be reviewed and updated in due course.

To provide feedback in relation to this matter, please email ATDPENQUIRIES@dva.gov.au

The Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) would like to remind the advocacy community that access to the Course in Military Advocacy (CiMA), is intended to be made available only to those Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs), providing free wellbeing and compensation advocacy services.

A founding principle of DVA’s association with ESOs, in relation to advocacy services, was that these services be provided at no charge to veterans and their families.  This principle continues to underpin the ATDP.

As per the ATDP ESO Advocate Code of Ethics (section 2,g), in all of their actions, advocates must not charge a service fee or solicit donations for services they are providing, other than the permitted fee under Veterans’ Indemnity Training Association guidelines for administrative costs relating directly to the handling of a case. The Code of Ethics is available at:

https://web.atdp.org.au/docs/pdf/ESOACodeofEthics.pdf

The ATDP will continue to provide nationally consistent training for ESO advocates who provide free services to the veteran community.

To provide feedback in relation to this matter, please email ATDPENQUIRIES@dva.gov.au

As a mentor are you a bit rusty on what to do on the ATDP Online Portal for your mentee? We’ve had some recent Frequently Asked Questions which we have put into a simple and easy to follow Mentor Admin “How To” guide. It outlines the online tasks that are required from the Mentor.

The guide is located on the front page of the ATDP Website within the “How To Guides” box. Click here for the direct link: ATDP – Mentor Admin  

When you engage with training at ATDP, you will first receive your login details for the ATDP Online Portal. This is where you will find your Workplace Experience Logbook (WEL). At the beginning of your training journey, the ATDP Program Support Officer (PSO) will create an e-learning DVA Train account for you and you will be sent a separate email with login details. You do not need to create your own DVA Train account through DVA.

Please contact your region’s PSO for further information.

Feedback from ESOs and from consultation with Advocates and Advocacy groups as part of the reaccreditation of the Course in Military Advocacy in late 2021 have indicated a need in some ESOs for Advocates trained in both Compensation and Wellbeing to allow a more holistic approach to supporting veterans and their dependants. The indication is that this would be appropriate at Level 1, with Advocates then specialising in either Compensation or Wellbeing at Level 2 (or continuing on in both streams if desired).

Planning is underway to undertake a wide consultation with ESO and Advocates to ascertain:

• whether there is need for dual-streamed Level 1 Advocates in ESOs;
• if such a need is identified, whether this need is universal, or if single-streamed Level 1 Advocates are still required;
• what skills and knowledge are required of a combined-stream Level 1 Advocate;
• options for training/assessing candidates.

For further information, refer to the discussion paper - Combined Level 1 advocacy training

We have recently had some feedback from advocates that their mentors have directed them to complete the E-learning modules as the only component of their training. In actuality, the training should be guided by the Workplace Experience Logbook (WEL) milestones. Some of these milestones include completing the E-learning modules but there are other tasks.

If you are a mentor and require assistance, we do have Regional Mentors who can answer any questions. These Regional Mentors can be contacted via the Program Support Officer (PSO).

The Regional Implementation Group (RIG) was formed at the inception of the ATDP and was instrumental in setting up the framework and promotion for the program. We are now well past the “implementation” stage of the program and as such the group decided it was time to update their name.

The new name for the Group is now “Regional Support Group (RSG)”. We have updated the ATDP website with this change. We work collaboratively with the Regional Support Group who, as the name implies, give valued support for the program.

Online Consolidation and Assessment Programs

Consolidation and Assessment (C&A) programs continue to be conducted via the Zoom meeting platform. Delivery and assessment by this method has continued to improve with time and practice, with positive feedback from both attendees and assessors. 2023 commences with a Compensation Level 3 C&A scheduled for 31 Jan - 3 Feb, followed by a Wellbeing Level 2 C&A 14 - 16 Feb and a Compensation Level 1 C&A 21 - 23 Feb. Further programs will be scheduled as candidates complete their WELs and become eligible for assessment.

One-on-One RPL Meetings

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) remains available to experienced Advocates who believe they can meet the assessment requirements of the Course in Military Advocacy without the need for further training. It should be noted that this is not meant to be a method of avoiding the training pathway, but rather recognition that the skills and knowledge required of the Units of Competency may have been acquired through other training and workplace experience. The RPL process consists of:

• Completion and submission of an Underpinning Knowledge Quiz for the level of competency being sought
• A one-on-one interview with an assessor who will ask questions about the candidate’s skills and knowledge in providing Advocacy services at the level of competency being sought
• A review of evidence of the candidate providing Advocacy services at the level of competency being sought.

Candidate’s will be provided with a checklist of evidence that must be shown to their assessor during the RPL interview. As the interviews are being conducted online, the evidence must be in electronic format so that it can be view by the assessor through screen-sharing. Instructions on how to do this will be explained to candidates by their assessor. Candidates who cannot access electronic copies of their evidence find completion of their assessment significantly delayed.
Those Advocates who wish to undergo assessment via the RPL process need to be nominated by their ESO in the normal manner.

Compensation Level 4

Planning is underway to resurrect Compensation Level 4 Advocacy training. Consultation with the principal providers of this Level 4 training is being conducted with the aim of scheduling a Level 4 C&A in late 2023 or early 2024. If you believe you already have the relevant experience at the AAT, and would like to be recognised as a Level 4 Advocate then you may be able to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Contact ATDPenquiries@dva.gov.au for a guide to the RPL process and a list of the evidence you would need to produce.

Mentor Training

When ATDP commenced in 2016, the training of Mentors to undertake workplace training of new Advocates was conducted as part of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Workshops. RPL Workshops were being conducted regularly to allow practicing Advocates trained under the TIP program to gain ATDP Statements of Attainment. Those assessed at Level 2 or above were also trained as Mentors at the conclusion of the RPL process.

As the need for RPL Workshops reduced (concurrent with the outbreak of COVID), the process for RPL assessments was changed to individual presentations of evidence via the Zoom platform. This meant that training of Mentors also had to change.

From mid-2020, two types of Mentor training were introduced:

• Basics in Mentoring. Designed for all ATDP Mentors, this half-day program was designed to introduce the concepts of mentoring and provide information of the specific requirements for mentoring in the context of the Course in Military Advocacy.
• Mentoring in the ATDP. Designed for Regional Mentors and experienced Advocates managing multiple mentors, this two-day assessed program expanded on the content of the Basics course and provided a nationally accredited Statement of Attainment.

When first introduced, the Mentoring in the ATDP program was based on TAEDEL404 Mentor in the workplace, a unit from the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. From April 2022, when MTS dropped this qualification from its scope, the unit was replaced with PSPGEN035 Provide workplace mentoring from the Certificate IV in Government. Due to a restructure of that qualification, MTS becomes unable to issue Statements of Attainment for that unit after April 2023.

Options for adding a stand-alone Mentoring unit of competency from another Training Package to MTS’s scope were discussed. A decision was made that instead, the Basics in Mentoring program would be increased to a full day and would be attended by all Advocates conducting workplace mentoring of trainees in the Course in Military Advocacy.

The available program is now titled Mentoring Workshop. It is a full day of training conducted via Zoom, contextualised specifically for Advocates providing workplace mentoring to trainees undertaking any level of the Course in Military Advocacy. It must be undertaken before an Advocate is appointed as a trainee’s mentor. Advocates who were trained as mentors via an RPL Workshop are strongly encouraged to attend to refresh and update their knowledge and skills. Participants are provided with a Mentor Handbook to guide them in the future.

Each WEL consists of a number of workplace experiences that trainees are required to complete as part of their workplace learning. It is important that these experiences be undertaken, wherever possible, using actual clients in real time. It is acknowledged, however, that this may not be possible or may cause excessive delays in the trainee’s progression. For example, the ESO may have no DRCA or MRCA clients applying for Incapacity Payments when a trainee has reached this milestone in their WEL. Or no determinations have been received requiring a Needs Assessment to be undertaken, causing a long delay in completing that milestone.  Where a Mentor has difficulty is providing a trainee with a workplace experience to match a WEL milestone, alternative methods can be employed. In order of preference, these are:

• The Mentor may chose a historical real case from the ESOs files (preferably one of the Mentor’s own clients) that matches the milestone and have the trainee work through that case as if it was the trainee’s client.
• The Mentor may arrange a simulated client (played by either the Mentor or another Advocate) who’s needs match the milestone requirements and have the trainee work through that case as if it was the trainee’s client.
• The Mentor may email the National Training Manager and request that a Case Study be provided which the trainee can complete to meet a particular milestone.

Note that these alternative should only be employed after all efforts are made to provide the trainee with a real workplace experience. Where one of these alternatives are employed, a note to that effect must be entered against that milestone in the trainee’s WEL.

Even though the archived trainees and advocates are not displayed in the Search Results in the ATDP Advocacy Register, there are still some that are linked to an ESO.

We are reaching out to all ESO Authorised Persons (over 300 in total) to ask whether they can remove those no longer associated with the ESO.

The Baseline Study of Current and Future Availability of Ex-Service Organisation Advocacy Services Research Project was commissioned by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) to collect data on the capacity of the advocacy workforce.

The study was completed by the University of NSW in May 2021 and released on 22 October 2021. Nearly 600 advocates and nearly 60 ESOs responded to the voluntary survey to provide data for the researchers. Respondents were from across the advocacy community.

The information presented in the independent research report is available to ESOs, DVA, and others for planning evaluation purposes for advocacy services and advocates.

Some more information and a link to the copy of the research report is at www.dva.gov.au/about-us/overview/research/veterans-advocacy-research-project