Older Person Abuse in the Northern Territory – A Systemic Advocacy Journey

Описание: What this webinar is about:

How do you create change in a place where there are almost no services, little legislation, and limited recognition of elder abuse?

You’ll hear about:
The landscape in the NT: why service gaps and lack of frameworks make this issue so urgent
The advocacy journey: the preconceptions, challenges and turning points that shaped this project
Building momentum: how they started a network of services and created a roadmap to implement the National Plan to +Prevent Abuse and Mistreatment of Older Australians in the NT.

Our presenter will share:
The complexities of working in the unique Northern Territory environment
Missteps, insights and what was learned along the way
Opportunities for advocacy, collaboration and making a real impact.

Why attend?

This isn’t just a Northern Territory story, it’s a story of how change happens. You’ll hear about the persistence, lessons, and strategies that others can draw on when advocating for older people, whether you’re in policy, frontline work, or community leadership.

A little about our presenter:

Elina Beswick - Aged Care Advocate, Seniors Rights Service, Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS)

Originally from Scotland, where she studied Sociology at university, Elina has lived in the Northern Territory for the past 10 years, including in remote communities across Central Australia and the Top End.

Since moving to Australia, she has worked extensively in community services, supporting refugee young people and families, young people in out-of-home care, youth development in remote communities, and women and children experiencing domestic, family, and sexual violence.

She is now an Aged Care Advocate at Darwin Community Legal Service, where for the past 18 months she has also led outreach and systemic advocacy initiatives focused on addressing the abuse of older persons.

Moderator:

Tara Simpson - EAAA Board Member

Tara has been a legal practitioner for over 30 years including being part of the Legal Services Commission of South Australia. She is currently a Team Leader at the Aged Rights Advocacy Services (ARAS).

She spent 20 years at the Legal Services Commission, representing them at the Alliance for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (APEA) as well as establishing and managing the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Representation Scheme.

Tara currently sits on the Human Rights Coercion Reduction Committee established by the South Australian Chief Psychiatrist in 2021 which he currently chairs. In her spare time, she is a consumer representative for the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.

A passionate advocate for human rights, Tara believes that the law should be accessible to all, particularly the more vulnerable members of the community.