The Advocacy Training and Development Program

Last updated:

9 October 2024

The Advocacy Training and Development Program (ATDP) offers nationally accredited training in military advocacy and support, through our partnering Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Major Training Services P/L (RTO90748). It ensures that advocates meet national standards before they give advice to the veteran community. Learn how you can apply for the program, and what it includes.

About the program

The ATDP is available to support ex-service organisations (ESOs) who provide free advocacy services to the veteran community.

It is a partnership between us and ESOs.

Through the ATDP you can learn how to assist the veteran community to:

lodge claims under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA)
access a wide array of Federal, State and Local government and community services, including those that are available from DVA which support wellbeing.

More experienced compensation advocates will learn how to assist with reconsiderations and appeals to the Veterans' Review Board (VRB) and appeals to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART).

Visit the ATDP website to learn more about the ATDP or enrol in the Course in Military Advocacy.

Course in Military Advocacy

Under the ATDP, you will undertake 11019NAT Course in Military Advocacy. This course has 6 units of competency (UoC):

Compensation Level 1 NAT11019001 - Provide military rehabilitation and compensation advocacy services under supervision
Compensation Level 2 NAT11019002 - Provide military rehabilitation and compensation advocacy services
Compensation Level 3 NAT11019003 - Advocate on behalf of members of the military community for a merits review of a primary decision
Compensation Level 4 NAT11019004 - Advocate on behalf of members of the military community before the Administrative Review Tribunal
Wellbeing Stream:
- Wellbeing Level 1 NAT11019005 - Provide military wellbeing advocacy services under supervision
- Wellbeing Level 2 NAT11019006 - Provide military wellbeing advocacy services

ATDP had a single learning pathway. This means you will have to complete Level 1 before you can move to Level 2, and complete Level 2 before you move to Level 3, and so on.

You can find more information about the courses, including any prerequisites, at the ATDP website

Learning outcomes

Advocates who complete the course will be able to assist the veteran community with information and referrals for:

health services and treatment
rehabilitation
housing support
transport services
household assistance
education schemes
government or community services and benefits
support services for transitioning to civilian life
medical, financial, legal and police matters
funeral arrangements and bereavement assistance

You will also learn how to:

prepare and lodge claims
prepare requests for a review of our decisions
prepare appeals for the VRB and ART
represent clients at VRB and ART hearings

Training, Consolidation and Assessment

Most of the training is undertaken on the job with an experienced mentor who is nominated by your ESO.

You will need to record specific activities in an electronic Workplace Experience Log (WEL). Both yourself and your mentor needs to add comments against each milestone. During the training you will undertake online e-learning and you will gather together your Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) which is required at the assessment stage.

At the end of your training, you will undertake Consolidation and Assessment which will take place over a 3-day period. They will be carried out by experienced presenters and assessors.

ATDP training features a single learning pathway which includes specific skills and knowledge that advocates will need to demonstrate at each level before they can progress to a higher level. The single learning pathway features the Compensation Stream levels 1 to 4 and in the Wellbeing Stream levels 1 and 2.

Accreditation and recognition

Upon the successful completion of each unit of competency (UoC), you will receive a Statement of Attainment issued by our partnering RTO, Major Training Services P/L (RTO90748).

The Course in Military Advocacy is accredited by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). The ASQA regulates courses and training providers to ensure nationally approved quality standards are met. The ASQA accreditation means that the Course in Military Advocacy is nationally recognised and that it meets an established industry, enterprise, educational, legislative or community need.

Time frames

There is no set time frame for this training.

However, on average, it takes approximately 12 months to complete a Unit of Competency (UoC).

Times may vary depending on volunteer allocated times.

Schedule

The schedule of training and assessment is based on the demand.

Candidates will be contacted by the ATDP when they are ready to undertake a program to find one that best suits their needs in terms of location and time.

Change to Continuing Professional Development

Once you have completed your training, you must undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

CPD ensures currency of skills and knowledge, and that all advocates provide a high-quality service to the veteran community. It may also meet your ESO requirements to maintain currency for professional indemnity (PI) insurance coverage. Please discuss specific requirements with your ESO.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Under RPL your existing skills and experience (gained through either formal or informal learning) will be assessed to see if they align with a particular Unit of Competency within the Course in Military Advocacy.

It is an evidence-based assessment against the requirements of a particular Unit of Competency. Experienced advocates, whether they are TIP trained or not, are offered the opportunity to undertake RPL by the ATDP.

Eligibility

An advocate can be anyone with a passion for helping the veteran community. They can be:

former ADF members
family members of serving or former serving members
members of the local community

Ideally you will have been exposed to the role of advocate and are confident in your ability to perform the role.

Apply for the course

Your ESO must nominate you, using the Guidelines for the Selection of Trainee Advocates.
You will need to complete an application form. Contact your ESO to apply.
Trainees must be affiliated with a nominating ESO for the duration of the Course in Military Advocacy. Nomination and affiliation are at the discretion of the ESO. If an ESO or trainee cease their affiliation with each other at any stage of the training program, the trainee will be unable to continue until the ESO reinstates its endorsement or an alternative ESO makes a nomination.

Insurance

Your ESO may have coverage that provides professional indemnity insurance for people who both:

are a suitably qualified, trained and authorised members of an ESO
give advice to the ex-service community on DVA pension and compensation entitlements and wellbeing support.

The policy may also cover for accidents that occur:

at a client meeting
while travelling to and from a client meeting
while travelling to and from a training program

Each ESO is responsible for their own Professional Indemnity Insurance requirements. It is recommended that an advocate or trainee advocate contact their associated ESO to confirm coverage and any additional criteria in place with their ESO regarding insurance.

The ATDP Advocacy Register (AR)

The ATDP Advocacy Register (AR) is a database primarily used by veterans and families to find an ESO with qualified advocates in compensation and/or wellbeing support. The AR can be found here: advocateregister.org.au

The AR has the following functions:

Search engine – for veterans to source the location of qualified advocates who provide advocacy services (for both Compensation and Wellbeing). ESO details and Levels of advocate qualifications are shown.
Login Portal for ESO Authorised Persons – The ESO Authorised Person registered with ATDP can log in and manage the ESO contact details, add/remove advocates and trainees from their ESO, request a mentor. This is also the location for ESO Authorised Persons to nominate training for a new trainee or further training for an existing trainee/advocate.

Contact the ATDP

The ATDP website contains all up-to-date information about the program:

To contact the ATDP you can:

email ATDPenquiries [at] dva.gov.au (ATDPenquiries[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au)
complete their online contact form

Advocacy News

Advocacy News provides updates on the ATDP and articles relevant to ESOs and the advocacy community.

You can view the newsletters on the home page of the ATDP website.

You can email ATDPenquiries [at] dva.gov.au (ATDPenquiries[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au) to subscribe to the newsletter.