VCAT Annual Report 2018-19 now available

The VCAT Annual Report 2018-19 has tabled in the Victorian Parliament and is now available.

Our highlights of the year included:

  • established that online dispute resolution (ODR) could increase access to justice, by conducting an innovative Victorian-first pilot that involved 65 online hearings of small civil claims
  • realised benefits from releasing our online Guardianship Hub to hospitals, reducing by an average of 1.5 weeks the time a patient spends in hospital waiting for their hearing and subsequent discharge
  • created performance dashboards for alternative dispute resolution (ADR), to identify areas for continuous improvement of ADR and to assist in evidence-based decision making about its use
  • conducted gold-standard UX research, including a diary study that asked VCAT users to document their interactions with the tribunal during their case, to inform correspondence and service improvements
  • expanded the reach of the Fast Track Mediation and Hearing service to Hume and Loddon Mallee regions and increased the threshold to $10,000 at our King St venue
  • created the Planning and Environment Division (previously part of the Administrative Division) to provide a platform for greater support and case management for this specialist jurisdiction.
  • launched the Empowering You and Leader as Coach programs, building coaching and leadership skills for staff and improving how staff build relationships.

Read the annual report.