Publication scheme
Our publication scheme shows what information we routinely publish, mostly on our website.
It groups our information into seven categories to make it easier to find:
- About us: who we are and what we do
- Our services: how we help the Queensland community
- Our finances: what we spend and how we spend it
- Our priorities: what our priorities are and how we’re performing
- Our decisions: how we make decisions
- Our policies: our policies and procedures
- Our lists: our lists and registers.
You can download documents from our publication scheme or ask us to give you help you access them.
Some of these documents are PDFs; if you wish to access the information in another format, please contact us.
The information is free to access, however requests for large amounts of information may attract a charge.
About us
The Public Guardian and the Office are established by the Public Guardian Act 2014. The Public Guardian is an independent statutory officer who is not under the direction or control of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.
The Public Guardian Act 2014 and the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000 set out the roles, responsibilities and powers of the Public Guardian. Additionally, the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 allows adults in Queensland to appoint decision-makers through an enduring power of attorney or advance health directive.
Read more about us.
Code of conduct
When performing their official duties, our staff must comply with the Code of conduct for the Queensland public service.
Human rights
We act and make decisions for our clients in a way that respects their human rights, as required under the Human Rights Act.
We have a Human Rights Decision-Making Framework that guides our work.
Read more about human rights.
Governance
Our strategic plan sets out our priorities and direction. It guides the allocation of our efforts and resources, and provides a sense of collective responsibility and collaboration.
Each year we develop a business plan which supports the achievement of our five-year Strategic Plan. Our business plan supports us to accomplish our strategic goals, drives our priorities and performance, and lays the groundwork for innovation, partnerships, and capability-building.
Our annual report contains information about our performance each year.
Access to information
This publication scheme is one of several ways in which you can access personal and non-personal information held by us.
Read more about accessing information.
Work with us
By working with us, you can make a positive difference in the lives of Queensland’s most vulnerable residents and receive public sector benefits.
Read more about working with us.
Contact us
How to contact us to make a general enquiry or request consent to provide healthcare, use a restrictive practice, or withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.
Our services
We support people (over 18 years of age) who do not have the ability to make their own decisions, through our guardianship, investigations and community visiting services. We:
- provide decision-making services for personal matters when appointed by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), or appointed by a person as their attorney under an enduring power of attorney, or as the statutory health attorney of last resort
- investigate allegations that a person with impaired decision-making capacity has been, or is being neglected, exploited or abused, or has inappropriate or inadequate decision-making arrangements in place
- independently monitor visitable sites and identify, escalate and resolve complaints by or on behalf of the people with impaired decision-making ability staying there.
We also provide individual advocacy to children and young people through:
- providing person-centred advocacy for relevant children and young people in the child protection system
- conducting community visits to monitor and advocate for the rights of children and young people in out-of-home care or staying at a visitable site.
Our finances
We are not a statutory body for the purposes of the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act or the Financial Accountability Act.
Funding for our office is part of the appropriation for Department of Justice, with the Director-General of Department of Justice being the accountable officer.
In addition to the Department of Justice appropriation, the Queensland Public Trustee provides an annual grant towards our operating costs, in accordance with the Public Trustee Act.
A summary of our financial performance is included in our Annual Reports.
Financial details about our operations can also found in the Department of Justice Annual Reports.
Our priorities
Our strategic plan sets out our priorities and direction. It guides the allocation of our efforts and resources, and provides a sense of collective responsibility and collaboration.
Each year we develop a business plan which supports the achievement of our five-year Strategic Plan. Our Business Plan supports us to accomplish our strategic goals, drives our priorities and performance, and lays the groundwork for innovation, partnerships, and capability-building.
Our policies and frameworks
We have developed a range of policies to ensure our work is consistent, transparent, and aligned with best practices. These include:
- decision-making principles: outlining how decisions are made in the best interests of individuals under our care
- child advocacy guidelines: ensuring the voices and rights of children and young people in care are heard and respected
- investigation and complaint policies: detailing how we respond to allegations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
- guardianship practice standards: providing a framework for guardianship decisions, including supported decision-making approaches.
Visit policies and frameworks for more information.
Our lists
Our staff must record gifts and benefits they have received or given.
The Queensland Government’s lobbying register is a list of professional lobbyists who have lobbied a Minister or government officer.
Other ways to access information
There are three other ways you can access information held by us:
Only if you can’t access the information you want via our publication scheme, disclosure log or an informal request will you need to make a formal application.