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Principal Guardian (Continuous Applicant Pool), Office of the Public Guardian
Ipswich and Western Queensland; Guardianship; Office Of The Public Guardian; Brisbane and Ipswich
The position of the Principal Guardian is to conduct complex and sensitive structured personal and health care decision-making for adults with impaired capacity where the Public Guardian acts as appointed guardian or attorney, or as statutory health attorney of last resort, and make representations on their behalf. In addition, the Principal Guardian provides high level advocacy around complex client matters.
Principal Guardians ensure a client’s rights, interests, views, wishes and preferences are elevated and centred in all decision making and advocacy activities.
Job details
| Position status | Fixed Term Temporary |
|---|---|
| Position type | Flexible full-time |
| Occupational group | Community Care |
| Classification | AO6 |
| Workplace Location | Brisbane Inner City,Ipswich region |
| Job ad reference | QLD/572949/24 |
| Closing date | 30-Jun-2025 |
| Job duration | Contracts will vary with possible extension |
| Contact person | James Houghton |
| Contact details | Phone: 3470 7205 Access the National Relay Service |
About the Office of the Public Guardian
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an independent statutory office established to protect the rights, interests and wellbeing of adults with impaired decision-making capacity, and children and young people in the child protection system and those accommodated in disability services, Authorised Mental Health Services, residential health services and youth detention centres.
Key responsibilities
• Undertake structured decision-making in complex/conflicted situations, for adults with impaired capacity where the Public Guardian is appointed as a guardian or personal attorney of last resort, or acts as statutory health attorney of last resort, which includes:
o ensuring that decision making processes comply with the legislative framework of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998, Public Guardian Act 2014 and the Disability Services Act 2006;
o participating in the after-hours on-call roster for health care matters.
• Advocate for Guardianship client's rights and interests to ensure their views, wishes and preferences are elevated and centred in all decision-making activities.
• Work effectively as a team member and support others in a multi-disciplinary team to ensure the successful delivery of structured decision-making activities.
• Provide professional level advice, information and support to the Public Guardian and her delegates, particularly in relation to positive behavior support and restrictive practices.
• Provide mentoring and support to a small team of guardianship staff to ensure they achieve the performance standards expected by the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Liaise with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Registry, including providing written submissions and reports within the legislative framework of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998, the Public Guardian Act 2014, including the General and Health Care Principles and the Disability Services Act 2006 on matters relating to clients of the Office of the Public Guardian, and appear before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal as required.
• Ensure all client-related documentation and guardianship activities are appropriately recorded, accurate and up-to-date, including QCAT reports, Decision reports, Visit reports, Health Care decisions and file running notes. Guardianship activities may include overnight travel to regional areas for up to a week.
• Liaise with community groups, government departments and other agencies involved in providing services to adults with impaired decision making capacity, and make representations on clients' behalf.
• Participate in community education/liaison activities as a representative of the Public Guardian including undertaking public speaking engagements.
• Maintain effective internal and external relationships, demonstrating professional behaviours that achieve positive results for clients.
• Contribute to and maintain a positive and productive workplace culture that focuses on ethics and accountability.
• Use professional experience and expertise to evaluate and interpret behavior support documents from an evidence-based perspective in order to assess their appropriateness to an individual's needs and circumstances.
Mandatory Qualifications, Conditions and Requirements
Possession of a C class drivers' licence is a mandatory requirement for this role, as travel is required to attend meetings, events and visits in a range of locations that are often not accessible by alternative means.
Applications to remain current for 12 months.
Further information
We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.
Please ensure you download all attachments and follow the instructions on how to apply.
This is a Continuous Applicant Pool which will be used to fill temporary contracts when they are available in the Brisbane and Ipswich based offices.
Documents
Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.
