Principal Guardian

Role Overview

The Principal Guardian manages complex, sensitive decisions and advocacy related to personal and health care for adults with impaired capacity. This involves acting as guardian or attorney, ensuring that clients' rights, views, wishes, and preferences are prioritized throughout all decision-making and advocacy processes.

About the Office of the Public Guardian

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an independent statutory body committed to safeguarding the rights and interests of adults who lack decision-making capacity, as well as children and young people involved in the child protection system. The OPG’s mission is to protect, support, advocate, educate, and empower vulnerable community members in Queensland to live with dignity.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out structured decision-making in complex or conflicting cases in compliance with relevant policies, practice directions, and legal frameworks.
• Engage in healthcare decision-making, including work on weekends and public holidays as needed.
• Mentor and support a small team of guardianship staff to maintain high performance standards required by the office.
• Ensure accurate and current documentation of all client-related guardianship activities, such as guardianship reports, decision logs, visit records, healthcare decisions, and notes.
• Provide expert advice and support to the Public Guardian and delegates, especially concerning positive behavior support and the use of restrictive practices.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders, community groups, government departments, and external agencies serving adults with impaired decision-making capacity.
• Represent the Public Guardian in community education and liaison activities, including public speaking engagements.
• Apply professional experience to assess behavior support documents from both evidence-based and human rights perspectives.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Tertiary qualifications in law are highly preferred.
• Experience in criminal justice, domestic and family violence, or child protection sectors is desirable.
• Possession of a C class driver's licence is mandatory due to frequent travel obligations, including visits dispersed across locations typically inaccessible by other means.
• Willingness to undertake overnight regional travel for up to a week.
• Applications remain valid for 12 months.