How we conduct visits

We are legally able to visit:

• authorised mental health facilities providing in-patient services
• hostels registered as ‘level-three’ supported accommodation facilities
• places where an adult with an intellectual impairment, mental illness or impaired capacity lives and is supported by Disability Services Queensland or a paid service provider.

Timing of visits

We make visits regularly between 8am and 6pm seven days a week. We may visit sites fortnightly, monthly, or every two or four months. Timing of our visits is based on how vulnerable the residents or patients are and whether there is a potential risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. We generally visit sites without an appointment to ensure we witness the typical daily situation at the residents’ accommodation facility.

What we do during visits

When we visits sites, we: 

• notify staff upon arrival
• discuss with residents or their representatives any inquiries about matters relevant to the visitors’ functions
• clarify wherever it is reasonable and practical to do so, any issues arising from inquiries
• resolve complaints by or for a resident
• report to staff when leaving the site

Reports

After we complete a visit we then prepare reports. We:

• write a visit report that includes inquiries or complaints
• submit the report to the Community Visitor Program within seven business days
• the report is then processed and forwarded to the nominated manager in charge of the care facility within three business days.