Office of the Public Advocate
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Residential aged care restraint regulations announced
The Public Advocate welcomes the announcement that the federal government will regulate the use of physical and chemical restraints in residential aged care. The Public Advocate continues to advocate for all types of restraint to be regulated so that residents are protected from the inappropriate use of restraints. Read more...
Restrictive practices in aged care
Older Australians are at risk of serious harm because the use of restrictive practices in residential aged care is not regulated in Australia. The Public Advocate released a paper that explores the law about the use of restrictive practices in residential aged care Read more...
Call for greater transparency in the Queensland mental health system
The Public Advocate has urged the state government to look into the practices of the Mental Health Review Tribunal and the broader Queensland mental health system to better protect involuntary mental health patients. Read more...
Registrations are open for 2019 AGAC conference
Registrations are open for the Australian Guardianship and Administration Council (AGAC) national conference in March 2019 in Canberra. The conference theme is 'Upholding rights, preventing abuse and promoting autonomy'. Read more...
The illusion of 'choice and control'
People with complex and challenging support needs are not receiving adequate supports under the NDIS. A new report by Victoria's Public Advocate examines people's experiences and makes recommendations for urgent reform. Read more...
Deaths of people with disability in care
The Public Advocate’s report Upholding the right to life and health: A review of the deaths in care of people with disability in Queensland examined 73 deaths of people with intellectual disability in care. It found many of the people in the study had complex health needs that were not appropriately managed, resulting in more than half of the deaths being classified as avoidable. The Department of Premier and Cabinet is developing an implementation plan to address the issues raised in the report. Read more...
The Public Advocate is an independent statutory role established to undertake systems advocacy to protect and promote the rights, autonomy and participation of people with impaired decision-making capacity. Systems advocacy focuses on influencing and changing systems, including legislative, policy and practice aspects of systems. We do this to achieve long-term change to improve the lives and opportunities of people with impaired decision-making capacity. Read more.
About the Public Advocate
Systems advocacy