What is a Community Visitor?

A Community Visitor is a trained volunteer who visits a range of disability residential services, supported residential services and mental health facilities to identify, monitor and resolve issues. Community Visitors play a key role in protecting the rights and interests of people with a disability. They report on whether the service they visit meets community expectations and agreed standards. Each year Community Visitors make over 6,000 visits.

What does a Community Visitor do?

Community Visitors, working in pairs, make regular, unannounced visits to disability residential services and mental health facilities. They identify issues of concern from the perspective of the patient/resident. They:

• observe the quality of services and care provided to residents/patients
• talk with residents/patients and staff to identify problems
• assess the ability of residents/patients to participate in community life
• assess whether residents/patients are at risk from their living environment
• assess the treatment being given to residents/patients to ensure their dignity and respect is maintained
• follow up on complaints raised by residents/patients.

Who can become a Community Visitor?

Community Visitors comes from all walks of life. Community Visitors are people with good listening and observations skills who are not afraid to speak up.

Become a Community Visitor

Complete our online form to receive an information pack with forms to become a Community Visitor.

Find out more

View brochures on community visitors