Community Guardians
About this page
Community guardians are volunteers appointed by the Public Advocate to act as independent guardians for Victorians with a disability.
When a person with a disability can not make decisions for themselves, a community guardian assists that person to make reasonable personal and lifestyle decisions.
Community guardians can make decisions about matters such as health care, accommodation and employment. Their core responsibility is to ensure that they act in the best interests of the person they represent.
Community Guardians have official authority; delegated under the Guardianship and Administration Act 1986, to make decisions for the person they represent (the represented person).
When a person is unable to make decisions for themselves, a guardian is appointed for them. A guardian is someone appointed by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) to make person and lifestyle decisions for an adult with a disability, where that disability prevents them from making reasonable decisions for themselves.
Wherever possible, VCAT appoints a relative or close friend as guardian. However, this is not always possible, and in certain cases, VCAT may appoint the Public Advocate as guardian.
The Public Advocate may then delegate the power of guardianship to a volunteer community guardian.
What exactly do Community Guardians do?
A community guardian essentially tries to ‘stand in the shoes’ of the represented person, and is required to act in their best interests when making decisions for them.
A guardian must try to act in a way that:
- promotes the best interests of the person
- least restricts the person’s freedom
- takes into account the wishes of the person and, where possible, puts them into effect.