Are you the guardian for someone you love? The Guardian Support Unit is here to help
Written by Rachel Zarb
Being appointed a guardian for a person you care about brings with it rewards and challenges.
The role of a guardian is different to that of a carer, friend or relative. Guardianship is a legal appointment to make health and lifestyle decisions on behalf of another person.
Making the best possible decisions for the person you represent can take a lot of time, effort and thought. Even with support from family or friends, the role can be isolating.
The Guardian Support Unit within the Public Guardian is here to support you. Here are some of the ways we can help.
Applying for guardianship
If you’re not a guardian but you have genuine concerns for the welfare of a person in your life, you might be thinking about applying for a guardian for them.
We can talk with you about when guardianship is needed and what to consider before applying. Guardianship can be restrictive for a person and simpler solutions should be tried before an application for guardianship is made.
Things to consider include:
- Can the person be supported to make their own decisions?
- Is there a need for advocacy?
- Can conflict be resolved?
- If it is a medical or dental consent decision, is there a person responsible identified?
- Are there already arrangements in place, such as an enduring guardianship appointment or advance care directive?
If all these options have been considered and a problem remains, there may be a need for a guardian to be appointed for a limited time.
Applications for guardianship are made to the Guardianship Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT). We can talk with you about how NCAT makes the decision to appoint a guardian, and what will be required from you if NCAT decide to hold a guardianship hearing.
Supporting you to manage issues with service providers
Are you having trouble getting the information you are requesting from a service provider or implementing a decision?
The Guardian Support Unit can suggest practical strategies to try resolve the issue, such as speaking with a senior member of staff or requesting access to organisational policies.
If you continue to experience issues, you can refer the service provider to us, and we can provide information to assist.
Where informal strategies aren’t effective, we can also talk to you about submitting a formal complaint, such as what to include and what you should be able to expect from the complaints process.
Acting as a sounding board for decision-making
We understand that the decisions guardians make can be complex and have significant implications for the person they represent.
If you need to make a decision for the person you represent and just want to chat it through, we will listen. You can talk to us about the decision you need to make and any concerns that you have, and we will offer information and support to help you understand your legal role.
Definitions
- person responsible
A person who can help decide what medical and dental treatment you receive if you can’t make those decisions yourself.
- consent
Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.
- Tribunal
A legal forum to make and review decisions and settle conflicts. Tribunals are like courts but are usually more specialised and less formal.
Contact the Guardian Support Unit
Contact the Guardian Support Unit on 1300 361 389 or pg.engagement@opg.nsw.gov.au.
Email us to subscribe to OnGuard, a regular newsletter for guardians by the NSW Public Guardian.