Community visitor

Community visitors (CVs) are independent officers employed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to visit children and young people in care to promote and protect their rights, interests and wellbeing.

The role and responsibilities of a CV are defined by the Public Guardian Act 2014, but essentially they make sure that a child or young person has a voice in all the decisions that are being made about them, and that their human rights are being protected. They do this by:

• listening to any concerns or grievances the child or young person has, and working with the child or young person to resolve them
• seeking information about appropriate support services and making sure the child or young person can access them
• making sure the child or young person has access to information about their rights, and reporting on whether this information is adequate
• inquiring after, and reporting on, the child or young person’s physical and emotional wellbeing.

A CV is also required to inspect your home environment and report on whether it is appropriate for the child or young person in your care, and to make sure that as a carer you are meeting the child or young person’s needs.

Initial and ongoing visits

A child or young person will receive a visit from a CV when they first enter your care, and after this a visiting schedule is set up. This schedule will vary depending on the child or young person's needs, with priority given to the most vulnerable—this includes children under 6 and children or young people with physical or intellectual disabilities. If a child or young person is in your care on a longer-term basis and is well settled, there may be no need for any scheduled visits.

However a child or young person is able to request a visit at any time outside of a scheduled visit. If a child or young person in your care makes this request you should contact the OPG so this can be arranged.

A CV will almost always come to your home to visit the child or young person. They do appreciate, however, that you live busy lives, so will always consult with you before arranging a visit. All CVs carry identification, and will ask for your consent before entering your home. They will also always act respectfully to you and anyone else living in your home.

What to expect

You should be aware that under the Public Guardian Act 2014, CVs have the authorisation to ask to speak to the child or young person alone, so if they ask to do this you must allow it. Additionally, if the child or young person communicates that they don’t want to speak to or engage with the CV, the CV must respect this decision.

As a carer, please be mindful that a CV needs to focus their attention on the child or young person at a visit. If you do need to talk to the CV there may be time for you to do so briefly during the visit, or alternatively you can ask the CV if you can discuss the issue later by phone.

For more information about Community visitors, call the Office of the Public Guardian on 1800 661 533 or (07) 3225 8325.