Key agencies

These are the roles of the key response agencies in dealing with abuse, neglect and exploitation.

  • Queensland Police Service: The primary law enforcement agency for Queensland.
  • Community Visitor Program: Safeguards the interests of adults with impaired capacity in some residential or respite facilities. Community visitors regularly visit facilities to make inquiries about the adequacy and standard of services and resolve complaints..
  • Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services Central Complaints and Review Unit (CCRU): Provides a system for resolving complaints and concerns about any service that the department funds or provides.
  • The Office of the Public Guardian: An independent statutory officer, the Public Guardian has discretion to conduct an investigation into allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of an adult with impaired capacity.
  • The Public Trustee: The Public Trustee can be appointed by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal to administer and make financial and legal decisions on behalf of adults who, due to an impairment, are unable to administer their financial and legal affairs themselves.
  • National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline: An Australia-wide telephone referral service that accepts reports of abuse and neglect of people with a disability using funded services.
  • The Queensland Ombudsman: Investigates and, if required, makes recommendations to public agencies to correct decisions and resolve complaints about the actions and decisions of state and local government agencies (and staff).
  • Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC): Investigates complaints of serious and systemic corruption in the public sector made by members of the public or by official sources. (The CCC does not have jurisdiction over non-government service providers.)
  • The Public Advocate: Identifies situations of abuse, exploitation or neglect of people with impaired capacity due to shortcomings in the systems or facilities of a service provider, and reports findings to State Parliament.
  • Queensland Human Rights Commission: An independent statutory body which resolves discrimination and human rights complaints, delivers training to business, government and the community on discrimination and human rights, and promotes public discussion on human rights.