Principal Guardian

Queensland Government; Rockhampton Regional; On-site; AUD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Queensland Government, Office of the Public Guardian, seeks a Principal Guardian to conduct complex decision making and advocacy for adults with impaired capacity. You will lead guardianship activities, mentor staff, and coordinate with stakeholders to uphold rights and dignity in decision making.

Travel to regional locations is required; a C class driver’s licence is mandatory, and applications remain current for 12 months. This is a full-time role based in Queensland.

Qualifications

• Experience in complex decision making for adults with impaired capacity.
• Ability to mentor guardianship staff and support performance.
• Ability to liaise with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Undertake structured decision making in complex/conflicted situations adhering to organisational policies and legislative frameworks.
• Participate in health care decision making including working weekends and public holidays as required.
• Provide mentoring and support to a small team of guardianship staff to ensure performance standards are met.
• Ensure all client-related documentation and guardianship activities are recorded accurately, including reports and notes.
• Provide professional level advice and support to the Public Guardian and delegates on behaviours support and restrictive practices.
• Liaise with stakeholders including community groups and government departments involved with adults with impaired decision-making capacity.
• Participate in community education/liaison activities as a representative of the Public Guardian, including public speaking.
• Use professional experience to evaluate and interpret behaviours support documents from a human rights perspective.

Skills

Structured decision making

Team mentoring

Stakeholder liaison

Job description

The Principal Guardian conducts complex and sensitive structured personal and health care decision making and advocacy for adults with impaired capacity where the Public Guardian acts as appointed guardian or attorney or as statutory health attorney of last resort. Principal Guardians ensure a client's rights, interests, views, wishes and preferences are elevated and centred in all decision making and advocacy activities.

Our workplace

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is an independent statutory office established to protect the rights and interests of adults with impaired decision making capacity, and children and young people in the child protection system and other visitable sites.

Join us as we protect, support, advocate, educate and empower, to build a Queensland where our most vulnerable community members can live with dignity.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Undertake structured decision making in complex/conflicted situations adhering to organisational policies, practice directions and organisational and legislative frameworks.
• Participate in health care decision making including working weekends and public holidays as required.
• Provide mentoring and support to a small team of guardianship staff to ensure they achieve the performance standards expected by the Office of the Public Guardian.
• Ensuring all client-related documentation and guardianship activities are appropriately recorded, accurate and up-to-date, including Guardianship reports, decision reports, visit reports, health care decisions and file running notes.
• Provide professional level advice, information and support to the Public Guardian and their delegates, particularly in relation to positive behaviours support and restrictive practices.
• Liaise with and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders including community groups, government departments and other agencies involved in providing services to adults with impaired decision-making capacity.
• Participate in community education/ liaison activities as a representative of the Public Guardian including undertaking public speaking engagements.
• Use professional experience and expertise to evaluate and interpret behaviours support documents from an evidence based and human rights perspective

Qualifications And Conditions

Possession of a C class driver's licence is a mandatory requirement for this role, as travel is required to attend meetings, events and visits in a range of locations that are often not accessible by alternative means. Guardianship activities may include overnight travel to regional areas for up to a week.

Applications to remain current for 12 months.

Job Ad Reference: QLD/706995/26

Closing Date: Wednesday, 2nd December 2026

Occupational group

Community Care