Supported decision-making is an empowering approach to assist individuals with impaired decision-making abilities in actively participating in decisions that affect their lives. 

Our Supported decision-making framework, launched in October 2023, represented a significant change aimed at enhancing the lives of individuals with impaired decision-making abilities.

Accessing the Guidelines:

Please click here to download our Supported Decision-making Guidelines

You may want help from someone who is not a family member or friend. The organisations below can assist you before or during your Tribunal hearing. They can also help you discuss any issues with our services.

Advocacy Tasmania

Advocacy Tasmania can help you with information, support and advice before or at your Tribunal hearing. They may also help you talk to the Public Trustee about any issues and help you decide a way forward.

Call 1800 005 131, text 0457 806 963 or visit www.yoursaytas.org

Speak out Advocacy

Speak Out represent and support adults with a disability. They can attend Tribunal hearings with you, or on your behalf, and can help provide you with information about your matter. They also may help you with any issues related to the Public Trustee.

Call (03) 6231 2344 or visit www.speakoutadvocacy.org

Tasmania Legal Aid

Legal Aid can assist you with free or low-cost legal advice and represent you at Tribunal hearings across the state.

Call their free advice line on 1300 366 611 or go to www.legalaid.tas.gov.au or visit their offices in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.

Community Legal Centres

Community Legal Centres provide free or low-cost legal services. They have offices located in Hobart, Launceston and the North-West.

Hobart Community Legal Centre

Call (03) 6223 2500 or visit www.hobartlegal.org.au

Launceston Community Legal Centre

Call (03) 6334 1577 or visit www.lclc.net.au

North West Community Legal Centre

Call (03) 6424 8720 or visit www.nwclc.org.au

The Association for Children with Disability (Tas) Inc.

The Association for Children with Disability (Tas) Inc. provide information, consultation and training, case coordination and peer support for parents of children with a disability.

Call 1800 244 742 or visit acdtas.com.au

Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region Inc.

Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region Inc. support and represent people with a disability in the Launceston area.

Call (03) 6331 2177 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 4.30pm or visit Contact Citizen Advocacy Launceston Region Inc

Women’s Legal Service Tasmania

Women’s Legal Service Tasmania offers free legal advice to women across Tasmania through their telephone advice line.

Call 1800 682 468 Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm or

visit www.womenslegaltas.org.au

Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service (TALS) offers free legal help to all Aboriginal Tasmanians.

Call 1800 595 162 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm or visit www.tals.net.au

Private legal representation

If you want private representation at a Tribunal hearing, the Law Society of Tasmania can help you with a list of private practitioners.

Call (03) 6234 4133 or email info@lst.org.au to get a copy of the list.

Find Help Tas

Connecting you with local community services. www.findhelptas.org.au

Need crisis help?

• If you or someone else is in immediate danger call 000;
• If you or someone else is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs an urgent assessment, call the Mental Health Helpline on 1800 332 388;
• If you need to talk call –
  • Lifeline: 13 11 14; or
  • Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 or
  • SANE Australia helpline: 1800 18 7263

We want to make sure that decisions about your money matters are based on your wishes and what is important to you, as much as possible. We can’t support your decision if it is illegal or harmful to you or someone else.

When you want to buy or sell something or need more money, we will:

• Talk with you so we understand why this is important to you.
• Give you the information you need, such as if you have enough money.
• Help you think about different ways to get what you want.
• Explain any risks or problems there might be.
• Help you to make it happen once it is decided.
  

This can take time if what you want to do costs a lot of money or if it’s a big decision, such as selling your home. Your family members or other supporters can also help us support you to make your decision, if you want them to.

In many cases a personal budget will be set up for you and you may receive an allowance for personal spending. The allowance will generally be put into your bank account via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) so that you can access the funds directly.

When you need extra money, your CAM will support you to make the decision in a way you can afford.

If you have enough money, your CAM will arrange for you to get the money or pay for the purchase. This can be paid directly into your bank account or to your family member or supporter or we can pay the invoice.

If it is a big decision or it costs a lot, your CAM will help you to work out the best way to make it happen. You may need to save for it by making a payment plan or you and your CAM might see if there are other ways you can get what you want. It can be helpful for you and your CAM to talk with your family members or supporters about your decision.

Your CAM helps you build your skills to look after some or all of your money matters, by helping you to make a budget and supporting you to make decisions about your money. If you are able to, you can go on the Financial Independence Pathway (FIP).

This helps you to take more control of your money matters step by step over time.

The Tribunal will review the Administration Order before it ends. At the review, the Tribunal will check to see that your needs are being met and will decide if you still need our help.

If you (or another interested person) would like to have your order reviewed before that time, or would like to have the Public Trustee removed as your Administrator, you will need to complete a ‘Review of Order’ application with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

You will also need a medical practitioner, psychologist, neuro-psychologist or psychiatrist to complete a Health Care Professional Report to make sure that you are capable of making your own decisions.

Before completing the form, you or your support person/s should contact the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to talk about the process:

Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal

Phone: 1800 657 500
Address: 38 Barrack Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000
Email: guardianship@tascat.tas.gov.au

An Administrator is appointed by the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal).

The the Tribunal will only appoint an administrator when a person is aged 18 years and over and:

• has disability; and
• cannot make reasonable decisions about financial and property matters because of his or her disability; and
• there is no less restrictive way of providing assistance.

The power to act as an Administrator will cease on the death of the person.

If you would like more information in relation to the process of appointing an Administrator and/ or application forms please contact:  

Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal 

Phone: 1800 657 500
Address: 38 Barrack Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000
Email: guardianship@tascat.tas.gov.au

If someone over 18 years old is having difficulty managing their financial affairs due to a disability or impaired decision-making ability, the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) can issue an administration order.

In contrast, an enduring power of attorney is a legal document where an individual appoints another person/ or a statutory trustee company (such as the Public Trustee) to manage their financial affairs if their decision-making ability was impaired or they no longer wanted the responsibility.

The distinct advantage of an enduring power of attorney is that it allows you to choose who will manage your financial affairs. In order to make an enduring power of attorney you need to have the necessary mental capacity to understand the meaning and effect of the document.

The Tribunal will not appoint an administrator if there is a valid enduring power of attorney in place UNLESS the attorney is not acting in the best interests of the person concerned.

The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the Tribunal) makes an order for a period of time (usually three years). The Tribunal will review the order before it ends. At the review, the Tribunal will check to see that your needs are being met and will decide if you still need our help.

If you have any questions, please contact your Client Account Manager.

If you are dissatisfied with the response from your Client Account Manager, please go to see our Feedback and Complaints process

As your Financial Administrator, we may need to collect personal information about you so that we can understand your financial matters in detail.

We will only use the personal information that we collect about you for the purpose of managing your finances. We may need to share some of your information with others (like contractors or agents of the Public Trustee), so that they can provide advice or a service for your benefit.

All of our actions have to follow the laws about privacy to make sure that you are protected and that we can do our job. The Public Trustee is governed by the laws set out in The Personal Information Protection Act 2004, The Public Trustee Act 1930, and The Guardianship and Administration Act 1995.

The Public Trustee has adopted the following standards in communicating with our clients.

RETURNING TELEPHONE CALLS

• When you leave a message we will return your call promptly, but in any event within one working day of receipt of the message
• Voicemail messages will state if the person you are calling is away for more than one working day and will provide an alternative contact number
• We will make every effort to provide you with a response as quickly as possible
• If we are unable to deal with your query we will try to put you in contact with someone who can assist you 

RESPONDING TO LETTERS, EMAIL AND FAX

• We will reply to non-urgent correspondence within 10 working days
• We will contact you to inform you of progress if a final reply is not issued within 10 working days
• We will reply to urgent correspondence where possible on the same day, but in any event within 1 working day
• We will communicate clearly providing you with a response to the matters raised. 

FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT

• We will ensure that our reception and meeting facilities are clean, accessible and maintained to a high standard of comfort and safety
• We will provide you with the maximum level of privacy possible
• We will meet you at the appointed time, or let you know if there are any delays and be helpful and courteous in our dealings with you

YOUR VIEWS ON OUR SERVICE

The Public Trustee places a high level of value on feedback from our clients and also has a formal policy for dealing with any concerns or complaints.

To provide feedback PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS PAGE