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Public Advocate

About the Office of the Public Advocate

The Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) is an independent statutory agency that promotes the interests, rights and dignity of Victorians with a disability.

OPA provides advocacy, advice, information and services for individuals, their families and those who work with them. It can investigate and take action when people are exploited, neglected, abused or in need of guardianship.

Please see OPA’s website for a full understanding of its work and access to its publications.

What the Office of the Public Advocate does

The OPA offers:

• advocacy for individuals who have a disability where there are serious infringements of their rights and where OPA is able to provide such advocacy in accordance with its guidelines
• independent guardianship, under orders of the Guardianship List of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
• the Independent Third Person program, which provides support to people with disability in police interviews
• the Community Visitors program, monitoring residential services
• community education, including speakers and publications
• the Telephone Advice Service.

The OPA Telephone Advice Service provides information and assistance with:

• complaints about services or treatment
• guardianship and administration
• medical and financial enduring powers of attorney
• enduring power of guardianship
• issues around consent to medical treatment
• applications to the Guardianship List of VCAT.