Closing the gaps: Community Visitor Schemes and disability safeguards in Australia

Independent oversight is often the last line of defence for people with disability living in group homes or other closed settings. Across Australia, Community Visitor Schemes (CVS) play that role – quietly stepping into places most of us never see, speaking with residents, and raising red flags before abuse or neglect takes hold. But with schemes operating unevenly across states and territories, and some regions lacking them altogether, the safeguards depend on where you live.

A patchwork of oversight

Community Visitor Schemes (CVS) operate in most Australian states and territories, but their powers and coverage vary greatly. At present, six jurisdictions have disability CVS in place. Western Australia and Tasmania do not, leaving significant oversight gaps.

Here is how the schemes differ:

• Victoria: Managed by the Office of the Public Advocate. Volunteer community visitors can enter group homes, psychiatric units and supported residential services without notice. They speak privately with residents, check records, and report systemic concerns to Parliament.
  
• New South Wales: Official Community Visitors are appointed under the Ageing and Disability Commission. They inspect supported accommodation, residential care, and boarding houses, with powers to enter unannounced, examine records, and raise issues with regulators.
  
• Queensland: The most comprehensive scheme, run by the Office of the Public Guardian. Visitors monitor group homes, mental health facilities, forensic disability services and child protection placements. They can arrive without notice, require staff cooperation, and escalate serious concerns.
  
• South Australia: Volunteer community visitors report to a Principal Community Visitor, who advises both the Health Minister and Human Services Minister. They monitor state-run disability services and psychiatric facilities, advocating for improvements.
  
• Australian Capital Territory: Official Visitors are appointed under the Disability Services Act. They inspect disability accommodation and report issues to the Minister and Director-General.
  
• Northern Territory: The Community Visitor Program operates within the Anti-Discrimination Commission, visiting mental health facilities and a small number of forensic disability settings. There is no routine visiting for general disability services.
  
• Western Australia and Tasmania: Neither has a dedicated disability CVS. Oversight relies on complaint processes and advocacy services, leaving group homes without proactive independent visitors.

The result is a fragmented system. In some states, residents in supported accommodation are regularly visited by independent monitors. In others, no such safeguard exists.

What the Royal Commission said

The Disability Royal Commission identified this inconsistency as a major risk. In its Final Report, it recommended that all governments act urgently to create nationally consistent community visitor schemes.

Recommendations called for:

• Establishing disability CVS in states and territories that do not have them.
• Adequate resourcing to allow frequent, unannounced visits, especially for people at higher risk.
  Agreement on standard features – such as powers of entry, access to records, and data collection.
• Clear definitions of “visitable services” and mechanisms to identify at-risk settings.
• Stronger information sharing with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

The Commission stressed that community visitors are often the only independent people entering closed settings, making them vital for preventing abuse and neglect.

What advocates are saying

Disability advocacy groups strongly support strengthening CVS.

People With Disability Australia (PWDA) described them as “an essential safeguard for people with disability”, but warned that they must be well-resourced and empowered to prevent harm. PWDA highlighted overwhelming community support, with 97 per cent of surveyed members in favour of well-funded visitor schemes operating under consistent rules nationwide.

PWDA also stressed that visits should be truly unannounced:
“It is crucial that visits are unannounced – unfortunately, we have heard that this is not always the case”.

Experts have also pointed out that CVS often detect early warning signs – deteriorating conditions, resident distress, unsafe staffing – before they escalate. This preventative role sets them apart from complaint mechanisms that act only after harm occurs.

Looking ahead

The absence of schemes in Western Australia and Tasmania remains a major concern. Advocates in both states argue that relying solely on complaint hotlines or provider self-reporting is inadequate. Independent “eyes and ears” are needed to safeguard residents.

In response to the Royal Commission, the Commonwealth has already committed funds to begin working with states and territories on a more consistent approach. A federal public consultation is now open to help shape the future of community visitor schemes.

Have your say here:
? Community Visitor Schemes Public Consultation

The consultation closes 12 September 2025.

Why it matters

For many people with disability, particularly those in supported accommodation, community visitors are the difference between safety and silence. A nationally consistent scheme would ensure that no matter where you live, someone independent is checking in to protect your rights.

As one advocate put it: “These schemes have to be more than tokenistic. They need teeth and they need reach – across every state and territory.”