Welcome to Welfare Guardians Wellington

The information on this page will be useful to:

• Anyone considering applying to be a volunteer Welfare Guardian
• People and organisations wishing to request a volunteer Welfare Guardian

Please note that Court-appointed Welfare Guardians have NO right to make any decisions about the property and assets of the subject person. These decisions can only be made by a Court appointed Property Manager. Volunteer Welfare Guardians are only appointed as Property Managers in exceptional circumstances as this work is invariably undertaken by professional business organisations such as the Public Trust.

Who are we?

The Trust is a charitable trust established to provide recruit, approve and train suitable volunteers to apply to be Court-appointed Welfare Guardians for people who are unable to make, or communicate, decisions for themselves. Once appointed the Trust provides on-going support for the volunteers.

The Trust consists of a Board who bring various fields of expertise and experience to ensure the Trusts aims are met. The current Trustees have expertise in social work, aged care representation, family court processes and health and disability issues.

Approved volunteers are needed when the subject person lacks any suitable local relatives willing to apply to become their Welfare Guardian.

Once appointed by the Family Court the Welfare Guardian is the only person legally able to make decisions about the day-to-day care and welfare of their Subject Person. These may include decisions about non-urgent medical treatments, accommodation and any day-to-day matters that the person would normally make for themselves but, who the Court have ruled, lack the capacity to do so.

What does the Trust do?

• The Trust recruits, approves, trains and supports suitable volunteer Welfare Guardians.
• The Trust Co-ordinator receives requests for volunteers from a range of people including lawyers; rest home managers and family members who live outside the local area or are unable/unwilling to act as a Welfare Guardian themselves.
• The Coordinator matches the needs of the subject person to a suitable volunteer and supports the volunteer to apply to the Court for an Order appointing them the Welfare Guardian.

We were delighted to be nominated and named as a finalist for our work in the recent Wellington Airport Regional Awards!

How do I apply to become a volunteer Welfare Guardian?

We are actively seeking volunteers particularly in the Hutt Valley, so please get in contact if you can assist.

1. Read the information in The Role of a Welfare Guardian.
2. Complete an Application Form and return to: Welfare Guardians Wellington, and email the Application to: the Wellington Welfare Guardianship Trust.
3. You will be required to consent to a Police check, and to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.
4. Once your referees have been contacted you will be invited to an interview and subsequently advised if you have been approved.

What happens next?

When you have been approved the Trust will contact you with details of the next training sessions.

When you have completed the training your name will be added to the Trust's list of available volunteer Welfare Guardians.

You will be contacted by the Coordinator when an appropriate request has been made to the Trust.

How do I request a volunteer Welfare Guardian?

• Complete the WWGT Guardianship Referral Form form.
• A registered medical practitioner form should accompany this request Medical Practitioner Report.pdf.
• Return both to: by email to wwgtrust@gmail.com

Newsletters and Publications

• 2017 Newsletter December 2017
• 2018 Newsletter August 2018
• 2019 Newsletter November 2019
• 2020 Newsletter November 2020
• 2021 Newsletter November 2021

"This is not my home" 2018 publication by the HRC

NZ Doctor publication NZ Doctor This is not my home article

Newspaper and other articles of Interest around decision making capacity

• Aged Care NZ Sep 2022
• Illegal EPOA story (1)
• Article Spectrum Care
• NZ Doc 2022
• Listener AGed Care

What if I have further questions?

• FAQ

Wellington WG Trust FAQ document

If you would like further information about the Welfare Guardians Wellington trust,or have any questions about becoming a volunteer or how to request a volunteer, contact the Coordinator at:

email: wwgtrust@gmail.com