Decision Support Service Panels

The Decision Support Service uses three panels to help us perform our functions. This section tells you about our panel members and their role in helping us.

We maintain three panels to support the delivery of a number of our key functions.

These functions include supported decision-making, supervision and investigating complaints. We currently have panels for:

  • Decision-making representatives
  • General visitors
  • Special visitors

The panel for court friends has not yet been established.

You can find out more about all of these panels below.

Decision-making representative panel

We maintain a panel of suitable persons, who can act as decision-making representatives. These panel members may be appointed by the court to make certain decisions on behalf of a person when there is no other suitable person willing and able to do so.

Read more about Decision-making representative panel

General visitors panel

We maintain a panel of general visitors. General visitors assist us in our functions to review objections, supervise decision supporters and investigate complaints.

Read more about General visitors panel

Special visitors panel

We maintain a panel of special visitors. Special visitors have particular expertise in assessing capacity. They assist us in our functions to review objections, supervise decision supporters, investigate complaints, and bring applications to court about a person’s capacity to make certain decisions.

Read more about Special visitors panel