Our history
We are proud to have been established on 1 January 1916 to create Wills for Queenslanders departing for the First World War. There have been quite a lot of changes since then, but we have always been an organisation serving the interests of Queenslanders.
Today we operate as a government entity, and our work now includes financial administration, life-planning services, private probate services, deceased estate and trust administration, managing the unclaimed moneys register and other essential services for Queenslanders.
We provide Queenslanders with trusted and expert knowledge, as well as trustworthy, reputable and reliable services and support.
We call ourselves Queensland Public Trustee to encompass our whole organisation and all its work, but formal and legal documentation like court papers and contracts needs to use Public Trustee of Queensland instead, which is the legal entity established under the Public Trustee Act 1978.
Our purpose and vision
Our purpose is to provide trusted financial decision-making advocacy, education and services and empower Queenslanders to plan and prepare for key life events. Our people-focused approach helps us meet the individual needs of our customers with humanity, respect, integrity and diligence.
Our vision is to provide a value-for-money, independent state trustee service dedicated to advancing and safeguarding the rights, interests and wishes of Queenslanders in need of financial management, estate and trust administration and planning support.
Our commitment to putting people first
Social responsibility charter
We are mindful of our responsibilities to our customers and to all Queenslanders. We want to contribute to society by being an organisation that is:
- trusted
- transparent
- customer and people focused.
We have a social responsibility charter that guides how we:
- operate
- communicate
- interact with everyone.
Every team member of Queensland Public Trustee works to this charter. Helping us to deliver the most ethical and reliable services to the community.
Customers First Strategy
We have a Customers First Strategy, which helps us commit to being:
- sustainable
- modern
- customer-centric.
This strategy ensures that our customers are the focus of all our processes and decisions. Through it we set an expectation on ourselves and explore how we will learn and improve as an organisation. This will ensure that our actions:
- align to customer support and access
- reflect our core values.
Our core values form a promise to our customers, our people and our community.
- Customers first
- Leadership
- Integrity
- Financially responsible
- Care for community
- Engagement
We provide many office locations across Queensland to allow us to work with all our customers, the community, and our partners.
Our goal is to advance and safeguard the rights, interests and wishes of Queenslanders by providing trusted and valued services.
For more information see our:
Structured decision-making framework
Developed with La Trobe University
To support our customer first strategy, we've committed to having policy and processes to ensure we keep our customers front and centre in everything we do.
Working with La Trobe University, we developed a framework that is now part of our everyday practice.
Our framework supports stronger customer engagement through clearer decision making. Decisions that are founded in the views, wishes and preferences of customers and in consultation with their support networks.
We've based our framework on The La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework Learning Resource. This is a leading guide when working with people with disabilities.
How we use our framework
We show commitment to the:
- person and their rights
- process, such as steps, principles and strategies.
We coordinate with the:
- support network
- past and current records.
We reflect and review:
- Queensland Public Trustee’s policy and procedures
- the customer’s budget
- how to overcome individual bias and approach.
Our 7 steps to meaningful engagement
We've committed to engage meaningfully with our customers and their support networks to make appropriate decisions. We do this by following 7 steps.
- Knowing the person.
- Identifying the needs for a decision and describing the need.
- Obtaining the customer’s views, wishes and preferences.
- Identifying the priorities and constraints and engaging with the support networks.
- Undertaking a structured process.
- Reaching the decision and associated decisions.
- Actioning and evidencing the decision.
Evaluation of our structured-decision making framework
In November 2021, La Trobe University’s Living with Disability Research Centre conducted research, on behalf of the Queensland Public Trustee. La Trobe evaluated the introduction of the structured decision-making framework into the practices of Queensland Public Trustee.
Reference
Bigby, C., Douglas, J., & Vassallo, S. (2019). The La Trobe Support for Decision Making Practice Framework. An online learning resource, accessed 01 August 2024.
Support for our core services
Raising awareness of elder abuse
Queensland Public Trustee works with government agencies and organisations to help raise awareness of elder abuse. It is vital that, as a community, we value and protect the rights of ageing Queenslanders.
For tips and what to do if you suspect elder abuse, read our useful information Fact sheet: Elder abuse - Help is available [PDF 334 KB].
Queensland Public Trustee Investments
Queensland Public Trustee is committed to being transparent about how it invests customer funds, and the associated fees and costs of investments.
Most of the funds held on behalf of our customers, including financial management, minors trusts and enduring power of attorney matters, are administered in accordance with our Customer Investment Strategy as part of our Prudent Person Policy Framework [PDF 149 KB].
Under our strategy, we invest customers' funds into our Common Fund and Public Trustee Investment Trusts.
Find out more about how we invest and access our product information statements.
Office of the Customer Advocate
In a national first for a state trustee, we have established an Office of the Customer Advocate. It is an important initiative to increase our transparency and accountability so that we can build trust and confidence in our services.
The team are focused on advocacy and ensuring the delivery of outcomes for our customers that are fair and align with community expectations. The Office also works with other organisations and industry as well as doing ongoing reviews of our services, policies and processes to help us strive for continuous improvement.
The Office of the Customer Advocate also provides a customer support service for customers with exceptional circumstances or those that require specialist support that cannot be managed through our usual services and processes.
Learn more about the Customer Advocate.
The Official Solicitor
The Official Solicitor is an important role recognised in the Public Trustee Act 1978.
Find out more about the Official Solicitor.