What is the role of the Council?

The major role of the Council of Official Visitors is to provide an independent advocacy service for individuals who are currently being treated under the Mental Health Act 1996 and/or who are living in licensed private psychiatric hostels.The Council is primarily there to ensure that:

• individuals are aware of their rights;
• these rights are being observed; and to
• investigate and seek to resolve complaints.

The Mental Health Act 1996 lists a number of functions to be carried out by the Council of Official Visitors which include ensuring that:

• each authorised hospital is visited at least once in each month by an official visitor or panel;
• at any time the Minister (for Mental Health) so directs, licensed private psychiatric hostels are visited. (The Minister for Mental Health has directed that they are visited at least once every two months); and
• individuals are visited as soon as practicable after a visit is requested.