The Tasmanian Senior Practitioner
The Senior Practitioner is a role established by the Disability Rights, Inclusion and Safeguarding Act 2024 (the Act).
The Senior Practitioner has an important role in protecting and promoting the human rights of people with disability and authorises and oversees the implementation of restrictive practices in Tasmania.
The Senior Practitioner leads practice consultants and policy officers in the Office of the Senior Practitioner who are experts in restrictive practices and behaviour support and who assist the Senior Practitioner to perform their functions.
About the Senior Practitioner
The Senior Practitioner is a senior Tasmanian State Service employee and Allied Health Professional appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Premier and Cabinet. They are a senior leader who has appropriate qualifications and experience to perform the functions and exercise the powers of the Senior Practitioner as set out in the Act. The Senior Practitioner for Tasmania is Marita O’Connell.
An important part of the role of the Senior Practitioner is to promote the reduction and elimination of the use of restrictive practices by disability services providers to the greatest extent possible.
The Senior Practitioner, with assistance from staff in the Office of the Senior Practitioner:
- authorises, oversees and reports on the use of restrictive practices by disability services providers in accordance with the Act
- ensures the rights of people who may be subject to restrictive practices are protected to the greatest extent possible
- ensures disability services providers comply with any applicable guidelines and standards on the use of restrictive practices.
The Senior Practitioner has offices in all three regions of Tasmania.
From 1 July 2025, this webpage will be continuously updated as further information including fact sheets, guidelines and application forms relating to the Act become available.
Application forms
- Application for Approval of an Appointed Program Officer
- Application for Authorisation to use a Restrictive Practice
- Application to Amend a current Authorisation to use a Restrictive Practice
- Offline Preparation Form: Application for Approval of an APO
- Offline Preparation Form: Application for Authorisation to use a Restrictive Practice
Resources
We are producing additional resources to communicate key messages about the Act and the role of the Senior Practitioner in Easy Read and other accessible formats. These will be added to this website soon.
Easy Read fact sheets
- Appointed Program Officer - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 4.8MB
- Authorisation of Restrictive Practices - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 3.6MB
- Independent Persons - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 6.6MB
- Prohibited Practices - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 6.1MB
- Restrictive Practices: Information for Providers - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 11.7MB
- Restrictive Practices - What has Changed - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 10.4MB
- What is the Senior Practitioner - Easy Read Fact Sheet Word 16.5MB
Fact sheets
- Appointed Program Officer Fact Sheet Word 252.6KB
- Authorisation of Restrictive Practices Fact Sheet Word 253.8KB
- Chemical Restraint Fact Sheet Word 391.3KB
- Independent Person Fact Sheet Word 250.0KB
- Prohibited Practices Fact Sheet Word 252.4KB
- Restrictive Practices: Information for Providers Fact Sheet Word 256.1KB
- Restrictive Practices - What has Changed - Overview - Fact Sheet Word 256.2KB
- Restrictive Practices - What has Changed for People with Disability - Fact Sheet Word 388.1KB
- Restrictive Practices – What has Changed for Providers - Fact Sheet Word 256.4KB
- Senior Practitioner Fact Sheet Word 249.7KB
- Restrictive Practices and Safe Transportation Fact Sheet
Guidelines
- Appointed Program Officer Guideline Word 379.6KB
- Restrictive Practices Guideline Word 332.3KB
- Guidance - Provider Reporting Requirements
Other resources
- Booklet - Restrictive Practices Around the Home PDF 540.1KB
- Process Map - Restricted Practice Authorisation PDF 169.5KB
- Process Map - Appointed Program Officer PDF 171.7KB
- Process Map - Independent Persons PDF 171.2KB
- Guidance Note - Application for Authorisation to use a Restrictive Practice PDF 731.0KB
- Australian States and Territories Restrictive Practices Authorisation Frameworks PDF 428.1KB
- August 2025 Newsletter Word 388.4KB
- September 2025 Newsletter Word 406.4KB
Annual reports
Contact
For more information on the use of restrictive practices or the Office of the Senior Practitioner, please contact us by:
- Email: seniorpractitioner@dpac.tas.gov.au
- Phone: 6166 9199
Disability Services Act 2011 resources
For information previously available on this website, select the drop-down menu below.