Safeguarding adults with services and support

The Personal Advocacy and Safeguarding Adult Trust promotes and protects human rights, health, wellbeing and culture, and prevents or reduces harm, abuse and neglect.

PASAT plays a significant role in helping to prevent issues and concerns from arising.

The Personal Advocacy and Safeguarding Adult Trust (PASAT) was established in 1967 by a group of concerned parents in the era of de-institutionalisation.

These parents wanted to ensure that after their death there would be someone who would continue to have oversight for the care and wellbeing of their adult children.

This was achieved through the creation of a membership and enrolment scheme, and the appointment of a Personal Advocate to provide advocacy support for the lifetime of the member.

The Trust’s mission has been to advocate, support, and encourage independence.

More than 55 years later, PASAT continues to provide lifelong advocacy across the country to members, the majority of which were enrolled decades ago. 

These long support and advocacy relationships foster the development of trust and understanding, and play a significant role in helping to prevent issues and concerns from arising.

PASAT has also substantially grown and expanded our mission and service.

PASAT now offers a wide range of safeguarding supports for adults with care and support needs in New Zealand. 

Safeguarding is a broad term that includes all activities and responses that promote and protect human rights, health, wellbeing and culture, and that prevent or reduce harm, abuse and neglect.

PASAT is the only independent national organisation that delivers services across this entire safeguarding continuum.

We are grateful for the generous support of philanthropic funders who enable PASAT to tailor a range of long and short-term services either free of charge or on a modest fee for service basis.

PASAT has a small team of Advocates, Safeguarding Adults Coordinators and Wellbeing Assessors nationwide. 

PASAT can receive referrals for anyone aged 18 and older  in New Zealand that has care and support needs.

The majority of people we work alongside, and for, are from the learning disability, cognitive impairment or neurodiverse community.

The services that PASAT offer include:
• Education and training
• Lifelong advocacy
• Short term advocacy on a fee for service basis, or free of charge
• Independent support for decision making, including in relation to receiving the Covid-19 vaccination
• Literacy and Wellbeing support for survivors of abuse engaging with the Royal Commission of Inquiry in to Abuse in State Care
• Administration of Discretionary Trusts
• Safeguarding Adults from Abuse (SAFA) Coordination.

To learn more about PASAT and the work it does, visit www.PASAT.org.nz, contact an Advocate, or call 0800 728 7878.

This article was written by Erika Butters, Advocacy National Director at PASAT.

This article was originally published in the May-Aug 2022 edition of The Review magazine.

For more information:
Melanie Louden
Communications Manager
melanie@cpsociety.org.nz
Mobile: 022 087 8191