TOO MUCH ACCESS - THE CASE FOR INTERMEDIATE OPTIONS TO GUARDIANSHIP

Guardianship bodies appoint substitute decision makers for adults who cannot make their own decisions, and have a current 'need' which canno t be met by less restrictive options. These bodies are cheap, accessib le and user-friendly, leading to large numbers of applications. Less r estrictive options to guardians and managers included identifying a pe rson to provide substitute medical consent service planning mechanisms , advocacy and 'informal arrangements. We argue that an effective guar dianship system requires a systematic series of 'filters' providing a sequence of intermediate interventions. Without these filters, guardia nship, the opportunity for one person to exercise the civil rights of another, can too easily become a first option. This has importance con sequences for the civil liberties of people with disabilities.