Vulnerable Queensland adults who require care or support should have a watchdog to prevent them from being abused, neglected and exploited, a report says.
State Public Advocate John Chesterman has called for a new safeguarding commissioner in a report into protections for vulnerable adults.
He said gaps in the current system mean interventions are "often not available" to help adults get the help they need to protect them from further harm.
Dr Chesterman said it's also unclear where concerning situations involving vulnerable people should be reported, or who will investigate them.
"Current safeguards do not always meet the needs of at-risk adults, which can result in situations of abuse, neglect and exploitation going unaddressed and being able to continue," he wrote in the report released on Thursday.
"This can have negative consequences and lead to tragic outcomes for the at-risk adult."
The public advocate called for the government to set up an independent Adult Safeguarding Commissioner to support and protect at-risk adults to ensure they don't fall through the gaps.
The new agency should have the legal power to investigate allegations, the report said, and have the power to compel people to give evidence if there's reasonable suspicion of serious abuse.
"A new adult safeguarding agency would enable a clear, single point of contact for people with concerns about the abuse, neglect or exploitation of at-risk adults and, where necessary, would enable investigation of these concerns," the report said.
Dr Chesterman said the new agency would be required to obtain the consent of an at-risk adult except if they cannot be contacted, do not have the capacity to consent or if it's a serious case.
The government should also support a statewide awareness campaign to encourage people to take a role in safeguarding adults at risk in their communities.
The report also said laws should be tweaked to ensure a guardian or administrator can only be appointed if an adult can't make a relevant decision.
Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said the government would carefully consider the recommendations and respond "in due course".
