It amazing what the government does when it wants to...suddenly privacy doesnt matter anymore if they can put a tracker app on phones and cover every movement and contact a person in Australia makes - of course to protect us from infection of the Virus need I say...yet every time a parent wants cameras to protect there child who has a disability and cannot speak up when harmed - we are told - cant have cameras privacy issues - how contrary of the politicians and organizations to do that now suddenly it switches when other people might get hurt not just disability people...
Always when parents with disability children ask for cameras in places of care to protect them from harm - the Privacy Act (1988) is used - oh no we cannot do that that would be a breach of privacy for those kids (but actually its a breach of privacy for those who would hurt them -they can do it privately with no one knowing).
However if the government wants everyone to sign onto a phone app that traces all your movements 'to track the virus' suddenly the privacy act is easily remedied... because they want to protect from the virus...now They can spy on you its ok, you dont need privacy...because you need protection
Well our vulnerable children with disabilities need protection and the "privacy" excuse does not stand. A recent answer to my letter asking the Minister of NDIS about this - he continues to state that we have set protocols and ensured that no more bullying culture can continue in respite places and he has not made cameras mandatory but instead has got these frameworks and rules which people ignore when they hurt our children... how ridiculous
Disability children are ignored because they are not considered important enough to protect with cameras, while daycares, high schools, train stations, shops and coffee shops run security cameras all the time, and children are there being filmed as well as adults.
Why shouldnt we do that and have cameras in place, in care, for our vulnerable children who cannot speak for themselves? Why should those workers who do not care continue to get away with secret hurting of children, which when parents complain about it are not listened to because there is no evidence!
Let us get evidence to stop those who would harm the vulnerable and disability kids.
Even when good workers report on abuse or harm they see they are then bullied and put down by the organizations they work for and they cannot speak up for fear of the consequences. Yet if the cameras were there it would back up workers who want to report what they see and it would be evidence enough in any case.
It has been made normal to people get away with hurting disability kids in their 'care' and it is wrong. Parents have the right to protect their children.
please help the parents of children to defend their children and receive justice
like my son who could not speak when he was hit by a worker looking after him in respite who then denied even seeing the bruise on his head for three days and then changed her story. I pushed for her to be removed from working with my son but she was only moved to another respite house in the organization. Organizations lie to cover up when someone gets hurt in their care. No transparency there. They do not adhere to the laws when they should - those who do hurt the vulnerable dont care.
We need the cameras, and if the government can so easily dish out tracing apps for all people in society they can allow cameras to protect our children when they are in care whether temporary or long term.
Anndrea Wheatley