Thank you so much for signing the petition which brings us closer to 7,000 plus and aiming for 10,000 to take to parliament. Bringing us closer to having a no harm policy amongst providers by mandatory cameras and strong laws. Parents suffer so much in trying to protect and get justice for their disability child young or old.
No fear- parents and carers need to stand up for their vulnerable ones in disabilities and not listen to the fear...we are the ones who must fight for their protection and justice because no one else will... it is up to us. For your child's sake and yours it is better to fight than to remain silent- providers think about the money and their own interests we fight for our child's best interests...a person from ndis told me the what happens with our vulnerable ones money is dependent on the providers honesty...too dependent I say and they have been shown to be extremely dishonest making parents lives harder...
Recently a bus driver and childcare worker faced manslaughter charges in Cairns and sentencing (AustralianAssociated Press February 2021) for the death of a three year old toddler who was left on the bus in the heat for 5 hours by the busdriver and childcare worker. The bus driver was sentenced to 6 years in jail but may only do 18 months (25 February 2021,cairnspost.com.au)
It doesnt seem long enough but at least there were manslaughter charges, still little comfort to the parents losing their child of course but it would be worse for grieving parents if there were no charges and no justice.
In disabilities there is even less justice than that. If there are no CCTV cameras to catch what is happening negligence is not made criminal and no workers or centre is prosecuted, hence no justice for those who are harmed or even die in disabilities. Such as the autistic girl, 19 year old Merna, who died in care by drowning at Afford Disabilities, in NSW, in 2019, yet there is no investigation by police and no prosecution for the Centre for criminal negligence in failing to supervise the 19 year old girl whose family now lives in neverending grief. Without justice there is no closure on what has happened, even at least an attempt at justice. How can it be right for a disability service to let someone die and it does not matter? How cold and callous our politicians have become...where is the compassion? so called christian Scott Morrison does not give a toss for anything that happens to his people or those who are vulnerable. Stuart Robert caring for little more than the money he makes from the vulnerable. There must be a reckoning.
WE need stronger laws of criminal negligence that make it a crime for disabled, whether intellectually or physically, children and adult to be harmed that make it able to be prosecuted. Childcare is one step up because they have cameras and the parents work making it of more economic interest to politicians. Similar to Aged Care at Regis aged care some Uni students blew the whistle on the aged care home for the rough treatment of its old people there two whom died. The police called off criminal investigation due to lack of evidence - no cctv cameras! Go figure even when they die the excuse is used they were old oh well, or in disabilities she or he had a disability doesnt matter then....?!
Frank Pangallo MLC (26 February 2021)on twitter noted "Aged care abuse and neglect at Perth's Regis facility is so shocking. Police cannot act because of 'lack of evidence'. But if this isnt another glaring example of the need for independent CCTV camera monitoring I dont know what is!"
Allegations were made by students who were at the site of Regis Aged Care in January this year. Because they were Uni students they had no fear of being sacked and cared enough to do the whistleblowing - thank God for the students. The aged care quality commission did a surprise visit and found the facility lacking not providing care consistent with national standards. Among the concerns identified were allegations of sexual assaults, rough handling and deficiencies in areas including pain management, wounds, falls and challenging behaviors. Regis had also stood down a staff member. Two of the elderly who had been treated roughly had died. Yet no prosecutions. How despicable is that?Lack of evidence say police and I say lack of cctv cameras th prove what did happen just as in disabilities! One good thing is that Aged care quality commission imposed sanctions on the centre removing federal governmental funding for new admissions for the next six months (in January 2021).
Aged care makes big money for the those who run them the least they could do is look after those in the care.
The same is for disabilities the government is paying out providers big money and the organizations make so much they will not own up to the abuse, deaths and neglect when it occurs they just keep running and cover it over. This can not be allowed to continue.
If NDIS will not police the organizations then perhaps the parents need to start holding them to account. If there is abuse - note it report it and dont stop complaining to the police and everywhere.
Similarly after the stealing of my son's funding by respite organization and they continued to lie I continued to call them out on it wherever my son goes. The treachery of pretending to care for our vulnerable child though now an adult why taking his funding for their organization seems like a treachery that is unfathomable except that greed is all they have and is all they are made of. YOu cannot believe the disability services they all say the same things and they all want one thing - your money and if we do not police what they do they will take more than you know about it.
If we do not police how the disability carers' services treat our children the organizations will let them be harmed and cover it up. We must not let them get away with it. They think its normal to lie steal and cheat...but its not right and should never be normal. You dont have to take the abuse of your trust, or your child's wellbeing, or funding you had to fight for to get for him NDIS is also culpable for allowing it to happen even the stealing of funds and not policing what providers are up to. They should also be held to account for failing to prevent fraud, or abuse of the vulnerable by organizations.
Parents need to inform each other of where they have found abuse, or theft or mishandling of their child/adult child's funds. Not isolate from each other we need to help and reach out or we cannot fight this battle.
We could make a list of providers where there has been abuse or deviancy or stealing of funds and share it with other parents. Maybe all the organizations are deviant now. WE need to stand up and fight for our disability child’s and adult child’s protection and justice and our right as parents to protect them. Disabilities is big money and providers are greedy and do not hesitate to exploit us. Don’t be tricked.
If the NDIS and the government will not police the providers then we the parents must police them. Police how they treat our vulnerable ones calling them out on abuse or wrong doing, and report them to the police what they are doing or exploitation of our vulnerable one’s money leaving our child short of funding for other services or providers we need.
Parents are suffering so much and while we are down we are being exploited a the same time…we must rise…your love for your child makes you strong enough to fight and get angry when wrong is done….
Fear of retribution that stops us speaking up against wrong done to our vulnerable ones we are raising or caring for... must be stamped out dont listen to the fear - it is better to fight and you will win in the end ...as you stand up and fight for what is right and against exploitation by Providers and for the justice and protection your vulnerable disability child/adult child/ or sibling must have in day programs, respite, and even in care…. It doesn't go away if you ignore it - it must be addressed- dont be silent stand up and hold your ground you have a right to and you have more power than you think...we must help each other fight...
all the best
Anndrea x