Too Late to apologize - and an apology is not enough! We need justice for those who are hurt in care not mere apologies! WE need justice and future protection implemented. Duty of care is breached but no charges ever laid or upheld by judges! The royal commission only reccommends but our justice system needs to make providers accountable with the law.
The 2022 latest update on the Royal commission report on Sunnyfields disability home made 24 recommendations The APO (5 April 2022) summarises this - but it is disappointing on the lack of justice or sentencing or charges made despite all the abuses and assaults that happened there -
the report notes that when a girl's guardian made complaints to Sunnyfields, the services and accommodation was terminated by Sunnyfields for the girl, 'melissa' living there - Sunnyfields in effect breached her right to have safety and a home.
I found that when I complained to NADO about my sons assault at their day program they terminated his service with them although the contract was due to be renewed they suspended it simply because I complained about my son coming home with large bruises from their day program, and refused to listen to me rather instead punishing my son James by taking the program off him. I did not want him back at an abusive service in any case. However. the organization, or CEO, rather than admit failed duty of care, or that a worker had assaulted my son, of course cannot prove without cameras, they instead suspended James from supports. Those that hurt James walked away scott free and keep; working in disabilities when they should not.
Despicable organizations need to be made accountable for their treatment of those they suck the funds off and then the organizations bully parents for complaining when their child is hurt in that organizations care. They also have bullied the disability child in the first place. Shame on them for their callous, devious behaviour.
In the end of this Royal Commission recommendations regarding Sunnyfields they tell the organization to apologize to the families of the three assaulted disability people living there - Melissa, Carl, and Chen (pseudonyms) yet the worker or co ordinator who hurt and bullied them has walked scott free from that organization. Whre is the justice in that? When a magistrate will not uphold charges of someone who has hurt three people. AT the least the CEO and managers of that organization should be made accountable not just told to apologize!
The report makes 24 findings about Sunnyfield, including its employees and board of directors, as well as the NSW Ombudsman, in relation to the experiences of three residents, ‘Melissa’, ‘Carl’ and ‘Chen’, who lived together in a home in Western Sydney.
The report also found that when Melissa’s guardian complained about the operation of the home, Sunnyfield terminated her Service and Residency Agreements. The report concludes that in terminating the agreements, Sunnyfield prioritised its own interests over Melissa’s, specifically her right to a secure and safe home.
Key findings included that Sunnyfields used legal privilege to not share full information with the NDIS quality and safety commission, and that there were none on the board of directors at Sunnyfields who had lived experience with disabilities - had no inkling or knowledge of living with, caring for, bringing up children with disabilities or have disability themselves. In fact complete ignorance regarding disabilities. Why are they runnning a disabilitiy organization?? Its not enough to just be running a business there needs to be - education, training and character standards for those who start these disability 'businesses' yet they say they have been running for 70 years maybe they just do not care anymore becaue they are not giving those with disabilities proper compassionate care they are failing to protect them from violence and harm as the report found.
Key findings:
Sunnyfield failed to prevent violence and abuse against Melissa, Carl and Chen in their home by two Sunnyfield support workers
Sunnyfield’s responses to complaints and feedback from the families of the residents were inappropriately defensive and often hostile
The NSW Ombudsman’s office should have disclosed to Sunnyfield the adverse work history information it held about one of the two support workers
Sunnyfield’s Board did not include any directors with lived experience of disability, nor did it have any arrangements in place to meet with residents of the home and their families. This adversely affected the Board’s understanding and oversight of the issues affecting the home
When Sunnyfield reported on their own investigations into the home to the NDIS Commission, it should not have relied upon legal privilege to avoid producing any part of the investigation report to the NDIS Commission.
Key recommendations in the report include:
https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/.../sunnyfield
"Sunnyfield should apologise to Melissa, Carl and Chen, and their families for failing to prevent the violence and abuse they endured
Sunnyfield should discuss appropriate redress and what ongoing additional support and assistance it can provide the three residents and their families."
There is no justice against the perpetrators including the directors who essentially let these vulnerable persons be hurt in care, none for the worker/supervisor/coordinator - no charges and none against the directors of the organization who have badly failed to do the right things but instead covered themselves. WE need to see them made accountable a simply apology from them to these families is not enough! Lack of evidence thats not good enough a reason to let them get away with it. sign my petition change.org/disabilitycameras
Anndrea Wheatley