Wolves in sheep’s clothing - some disability providers should just not be operating
In an article in the last week by Current Affair newshttps://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/family-claims-young-woman-in-ndis-care-subjected-to-dirty-conditions/54eafbcc-5b8f-4da1-b0dc-eab9e882bb23
it was found that a disabled girl had been kept in filthy conditions in residential houses, in Melbourne, with rotting food and even rats in these places. (Georgia Westgarth 29th November 2022) The organization being paid over $350,000 a year to look after her – yet they failed to care for her properly or even give her fresh food, clean sheets, do her washing properly or keep her room clean. Her parents said the disabilities system has failed their daughter many times.
The parents of Emma Treble said that she was healthy, happy and physically fit before she entered assisted care and that after 33 years of looking after their daughter they needed a break and had put her in NDIS care - Emma is non verbal and has epilepsy – the worst part as always is that she cannot speak up for herself – so that whatever happens to her she can tell no one which as all parents know who have non verbal children is a constant worry of what could happen to them since workers and organizations know these vulnerable ones cannot speak. These providers often act like con artists who claim they will look after your child who is so at and then do not intend to at all and do not look after them, in it for the money and to get that vulnerable child’s NDIS funding.
Emma’s parents said “"We've seen all of the mistakes and all the times we've had to bring her home," Meryl told A Current Affair.
"It's failed us, just failed us dismally." She also said “ We have lost confidence in the system. You put your trust in these people.”
It is hard to trust any providers. It took 12 months of preparation before Emma was moved into care with the SunrisetoSunrise community care provider - the parents said they persisted with the company because it was hard enough to try and get housing for Emma and they had hoped things would get better but instead they were worse (Current Affair November 2022). Because Emma has epilepsy seizures she was entitled to 24/7 care and the facility was paid the high amount of funding for this.
However, after Emma had moved into the house, her parents realized she was not getting proper care at all.
They also claim that the staff at Sunrise2Sunrise were not qualified to work in the disability sector at all. One would think a nurse would be attending to check on their daughter as well at residential care that is something needed when there are high medical needs. Yet even the staff were not qualified the parents say - and I have been saying this also that staff are never qualified because many of the young people can come straight from Macdonalds or dishwashing, and any other job straight into this caring without any training and the managers and CEOs of disabilities providers appear to think that is ok because this gives them cheap workers to pay. They call training a few weeks of learning. It is not. Perhaps providers should be given less money if the training in workers is less or non existent and more funds if the workers have had some training.
There should be people with degrees in disabilities at least supervising or checking on those who do disabilities care. At present all that is provided is low grade care by people who do not know what they are doing even with my son who is non verbal but mobile and able to walk, but a girl with seizures or someone in a wheelchair – trained workers are a necessity yet this is not provided by providers. They are in it for the money and do not give the care they promise.
This lack of qualifications and training makes these workers lacking in understanding, patience or knowledge of how to help someone with disabilities. Compassion and proper care is the luck of the draw instead of being something all disability support workers should have toward the vulnerable in their care.
A previous support worker for Emma who had known her a decade before she moved into the care said the conditions were appalling at this sunrise2sunrise facility, and that Emma had been traumatised by her treatment by sunrise2sunrise staff.
The support worker who had previously known Emma, came in to work with her and said that the bad conditions had gone on for 14 months and Emma had to go home for 6 months due to multiple illness she developed in this ‘care’. The worker claimed that no one was doing Emma’s washing and dirty washing was put in the basket with clean washing. Anything when did get washed was left not dry and became mouldy. She also said the house was not cleaned properly and there was dirt on the sheets and on Emma. The worker also said that the worker paid to look after Emma during the night actually slept and when Emma fell out of her bed due to seizures she was bruised to the head with severe concussion. Emma’s mother said that she nearly died twice possible more due to this neglect. For shame. These people are criminals who neglect vulnerable people like this.
Emma eventually caught Covid 19 and ended up into hospital with pneumonia and respiratory distress syndrome.
The support worker who knew Emma from before this care said that the sunrise2sunrise organization asked her to keep incidents quiet and ‘not to tell the parents and to come to us instead’. Isnt that just so typical of these providers they want to cover up to hide the incidents? they do not want to be accountable – but they do want the money. They are despicable and run like a corporate business that is corrupt and devious in every way. If they do not want to be liable why do they not do the right thing?
For the parents the father said it was ‘gut-wrenching’ how his daughter had been treated, actually unbelievable for those of us who thought the organizations actually would care and did grow to trust them even become dependent on them. You cannot depend on them – in fact if not sure or happy keep trying to find another place for your child don’t settle for an organization that bullies you as a parent and refuses to listen to your concerns.
The organization eventually relinquished all care of Emma. I have noticed this is what happens when disabilities organizations get caught out for their guilt and incidents. They then cut off and distant themselves so that they look like they will not be liable. But they are always liable that’s why they cut off. Fear of getting caught or losing money. How awful for parents to try their best for their children all their lives and then this is what we get when we ask for help - this should not be we need to change the system and make it safe for our children and we need to make providers accountable and checked on in person by people not the phone or internet. NDIS has plenty of money for their staff they should put their office workers to proper work and go out and check all the places that are receiving funding for those in their care and see if they are doing the right job or not.
This is only right. Things cannot go on as they are. Things should be better and workers should have education, and better character and morals - why pay an organization to neglect those with disabilities? This is discrimination by the government and by the NDIS not caring about the ‘participants’ but only caring about the providers who make the money – cold hearted capitalist organizations now. Another provider stepped in and then refused care called Marvin Living – love the compassion here.
Noted in the article The Trebles said they were now back at square one and fighting a complex NDIS system "(It's) pretty much a nightmare," Meryl said."It's just a minefield for our daughter."
The Trebles claim Mavin Living refused them entry to the home to collect Emma's belongings and clothes."They're not letting our daughter move back in," Meryl said. "We're denied of going to get her summer clothes. They won't let us in the house, all her furniture and all her things are in her bedroom."
The NDIS Quality and Safety Commission, said they are looking at the situation – how about prosecuting those who neglected this girl? We need an independent body to assess treatment of disability people by providers – or the NDIS can say is they will look at the situation - how very diplomatic.
Providers are paid big money out of our children’s hard fought for funding especially in residential care – the least they an do is provide the actual care and not pretend to and then hire workers with no idea what they are doing and or who do not do the right thing - our children deserve better than this! We need absolute reforms in disability services and cameras to catch those who do the wrong things and neglect or abuse our nonverbal vulnerable children. Sign my petition for mandatory cctv cameras in disabilities so that perpetrators and their companies are not allowed to get away with wrong treatment of our vulnerable precious children and adult children! Sign: Change.org/disabilitycameras
All the best
Anndrea x    

#disabilitylivesmatteroz