The wolves in disabilities continue to tear vulnerable lives apart with their allowed violence …When will the government stop what is happening in the care of NDIS providers? When will the Australian government actually police these corrupt and often violent workers in ndis organizations – how any parents trust these providers?
The Criminality that resides in NDIS Disabilities under the guise of carers - substandard violent workers and lack of regulating or educated workers keeps disabilities care back in the dark ages and the times of Dickens when children were treated not much more than pets and property to be used oppressed and exploited. Hurting and killing children became against the law in the early 1900s yet it is allowed to happen to our children because they are vulnerable and the perpetrators are allowed to do it.
The recent whistle blowing on Evolution Services here in NSW by workers who watched violence carried out on a vulnerable client, by bullying muscled workers and in particular one with a criminal record, Mark Butler, breaking the disabilities persons arm - beggars belief.
Former ESS support worker Taniela Tangulu was in the room when Mark Hutton broke Jake’s arm.“I’ve never seen that level of aggression from someone,” he said.“Even to initiate an attack like that on a guy — I was in shock.” He said it wasn’t unusual for the people they cared for to become agitated and aggressive at times.“We all know, walking into this job, it’s a hard job,” he said.“Usually you just give them space, let them say their piece and they’ll calm down themselves.” ABC News (May 2024 ‘7.30 report’)
Even the worker watching this horrific restraint and assault carried out by the violent workers was traumatised and wondered why they had to be so violent and how it was allowed? He was probably afraid too and will not forget what he saw. What the violent man did to a disability person who though was upset and agitated did not need to be treated like that, was unforgiveable and the worker who did it already had a criminal record. Why was he working for the NDIS? NDIS provider Evolution Support Services accused of excessive use of force against people with disability - ABC News
That’s not support that is a criminal acts of assault and the worker breaking a clients arm while restraining and swearing at him should never have been allowed into the disability system but he was as a support worker (what does that mean? A prison guard or security guard at a night club was more his line of work) and so the NDIS continues to allow substandard workers into a caring position and dangerous workers such as these at Evolution in the Hunter region who were in a residential care home but hired from a security firm!
“Thirteen months after Jake’s arm was broken, Mark Hutton was involved in another incident, after an ESS client tried to attack him. Mark Hutton allegedly wrestled the man to the floor and kneed him in the head. He was sacked and charged, but was later acquitted of assault, as the court couldn’t be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the offence. 7.30 can reveal that Mark Hutton had a criminal record of assault occasioning bodily harm during his time working for the company. His NDIS worker accreditation was also pending.” ABC News (May 2024) There was also a domestic violence order taken out against this man by his previous partner. All the airplay on domestic violence something so despicable against women is the same violence and power games used by workers against the vulnerable in disabilities – to let a man like this work with disabilities people is criminal. There should be a lawsuit against the government and against Bill Shorten.
The article also notes that wrestling moves were also used on clients - this is unacceptable and needs to be policed by regulators or police! Staff used ‘wrestling moves’, former worker says ‘ Several former ESS workers told 7.30 that issues relating to the overuse of force and restraint at the company went beyond Mark Hutton and the incident with Jake.7.30 has spoken to 10 former ESS workers and all say there was a culture of overusing physical restraints on people in their care.
Former disability support worker Cameron Howells lost his job in 2021 over a disagreement with a manager. He was accused of workplace bullying over the incident, something he denies. He said he witnessed “wrestling moves” by other staff. “The stunner, where they would put their arms underneath the participant from behind, wrapping and interlining their fingers behind the participant’s head and lifting their feet off the ground,” he said. “I’ve seen pain compliance use … they would hyperextend joints, put certain locks on their arms to cause as much pain as possible to then compel the participant to stop what they were doing.” Cameron said this treatment had a lasting impact on those people. “They would become agitated at every small thing, whether it’s a loud sound, they would jump or they would want to stay in their room,” he said. “It’s like a family member abusing their child … it’s sad.” While violence and neglect were still relatively common in the disability sector, Professor McVilly said this kind of treatment was unacceptable. (ABC News May 2024)
The incident of course was investigated by Evolution and downplayed as usually happens when you report something to a provider. (Where is the police investigation?) They even listened to the attacker worker’s claim that it was self defence - this man is a criminal. Literally, he has a criminal record You are meant to report it to the NDIS commission who usually take not much action they are more like a symbol of accountability but in reality will not punish the provider. We need the law to step up and do that. Noted in the article Initially, many of the staff were security guards with no qualifications in disability services.
“It shocks me that an organisation that’s in the security business is … being asked … to provide therapeutic supports to people with disabilities,” said clinical psychologist Keith McVilly, who has been an adviser to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. “This is not the values base that we want to bring to a disability support service.”
ESS launched its own internal investigation into the incident. 7.30 has obtained its report. It says the CCTV footage shows Mark “attempt to redirect the participant with calm words”. The report claims Jake assaulted Mark, who then managed to “physically redirect the participant [Jake] safely whilst defending himself as well and protecting the other participants and staff that were close by”.
The report by Evolution (covering itself) - The report found that the restraint Mark Hutton used was “unauthorised”, but he “seems to have acted in self-defence, attempting to reduce the risk of injury to himself or others and the participant”. It noted Mark Hutton’s claim that no excessive force was used.
Taniela Tangulu said this was not a true reflection of what happened. “You can obviously see Jake is defenceless,” he said.“I just feel for Jake, to be honest, I feel like he’s been let down by the company, they’ve downplayed the situation and how it happened.” 7.30 showed the video to clinical psychologist Keith McVilly. “I can’t see any relationship between what’s captured on film and what’s in the report,” he said,”
What does Bill Shorten think he is doing to let such criminals be hired to care for the vulnerable? He is turning a blind eye or does he simply not care? If someone assaults a police man or a politician…would the courts say it is not beyond reasonable doubt so cannot be proven? I doubt it. Yet those in disabilities are allowed to be harmed, bruised, broken…their parents also broken.
Does Shorten, the one in charge of the NDIS, have nothing to do with the NDIS except to look sad and say it must not happen when a participant dies at the neglect of the substandard untrained, uneducated workers, and look angry when money is stolen saying they will be arrested they will be charged they will pay and yet they are not. Good act Bill. Mainly focussing on the money, all that providers get for harming and killing our children is re educating and a warning maybe a fine, they are allowed to do criminal acts. The Australian government should be ashamed. We are not living in the last century. Yet providers commit these offences, actually break the law, actually neglect and kill and are not shut down they are not put in prison for criminal neglect not here in NSW oh no the laws are not strong enough to do they, or there is no evidence no cameras they say and continue not to enforce cameras in disabilities when it is allowed they will not mandate it. They let providers do whatever they want. Why are they not fixing up disabilities? All the talk of zero tolerance is not true – they have 99% tolerance of abuse and neglect happening in disabilities and a little bit of talk about the rorting and money lost and providers being allowed to exploit it but that’s all just talk. Few organizations have been shut down for stealing participants funds. Even fewer for hurting the people in their care.
It bothers me deeply that Evolution was not shut down – and the psychologist noted that violence was common in disabilities. Why should violence be common in disabilities? Is it common in childcare or in preschools or in schools? It should not be accepted and it should not be common. Those with disabilities are human beings who are vulnerable and cannot defend themselves. They are not violent criminals to be restrained and treated like this.
These businesses called ‘providers’ are making money out of the vulnerable with untrained dangerous people as workers - those such as Evolution need to be made accountable or we should be suing the NDIS for allowing abuse to continue and no safety no cameras to catch it. They cannot continue to let the wolves work in disabilities – those like this Mark Hutton who had a black belt used his violence on a vulnerable person who could not defend himself - instead of doing the right thing and looking after the client - letting him have time out or taking him out for a break from the house – he treated him like a naughty prisoner. How dare a support worker break the arm of a man he was meant to be caring for under the watch of NDIS!. How dare the NDIS quality commission ignore those who are being harmed and assaulted by their providers! The NDIS should be made accountable itself or allowing criminals to work as providers and in providers businesses – this needs to be investigated and dealt with properly. Bill Shorten needs to be accountable for what he is allowing in these corporate type ‘disability’ organizations. The blood of the vulnerable is on his hands. The wolves in disabilities are hurting our children and it needs to stop!
Health and safety is being updated in NSW so that if workers are harmed or die there is now a charge for manslaughter, this should be the same for the clients of businesses such as the NDIS carers facilities and programs if the clients die or are harmed there should be manslaughter charges for the workers who did it to them or the CEOs of such place should be charged and given prison time. Then maybe they might think about who they employ in future.
All the best
Anndrea x
Sign my petition for mandatory cameras in disabilities so that providers can be made accountable:    change.org/disabilitycameras

#disabilitylivesmatteroz