A former child protection worker in Victoria says juvenile offenders are being put in the same residential care facilities as disabled children who are under state care. The whistleblower, who wants to be known only as Steve, says the situation has had devastating consequences for the state’s most vulnerable children. Steve worked for the child … Continued
MARK COLVIN: The Victorian Government is denying that there’s a problem putting juvenile offenders in care homes with vulnerable wards of the state. A former Department of Human Services whistleblower has told the ABC that he’s intercepted numerous sexual assault attempts, and physical assaults, because the housing mix is volatile. But the Community Services and … Continued
Timewell Crescent in Boronia is home to some of Victoria’s most severely intellectually disabled people. Run by the state’s biggest non-government residential care service, Yooralla, the house has been in crisis for several years. Poor management and inadequate staffing have enabled residents to violently assault each other or disappear from the premises unsupervised for hours. … Continued
Many of the large institutions that housed generations of people with disabilities—out of sight and out of mind—are now closed. Australians with disabilities are now largely free to live in the community. Once shut in, many people with disabilities now find themselves shut out. The institutions that once housed them may be closed, but … Continued
Jock Watson spent most of his 20s in a nursing home after a car accident left him with an acquired brain injury, meaning he needed constant care. While fellow residents tried to engage the young man in their bingo games and sing-a-longs, it was an isolating experience. ”He spent much of his time in his … Continued
An advocate for the disabled has welcomed the Victorian Government’s decision to close one of the state’s two remaining institutions for people with severe intellectual disabilities.
This report highlights the struggles vulnerable Victorians are facing when trying to access the private rental market. It indicates that some people experience discrimination and stereotyping because of race, disability or having children, making it difficult for them to secure a home.
Bendigo’s Sandhurst Centre will close within three years. The state government will commit $7.9 million in next week’s budget to build new accommodation homes for the centre’s 29 residents. Minister for Disability Services and Reform Mary Wooldridge said the Sandhurst Centre was one of two remaining government-run disability institutions in Victoria. “Residents of Sandhurst will … Continued
An intellectually disabled man was left in prison for more than a year for a crime he could not have understood, largely because accommodation could not be found for him. County Court Judge Mark Taft called Ross Cunningham’s 371 days on remand an ”embarrassment to the administration of criminal justice” in a ruling on Friday … Continued
ABC News Breakfast presenters, Karina Carvalho and Michael Rowland, interviewed Kevin Stone, CEO of VALID, about abuse of people with disabilities in supported accommodation.
ation and support needs of people with disabilities who are ageing was a major issue identified by delegates attending the 2012 Strengthening Disability Advocacy Conference. In response, DARU hosted this forum on 11 September 2012 where over 60 participants came together to explore what happens to people with disabilities as they age and learned about ageing in place for people with disabilities.
The big social reforms outlined by the government last week – the aged-care package and the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme – will revolutionise the way we provide care in Australia. The tricky thing is, by the time these reforms are up and running, the foundations on which they are built – namely … Continued
Police have laid charges over alleged sexual assaults on intellectually disabled women in a DHS care home.
She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 19 and her marriage broke down when it all became too much, but Katy Skene considers herself one of the lucky ones. At the age of 31, because there was nowhere else for her to go after a two-month stay in hospital, Ms Skene was moved into a … Continued
Women with disabilities experience violence at a higher rate, for longer periods, and are less likely to report the abuse, than women without disabilities (Healey, 2008). Tricia Malowney, Chair of Women with Disabilities Victoria, and Ariane Garner-Williams, youth and women with disabilities advocate, talk about some of the issues that arise for this doubly disadvantaged … Continued