Editorial: Zero tolerance must be our response to abuse and unsafe practices
18/04/2024
It's been a concerning week for many Australians, and an especially worrying one for the disability sector. Recent stories of abuse such as the story on 60 Minutes on Sunday of abuse of a person with disabilities perpetrated by employees of a service provider are shocking.
And just yesterday (17 April), a civil judgement with a $1.8m fine was issued against a provider that was found to have unsafe practices with tragic consequences. The breaches included a failure to risk-assess the participant’s home adequately, and a failure to formally train and assess the competence of the staff.