The most vulnerable members of our society are generally those with disabilities, the very young and the elderly. People who are vulnerable are at greater risk of being abused or otherwise mistreated, especially in residential care facilities. This is currently being made distressingly clear at the aged care Royal Commission. We discuss what elder […]
Sexual abuse of people with a disability is a crime that unfortunately is often misunderstood, undetected and ultimately overlooked by organisations. Individuals with a disability are often uniquely vulnerable to sexual and other forms of abuse and deserve both strong protection and swift action in relation to any such allegations. Organisations responsible for the […]
The thought that some of the most vulnerable in our society – the elderly – might be at risk of harm in residential aged care facilities is abhorrent. But even with the best of intentions and the proper guidelines in place, there is still potential for abuse and assault to occur. Abuse allegations in […]
Aged care providers have been in the media spotlight in recent weeks. While some are alleged to have financially exploited the elderly others are alleged to have provided a substandard level of care. Research conducted by Curtin University in 2015 suggests that some 167,000 older Australians may be subject to abuse annually. Like many […]
It is well-known that certain industries, particularly those involving disability or aged care services, have a higher than average level of client-facing risk. This is in part because consumers of these services generally have higher levels of physical needs, and may also have difficulties expressing themselves clearly or consistently. As a result of these unique […]
A wrap-up of the Children, Justice and Communication Conference at Portsmouth University, May 2017. Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Children, Justice and Communication Conference at Portsmouth in the UK. The conference is hosted by some of the world’s leading academics and practitioners working in the areas of child sexual exploitation, […]
Every year billions of Australian dollars are provided to fund aid projects overseas. The money is targeted to assist developing countries with education, housing, health and community projects. Naturally children are a prime target group for these aid programs. The majority of these organisations are funded by the Australian public via donations and government funding […]
It goes without saying that injuries occur in all workplaces, not just the community sector. Yet there are certain unexplained injuries within care environments that should receive particular attention. We set out our top three 3 tips for investigators when confronted with an unexplained injury allegation in aged or disability care contexts. 1. […]
As the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has painfully revealed, our most trusted institutions have at times mishandled some of the worst cases of child abuse imaginable. It is becoming clear to us as a nation that the trust given by children and other vulnerable people to individuals in positions of […]
It is quite clear that employers in aged, disability and other care environments do their best to keep staff and clients safe, yet one dark phenomenon that can raise its ugly head in care contexts is abuse by carers. For many complex reasons, vulnerable people such as the aged, children, and disability clients, can […]