The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced in mid-2013 to facilitate a support system for disabled Australians. In many ways, this has begun to streamline and simplify the process whereby many thousands of Australians under the age of 65, who have sustained a permanent and residual disability, are able to access healthcare services. […]
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 […]
If there’s one thing that’s been made clear from the recent Royal Commission, it’s that the protection of children and the reporting procedures around child abuse need to be improved. In August 2016, largely in response to the commission, the ACT Government passed legislation designed to cast a ‘wider net’ when it comes to the […]
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, […]
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. […]
It is a great tragedy that the most vulnerable people in society – children, the elderly and the disabled – often fall victim to the most heinous types of abuse in care settings. In some cases, the abuse can be obvious, such as when there is physical assault that results in visible injuries. At other […]
For those vulnerable people across Australia living with disability, the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has been heralded as a much-needed security net. And for those caring for disabled individuals, the NDIS provides a framework for sustainable care arrangements. In many ways, the introduction of the NDIS is the ultimate ‘good news’ […]
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 […]
When vulnerable individuals in our society are subjected to abuse by their carers, our response as a community is understandably one of outrage. It seems beyond belief that this could happen. But the sad reality is that some individuals within aged care facilities, disability care contexts, at home or in childcare centres can face abuse […]
Most of us agree that volunteer work is an excellent initiative; one of those ‘win-win’ situations where both the organisation and the community benefit from the unpaid work of kind citizens. We also understand that even the best work-related relationships have their challenges. These include issues around workers compensation, clashes between paid and […]