NDIS IN RURAL AREAS
When my child was born with a rare chromosomal disease, I never envisioned that aside from multiple surgeries and ongoing lifelong medical care that the biggest grief I would face would arise from fighting a corrupt and dangerous government-funded disability service called the NDIS.
We live rural and are at the whim of a small and often incestuous workforce where start-up companies dominate. Where mum, dad, sister, in-laws and their close friends work in one business and their relatives may work in other closely aligned disability services.
Over the 10 years living in several rural areas we have fought for over a year to have a shower plumbed so our child could wash herself safely and unaided. Had only seven nights of carer respite.
We removed our child from group-based activities twice when we found they were housed with adult men. In one instance a degree-trained therapist rang us in confidence warning us our then 11-year-old child was in danger of being placed in a providers group activity and intimated she was being exposed to possible risks of a sexual nature as one of these men were her clients. Only recently we found our child who is still legally a child was housed with adults of mixed sex in a small barely two-bedroom house with inappropriate care ratios.
We have been coerced by support coordinators to use services we did not need. Coerced to use staff we did not like. Had appropriate and professional service providers kept away from us by Support Coordinators only feeding referrals to their friends. You become trapped unknowingly. Our child has not received the care they need because these workers are putting the building of their disability services before the building of their clients’ capacities.
I’ve lost count of how many unsuitable and downright dangerous support workers sent to our house to do capacity building or community activities with our child. Workers that vape in the car with a child with respiratory issues. Workers arrive not even knowing what disability their client has. Workers that do their own shopping in a shift or do nothing at all. Workers that have threatened and demeaned our child. A vegan worker that refused to make our child lunch because they won’t touch the butter container. Workers that arrive with and unload on you their mental health issues asking for you to make them a coffee. Workers sent by Support Coordinators farmed from their social circles.
In a small country town when things go wrong with support it’s a serious problem. The backlash on you can be enormous. These providers have intimate knowledge of their client and the client’s family supports. They rarely abide by confidentiality. You risk a lot speaking up.
One disturbing trend myself and other parents and legitimate providers are seeing is the buying or renting of cheap real estate in the fringes of medium-sized rural towns by dodgy disability providers. Rural and isolated towns have a higher rate of disability and poorer education and health systems. It’s a gold mine for an NDIS start-up. Buy an old run-down house or cheap farm block, farm some intellectually disabled clients. House them on mass and pop a DVD on with a cheap sausage sandwich or buy a few old horses, do a few online courses. Voila! You’re running a respite, horse therapy or counselling business and making a fortune. Delivering sub-standard, expensive services with little benefit to the client long term but your balance sheet looks great.
I am rocked to the core by the negligence of present and past governments for allowing our taxes to fund what will go down in history as Australia’s worst financial and amoral mistake ever…the NDIS.
Due to privacy concerns, the name and location of this
recipient has been withheld.
AUSTRALIA DAY DECISION
I refer to Greater Shepparton City Council’s decision to review its position on Australia Day celebrations and remind them that it takes courage to lead a community in the right direction. There are historical precedents that show that supporting the rights and views of first nation’s people in our society are not popular.
I had reason to recently explore the history of the Myall Creek massacre in NSW, which became the first occasion that a party of colonists was brought to justice for murdering a large group of innocent first nation’s people. It took great courage for three people to come forward and report the incident to the authorities. It took great courage on behalf of a magistrate to investigate the matter and courage from the Governor and the Attorney-General to order the investigation and ultimately achieve some justice.
The trial process produced a high level of negative attention in the press at the time, and the intimidation of witnesses and prospective jurors made it difficult to assemble a jury that would turn up to court let alone remain impartial.
Quotes from the National Museum article on the web include:
“The colonial community of New South Wales was more outraged by the execution of British citizens than they were by the massacre of the Wirrayaraay people. “
“While today it is acknowledged that the First Peoples of Australia have deep connections to their country, the often-brutal ways in which they were dispossessed of their homelands during colonisation are not.”
Where will our council stand, with the minority of brave souls that strive to make us a more just society, or with the other?
Rolf Weber
Shepparton
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