‘Spy’ mum tells of abuse

The Autism News | English

By Stephen Drill | Herald

A MOTHER of an autistic man has revealed how she went undercover as a Department of Human Services carer to lift the lid on neglect and abuse within community-based homes.

Heather Tregale became a carer to spy on staff who look after people like her son, Paul.

She says that during her years with the department as a direct care worker, she witnessed physical and psychological torture of patients.

The worst cases were:

STAFF tipping a patient out of a wheelchair because he had rolled over to watch them cooking a barbecue for themselves.

CARERS who had admitted to “belting” clients were simply moved on rather than sacked.

AN AUTISTIC man made to sit in the corner for hours over two days as punishment for annoying a carer.

A DISABLED man slapped across the face by a staff member for wetting his pants.

STAFF making her stand watch for the supervisor while they played eight-ball on the clients’ billiard table.

Mrs Tregale took on the challenge of caring for people like her son in an official capacity after a DHS bureaucrat told her she did not know what she was talking about. Mrs Tregale, now 68, worked for the DHS as a carer for almost four years between 1995 and 2000.

She said patients’ behaviour became increasingly worse because carers would fail to interact with them.

“They were more like wardens than carers,” she said.

“Instead of talking to the residents, the staff would just drink coffee and wait until the end of her shift.”

Mrs Tregale who, with her husband Tony, runs a lobby group for people with autism, has called on the DHS to have an overhaul of training.

Mr Tregale said parents needed more say over how children like his son were cared for.

“The department doesn’t care how much you badmouth them – they get paid no matter what they do,” he said.

Health and Community Services Union Victorian branch secretary Lloyd Williams dismissed claims that his union told carers not to report complaints.

“We encourage people who have done the wrong thing to get out of the industry,” he said.

DHS spokesman Brendan Ryan said staff took their duty of care to clients “very seriously”.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25700487-2862,00.html

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