The flyer below will be distributed to the general public - in the public interest - at different locations on election day. SING finds it very hard to believe - after the media coverage of serious cases, and the damning evidence being revealed on this website - that your elected members are not aware of these cases of mismanagement at Eventide, Brighton, over many years. Eventide and other facilities cannot afford to lose any more credible advocates, whose only crime was to speak out on behalf of our frail, vulnerable, older and disabled citizens.
Premier,
Your Metro North Health Service District Chief Executive Officer and your Deputy Director-General Corporate Services may have committed a criminal offence by terminating the employment of Karen Smith SING SUPPORT GROUP member.
Karen Smith gained Whistleblower protection when she presented to the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) on the 9th October 2007. The sexual abuse of two female residents in Bramble House, Eventide and other serious matters were reported. By the time this matter aired on Network Ten News on the 26th March 2008, the number of victims had increased to seven. For more in depth information regarding the chronology of events, please refer to March 2009 archives on the right side of the website and click on the 6th March.
Karen Smith received this email below from Mr Dean Wells, but is not confident that any action will be taken after the election, assuming that this government will remain in power after Saturday's election.
Karen Smith has been advised to seek legal advice regarding this serious matter. SING suggests that not only was her termination of employment unlawful, but reprisal can be clearly proven.
Another SING SUPPORT GROUP member gained Whistleblower protection on the 31 October 2008 from the CMC, when she reported serious matters regarding abuse and assault of residents in Ebbtide House, Eventide. SING believes that this protected Whistleblower has also had reprisal committed against her.
AN INQUIRY IS IMPERATIVE. THE CODE OF CONDUCT WAS FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER IN THESE CASES. IT WAS THE DELIBERATE DISREGARD BY EVENTIDE MANAGEMENT AND QUEENSLAND HEALTH TO ADHERE TO THEIR OWN POLICIES THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES TO THE CMC AND THEN TO THE MEDIA
Karen I recently took the Department of Education to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal and brought up the issue of them producing documents to support the processes in relation to investigations as set out in their Policies. This is a NSW issue but trust me the process is the same and I was told that Policies were only 'guidelines' and they didn't 'have to be' adhered to and that not all cases of 'child abuse' had to be investigated. We had made formal complaints of bullying and psychological abuse. Basically the abuser /bully gets to choose how to deal with the complaint and whether to own up or go on the attack.
ReplyDeleteApparently they do not have to investigate every complaint and they do not even have to keep documents in relation to the 'so called' investigations that they say that they conduct and they don't, so nothing can ever be proven. So pretty much bullying, corrupt and abusing public servants who want to cover up have the green light to do what they want as they do not 'have to' follow the Policies set in place to investigate complaints and they do not 'have to' keep proper documents. They can even destroy without question or challenge.
I have even tried different Solicitors asking them how, under Administrative law, can we hold these people to account and all that has happened is that they have taken my money.
It seems that there is no Law or avenue to hold public servants who abuse their power and fail in their duty of care to account and no 'independent and fair process' to protect the elderly, disabled and even children.
There needs to be an avenue for people to put these matters before an 'independent panel' so as to present the case and a Law that ensures that those in positions of power who fail in their duty of care, bully and/or abuse others are held to account and removed from their positions.