How Could You? Hall of Shame-Australia-Northern Territory Residential Home Worker

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions

From Northern Territory, Australia, “staff members inappropriately touched children at a residential care home in the Northern Territory, a former worker has alleged.

Helen (not her real name), who worked for an organisation she declined to name in 2014, told the ABC she saw a fellow staff member inappropriately touching children in one of the group homes the organisation managed.

Despite taking her concerns to management, she claims they did not investigate.

Helen said she saw behaviour of a middle-aged male colleague that she believed “crossed the boundaries”.

She said the organisation’s policy stated that staff “weren’t to touch any children at all … no hugging, no kissing, especially having them in a vulnerable position that maybe previously meant something else to them”.

Helen says female children living in the home told her they felt uncomfortable being hugged by the male worker.

Claims of Petty Theft

Helen also claims there was widespread theft in the organisation, with hundreds of dollars going missing every week.

“The float wasn’t consistent and [there was] an inconsistency with receipts … there would often be discrepancies over how much money was left at the end of the week,” she said.

Helen said she raised the issues with management in her organisation as well as with a government official, but nothing was done.

Having worked in residential care elsewhere in Australia and overseas for four years prior to working in the Territory, she described the situation in the NT as being “far worse”.

“They hire anybody that will walk through the door, as long as you pass a working with children check … it was a bit of a joke.”

The allegations follow the broadcast two weeks ago of a Four Corners report on privately-run residential group homes for children around Australia, which found vulnerable children were still being placed in danger, being preyed upon an sexually, physically and emotionally abused by other children.

The NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne has also said many providers failed to give the support children needed and that residential foster care was not the best model and an alternative should be found.”

Claims of inappropriate touching, petty theft in NT children’s group home[ABC News 11/26/16 by Alex Barwick]

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