Jaylen
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
Jaylen, in his early 50s, has an intellectual disability. About 20 years ago, after a series of assault charges, a court placed him on a supervised treatment order (STO). This covers his medication, requires him to be under supervision and limits where he can go and how many hours a week he can be in the community.
Jaylen lives in a group home with four others. With assistance from Marjorie and Jane, he told the Royal Commission about how the disability services provider has lately been using the STO as a restrictive measure to prevent his participation in the community.
One of Jaylen’s complaints is that there are ‘lots of restrictions and invasiveness’ in his private life. Some of these were imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have not been lifted since.
These include paying rent but having no say in how the home is managed. A room where Jaylen spent time doing large jigsaw puzzles and other activities was turned into an office. A gate that used to be left open is now kept locked.
‘He’s so upset about it because it didn’t used to be locked, and for him it means he can’t wave to the neighbours and that’s really important for him, to feel that he’s part of the outside,’ Marjorie said.
There are now fewer staff and there are often not enough people to look after residents. ‘It restricts what they can do in the day,’ Jane said. With no staff member available to accompany him on a walk or other outdoor activities, Jaylen has to wait for his NDIS support worker to come.
‘What do I do? I have to wait – sit around and wait for 4 o’clock in the afternoon … to go out for tea. I’ve got nothing on … Yes, just sitting in the house twiddling my thumb, doing nothing,’ Jaylen said.
‘Every time – every time I want to go out of the yard and the staff keep saying, “If you leave the yard or this house, we can call the cops on you.”’
Marjorie said she sometimes feels the service provider just makes rules up. Freedoms enjoyed by others aren’t available to Jaylen. She recalls this happened during COVID-19 lockdowns when Jaylen wasn’t allowed to go on a particular walk.
‘And I heard you say, “Why can everyone else go and I can’t go and do those things?” You were treated differently.’
Jaylen has family members he could visit but, again, he has to be accompanied. He told the Royal Commission that when his parents were in a serious car accident, the provider would not allow him to visit them at the hospital.
It is very frustrating. ‘Sometimes the blood pressure – I’ve got a BP in my room. I check my blood pressure. Sometimes it’s 172, right over my limit.’
Jaylen would like ‘just to go to places on [his] own without the staff for a change’ and see his friends.
‘I don’t want [the services provider] to interfere with my life anymore.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.