Kyler
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.
Kyler has a speech and language disorder. When he was about 10, child protection services placed him in foster care in the regional town where he had grown up. He lived in several different homes and remembers this time in his life positively. He had friends in the town and felt ‘comfortable’ there.
In his early teens, he was moved to group accommodation in another regional town.
‘There was things that should not have happened,’ Kyler told the Royal Commission. ‘That is when I experienced hard experiences. It was not just me, but the other kids as well.’
Kyler described a regimented environment with strict rules and routines. The accommodation was in separate cottages with security glass, alarms and locks on the doors and windows.
‘If they done some bad stuff – the kids in the complex – they had to stay in their cottages and they got locked doors. It means you can’t go in or out of the complex.’
Kyler said police were constantly at the group home, bringing back kids who’d got into trouble or who were trying to run away. ‘I see the police involved nearly every day because the kids have bad lives,’ he said.
He said lack of trained staff was a big cause of problems.
‘Kids don’t have the right person to look after them or they don’t have the knowledge … Most of them don’t have experience with kids. Most of them are out of, let’s say a corner shop, and they started working for youth support,’ he said.
‘Staying there for myself makes me feel like a prisoner … All I wanted to say is it should be shut down years ago …They should not be looking after disabled people if they don’t have the training. They should not be looking after any person who is disabled.’
Kyler said he was not properly supported by his social services case worker. The case worker didn’t give him information about the disability pension or help him apply for it. He organised for the state guardianship to manage Kyler’s affairs without Kyler fully understanding the consequences. He is upset he can no longer can manage his own money as he wants to.
He is also unhappy about the amount taken from his pension for rent and other costs.
‘They take advantage of disabled people, of their pensions. And it makes me mad that I get $65 a fortnight … Maybe it’s good for the company, but how about the clients? They can’t go on a holiday, they can’t do something they want. They can’t buy a car. They can’t do anything they want with their life savings.’
Kyler is now in his early 20s. Since he turned 18 he has lived in several different group homes. He is concerned that the NDIA allows housing providers to accommodate people with very different needs together.
‘How are companies going to deal with … anyone who breaks the law, drug users, high functioning people, people like me, and aged care? How are they going to manage all of that into one? They should be in one section in the one house,’ he said. ‘Aged care people should be with aged care. Law breakers should be with law breakers with procedure in place. High function should be with high function. Make the process easy. Make the rent for disabled people a little bit less. Have new legislation to stop that. When it is all fixed it will be different.’
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.