Harlan

‘The culture hasn’t changed – the culture of abusing clients, the culture of abusing staff.’

Harlan has worked as a disability support worker in group homes for many years. Initially the state government owned and managed the homes. When the NDIS was introduced, private disability service providers took over.

Harlan told the Royal Commission that irrespective of who manages the homes, the same issues with workplace culture and discriminatory policies remain. He said there is a ‘toxic culture’ in many of the homes.

Six years ago, a client assaulted Harlan. Harlan reported the incident to management and the police. Management suspended Harlan without pay while the incident was investigated. This was the first time Harlan realised there was a strong disincentive to report any incident. ‘Essentially you will get stood down for reporting abuse’, even if the person making the report is the victim. Harlan was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. A union representative helped him and the home paid him back pay.

Harlan called one home he worked at ‘the hellhole’. He witnessed staff cooking their own meals during work time and taking residents’ food home with them. The area manager ‘completely ignored’ Harlan’s complaints and cut his shifts ‘as punishment’.

A few years later at another home, a staff member locked a resident in her room overnight, wedging a towel under the door to jam it shut. The staff member told Harlan the woman was wandering during the night. Harlan took some photos and sent them to the area manager. The manager accused him of being a serial complainer and moved him to a different house.

Not long after Harlan left he heard a resident had died in the house. He tried to find out some information about her death but management refused to tell him anything on privacy grounds. Harlan is unaware if there was a formal investigation. He said the resident who died had little quality of care. She was malnourished, staff moved her in a ‘rough way’, and they kept her in front of the television for most of the day.

A few years ago, Harlan reported his supervisor for bullying him for making complaints. Management investigated and moved Harlan to a different house. Harlan lost clients he had formed good relationships with and his mental wellbeing deteriorated.

More recently, Harlan witnessed a staff member lock a resident outside in the middle of winter. Harlan reported the incident and management immediately cut his shifts.

Not long after this a resident made a complaint against Harlan. Management formally suspended Harlan for seven months without pay. Although the allegation was unsubstantiated, management refused to allow Harlan back to the house.

At the last house Harlan worked in, a resident had a fall. Because of occupational health and safety procedures, the supervisor told staff not to help him up. The resident had to wait more than an hour on the floor and in pain for an ambulance to arrive.

Harlan made a complaint about this and the work practices of some of the staff at the house. Management informed him staff had also made a complaint about him and suspended him.

He believes these complaints are unfounded and staff made them up to punish him for speaking out.

Harlan believes management have breached his employment agreement.

‘We are not giving our best care to the people we are supposed to be supporting. And it is sad.’