Jaimie

Jaimie has worked in his regional area as a support worker for more than a decade.

‘I’ve seen staff run from houses because they can’t handle the behaviour of a client,’ Jaimie told the Royal Commission. ‘I can calm a client down [but] … I just feel like everything that I do is just not worth it anymore.’

About a year ago Jaimie worked with a non-verbal First Nations man in supported accommodation. Not long after he started the job, he saw another worker grab a jug of hot water and chase the man outside.

‘[The worker] said, “If he doesn’t want to participate in anything you have to get him up to do it. So what we do is we use a jug of hot water.”’

Jaimie said the man appeared to have previous burn marks and he reported the incident to the service provider’s manager, but ‘didn’t hear much after that’.

‘It’s very distressing for me … He’s non-verbal. So when somebody’s chasing him with hot water, of course I’m going to try and do something about it to stop it. But I just couldn’t because the other staff member wouldn’t listen to me.’

Jaimie said the same service provider wanted to move another First Nations man to a town away from his family.

‘He didn’t want to move out there because his family was out here and he could see his children and his grandchildren … I tried to intervene by advocating for him and sending an email to the CEO and all the other staff, and they said that this is a breach of policy.’

The service provider fired Jaimie, but still employs the worker who threatened a client with hot water.

Jaimie said there is significant nepotism in the disability sector.

‘I’ve seen in the many, many years of working in this sector that family members work in these organisations and get their family into work. I don’t think half of these people, maybe even three quarters, have the qualifications to do it.’

He says some service providers cut corners by not properly training people.

‘Medication administration is pretty important. I did work for one organisation that put me through a course, but that was just for that organisation. And so when people find out my experience they’re just, like, “You’ll be fine with it, don’t worry about it.”’

One service provider told him to give the First Nations clients insulin injections.

‘I know it’s only insulin, but if I put in the wrong dosage, too much or too little, I’m responsible for it … You know, I was assisting a lot of people in jobs that I was not qualified for. I’m not a nurse.’

Jaimie’s said he’s also seen service providers feeding people dreadful meals.

‘I’ve witnessed over the years people mixing a [blended] steak with some milk to create a meal for somebody.’

Jaimie tries to make sure the residents he supports get the food they like to eat, such as fresh seafood and fruit.

‘We got a huge bowl and I tell you two kilos of mandarins would be gone in about 10 minutes … I got dragged over the coals for that because my weekly shopping bill was $500 for four people in one house. Apparently I was only allowed to spend $200 a week on shopping.’

Colleagues tell Jaimie he has ‘something special’ to offer, but service providers don’t seem to value compassion.

‘People stand over the top of me and say, “No stop, you can’t do that. No, you can’t do this. No, you can’t do that.” And I’m just like, “But we’re trying to give these people a better quality of life.”’