Raph, Santino and Vern
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.
Raph and Santino are brothers. Both men are in their 30s, have autism, a cognitive disability and are non-verbal. They live with their family.
Sometime ago their dad, Vern, became preoccupied by what would happen to his sons if anything happened to him and his wife.
Over the years Raph and Santino have lived in different supported accommodation facilities. Vern told the Royal Commission his sons’ experiences have been poor – irrespective of whether the accommodation is managed by government, profit or non-profit service providers.
‘Many times on arrival the fridge appeared virtually empty,’ Vern said. The nutritional value of the food was questionable. For example, one time the dinner meal was pie and vegetables but there were only two party pies in the fridge and minimal vegetables. If Raph and Santino had a take-away meal they had to pay for the meal on top of the amount they were paying for food and accommodation.
Vern also discovered little or no consideration given to the compatibility of people living in the house. He said providers often placed people with aggressive, volatile behaviours with people who are quiet and passive.
Vern said residents had very few rights. Providers had the power to remove people from a home against their will. Some providers discouraged families from visiting the homes.
‘In some circumstances barriers are constantly put up to make it almost impossible for parents to see their loved ones.’
One of the barriers for families was the ‘elaborate and often unnecessary house rules and procedures,’ Vern said. ‘Parents must give notice if they wish to visit their son or daughter.’
Raph and Santino have independent support workers who take them to activities. These workers were not allowed in the house and had to wait outside for Raph and Santino.
Raph requires one-on-one care at all times. On one occasion he left the house and wandered the streets. Another resident, out with his support worker, noticed Raph and they were able to take him back home.
Vern requested an incident report to find out what happened. Management ignored him and when Vern continued to request the report, they contacted the police. Vern was banned from entering any of the disability service provider sites for 18 months.
Raph and Santino’s mother was particularly concerned about her sons being be able to live together if anything happened to her and Vern. She raised this with the relevant government agency who said they couldn’t guarantee the brothers could be housed together.
This was the final straw for Vern. With no faith in the supported accommodation model he decided to go it alone.
‘At our cost, we have built a unit on to our house and now our two sons live happily in the existing house together … assisted by the family and handpicked support workers.’
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.