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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-03 Daily Xml
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Adult Safeguarding Unit

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:07): I seek to make a brief explanation—by my standards—

The PRESIDENT: You are seeking leave?

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I am seeking leave.

Leave granted.

The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for a brief explanation.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I didn't even finish the opening paragraph, Mr President. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission recently released its findings into the Kindred Living aged-care facility in Whyalla, after whistleblowers approached me and aged-care advocate Stewart Johnston about the treatment of residents following a scabies outbreak which became the subject of a story on national television late last year.

The commission found the facility posed an immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing of care recipients, with Kindred Living failing in each of the eight compliance standards, including consumer dignity and choice, personal and clinical care, feedback and complaints, and human services. It is the third time in three years Kindred Living has been sanctioned by the commission. My questions to the minister are:

1. Can the minister please provide information on the role the South Australian Adult Safeguarding Unit played in the commission's investigation?

2. Can the minister provide information on how many people contacted the unit with information about Kindred Living?

3. What action can the safeguarding unit take to protect whistleblowers in South Australia's aged-care sector?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:08): I thank the honourable member for his question. The honourable member is right to indicate that Kindred Living was the subject of sanctions. My understanding is that there was one other facility in South Australia that has been subject to sanctions as well, which as the honourable member says, and it was my understanding, was Regis Burnside.

It is very concerning to hear reports that the commonwealth Department of Health has found that there are providers that represent immediate and severe risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of care recipients. As I did at the end of last year, I pay tribute to the advocacy of Mr Stewart Johnston and the Hon. Frank Pangallo in relation to Kindred Living, and clearly the actions by the commonwealth indicate that there were legitimate concerns on that site.

The honourable member has raised with me the issue of victimisation and this government takes victimisation extremely seriously. I am not aware of the Adult Safeguarding Unit having the capacity to deal with victimisation of staff in response to complaints that they have made in relation to the welfare of older people. To be frank, in that context, the safeguarding unit now deals with people with disabilities as well, so the same would apply in relation to those services.

I will certainly take that on notice and seek the additional information the honourable member seeks in terms of what reports the safeguarding unit had received in relation to the Whyalla site.

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