Advocates detail 'frequent and intense' incidents of violence in Life Without Barriers' group homes


Dr Colleen Pearce, one of four witnesses from Victoria's Office of the Public Advocate, gave evidence on Thursday, saying the house had "frequent and intense resident-on-resident violence".

Community Visitors from the office visited the Melbourne home at least 20 times, Dr Pearce said.

"Sometimes we were satisfied that (the violence) was being managed relatively well, but the majority of the time we were surprised, and unpleasantly surprised, about the frequency and intensity of the violence between residents," she said.

Leadership was lacking, she said, and support staff did not have have the knowledge or the support to effectively manage what was happening in the house. Casual and agency staff were often relied on, and they often did not have time to read a behaviour support plan, nor the skills or training to implement them.

https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7544571/advocates-detail-frequent-and-intense-incidents-of-violence-in-life-without-barriers-group-homes/

(This article was syndicated to 104 publications throughout Australia)

Media Contacts