Learning from complaints, Occasional paper, no.1

This is the first of a series of Occasional Papers produced by the Victorian Disability Rights Commissioner on ‘Learning from Complaints’. These papers will cover key issues and learnings identified from our analysis of the themes arising from complaints made about disability services.These learnings tell us that systemically, when people who provide services do not have as their key driver a person centred and rights based approach to their work, less than optimal and sometimes adverse outcomes result for people with a disability. This first paper deals with one of the most disturbing of issues which can occur in disability service provision, namely alleged assaults or abuse of clients by staff entrusted to provide care and support. These incidents adversely affect not only those directly involved, but also the confidence of other clients, families and staff in relation to the disability service system. it is acknowledged that the vast majority of staff working in disability services are committed to, and do provide, positive care and assistance to the people they support and it is vital for them to feel part of a dedicated strategy to safeguard people’s rights to be free from abuse. (from the website) Record #4675