New Innovation in Understanding Child Protection for the Hunter

BY Giorgia Wilson 

A project by the University of Newcastle aims to develop a map of the historic perpetrator networks in the Catholic and Anglican Churches, charting their movements within the institutions. 

Dr Kathleen McPhillips, Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle School of Humanities and Social Science, is currently recruiting survivors and community members for the project focusing on the Hunter. 

"What we're doing is trying to see if there is evidence to establish whether there was an organisation of clergy perpetrators and not just a few bad apples in an otherwise good barrel as claimed by the Churches," said Dr McPhillips. 

This follows on from the Child Abuse Royal Commission findings for the Hunter region and involves using social network analysis to build a map of the network of clergy perpetrators and their supporters. 

Dr McPhillips says research suggests that child abuse was highly organised and facilitated by adults both within and external to schools and parishes. 

"We suspect there is a network" says Dr McPhillips, "we think that survivors have a lot of information that can help us put this map together."

Dr McPhillips' research is investigating public inquiry and church-based archives and documents, and interviewing survivors, their families, and the community to put together the picture of the movement of the clergy perpetrators and who they networked with. 

"The project is very important in terms of child safety" said Dr McPhillip's, "we will develop more skills to understand child protection and how that is best served." 

If you would like to take part in the project, Dr McPhillips can be contacted via email at kathleen.mcphillips@newcastle.edu.au or phone her office on 02 4921 5920

If you need help, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

Dr Kathleen McPhillips

Catholic and Anglican Churches

Fair Work Commission to Assess Pay Rise for Aged Care Workers

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Health Services Union will bring a landmark work value case before the Fair Work Commission on Thursday, hoping to lift wages for aged care workers by 25 percent.

If the case is successful, more than 200,000 staff in the aged care sector would see their pay increase by at least five dollars an hour - a qualified personal carer would see their base hourly rate jump from $23.09 to $28.86.

The union is also attempting have specialist carers in areas such as dementia or palliative care recognised.

HSU President Gerard Hayes said aged care workers have suffered from underpayment and insecure work for too long and deserved to be "recognised and paid for their skills."

"4 in 10 people plan on leaving aged care within the next two to three years, because it's just not sustainable," Mr Hayes said. "People are working two or three jobs to be able to make ends meet because they can't just work in one facility." 

"There's a whole of these issues that have been exemplified in real time, throughout the Royal Commission, and if we're not doing something immediately, then I think it's an indictment on the society that we have."

Recent modelling by the HSU has claimed a 0.65 percent rise in the Medicare levy would raise $20.4 billion and provide the necessary funds to accommodate both the pay rise and an additional 59,000 jobs in the aged care sector.

"The Federal Government cannot keep hiding behind the Aged Care Royal Commission," Mr Hayes said. "We need action immediately." 

Redress Scheme Inquiry Hearings to Include Newcastle

BY KAYNE STEPHENS

An inquiry into the National Redress Scheme will make its way to Newcastle as it hears from institutions and survivors of child sexual abuse for the two-year review of the scheme.

The Parliamentary Inquiry is preparing its second review of the Scheme and will hold five public hearings, including a session at Newcastle.

The redress scheme was launched following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which focused heavily on crimes perpetrated in Newcastle.

The Committee's Deputy Chair and Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon, said the hearings in Newcastle will play a key role in the inquiry.

"In the same way that people of Newcastle made a very strong contribution to the last report of the last inquiry into the National Redress Scheme, I think it is vital that the voices in Newcastle are heard again as we now approach the upcoming two-year review of the Scheme," she said.

"The shocking cases that we've had in our region of course were catalysts for the establishment of the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. So, we know that there are many people in Newcastle who have a very valuable contribution to make to this inquiry"

The hearing in Newcastle will be held on March 31.

Sharon Claydon said the inquiry is investigating various problems with the Scheme and the provision of funds.

"The National Redress Scheme has now been operating for more than 18 months and only 975 payments have been made. There are about 6,000 applications I believe still sitting to be assessed.

"That is unacceptable and I know that survivors in Newcastle will also find that offensive".

She said some organisations are yet to enrol in the Redress Scheme, and this will be examined a the inquiry.

“I’m also very worried that the Government still has no plan to deal with the organisations that don’t sign up to the scheme by the deadline of 30 June 2020.”

Stakeholders and survivors interested in taking part in the hearing can contact the Committee Secretariat on 6277 4549 or redress@aph.gov.au to register their interest.

Former Newcastle Anglican Bishops Face Disciplinary Action

BY IAN CROUCH

Two former Anglican Bishops of Newcastle and a former Assistant Bishop are set to face disciplinary action in the wake of the Royal Commission into child sex abuse.

Fairfax reports Alfred Holland and Roger Herft were found to have turned a blind eye to ongoing abuse by a group of perpetrators, or displayed a weak and ineffectual response to abuse allegations.

They've been referred to the church's Standards Commission, while former Assistant Bishop, Richard Appleby will face the diocese's Professional Standards Committee after the Royal Commission found his denial of knowledge of abuse allegations implausible.

Alfred Holland

Roger Herft

Richard Appleby

Maitland police charge man with heinous historical sex offences

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A man has been charged with sickening historical child sex offences allegedly committed in the Hunter during the 1960s.

Last year, officers from Newcastle Police were alerted by the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse about the alleged indecent assault of a then 3-year-old girl.

The 69-year-old accused was arrested around 9am yesterday morning at Maitland Police Station.

He was there charged with three counts of assault female and commit act of indecency on someone less than 16 years.

He's been granted conditional bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, March 15.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and any information given will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Police have issued a reminder that it's never too late to report sexual violence, and reports can be made at any police station.