The tragic turn of events at a group home continue

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Public Service Association say their warning to the government to not move residents out of the Stockton Centre went unnoticed and now residents, carers and workers are paying the price.

It's been a tragic turn of events with two tragic deaths and two other resident hospitalisations from the same centre after moving into the new group home in Stockton, and now a fifth former resident has been hospitalised.

Hunter Public Service Association organiser Paul James can't believe the situation continues to happen at the group home where residents should be getting the best possible care.

"What's occurred is because of the rush people have lost out and possibly there have been gaps created. We know Sydney orchestrated the move for the clients and possibly some of those clients shouldn't have been moved out in the first place."

Now the concern is that the government won't fix the problem, and Paul James certainly believes even if they do something it won't be anytime soon.

"I don't honestly think that they care about the clients but they see this as a process and my understanding is when the NDIS initially arrived they saw this as a golden goose in terms of making and saving money."

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Disability Services Minister Under Fire Over Hunter Visit

BY IAN CROUCH

The Public Service Association has described as disgraceful a decision by the state's new Disability Services Minister to meet with big business instead of the disabled community during his visit to Newcastle.

The PSA says Ray Williams spent yesterday's visit talking up the profit making possibilities from the National Disability Insurance Scheme to business leaders.

The union says the minister missed a golden opportunity to find out exactly how the rollout of the scheme is affecting disabled people, their carers and support workers.

NSW Disability Services Minister Ray Williams