Great point from @RosemaryKayess about segregation increasing the risk of abuse across all areas - housing, education, work. Other witnesses have also emphasised research showing that being part of the wider community, with strong relationships, protects people. #DisabilityRC
People with #disability are not "vulnerable" or "at risk" by default because of our disability! We are MADE vulnerable and PUT at risk by systems that isolate us from other people (with disability and without!)
@LIDSLaTrobe She is talking about spending a lot of time physically observing what happens in group homes to see things that the people who live there can't explain and the people who work there won't explain.
She says about 30% of people in group homes could move out tomorrow if there was affordable housing + disability support available, but a lot more work needs to be done to create alternatives for the rest.
Bigby: Some people have never known anything else, so it's hard for them to make those choices. "The only way you can know that is by giving people those experiences."
Bigby says people with intellectual disability need good support workers backed up by good supervision and organisational support, but they also need relationships outside of support relationships.
There are some pretty upsetting descriptions of how staff dehumanise people with #disability in the worst group homes. "Residents were seen as non-people."
When the researchers asked around about better group homes, they found only three of the homes suggested were actually up to their standards - which definitely says something.
At those three, support was a lot more individualised, with support workers considering people's different support needs and seeing them as people. (Wow.) Staff had warm relationships with people and felt their purpose was supporting ppl's will and preferences.
Bigby's research team looked at a very large number of factors in group homes, and found the only thing that reliably determines how well people are treated is how good the management is.
Bigby: We developed training and were repeatedly told that #NDIS funding wasn't enough for staff to actually do the training, so they just watched the videos.
Bigby: Some people living alone with drop-in support "are no more connected to the community than people in group homes" - moving people out of group homes is not enough.
Bigby says people with more severe impairments may have different preferences to the people with intellectual disability who are able to speak to the Commission.
She warns against being too politically correct, @almcewin asks what that means. #DisabilityRC
@almcewin Bigby: "I've been criticised by NDIS and advocates for not having people with ID involved with designing the research... When we've talked to hundreds of people with ID in our research, bringing out one person is tokenistic."
Getting ready to live tweet the last day of the #DisabilityRC hearing into the use of psychotropic medication and chemical restraints.
It's been a tough week, so if you need to mute this thread of the hashtag, we do understand.
If you feel impacted by anything you read here today, remember you can always call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
You can also call the National Counselling and Referral Service (specifically set up to support people impacted by anything related to the #DisabilityRC) on 1800 421 468.
We have been very disappointed so far with the lack of people with disability giving evidence at this hearing, and we'd like to start this thread today by sharing three blogs written for us by people with lived experience of the mental health system. #DisabilityRC
Getting ready to live tweet the #DisabilityRC again this morning. Thanks to everyone following along this week. Some of the testimony is confronting to hear, and we appreciate everyone engaging with us this week.
As always, if you need support, you can reach Lifeline on 13 11 14.
You can also call the National Counselling and Referral Service, set up to support anyone impacted by anything related to the #DisabilityRC, on 1800 421 468.
@FrancesPWDA is live tweeting this morning's #DisabilityRC sessions. You can follow the thread here:
It's day 2 of the Disability Royal Commission into "the use of psychotropic medication, behaviour support and behaviours of concern". We'll be live tweeting from here again today using the hashtag #DisabilityRC
We heard some harrowing testimony yesterday and we encourage everyone to look after yourselves as we go through this together.
We invite you to follow along on the journey with us, but also remember you can temporarily mute the hashtag or a thread if you need to. #DisabilityRC
@FrancesPWDA will be live tweeting for us from her account this morning. Check out the thread here:
The 6th Disability Royal Commission hearing on "the use of psychotropic medication, behaviour support and behaviours of concern" starts today at 10am, and we will be live tweeting the proceedings from here.
We'll be using the hashtag #DisabilityRC if you'd like to join us.