Children involved in serious incidents with Families SA workers must be given chance to compare their version of events

CHILDREN involved in serious incidents with Families SA workers must now be given the chance to compare their version of events with reports made by their carers.

• Inquiry: McCoole promoted after bringing R-rated film into care house
• Inquiry: Testing revealed McCoole had potential to abuse authority
• Inquiry: McCoole was identified as ‘high risk’ but still hired
• SENTENCED: McCoole jailed for 35 years for horrific sexual abuse

CHILDREN involved in serious incidents with Families SA workers must now be given the chance to compare their version of events with reports made by their carers.

A Royal Commission on Wednesday heard that the policy has been introduced in the wake of former Families SA worker Shannon McCoole’s conviction for sex offences against children in his care.

Youth workers told the commission that policy now requires children to be separately interviewed about so-called critical incidents, such as being physically restrained by a carer, as part of formally reporting an incident.

A form recording their views must be attached to the carer’s report.

The new policy is understood to have come into effect about two months ago.

The commission is examining how McCoole, who worked for Families SA and NannySA, was able to sexually abuse children in his care between 2011 and 2014.

It heard about two separate critical incidents involving him — one when he physically restrained a young boy and was told by another worker to stop, and a second when he burst in on a young girl in a bathroom while her pants were down, prompting her to call him a “paedophile”.

Neither of the children were formally interviewed about the incidents.

On both occasions there were other Families SA workers present but, when asked by junior Counsel Assisting, Melissa Wilkinson, if they would agree with formal reports of the incidents, both workers said no.

The commission also heard:

A COLLEAGUE of McCoole’s called a locum over concerns about a red rash she noticed on the genitalia of an 18-month-old girl who had been in McCoole’s care and was behaving unusually.

A MOBILE phone which a young boy in state care had used to take naked photos of himself ended up in McCoole’s possession because he was managing a group of state-run homes, including the home where the boy lived.

THE same boy drew an image of two penises on his bedroom wall which a Families SA youth worker believed might suggest sexual abuse.

CHILDREN in care often make claims about inappropriate behaviour by carers and some in Families SA management believed men were more often targeted.

THE use of rotating contract carers for overnight shifts is “frightening” to children who may wake up and not recognise the new adult in their house.

McCoole was described by colleagues as “arrogant”, “bombastic”, “a little bit full of himself” and strict, controlling and dominating of the children in his care.

Two workers said that he had “strong” opinions about gender roles, expecting female colleagues to cook but not letting them drive work vehicles.