Director of banned Integrity Care teaching aged and disability care at mum’s Adelaide business Wade Vocational Training

Two directors of Integrity Care SA – banned over the death of Annie Smith – are working at their mother’s training company, which is now fighting a suspension.

A training company linked to Integrity Care SA Ltd – the business banned from providing NDIS services after the death of neglect victim Annie Smith – is seeking a review of a suspension.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) last year suspended Wade Vocational Training from teaching Certificate III in Individual Support, a qualification needed for aged- and disability-care jobs.

The suspension, which ASQA said was for legislative breaches following compliance monitoring activity, has been stayed, pending an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Wade Vocational Training (WVT) chief executive Kerrie Wade, through her lawyer, has strongly denied any wrongdoing, insisting the company is compliant.

WVT further noted that ASQA had consented to an unconditional stay of all decisions concerning the company.

Past and present students and staff have told the Sunday Mail that Ms Wade’s daughters Amy-June Collins and Alison Maree Virgo – both Integrity Care SA Ltd directors – are working for their mother’s company, in Melrose Park.

There is no suggestion of any personal wrongdoing by Ms Collins and Ms Virgo.

Students said Ms Collins had been teaching people enrolled in Certificate III in Individual Support.

Ann Marie Smith in 2011 with her dogs Maggie and Deana.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, students said they feared employers might unfairly think twice before hiring graduates of a business linked to Integrity Care SA Ltd.

Backed by Opposition human services spokeswoman Nat Cook, they are asking ASQA and the State Government facilitate their transfer, including credit for study completed so far, to another training provider without penalty.

One student said their biggest concern was the effect any link to Integrity Care SA Ltd would have on their employment prospects. The student also said they were “never made aware” of the ASQA suspension. “That’s really concerning,” the student said.

Another said: “The State Government and ASQA has a responsibility to sort this mess out.”

The State Government said it could support students to continue their subsidised training with an alternative provider if their current one was suspended from taking on new students, or was unable to continue to operate.

Integrity Care SA Ltd was banned by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission last August.

The company is part of SA Police’s ongoing investigation into the death of Ms Smith.

Integrity Care SA Ltd can still run non-NDIS services and nothing prohibits Ms Collins or Ms Virgo from working for that company or WVT.

Ms Smith, 54, who had cerebral palsy, last year died in hospital after living in appalling conditions in her Kensington Park home under the care of Integrity Care SA Ltd worker Rosemary Maione, who is facing a manslaughter charge.

After the death, Integrity Care SA Ltd released a statement saying it had fired Maione over “serious and wilful misconduct” and that it had been “completely misled” by her.

Rosemary Maione outside Adelaide Magistrates Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Past links between Wade Vocational Training and Integrity Care SA Ltd include Ms Wade loaning Integrity Care SA Ltd $390,389 in 2018 and $468,864 in 2017.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show another of Ms Wade’s companies, Wadecare Support Staff, became the registered operator of a business called Integrity Care in 2013. Its registration was cancelled in June 2017.

The previous month, a new business called Integrity Care SA Ltd, with Ms Wade’s daughters as directors, was registered at the same Edwardstown address as Wadecare Support Staff and Integrity Care. The Sunday Mail does not suggest Ms Wade played any part in the operation of Integrity Care SA Ltd.

Ms Wade declined to comment, but her Sydney-based lawyer, Peter Doukas, said Wade Vocational Training did not own or control Integrity Care SA Ltd.

Mr Doukas said Wade Vocational Training rejected any assertion of any wrongdoing and was compliant with all relative standards and legislation, noting ASQA had consented unopposed to an unconditional stay of the suspension.

He said the matter was listed for conciliation in the tribunal and would not provide further comment.

Ms Collins and Ms Virgo were contacted for comment via lawyers for Integrity Care SA Ltd, who did not respond.