NannySA chief tells Royal Commission paedophile Shannon McCoole worked shift while he was suspended

PAEDOPHILE Shannon McCoole worked a shift caring for vulnerable children while suspended because of a rostering error, it has emerged.

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PAEDOPHILE Shannon McCoole worked a shift caring for vulnerable children while suspended because of a rostering error, it has emerged.

The Royal Commission examining the state’s child protection system is conducting hearings into the employment and supervision of McCoole, who has been jailed for 35 years for sexually abusing children in his care between 2011 and 2014.

NannySA managing director Tanya Cole leaves the commission.

McCoole worked for Families SA and contract agency NannySA.

NannySA managing director Tanya Cole told the commission that McCoole was rostered to work a shift in September, 2013, despite the fact that he was suspended while under investigation over concerns he may have abused a girl he had cared for. He was eventually arrested in June 2014.

Ms Cole explained that the computer system used to organise NannySA staff rosters should have prevented McCoole from being allocated any shifts while suspended.

However, for some reason, McCoole’s status was changed from inactive to active, which enabled him to be offered a shift for the agency, working in a state-run residential care home, in early September, 2013.

“It was just accidental that he got placed back on (the roster),” Ms Cole said.

“We had changed him over to make him active. Once we realised, he was made inactive again.”

McCoole was not disciplined for accepting the shift, despite knowing he was suspended.

Ms Cole said NannySA “took it upon ourselves as being our fault”.

Counsel Assisting, Emily Telfer, asked Ms Cole if a more “principled” worker would have declined the shift and Ms Cole agreed that would have been more appropriate.

Shannon McCoole has been jailed for 35 years for sexually abusing children in his care between 2011 and 2014.

Ms Cole also revealed that McCoole had been anxious to return from suspension and had persistently phoned NannySA staff.

The commission heard excerpts from an email from another NannySA staff member that warned McCoole could launch “potentially expensive” legal action over lost wages while suspended.

Ms Cole said this did not cause NannySA to “try to speed the process up” but she conceded she held a “fear” that the longer the situation remained unresolved, the greater the risk of McCoole taking action.

Separate concerns were also raised that there were requests from Families SA for McCoole to work other shifts while he did not have a current police clearance.

Another NannySA staffer who gave evidence to the commission detailed an anonymous phone call she took regarding concerns that McCoole was talking publicly about children in his care, including places he took them, how he changed their nappies and that they wanted “kisses and cuddles” before bed.

The worker believed the anonymous caller was concerned about McCoole breaking confidentiality rules.

The phone call was mentioned to a superior, who counselled McCoole over the phone, but it was not passed on to Families SA or investigated further.

The commission also heard:

McCOOLE was highly regarded by colleagues, “everybody loved him” and there was “competition” to secure him to work in a number of houses.

FORMER Families SA boss David Waterford, who resigned after revealing he had given inaccurate advice about the McCoole case, will be called to give evidence.