Oakden ICAC report: Spy cameras and investigations unit to be set up, says SA Government in response to damning report

SURVEILLANCE cameras would be installed in common areas of aged care homes and a new investigations unit formed as part of the Labor Government’s response to the ICAC Oakden report.

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SURVEILLANCE cameras would be installed in common areas of aged-care homes and a new investigations unit formed as part of the Labor Government’s response to the ICAC Oakden report.

It comes as Mental Health Minister Peter Malinauskas revealed that another report had been made concerning the behaviour of a staff member towards a resident at the refurbished Northgate aged care home.

The report was made last week, but there was a delay between the incident and the reporting, he said.

Mr Malinauskas did not detail the nature of the incident but said it had been reported to police.

He said police investigations of an earlier incident, reported on December 8 last year, had since been dropped.

“The police have substantiated that there’s no reason to conduct further inquiries,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“We have now put in place the most stringent of reporting regimes. The bar is very, very low when it comes to an incident taking place and what level it has to be at before it is quickly reported up the chain, including to me.”

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill speaks to the media over the ICAC findings. Picture: David Mariuz/AAP

Premier Jay Weatherill has outlined his government’s response to Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander QC’s report which described the new-closed facility as a disgrace and catalogued mistreatment of elderly residents.

Mr Lander made 13 recommendations for change, all of which the government has accepted.

These included urging more unannounced visits to inspect mental health facilities, more staff for such facilities and the offices of the Chief Psychiatrist and Principal Community Visitor, extra training and requirements for qualifications in mental health and reviewing the use of restraints.

Mr Weatherill said the Government also would require CCTV surveillance in common and public areas of aged care facilities “to assist in obtaining cogent evidence where there are allegations of abuse”.

He said a new investigation unit would be set up to ensure all former Oakden staff who have had allegations of abuse against them “are held accountable” and unresolved allegations are reinvestigated.

The team would include qualified investigators, including possible former police officers, but will not be established until after the March 17 election.

Other changes will include:

PROVIDING families of new residents at the state-run Northgate facility with advice on how to report any concerns or complaints that may arise.

DRAFTING laws changes to make it clear that the ICAC “is entitled to publish its findings” after maladministration investigations, following attempts by three people, including former minister Leesa Vlahos, to have their names kept out of the review Mr Lander handed down on Wednesday.

REQUIRING the Chief Psychiatrist’s office to make more unannounced visits to mental health facilities and to deliver a quarterly report to the minister.

The Government previously pledged to build a $14.7 million specialist aged care mental health facility and Mr Weatherill said site selection and design work was underway.

That facility will be equipped with CCTV surveillance.

The Government’s response also pledges that it would act quickly to “make reasonable offers of settlement” in any compensation claims lodged against the Government over treatment at the Oakden facility.

Mr Weatherill said that a number of families of former Oakden residents had expressed that they were considering launching such claims.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Weatherill said he felt “rising anger” at the “shifting of responsibility” over the Oakden aged care disgrace while reading the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption’s scathing report.

On FiveAA Radio, breakfast co-host and The Advertiser columnist David Penberthy said he felt “utter disgust” while reading it, before asking Mr Weatherill for his main emotion.

“Anger,” Mr Weatherill said.

PODCAST: OFF THE RECORD - THE OAKDEN REPORT

“Rising anger that people this vulnerable were let down so deeply by people and that there was a lot of shifting of responsibility.”

“When something as bad as this happens, people should be putting their hand up. They should have a consciousness of guilt immediately.”

“It’s a disgrace that it happened in the first place but having had it happened the people responsible for supervising it should have immediately acted.”

“If they hadn’t acted, then certainly accepting responsibility when they were found out.”

However, he said ministers were not responsible for what happened there as no one told them about conditions at Oakden.

He said basic human decency meant they would have taken action if they were aware.