Embattled childcare company to install CCTV at all centres

Embattled childcare provider G8 Education will install CCTV cameras in all its centres and allow parents to preference who changes their child’s nappies, as it responds to mounting pressure from investors following revelations that an accused child sexual abuser worked at four of its centres.

G8’s announcement of a range of actions, including expanding the use of CCTV cameras and an independent review into its former employee, came late on Monday after its share price dropped a further 2.5 per cent in a day to trade at 94¢.

G8 CEO Pejman Okhovat has announced CCTV will be installed at all the goup’s childcare centres.Credit: Glenn Campbell

It continued what has been a sharp decline from the $1.20 it was trading at before allegations surfaced last Tuesday that former employee Joshua Dale Brown had been arrested and charged with multiple child sexual abuse offences, allegedly occurring between 2017 and May this year.

Since those revelations, a series of G8’s major investors, including Wilson Asset Management, HESTA, Australian Retirement Trust and Tanarra Capital have expressed concern to the company, such as requests for specific actions to bolster its child safety standards and employee checks. Meanwhile, shareholder advisers have also raised the prospect of clawing back some of chief executive Pejman Okhovat’s pay.

Late on Monday, G8 announced it was taking a series of actions to respond to concerns about its processes.

While the company had trialled CCTV in several of its premises, it will now “accelerate the rollout of CCTV to all of our centres”.

Additionally, parents will now be able to provide preferences on which educators perform personal care routines, “including nappy changes and toileting”.

G8 will also “commission an independent review … to inform further changes and improvements to our child safety procedures”, to begin once the police investigation has concluded.

The Creative Garden Early Learning Centre where accused man Joshua Dale Brown had worked. Credit: Justin McManus

Separately, G8 reiterated that it already banned workers from using phones in its centres, after the Victorian government announced such a ban as part of snap reforms last week. The company also backed calls advocating for a national registry for childcare educators to better weed out would-be abusers.

Okhovat said the allegations were “deeply disturbing”.

“I am deeply sorry for the unimaginable pain caused to our families and what they are going through,” he said.

Investors had previously said they had told G8 they wanted to see the company supporting affected families, and Okhovat, who travelled to meet families in Victoria last week, said he would continue to be available to them.

“We are continuing to work with Victoria Police, the Victorian government and other authorities as part of their ongoing investigation, and are doing everything we can to give them the best chance of achieving justice for the children and families involved,” he said.

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