Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson is calling for the NDIS to explain why it failed to provide a second support worker for a ten year old autistic child before the tragic drowning of his carer at Glenelg two weeks ago.
In October 2018, the boy’s mother formally requested a second carer for outdoor activities after disability professionals advised them the safety of the boy and his carers was at risk because the child is prone to suddenly running away from carers.
NDIS did not respond to two requests for the boy’s NDIS plan to be reviewed in light of the expert advice before the tragic drowning. Another request has been submitted this week.
On 27 December 2018, the boy’s carer Nischal Ghimire drowned while apparently trying to rescue the ten year old who’d suddenly run into the surf. The boy, who cannot speak, was left wandering around Glenelg naked and traumatised for about six hours before he was helped by local residents.
The family is about to be stripped of its sole carer (three hours of evening care, six days a week) because the boy’s existing NDIS funding will run out within days.
Jayne Stinson is the local MP for both the boy’s family (Edwardstown residents) and Nischal Ghimire (formerly of Clarence Park).
Quotes attributable to Member for Badcoe Jayne Stinson
A tragedy such as this, which has seen the drowning of a 22 year old carer and the traumatisation of a ten year old autistic child, should never have happened.
It certainly should never be allowed to happen again.
There are serious and disturbing questions to be answered by NDIS.
Why did NDIS fail to provide a second carer in October when health experts warned of safety risks for the boy and his carers with just a single carer?
Could the tragic death of Nischal Ghimire have been avoided if a second carer had been provided for outdoor activities four months ago?
Will a second carer now be provided to ensure that this can never happen again?
Will NDIS urgently provide a new plan, ensuring the ten year old and his single mother have at least one professional carer to support them at this traumatic time?