❓ Ms. Mettam questions the Minister for Health regarding sexual safety breaches at Perth Children's Hospital's mental health unit, alleging a failure to provide a safe environment. The Minister defends the hospital's safety measures and criticizes misrepresentations of the incidents.
AnsweredQoN 776Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — MENTAL HEALTH
UNIT — SEXUAL SAFETY BREACHES
776. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's comments
last week that two other breaches of Perth Children's Hospital's
sexual safety policy occurred last year but were nowhere near the severity of
the incident involving Florence. Does the minister agree that any breach of
sexual safety is completely unacceptable; and, if so, why has the Cook Labor
government failed to deliver a safe environment for our most vulnerable
children almost two years after that incident?
UNIT — SEXUAL SAFETY BREACHES
776. Ms L. METTAM to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's comments
last week that two other breaches of Perth Children's Hospital's
sexual safety policy occurred last year but were nowhere near the severity of
the incident involving Florence. Does the minister agree that any breach of
sexual safety is completely unacceptable; and, if so, why has the Cook Labor
government failed to deliver a safe environment for our most vulnerable
children almost two years after that incident?
AnswerView source ↗
I am just trying to find my notes on
those incidents. Of course we agree that a safe environment is critical for our
children in our hospitals. It is a safe hospital and it is a safe ward. I have
outlined in significant detail what steps have been taken, particularly in
response to the isolated very serious incident that was reported in the media
over the last two weeks. Of course, breaches of sexual safety are always
serious, and they are taken seriously, which is why the independent statutory office of the Chief Mental Health Advocate
investigates every single breach. It would not be investigated if it
were not considered serious. Every one of those is investigated.
I
made this point last week, because there is a continuous misrepresentation of
information on the other side, including from the Leader of the
Opposition, who stood up and claimed there were four sexual assaults recorded
in the report. He should stand up and correct the record, because that was not
what was in the report at all. He deliberately mischaracterised that to create fear and uncertainty about those
services. A breach of sexual safety could be anything from words to
showing someone something to a physical touch. It can also be consensual. It is
a spectrum. They are all serious and they are all against the policy, because
when people enter those inpatient units, they are told, ''Don't
go into anyone else's bedroom, full stop. You're not to go into
other people's rooms and you're not to have any personal
relations with other patients.'' Of course they are serious, and every
single one of those is investigated and reported transparently in the Mental
Health Advocacy Service annual report.
those incidents. Of course we agree that a safe environment is critical for our
children in our hospitals. It is a safe hospital and it is a safe ward. I have
outlined in significant detail what steps have been taken, particularly in
response to the isolated very serious incident that was reported in the media
over the last two weeks. Of course, breaches of sexual safety are always
serious, and they are taken seriously, which is why the independent statutory office of the Chief Mental Health Advocate
investigates every single breach. It would not be investigated if it
were not considered serious. Every one of those is investigated.
I
made this point last week, because there is a continuous misrepresentation of
information on the other side, including from the Leader of the
Opposition, who stood up and claimed there were four sexual assaults recorded
in the report. He should stand up and correct the record, because that was not
what was in the report at all. He deliberately mischaracterised that to create fear and uncertainty about those
services. A breach of sexual safety could be anything from words to
showing someone something to a physical touch. It can also be consensual. It is
a spectrum. They are all serious and they are all against the policy, because
when people enter those inpatient units, they are told, ''Don't
go into anyone else's bedroom, full stop. You're not to go into
other people's rooms and you're not to have any personal
relations with other patients.'' Of course they are serious, and every
single one of those is investigated and reported transparently in the Mental
Health Advocacy Service annual report.
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