PWD SHUT IN Campaign

Do you acknowledge that some people cannot cope with the broader community and are dangerous to themselves and others in standard housing options? No you don't. Do you have a housing option as part of your campaign that include those hard to house because of their aggression? No Did you offer to assist in finding housing for my sister when she came out of prison ? No, your firm was going to let her end up homeless. The Stronger Together campaign is great for those who can live in the community but it falls way short for those that cannot. There still is not enough housing for my sister and people with the same level of disability and high end care and support she and others need. Do I agree that people who don't need the high end secure housing live in the community. Yes, I know that people have been housed badly and inappropriately and those that can cope and are not a threat should be included in the community. I would just like to see someone be inclusive of those that are not able to cope and are not an easy fit in the community. My sister's needs are very complex as is her housing. She has to be safe, you have to be safe and her staff have to be safe. Housing someone with a intellectual disability, mental health disorder and severe behaviour is not as simple as you would like to make out. The only facility in the state that can cope with my sister is closing. And your campaign offers no solution on her housing. Maybe she can come stay at your place.... Maybe if you lived with someone like my sister then you'd have a better understanding of the sort of care she needs. Maybe if you'd been scared for your life, beaten up, stabbed, not slept when she is in the house for fear of harm. Grown up with someone who self harms, cuts herself, tries to hang herself and suffocate herself. I've lost count of how many times I have had to untie ropes or belts from her neck or take plastic bags off her head or tend to her self inflicted wounds. I love my sister I want what's best for her. It's clear from your campaign that you underesitmate the needs of some people if you did understand then you'd see that units like Kanangra and Norton Road offer the best support for these very complex needs people. PWD is seeking the closure of the centres known as Casuarina Grove, Norton Road Specialist Supported Living, Wadalba Group Homes and Summer Hill Group Homes. PWD is advocating for these closures to occur in a carefully planned and staged process following individual assessments and relocation to community based housing and supports that conform with the objectives and principles of the NSW Disability Services Act and the CRPD. Your answer to meet the very complex needs of people is Community based housing. Don't you think that has been tried in the past. It didn't work. Housing in the communtiy did not offer my sister what she needed, staff were scared of her, had no way to deal with her aggression therefore it became worse. She assualted people. Her general health suffered, she was treated for malnutrition. Even then PWD and ADHC refused to house her correctly in a specialised unit instead they let her end up in prison. So to go back to a knonn failed system makes no sense. Geez. Are you wanting to set peeople up to fail. In community housing options. I'm sure the neighbours will enjoy someone screaming all day moving into next door. Throwing everything they can lay their hands on and threatening them and very likely doing harm to them. Do you acknowledge these very real issues, No you don't. There are some very real hard issues that your campaign simply does not provide a solution for. Norton Road is most likely the only site in the state that can cope with the very real and dangerous behavior of my sister. So without the right housing options for her she most likley will end up homeless or back in jail yep that's an inclusive and dignified option. The prison system cannot cope with her there soloution is to highly medicate and place her in isolation. When she does go into the community with staff at Kanagre she has a 3:1 ratio of staff that are highly trained disability nurses. Where in the community can you see her being housed with that level of care and safety being provided? Where can she get that level of care? Where is that going to happen for her? Oh that's right PWD doesn't offer housing to people or offer solutions to housing needs you only limit the options. Actively campaigning to close centres without adequate housing should not be supported it should be exposed for what is really is, neglectful. You are being neglectful. http://www.pwd.org.au/documents/pubs/Shut-In-EBulletin2011.html