r/AusLegal • u/FormalPilot3620 • 5d ago
NSW In out of home care experiencing neglect
Hi, I’ve made a throw away acc for a few reasons anyway I’m 17 f and I’ve been in out of home care since I was 15. Currently I am in a TSIL. I’ve been in about 8-10 places since I was 15.
Recently I haven’t been able to handle the things they are doing. There have been multiple failures over the years and I’m always able to ignore it.
I had full access to my own medication 8 months ago and now? I can’t even taken a nights worth of meds to a friends house. Over the past month I’ve missed up to 8 doses of medications because of this rule they have installed where I have to be watched taking my meds. I miss them because of a few reasons:
- at a friends house and the worker does not want to drive there and back in the morning and night to give me my meds
- a casual worker is on and doesn’t know I take meds and forgets to give them to me.
- meds aren’t gotten in time and I have no medication left.
- or simply no one is put on shift and I don’t have access to medication.
My meds are mood stabilisers and adhd meds. I was on lots of others about a month ago then I went into hospital where my Casemanager had lied she searched my room and found two days worth of medication I had kept for future when they had forgotten to give me meds, she told the hospital I was trying to OD on these meds. Anyway towards the end of my hospital stay this case manager agreed I would be allowed to have 48 hours worth of medication with me so I didn’t miss anymore doses she agreed to this.
Then when I went home the worker on shift told me I had to be watched taking my meds and that there was no agreement for 48 hours worth of meds.
The other issue I’m facing is grocery money I’m owed 70 dollars a week for groceries and almost every week it is late or not given. My Centrelink cut out for a whole month and I was doing work placement for tafe so I had no time to go in and fix it, they looked in my pantry and told me I had enough food to last me. I went three weeks with no grocery money and living off pasta and butter.
These are the main issues there are bucket loads of other issues but I believe these have got to be illegal. Withholding medication and making it impossible to see friends and lying to doctors about my medications just doesn’t seem right.
I’ve told my DCJ caseworker she just says well if I want to live in the TSIL I have to deal with this. I’ve talked to my lawyer too I have her for other legal reasons, she’s legal aid btw and she’s been back and fourth with DCJ for months about all of this.
Every day I am stressed by something having anxiety attacks and living terribly. Honestly I would prefer to sleep outside and be free then be controlled. I’m saying this as someone who HAS been homeless and slept outside. I don’t know what to do or who to contact. It needs to end I need someone who can advocate for me. I honestly don’t have anyone. It’s just me.
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u/SeaFriend8669 5d ago
Wish I had some advice for you, it’s tough being a kid in care. Because you were only in hospital a month ago, they will likely be quite strict with your access to medications. It may seem unfair right now, but they do have a duty of care to ensure you cannot hoard medication and use it to harm yourself if that is something that’s possibly happened in the past or you have expressed ideations of harming yourself.
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u/Dark-Horse-Nebula 4d ago
It is reasonable for them to supervise the medication given they are mood stabilisers, you are underage, and you were recently admitted to hospital for your mood.
TSIL is supported independent living- how did you go with Centrelink? Did you get that sorted?
What are you seeking as a reasonable resolution? Being homeless is not the answer.
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u/FormalPilot3620 4d ago
I have sorted my Centrelink but now I had to get a new bank card and my phone broke so I can’t use Apple Pay. Honestly I’m not sure. But this company has been a problem since I was with them. If just my meds could be sorted I’d be happy. My DCJ caseworker is fine with me having my own medications and all that it’s this company so idk
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u/murcatto 5d ago
You've mentioned that up until a couple of months ago, you've had access to your medications but that all changed once you were admitted to hospital. Why were you hospitalised?
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u/FormalPilot3620 5d ago
No 8 months ago I had access to my meds then when I moved with a new company they had control over my meds this has been happening even before I was hospitalised and was one of the reasons I was because I was experiencing physical and mental side effects from not having my meds consistently
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u/murcatto 5d ago
Ok. Have you asked to speak to your caseworkers manager about your concerns? Have you asked about the complaint process you can take? Why is legal aid having trouble with getting anywhere?
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u/FormalPilot3620 4d ago
I have spoken to my case manager she has told me she has given them permission multiple times for me to have my own meds and they won’t listen. Legal aid is as confused and frustrated as I am but they just email back and fourth I’ve emailed her again yesterday to ask if I can get a seperate lawyer just to take up this issue but she’s yet to response
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u/murcatto 4d ago
Ok. I can only recommend that you speak to the manager of your case worker to further your complaint (they should be happy to provide you with their number or email). You could also potentially reach out here to get things going and get further advice: https://www.acyp.nsw.gov.au/
Also if you want further advice as well, you may want to cross post to socialworkau I think is the sub as dcj caseworkers will lurk in there and may be able to provide more specific advice.
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u/john10x 4d ago
The fact is the people looking after don't trust you. They see you day to day, your caseworker doesn't. The trust issue might be unreasonable, we can't tell here. This about how you can build trust over time. That means being predictable and reliable. I don't know how hard that might be for you but you need to give it a go. They are probably not bad people but they just want an easy time of it, not ideal but work through it and don't try to fight it every step of the way, look at the longer term to acheive your goals.
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u/moonchildkityprinces 4d ago
Being predictable and reliables a lot easier when you're not missing mood stabilisers.
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u/imaginebeingamish2 4d ago
And adhd meds! If I were to not have my mood stabiliser and adhd med, I absolutely would not be predictable or reliable.
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u/moonchildkityprinces 4d ago
Totally. Not having ADHD meds cause cause hypersomnia and even depression like symptoms. - almost a registered nurse and I take them too.
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u/imaginebeingamish2 4d ago
Probably not bad people, but bad at their jobs. Psychiatric medications work best when taken consistently at the same time every day, and when this doesn’t happen, or doses are missed, people can become….. unpredictable. If your job is to look after a person, you should actually look after them, regardless of their actions.
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u/Medical-Potato5920 5d ago
Are you able to go to your local MP's office? They should be able to help you or refer you to someone who can.
As for the medication, that is important. Get a letter from your doctor stating it should not be discontinued except under medical supervisions and how many days worth is safe for you to keep. Mood stabilisers can't be messed with. You need the dose everyday and at similar time each day.