GUILTY Australia - Chloe Valentine, 4, tortured to death, Ingle Farm, SA, 20 Jan 2012

[Amee]

I agree he is doing a great job. Hopefully 5AA will put a link up later. Penbo doesnt hold back either....


Rethink welfare for abusers: Penbo

http://www.fiveaa.com.au/show/rethink-welfare-abusers-penbo

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks Amee. Interesting to listen to. Yep, time we quit funding these drug abusers' lifestyles with cash, and give them food and clothing coupons on a smartcard instead.


From your link ....

“This derelict mother is the pinup girl for everything which is wrong with the welfare system in this country,” he said on FIVEaa Breakfast with David, Mark and Jane.

“Ashlee Polkinghorne ticks every box of the welfare-abusing stereotype,” he said. “As taxpayers I reckon we’ve got the right to ask whether we’re funding a lifestyle where individuals show absolutely no interest in the kids they’ve been blessed with.”

 

[SouthAussie]

Fail, fail, and fail again. :facepalm:

Kim Robertson ‏@KimRobertson_9 1m
Families SA social worker admits unscheduled visits to #ChloeValentine house would've been prudent to detect level of drug use #9newscomau

 

[Ausgirl]

Omg, I hate it when people start moaning about "tax payer dollars" etc.

I live on welfare, thanks to a disability, after a lifetime of paying my taxes thankyouverymuch. All of the changes usually proposed by outraged taxpayerblahblah would seriously hamper my quality of life. But I, and the thousands of honest and clean-living ex-taxpayers currently in need of assistance can just go jump, I suppose, if it means righteous-mouthed people can feel satisfied that the undeserving aren't getting anything 'easy'.

It's just a wrong-headed approach to the issue, IMO one which would do *nothing* to prevent drug and alcohol consumption, or child abuse.

 

[SouthAussie]

Sorry Ausgirl. No offense intended to the people that manage their money well. But, to me, the 'food stamp' system that they have in the US would help stamp out some of the abuse by the people that do abuse the system, while still assisting those that need the system. They still give a smaller allowance of $$ for things like utility bills and car expenses, but it reduces the amount of money that does not get used for essentials and instead gets used for grog and drugs by those that do that.

Maybe it should be put in place for the people that are prone to abusing the system .. but not everybody.

To me, there needs to be some middle ground here. None of us likes that people like Chloe's mother misused pretty much all of her funds, to the detriment of her child.

Obviously it is not the total answer ... but it may help some kids to get fed better.

 

[SouthAussie]

Sean Fewster ‏@SeanFewster 9m
Q: Do you agree you had no idea whether or not #ChloeValentine was safe & made little effort to find out? Ratsch: Yes.

 

[Amee]

Stacey Lee ‏@Staceylee_ 1m

#FamiliesSA employee says he knew it was possible #ChloeValentine's parents put drug-taking paraphernalia away for his unscheduled visits. :furious:

 

[Amee]

Stacey Lee ‏@Staceylee_ 32m

Families SA worker reported that #ChloeValentine's parents were 'responsible' about appropriately storing their drug taking paraphernalia.

 

[SouthAussie]

Sean Fewster ‏@SeanFewster 4m
When #ChloeValentine's mother was evicted, Ratsch was against girl living with her grandmother citing "separation issues" from mum.

:thud:

 

[Amee]

Loukas Founten @loukasfounten

Inquest hears Police told Families SA mother left Chloe #Valentine alone in pram to join a fight at Tea Tree Plaza.

Inquest hears Chloe #valentine mother repeatedly asked how long Families SA would be involved with her, didn't want intervention

 

[Amee]

Sean Fewster ‏@SeanFewster 4m
When #ChloeValentine's mother was evicted, Ratsch was against girl living with her grandmother citing "separation issues" from mum.

:thud:

:what:

 

[Amee]

A coroner investigating the death of four-year-old Chloe Valentine in Adelaide has been told government agency Families SA changed a care plan to let her mother use drugs provided a "sober adult" cared for the girl.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-...uest-told-mother-was-allowed-drug-use/5771564

 

[catswhiskers]

Somehow this girl (Chloe's mum) was able to charm the socks off these people wasn't she?! This Ratsch fellow's testimony is so damaging to his profession - not sure if it's just the way the tweets are coming across, but he sounds awfully defensive and uncaring doesn't he?

 

[Amee]

Sean Fewster ‏@SeanFewster 12m

The #ChloeValentine inquest is about to resume with more evidence from Ratsch. @theTiser

Ratsch emphatically noted Salvation Army had entered #ChloeValentine's leased home without Polkinghorne's permission. Used three asterisks.

Told #ChloeValentine's house was uninhabitable, Ratsch made an unannounced visit - in part, to help clean up the mess.

Ratsch: By assisting, we were helping make the environment safer. Some of teaching is modelling behaviour. #ChloeValentine

 

[Amee]

The Advertiser ‏@theTiser 1h

The Families SA document permitting #ChloeValentine's mum to use drugs via @SeanFewster p2 http://bit.ly/1ytq6PH pic.twitter.com/uSXgsveSvU

The Families SA document permitting #ChloeValentine's mum to use drugs via @SeanFewster p1 http://bit.ly/1ytq6PH pic.twitter.com/XOMITQIWCw

 

[Amee]

Kim Robertson ‏@KimRobertson_9 6m

Coroner to social worker: "Is it your practice to encourage your clients not to have respect for authority?" #ChloeValentine @9NewsAdel

 

[Amee]

Sean Fewster ‏@SeanFewster 1h

After viewing ruined house, Ratsch signed off "child abuse not confirmed, #ChloeValentine not at risk" from rubbish, damage.

Ratsch: We had no evidence as to what had caused the damage, and the rubbish was outside posing no risk to #ChloeValentine.

Ratsch's evidence has concluded. #ChloeValentine

Next #ChloeValentine witness is former Families SA supervisor Kelly Francou.

Francou's role was to look at Families SA workload and availability, vs urgency of report, and task appropriate response. #ChloeValentine

The #ChloeValentine inquest will soon wrap up its first week. It will resume on Monday from 10am. @theTiser

 

[catswhiskers]

I'm thinking that the mother's age played a big part in decisions made by FSA - there have been several mentions of the case workers hoping that modeling behaviours for education purposes was hoped to be of assistance. I get that - but as long as drugs were involved they didn't really have much hope, plus they must have known it was falling on deaf ears, surely? This is tough, as I'm a government employed teacher and hate to see public servants who are no doubt in the job for the right reasons being bagged and blamed in the media. They aren't the criminals here that's for sure, and honestly you couldn't accuse them of being in their chosen profession for the money. I think they are asked to do too much with too little resources (don't even get me started on all the red tape/liability stuff they would have to be considering constantly), and possibly without the correct training for dealing with people who are determined that their chosen lifestyle won't be interrupted under any circumstances.
I remember an old school friend had a clerical position in a Children's Services department, and she would tell me horror stories (decades ago) about the frequencies of suicides and work induced depression among the social workers in that particular branch of the government - staff turnover was enormous. I can only imagine how much worse it could be these days.

 

[marlywings]

The Advertiser ‏@theTiser 1h

The Families SA document permitting #ChloeValentine's mum to use drugs via @SeanFewster p2 http://bit.ly/1ytq6PH pic.twitter.com/uSXgsveSvU

The Families SA document permitting #ChloeValentine's mum to use drugs via @SeanFewster p1 http://bit.ly/1ytq6PH pic.twitter.com/XOMITQIWCw

I can't quite get past the above. Here I was thinking drugs are illegal in Australia. Hmmm, maybe I just dreamt that.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Ms Kereru said that house was soon “squalid” with “ants crawling” over piles of dirty washing, nappies and rubbish.

The Families SA worker who visited the site did not cite Polkinghorne for child abuse but instead helped her clean the mess, even dumping the rubbish at a tip for her.

Ms Kereru said Chloe was, at that time, “frequently unwell, vomiting and losing her hair”.

The report was deemed a priority matter but was not investigated by Families SA at the order of the then-manager of its north-eastern office, Bruce Johnston.

“He authorised (report) closure without investigation,” she said."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...lentine-4-begins/story-fni6uo1m-1227066327710


I dunno, were Families SA modelling responsible behaviour, or were they enabling the neglectful and abusive behaviour?
And if it was okay to close report after report after report about the disgustingly bad and abusive care of Chloe by her mother, how many other children were/are mostly ignored in the same way?
.