Apology ordered for support worker who verbally abused and spat on disabled woman in his care

By RNZ A support worker who verbally abused and spat at a disabled woman under his care has been ordered to apologise to his victim. The residential care employee was also criticised by the Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner for failing to intervene when she was self-harming. The ill-treatment came to light when a complaint was laid with the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) over the woman’s rights being breached by being recorded without her consent.

“The woman was living in a disability residential care setting and had multiple complex social and mental health disorders which could manifest in challenging behaviours and actions,” the HDC said in a release on Monday..