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Wednesday May 23, 2012

What we're talking about

Hinch stands firm despite legal threat

Posted by: By Derryn Hinch, 3AW Drive | 27 July, 2009 - 5:02 PM
Sandie de Wolf Last week on the program I exposed an appalling breach of security at Berry Street Victoria, the child care agency.

Personal files of troubled teenagers were tossed out in filing cabinets that went to auction. The files detailed their medical histories and criminal records plus details of abortions and drug addiction. Names, addresses, the lot. Some of the files less than six months old.

They came into my possession and I went public to try to make sure it didn't happen again.

To be fair, the CEO of Berry Street, Sandie de Wolf, came on air twice.

She confirmed they were current Berry Street files and that she was 'shocked and dismayed' that they had been so carelessly discarded.

And she promised to get to the bottom of it. And heads could roll. Well, now it seems it is 'shoot the messenger' time and the head they want to roll is mine.

At the weekend I received a much more formal letter which had lawyers' fingerprints all over it.

Ms. De Wolf demanded I hand over contact details of my source. Demanded I give an undertaking not to go public with any further files which may come into my possession. Demanded that I respond to her requests by the close of business, Monday, July 27, 2009, and then came the legal threat.

'If you do not respond in a way which will permit us to carry out our obligations, Berry Street will need to take such further action as it is advised.

Signed,
Sandie de Wolf
CEO Berry Street'

Well, I'm not afraid of the Big Bad de Wolf. And pointed out in my response: You're forgetting who the bad guys are.

I will not reveal my source. And I also give no undertaking that I will not use any further files which may come into my possession. If your organisation is that reckless and, it seems, incompetent, I would be remiss in not exposing any further breaches. You seem to be overlooking the fact that, unlike Berry Street, I have not exposed the identity of any teenager in your care. And would not.

So, Ms. De Wolf, you and your lawyers had better find another scapegoat for the Privacy Commissioner. And, by the way, the close of business is about 45 minutes away. Consider this a formal response.

Privacy breach a disgrace

Berry Street Derryn Hinch has slammed Berry Street, an organization which looks after thousands of Victorian children and young people in danger, for allowing hundreds of sensitive, and in some cases disturbing, of documents to be sold at auction as part of a second-hand filing cabinet. Read more.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Berrie St has just been awarded a multi million dollar contract by DHS for services to the Forgotten Australians and child migrants to be implemented over the next three years. They will be entrusted with our most intimate details and we have already suffered enough abuse and neglect.So thank you Darren for keeping us informed of this inexcusable exposure of their files

    brian cherrie Sunday 29 November, 2009 - 5:13 PM

  • Another Child protection organization that is ruled by incompetent bureaucrats and associated with the most incompetent govt department DHS,
    The CEO has the ultimate responsibility but as usual is protecting her backside and salary by blaming everyone else, hopefully she will sue Hinch then the truth can be revealed in court, ohhh...we cant have that can we?????

    mike Sunday 2 August, 2009 - 12:30 PM

  • As CEO of Berry Street, Sandie de Wolf is responsible for the entire organisation, for its staff and their behaviour and the organisations stuff ups, of which this is just one of many - thats why Ms de Wolf gets paid the big bucks. Take responsibility Ms de Wolf and stop trying to find a scapegoat! Do not blame workers who are treated appallingly and live in conditions that you could not imagine, they do all the work and you get all the glory. When things go right you're the first to take credit, when things go bad you blame your staff...how sad that is!

    ANN Saturday 1 August, 2009 - 9:47 AM

  • The file issue is minor compared to some of the shenanigans going on in organisations such as Berry Street. I speak specifically of those funded by the Government to provide residential care for the used/abused/accused youth.

    It goes without saying Government policies give the youth control and many a worker is at the mercy of their temperaments. If a worker is abused or accused by the residents for misconduct, more often than not, the worker is moved on. The worker losing income and status in the process.

    What's more disturbing is one Victorian Southern Region organisations management having shred incident reports and removed pages from official documentation to hide the organisations inability to cope or comply with standards, most likely so they can maintain funding. A scenario brought about because they hire unqualified/inexperienced workers.

    A number of these workers possess a Certificate IV in Youth Work, not because they have completed the course, but having obtained one through fraud. Fraud via management itself.

    Until there is a check system in place, this practice will continue and incidents like the Berry Street files issue will most probably pale in comparison to what may come.

    aussie Wednesday 29 July, 2009 - 7:02 PM

  • Derryn, your caller wasn't exaggerating the problems with some Berry Street units. At one stage there were units that were practically impossible to get replacement staff for, purely because the units were totally out of control. Staff were routinely threatened, if not assaulted, and it was practically a war zone. It was well known right throughout the industry, to avoid certain Berry Street residential units. Staff were basically forced into not reporting incidents of damage to Police. The units were totally uncontrollable and Berry Street management ALWAYS sided with the clients, regardless of what occurred. It was not a pleasant place to work by any standard. I had heard on the grape vine that Berry Street management had changed & become more supportive of their staff, but judging by that male caller, obviously the situation is relatively the same. A typical social workers attitude is that their clients can do no wrong, which seems to contradict the reasons they came into 'care' in the first instance~!

    Lenny Tuesday 28 July, 2009 - 9:51 PM

  • people make mistakes- People are human. Berry Street made a mistake- a big mistake. your behaviour however is unethical and unacceptable. why would you not approach the organisation and advise them of what you had and then go to the privacy commision yourself? are you that desperate for a story? you would read personal information about children on air to boost your ratings...if you truly cared you would not have done this...imagine how these kids will feel- sure they will be devistated to learn that their files were left in a cabinet but then to learn that they were read on live radio- i hope you are sacked-again...

    Ricky Tuesday 28 July, 2009 - 7:02 PM

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