Children in state care allegedly medicated as punishment, Queensland's public guardian finds
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Queensland children in residential care are being given medication to control their behaviour, without appropriate diagnosis and parental consent, the state's Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) says.
It has raised concerns a medication being used to chemically restrain children had serious side-effects and was being administered without consent of a parent or guardian.
The Public Guardian, a state body responsible for protecting kids in out-of-home care, raised the concerns in its submission to a review of child protection legislation.
The submission outlines how medication that should be used to treat a condition or illness is being administered to punish children.
Furthermore, the submission said it may have significant implications on their development.
Youth Affairs Network Queensland director Siyavash Doostkhah said the information was unsurprising.
He said they had provided the information to the Public Guardian, as well as other people, over the past 10 to 15 years.
"It makes some headlines, the ministers and departments talk about having to respond it," he said.
"Then they put it in the too hard basket.
"These medications the children are being given are not soft drugs, they are schedule eight drugs, so they are equivalent of speed and cocaine.
"These are things in my view that are not only child abuse, but should be classed as criminal."
Minister condemns the practice
The OPG cited anecdotal evidence that facilities had been "doctor shopping" to get prescriptions to "punish rather than treat" children in care.
In her submission, public guardian Natalie Siegel-Brown stated over the course of two years, 1,483 issues were recorded by community visitors regarding the medication Ritalin, as well as conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar, depression, ADHD or ADD.
Queensland Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman was concerned by the submission when she read it earlier this year, and has condemned the practice.
"[I] immediately asked my department to ensure residential care services were abiding by policy and practice for the use of medications, and ensure there are regular health checks for each child."
The OPG has submitted recommendations that include the requirement of specialist diagnoses as well as an amendment to the Child Protection Act to restrict particular medications on children and young people in care.
It also includes requirements of parental or guardian consent and a system that notifies the public guardian if a young person in care is subjected to a chemical restraint.
Topics: child-health-and-behaviour, health, public-sector, government-and-politics, drug-use, brisbane-4000, qld, australia
