Facility probed after sex complaint
A New Plymouth-based drug and alcohol treatment facility run by the Salvation Army was investigated last year after it mishandled a complaint of a former resident who said she had a sexual relationship with a staff member.
The March 2018 allegation, filed by the woman directly with the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB), prompted an independent investigation and audit into the Salvation Army Bridge programme, and a finding it breached the conditions of its contract, including the way it managed the complaint and client safety.
And once the top brass of the church-based charity found out about the complaint, it stood down the worker and launched an investigation of its own, which resulted in a shake up of the service and how it was managed.
The incident, and subsequent fallout, came to light after documents were released to Stuff by TDHB under the Official Information Act. A letter sent from TDHB to Salvation Army’s Wellington headquarters on March 26, 2018, outlined how the complainant said she had sex with a male worker in 2017 while she was receiving treatment for her alcohol use at the Bridge programme.
The health board outlined its ‘‘immediate concerns’’ about the man remaining at the residence, given other females were there and also highlighted there had been no investigation of the complaint when it was first disclosed to the boss of New Plymouth’s Bridge programme.
Upon receipt of the complaint, TDHB advised the Ministry of Health and put the Salvation Army on notice that it potentially breached its contract. TDHB then arranged for an independent investigation into the matter, which was completed in April 2018.
The inquiry found the man and woman had a history which began in 2007, when the complainant said she had a brief consensual sexual relationship with the man after she left a different alcohol and drug programme in New Plymouth, where he worked. In response, the male worker said there had been contact but only to provide support.
In 2014, the woman entered the Bridge programme, where the man was now working. At this point, he told his line manager of the previous connection.
After the woman left the programme, the report said the pair reinitiated a brief sexual relationship.
The New Plymouth Bridge programme’s director was also questioned by investigators.
He would later leave the post in April 2018.
The report outlined how in late 2017, a senior clinician working for the Salvation Army was told of the relationship between the complainant and the staff member by another resident.
After confirming details of the relationship with the woman, the clinician passed the information onto the director in January 2018.
The director, when interviewed, confirmed he was told about the relationship by the senior clinician but did not follow Salvation Army policy and procedure in line with such a disclosure and also did not seek advice on how to deal with it.
The report stated the service’s national office was unaware of the matter until it was contacted by TDHB.
When spoken to by investigators, the male employee did not deny a relationship had taken place with the woman in 2017 but said it was not an intimate one.
As a result of the investigation, a total of 21 recommendations were made to address the shortfalls identified in the way the matter was handled.
One of these was for an audit of the service to be undertaken to ensure the breaches of the contract were addressed.
In a follow up letter sent on August 6, 2018 to the Salvation Army by TDHB, it raised concerns about the service’s lack of action and gave it the hurry up to address
the corrective actions identified through the audit.
By January 2019, these requirements had been met and TDHB now consider the complaint matter and audit process to be closed.
When contacted for comment this week, Lieutenant-Colonel Lynette Hutson, national director of The Salvation Army Bridge programme, said the organisation acted as soon as it became aware of the situation.
‘‘The staff member involved was stood down immediately pending a full investigation and has not worked for The Salvation Army since,’’ she said in a written statement.
Senior staff were called in to work at the New Plymouth programme for the duration of its internal investigation and as a result, a new manager was appointed, management of the service was transferred to the regional office, increased levels of training for staff was provided along with a ‘‘tighter’’ process for them to follow in terms of reporting matters of concern.
‘‘We have put a huge amount of work into addressing every issue that has emerged and to ensure we continue to maintain the highest standards of care,’’ Hutson said.
‘‘Throughout this process, our relationship with Taranaki District Health Board has been open and transparent and both parties have been determined that this situation is dealt with in a way that will ensure people can have confidence in our work in the future,’’ she said.
‘‘The staff member involved was stood down immediately pending a full investigation and has not worked for The Salvation Army since.’’ Lieutenant-Colonel Lynette Hutson, national director of The Salvation Army Bridge programme