Students subjected to exhaust fumes by Carenne Support

Just weeks after the muffler fell off Carenne Support's Oberon bus its Lithgow bus suffered from a similar issue with a hole in a muffler. Carenne Support is known for using defective vehicles and having quick fixes done on their vehicles without any consideration to student safety.

Parents report that for the last two days, Dave Graham has driven the bus with a hole in its exhaust, leaking exhaust fumes into the vehicle. One parent claims when she put her head inside the bus yesterday to speak to Robyn Graham that she could smell noxious fumes in the vehicle.

According to sources close to Carenne Support, Dave Graham has asked Mary Housler to source a relief vehicle but refused to do so placing students at serious risk.

Despite the leaking exhaust Neil Moon is still allowing classes to use the vehicle through the day, exposing more students to dangerous fumes.

Naismith refuses to investigate Carenne Support, Neil Moon over medical incident

A medical incident on Carenne Support's Lithgow bus driven by Dave Graham and escorted by Robyn Graham last week highlighted serious issues with how Carenne Support trains its drivers and escorts. The duo were caught completely by surprise when a student had a seizure on the bus last Wednesday, not knowing the correct way to deal with the issue.

According to Barracus, Robyn Graham told her that she didn't know what to do so left the student strapped to the seat while they had a fit. She said she "watched the child turn blue" and called the ambulance, which Dave Graham rushed to meet. Barracus told Carenne Gate this was not the proper way to handle the situation, which came down to Mr and Mrs Graham not being properly trained by Carenne Support.

When the incident was raised with Neil Moon, Barracus was told to keep their mouth shut and act as though it never happened.

Investigations by Carenne Gate can reveal that the principal and school staff are responsible for ensuring that bus staff have proper information and training to deal with such situations and all drivers and escorts should have health care plans detailing what to do in certain situations. According to Barracus and Save Carenne, Neil Moon has never made this information available.

When approached by Save Carenne, Catherine Naismith refused to deal with the complaint, further showing her complete lack of regard for the safety of disabled students being transported under the assisted travel program.

Robyn Graham abuses student

Despite being under close scrutiny, staff associated with Carenne Special School in Bathurst continue to act inappropriately, unprofessionally and worst of all - continue to abuse children. Carenne Gate has learned of an incident involving Robyn Graham, wife of Dave Graham and escort on Carenne Support's Lithgow run at the end of November.

Without approval from the Special Transport Unit, and while claiming for running two buses, at the end of November Dave Graham combined the Lithgow and Kelso runs and performed it himself, with his wife as escort.

During the run, Robyn Graham hit an indigenous student across the face and forcefully held him to the seat while using racial slurs to refer to the student. When the student became agitated, Mrs Graham threatened to sit on him to ensure he remained seated. The student's parent noticed bruises on his arm that afternoon and asked Mrs Graham what had happened. She told the parent that he wouldn't remain in his seat so she restrained him.

One of the students on the bus then began to tell the parent what had happened and spoke of the language used by Mrs Graham towards the student.

The incident was reported to Bathurst Police, who advised that the school would need to look into the matter. A complaint was made to Neil Moon, who promised to look into the incident but as usual with child protection complaints at Carenne nothing appears to have been done. It appears to be Mr Moon's practice to drag these matters on so the evidence is destroyed or the complainant goes away. In this case, the parent took photographs of the bruises on their child's body as evidence of the attack.

Frighteningly, Mrs Graham remains as a SNTS escort on Carenne Support's Lithgow run.

According to Barracus and nedkelly, staff at Carenne were briefed about the incident by Neil Moon and told to say nothing if interviewed by Police or staff from EPAC.

It's time that the authorities get real and take action about the continued abuse being suffered by students at Carenne Special School.

Students exposed to exhaust fumes by Carenne Support

Students on Carenne Support's wheelchair bus run under the Special Needs Transport Service in Bathurst are being exposed to deadly exhaust gases from its Toyota bus following its quick fix on its back window.

Over the weekend, the rear window of the vehicle was smashed and on Monday, Carenne Support bus coordinator Dave Graham was forced to place a plastic sheet over the window and tape it on after Mary Housler refused to confirm if the damage was covered by insurance or if Carenne Support would pay for it to be repaired.

Students were driven around in the vehicle by Mark Sealey with the rear window missing and unsealed, exposing them to deadly fumes. Under guidelines for the Special Needs Transport Service, Carenne Support may only use a vehicle which is roadworthy and must have sufficient backup vehicles to cover any issues which may arise with the normal vehicle. Carenne Support has no backup vehicles.

The incident shows how Carenne Support puts profit before the safety of students.

Carenne Support driver reported to police

The driving of Dave Graham on his Lithgow bus route was of so much concern to one Carenne staff member on Thursday that she reported it to the Police.

The staff member told Carenne Gate that she was overtaken by the bus, driven by Dave Graham near the Lithgow jail at 4:15pm. She said he overtook her like she was standing still and would of been doing at least 120 kph in a 100 zone. "To not even be at Lithgow by this time is a bit strange and to drive like this to make up time is dangerous," said the witness.

The witness claims that Graham was flashing his headlights for others to get out of the way and was swerving between lanes.

It shows the utter incompetence and lack of regard for safety that Dave Graham and his employer, Carenne Support have.

Carenne Support's travel support rort

A Carenne Support whistleblower has come forward to expose the latest rort by the corrupt Carenne Special School associated organisation. It has been learned that for almost two months, Carenne Support has required two travel support officers on its Lithgow bus - one for the student from Lithgow who was locked in the Carenne torture room and sat on and another for the rest of the students on the bus.

According to the whistleblower, Dave Graham claimed that the student from Lithgow required a male to accompany him to and from school. This was granted by the education department, who is now paying for two travel support officers on the one run.

According to the whistleblower, the new escort was part of a rort organised by Mary Housler, Geoff Salmon and Dave Graham. Carenne Support recently learned that next year it will only be paid from the time it picks up its first student unless it has to detour by more than 5 kilometres to pick up the escort. As the travel support officer on the bus was Dave's wife, Carenne Support would not be entitled to the extra money so Carenne Support decided that a second travel support officer needed to be allocated to the run so it could be paid the 15% travel support loading next year.

"Mary Housler told me herself that they wanted another travel support officer allocated to the run so that they wouldn't be as out of pocket for as much next year," said the whistleblower.

"Mary wanted the travel support officer allocated early so it didn't look like they were trying to rort the system,"

"Now the department is paying double for the travel support on that run."

It is yet another example of the continuing protection being provided to Carenne Support and the continual defrauding of the NSW tax payers by the organisation.

Richard Webster suspended by Carenne Support

Nedkelly has contacted Carenne Gate concerned about the treatment of Carenne Support buds driver Richard Webster. Nedkelly claims that Mr Webster was advised by Dave Graham that he was suspended from duty pending investigation.

Nedkelly claims that Mr Webster is under investigation for being seen with Carenne Support competitor Cheryl Chaplin and his negligent driving charge. She also claims that an unapproved driver was used on the run with no escort even though one is required.

Helen Windsor, who has to approve payments to escorts was told of the arrangement and said she would sign Mark Sealey's form as the department couldn't know there was no escort.

Carenne Support has a history of shady employment practices with Brian Carter and Jenny O'Neill both suing them.

Carenne Support places students in serious danger

Carenne Support, reputed on this blog to be incompetent, corrupt and for student's welfare to be the least of their concerns seriously placed students at risk on Tuesday afternoon when they allowed Dave Graham to drive his bus to Lithgow in hazardous conditions.

The department had previously been told that students were allowed to stay at the school because of road closures and because it was too hazardous to take them home, however, it has been learned that Dave Graham did the run to Lithgow despite the conditions and the road being closed at 3:20PM.

It was learned through the Lithgow Mercury that Dave Graham had to be rescued by emergency services after hitting a snow drift at the bottom of Yetholme Hill. The situation could have been far worse, with the conditions being described by many as treacherous.

Once again, just like the unroadworthy buses and maligned therapy program under Christine Porter, Carenne Support is placing profit before students.

When Neil Moon was questioned about the incident, he claims that Dave Graham did the run without his permission and he knew nothing about the bus having to be rescued.

It's high time that Carenne Support lose their bus runs and are blacklisted from doing business with the department. They continue to breach their contract and continue to place lives at risk.

Students spend lonely night at Carenne due to Moon's incompetence

Just when those of us watching Carenne think that Neil Moon couldn't do anything more stupid or ridiculous he manages to surprise us by doing something even more stupid. Carenne Gate can reveal that students from Blayney and Lithgow slept at Carenne last night because Neil Moon didn't arrange for Dave Graham or Steve Minshull to take the students home early.

As cold weather fell across the area yesterday, it was made well known that roads out of Bathurst could be closed due to snow. By 3:20PM, the Great Western Highway between Bathurst and Lithgow was closed. Questions have been asked about why Neil Moon did not arrange for students to go home early.

Instead, a number of staff had to stay back to supervise students, some of which were stuck at Carenne overnight because of Moon's stupidity. It's about time that Peter Harvey wakes up to himself and does something about the incompetent, pompas fool running Carenne.

UPDATE: Information has come to hand which indicates that the department has been misled by Neil Moon about this incident. I will update this tonight - SEA Snitch

Student assaulted as he gets off bus: Parent

A Carenne Special School parent has contacted Carenne Gate this morning after observing the blatant assault of a student while getting off Dave Graham's bus this morning.

The parent, who is afraid to be named after hearing about retribution against other students who's parents have been identified on this blog claims that she saw a student being slapped across the face by a short blonde woman when he refused to get off the bus. The parent alleges that the student would not let go of the rail on the bus when it arrived at the school and was slapped with an open hand by the Carenne employee.

"I immediately rang the DOCS helpline and they said they couldn't do anything about it because it was a school and that I would need to contact the principal," said the parent.

The parent said she did not know who the person who assaulted the student was.

Carenne Support forces parent to pick up student

The corrupt organisation at the core of the Carenne Gate Affair, Carenne Support Limited has made a parent drive 120 Km return in order to pick up her son after driver Dave Graham said he wouldn't transport the student if he was the same in the afternoon.

After spending most of the day locked in Ros Luther's storeroom known as the "torture room", the student was highly agitated by the afternoon so Mrs Luther called his parents and demanded that they take him home because the bus driver refused to transport him.

Parents have a right to know how many students are being locked in this torture room and for how long. It is despicable for Carenne to terrorise a student in this way and then claim it is too hard to deal with the student and demand that his parents pick him up instead of being transported by the organisation paid to do it.

Witness to bus driver abusing student told to "shut up"

Carenne whistleblower Barracus has reported that she witnessed a bus driver assaulting a student yesterday afternoon and was told to "shut up" about it when she reported it to Carenne Special School principal, Neil Moon.

Barracus claims that she saw the Carenne Support vehicle driven by Dave Graham parked at the rest area at Mount Lambie where he had a student known to often be locked in a storeroom by Ros Luther outside the vehicle and was physically hitting him on the back and buttocks. Barracus claims to of tried to ring the school immediately but could not get an answer.

Barracus claims that when she got to school this morning she spoke to the principal Neil Moon and reported what she had seen. She was told to "shut up" and not to tell anyone about the incident because it would cause "too many problems" and cast more "negative light" upon the school. Barracus says that she told Mr Moon that it was likely that members of the public saw the assault as it was on the side of the highway in a vehicle which clearly states Carenne School. Mr Moon told her "the last thing we need right now is for someone to report this to the Police, I have them convinced there is nothing wrong here, keep it quiet and it will be all OK".

Barracus says that she expects that Mr Graham will cover-up the incident because his wife was the escort on his bus.

It is concerning that Mr Moon is more interested in the reputation of the school than the welfare of students. Carenne Gate calls for the immediate investigation of this matter.

SNTS approved student has to be bought to school by parent, bus broken

A student who has been approved for transport under the Special Needs Transport Scheme has had to be bought to and from Carenne by his parent while the bus, operated by Carenne Support is in Sydney having repairs, possibly using another cheap fix.

Carenne Support has a history of using cheap fixes on their buses, with Geoff Salmon in 2009 having the vehicle fixed in Sydney, later to dangerously leak hydraulic fluid as the line was routed incorrectly and a minor electrical fire in another bus which had the hoist installed on the cheap, again in Sydney.

Hatho claims that on Friday Carenne Support's new bus supervisor, Dave Graham wanted to reallocate the student to another bus temporarily without the education department knowing but was told he could not by principal Neil Moon because it was against transport policy.

Why couldn't the bus have been fixed in the holidays when it wasn't being used without disadvantaging students who need the service?

Staff complain about new bus driver after 4 days

After just four days in the job, Carenne Support's new bus driver/supervisor has created tensions with Carenne Special School staff.

Former Carenne Klan member turned whistleblower, nedkelly told Carenne Gate -
"David Graham thinks he can push Carenne staff around but I have news for him. How dare he push school staff around as though he is the principal of the school and then abusing someone else for not parking the bus where he wanted it"

After just four days it appears that Carenne Support's decision to employ Mr Graham wasn't as popular as they had thought.