Adelaide mother banned from working with vulnerable groups after children removed from her care

A woman who worked as an NDIS support care worker for five years has been banned from engaging in work with children and people with disabilities after children were removed from her care.

The Department of Human Services issued a prohibition notice in December 2025, barring the woman from continuing her work. She tried to overturn the decision, but it was upheld by the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT).

SACAT said they found the mother posed an "unacceptable risk" to children and a "risk of harm" to people with disability.

Background of the case

The woman had been working as an NDIS support care worker for five years before she was banned. During this time, she provided general support care, including driving her clients and taking them on social outings.

"During the time she has worked in this area, [the woman] has had no complaints concerning any risk posed to the people with disabilities she worked with," the judgement said.

"[She] told the Tribunal she should be able to work with children, as she was not an unsafe person," it said.

"The work was with people with disabilities, and she provided general support care, including driving her clients and taking them on social outings. She told the Tribunal she is a good support worker and well liked."

Reasons for the ban

The judgement said that the "crux" of the Department of Human Services decision "was that over a long period of time there had been themes of significant risk associated with [the woman's] care of her children, and this was relevant to her future work both with children and with people with disabilities".

"All of [her] children ... have been removed from her care," it said.

"The matters of concern addressed in the removal of the children have been raised over a period of some years. The issue of neglect remained consistent through the concerns raised with investigations by the department across the years, from 2004 to 2020."

"In respect of the elder children, the concerns were the exposure of the children to ongoing domestic violence, neglect, emotional abuse, and a lack of protective capacity by [their mother]."

Later similar concerns were raised in respect of her three younger children, although there was not the same level of concern about domestic violence.

The SACAT judgement said that, although they found the mother "poses an unacceptable risk to children, and poses a risk of harm to people with disability", it does not mean she is "likely to, cause harm to children or people with disability".