Linda Reynolds has unreservedly apologised to a mother whose details were accidentally sent to her abusive ex-partner, but admits she did not know about the breach until after it was discovered by the media.
The Herald Sun on Friday revealed a Victorian woman, who cannot be named for safety reasons, feared for her life after her son’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan was sent to his father.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) had been ordered not to disclose information to the father, who was released from jail last year after serving time for violence against the boy’s mother.
Appearing before senate estimates on Friday, NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds offered an unreserved apology, saying she had ordered a review into the breach.
“It should not have happened; my first priority, and the NDIA’s first priority, is the safety and privacy of the woman and the family concerned,” she said.
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“Then also to work out how this happened, and to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
NDIA boss Martin Hoffman said alerts were “properly placed” on the case record, and the father had been removed from the system driving automated mail.
He hoped the “very thorough and rapid” review would reveal what went wrong.
Documents sent to the perpetrator via an automated system in February included the family’s location, suburb and names of people working with the son.
The breach was not discovered by a support worker until three months later, and the woman said she was told to send an email when she made a follow-up call this week.
Details of the breach weren’t reported to the NDIS’ national contact centre until either Monday or Tuesday.
Mr Hoffman revealed the department did not inform Ms Reynolds’ office of “the serious matter” until Thursday, but the NDIS minister claimed she was not alerted by her staff until Friday, the morning it was reported in the media.
Labor senator Jenny McAllister questioned whether a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy had been implemented on the matter.
“Are you satisfied that learning about it on Friday morning, after the information has been published in a major newspaper, is an appropriate escalation given your responsibility overall for this agency?” she asked.
Ms Reynolds said when her office was informed of the incident would be made clearer by the NDIA report.
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions, and I certainly don’t want to say anything publicly until I know all the facts,” she said.
The woman exposed by the breach said she had been offered three days in a hotel, but feared homelessness after that period.
Ms Reynolds would not answer directly when asked whether three days’ accommodation was “satisfactory”, but pledged to ensure the family was “well looked after”.
“All I can say is that we’ll make sure that she is okay,” she said.
Mr Hoffman insisted engagement on the woman’s medium and long-term housing had been “significant” and a “range of options” was being discussed with the woman.
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2021-06-04 07:45:58Z
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