FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2005
Coroner's report right on: OPSEU
TORONTO: The recommendations in the Coroner's Report released today on the deaths at the Oaklands Regional Centre are right on, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says.
The eleven recommendations echo the union's call for more resources including reviewing staffing levels, procedures and training to improve the quality of care for people with developmental disabilities at the centre. They also point to the need for specialized medical staff, such as are provided at the three regional
centres the government has slated for closure.
"This report is vindication for the hard-working staff at Oaklands and reinforces what our members have been saying," said OPSEU President Leah Casselman. "The government should consider the implications of this report, not just for Oaklands, but for the entire developmental services sector.
"The whole sector needs additional resources to provide the best possible service to very vulnerable clients. But so far the government has funded only minor improvements and is closing facilities that provide specialized care to the most vulnerable.
"Our members were saddened by the tragic deaths at Oaklands," Casselman said. "But if the government acts on these recommendations, something good may yet come of them."
OPSEU represents about 150 employees at the Centre and thousands of developmental services workers across Ontario, in both regional centres and community settings.
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For further information:
David Cox, OPSEU Communications, cell : 416-788-9197
