Enrich Group says it has taken valuable learnings from the Health and Disability Commissioner’s investigation into its care of a client.

Chief executive Karen Scott today said she knows how distressing her organisation’s breach of the Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights code has been to their client and his whānau.

“We understand how they are feeling. We are feeling the same because he was part of our whānau for 13 years,” she said.

“We let him down and fell short of the high standards we have set for our clients.”

It is Enrich Group’s first complaint since it was established 32 years ago.

“That is one more than we would ever want though,” said Scott.

“Our thoughts go out to our staff who are still distraught months after this took place. It is not who they are. They have apologised and we are working actively with them and other staff to use this case as a basis for developing education and training.

“They and we have taken valuable learnings from this.”

Enrich Group has 580 clients across several sites and employs 150 people across the organisation and its services.

“Our staff work in the disability sector which is underfunded, under resourced and often undervalued.

“Yet they come to work every day to make a difference in our clients’ lives.

“We applaud them for that and will do all we can as an organisation to ensure they have the right training, education and tools to do their jobs and that we support them to do the best for our client whānau.”

Enrich Group provided a formal written apology to the client and his whānau in June, as did the staff members involved, and made significant changes to its processes since the event.

This included revising and updating the Restraint Minimisation policy and the Abuse and Neglect Policy.

All staff must undergo the Safety Interventions course before they work with clients.

“We believe every one of our clients should have the opportunity to live a life like any other,” said Scott.

Through education, employment and empowerment, Enrich supports and encourages individuals living with disabilities, autism and neurodiversity to live the life they choose and to be a real part of their communities.

Read: HDC latest decisions.