Dear Team,
We wanted to notify you that today there have been reports in the media regarding the arrest of a former employee at Whiddon’s Mareeba Home, which is the 2nd Home we manage in Maclean.
We understand this news will be upsetting for residents, families, employees and our beautiful Maclean community. We want to provide you with the information we are able to share at this time.
The Police investigation commenced at the Mareeba Home following a report that an assistant nurse had allegedly sexually assaulted a resident between November 2023 and February 2024. The incident does not involve any employees or residents at Whiddon’s Maclean Home.
Based on the information currently available to us, we believe this to be an isolated incident.
While the alleged offence is reported to have occurred before Whiddon commenced management of the home, we have commenced our own review to ensure our safeguards, screening practices and procedures remain robust and continue to protect the safety and wellbeing of residents.
As this matter is now before the courts, we are unable to provide further detail regarding the charges or the individual involved. We ask all employees to respect the privacy of those affected and refrain from discussing unconfirmed information or commenting publicly, including on social media.
We also encourage anyone who is feeling distressed or impacted by this news to access confidential counselling and wellbeing support through Hapstar. This is available free of charge to all employees and their immediate family members.
If you have questions or concerns, please speak with your manager or contact the People & Culture team.
Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued trust.
Kind regards,
The Whiddon Team