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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Full scale of Joshua Brown's alleged sex offending is laid bare as new details emerge - as male workers are banned from changing nappies
The number of childcare centres in Victoria where alleged paedophile Joshua Brown was employed is set to grow in the following week. The 26-year-old has been charged with more than 70 child sex offences including the sexual penetration of a child and producing child abuse material. He is also charged with recklessly contaminate goods to cause alarm or anxiety, which is understood to refer to the alleged contamination of food with bodily fluids. It was revealed on Friday that there is a new, full list of times and places where Brown worked which is due to be released in the coming days, The Age reported. The latest blow comes as families were rocked on Tuesday by an urgent warning from the Victorian Department of Health and Victoria Police for parents of 1,200 children to have them tested for infectious diseases. It has since been suggested the advised tests were for gonorrhea and chlamydia. It was later suggested parents also have their children tested for syphilis. Brown's is accused of abusing eight children between the ages of two-months-old and five-years-old at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Point Cook, where he worked between October 2021 and February 2024. Authorities said the Melbourne childcare worker also worked at more than a dozen other centres across the city between 2017 and 2025. Affinity Education, the national childcare company which employed Brown in at least nine of its centres, provided The Age with a letter from chief executive Tim Hickey. 'The individual was employed as a permanent part-time educator in August 2024 for a newly built centre which opened in November,' he said. 'During that period, they worked or trained across other centres in the network or where the support was needed. 'While this is a common operational practice in the sector, we are now reviewing how these movements are managed through a stronger child safety lens.' Meanwhile provider Inspire Early Learning Journey sent a letter to parents on Friday announcing it had adjusted policies about what male staff would be allowed to do. Chief curriculum and quality officer Eleinna Anderson said they will not be changing nappies or carrying out 'toileting duties', the Herald Sun reported. She maintained they will still play a 'vital role' and help with activities, classroom preparation and cleaning. The provider's staff must refrain from unnecessary physical contact with children including kissing. If offering emotional supporter, they need the child's consent to hug them or hold their hands. The national provider Affinity Education addressed Brown's work at nine of their centres, explaining why he worked at multiple locations in a letter to parents (pictured) Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed on Friday that at least 30 families have already approached a high-profile law firm in Victoria to seek compensation over the alleged actions of Brown while their children were under his care. Arnold Thomas and Becker Lawyers have confirmed they were contacted by a string of families about potential legal action. Some parents have already approached the media to discuss the horror their families have been through. A Werribee father who spoke out on Thursday, described how his seven-year-old daughter begged medical staff to stop as they administered an STI test. 'My daughter was saying "Daddy, this is really hurting me, make the lady stop",' he told the Herald Sun. 'You could visibly see the pathologist was upset, the receptionists were upset, the doctor was upset. Because they're all parents. It's affected everyone.' All the parents involved have to wait an unknown amount of time to discover whether their children have any STIs. 'It's every bit as bad as you think it's going to be. Every time my phone rings… I get anxiety, every time it rings. It's constantly attached to my hand as we're waiting for that phone call,' he said. Health authorities had to contact more than 2,600 families after Brown was taken into custody in mid-May, where he remains. His Point Cook home was raided by police shortly after an investigation was launched earlier that same month. Police have said he was not known to them before his arrest and he had a valid Working With Children Check, which has since been cancelled. He will next appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on September 15. Police discovered evidence of the alleged horrific offending by the childcare worker while investigating 36-year-old Michael Simon Wilson. Wilson, from Hoppers Crossing, was charged with 45 child sex offences on Wednesday, including bestiality, rape and possession of child abuse material, according to court documents. It is understood Brown and Wilson are known to each other, but Wilson's charges are not linked to any childcare centre and involve different alleged victims.


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Statutory Sick Pay: When it's due and how much you get
There is a legal minimum amount of cash that employees across the UK should be paid when they are off sick, and if you're not getting that then your workplace could be in breach of your rights Employees should ensure they're receiving a minimum amount when off sick, or their workplace could be infringing on their rights. By law, workers should receive at least £118.75 per week in Statutory Sick Pay, providing a minimum income during periods of illness. Employers are legally obliged to pay this amount each week for up to 28 weeks. In some instances, employees may receive more if their employer operates a sick pay or occupational scheme. It is important to note that Sick Pay is only issued for the days employees would normally have worked and are off due to illness. This typically excludes the first three working days, with the exception being if you have received sick pay within the last eight weeks, which must have included a three-day waiting period before your first payment. Each day that Sick Pay is issued You qualify for Statutory Sick Pay if you are legally classified as an employee, have performed work for your employer, earn an average of at least £125 per week, and have been ill for more than three consecutive days - including non-working days. It is worth noting that agency workers are also entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. Who is eligible for Sick Pay? If you need to claim Sick Pay, inform your employer that you are unable to work either within seven days or by a deadline set by your employer. You might not qualify for Sick Pay if you have already received the maximum amount or are currently getting Statutory Maternity Pay. Even if you are a new employee and have not yet earned eight weeks' pay, you could still be eligible for the payment, but you will need to discuss this directly with your employer. What if your employer refuses to pay If your employer is denying you Sick Pay despite your eligibility, your first step should be to have a direct conversation with them to resolve the issue. You can also request a written explanation from your employer detailing why they're refusing to provide Sick Pay. This should formally be done on an SSP1 form, rather than just a note or email. If they decline to provide an SSP1 form or you disagree with their reasoning, you can lodge a complaint directly with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The HMRC Statutory Payment Dispute Team can be reached by calling 0300 322 9422.

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Liza Collins on the meaning of relational leadership in NHS
It was inspiring, but many were left wondering: what does that actually mean in practice, especially on a busy NHS ward or in an overstretched community team? Relational leadership is more than a buzzword. It's a mindset and a practice, one that might just hold the key to a healthier future for our NHS teams. At its heart, relational leadership is about how we show up in relationships at work. Not as titles, hierarchies or roles, but as people. It asks us to move beyond command-and-control styles and towards connection, curiosity and care. To lead with both clarity and compassion. To listen more. To build trust and rebuild it when it's broken. That may sound idealistic, but the evidence tells us otherwise. Teams thrive when people feel safe to speak up. They perform better, innovate more and recover faster from setbacks. This is what psychological safety looks like: an environment where you can share ideas or admit mistakes without fear. But here's the catch: it does not happen by accident. It is created, moment by moment, through how we treat one another. A good relational leader is not always the loudest or most confident voice in the room. They are often the most consistent. They notice the tone. They welcome feedback. They understand that a difficult conversation handled well is a form of leadership. They recognise that it takes time to build trust, and only a moment to lose it. When leadership is too harsh, trust is lost. When it's too absent, people flounder. Relational leadership strikes the balance, with clear boundaries and human connection. In the NHS, we already understand relational care. We know the difference a kind word or a thoughtful gesture makes. The challenge now is to extend that same humanity into how we lead. Because the truth is, we do not change workplace culture by policy alone. We change it through everyday relationships. So, if we want a thriving NHS for the future, we must ask: what kind of leaders, and teammates, are we choosing to be? Liza Collins, MA, FRSA NHS Culture Strategist and Future of Healthcare Executive Leadership Coach