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FaCS worker Lennard Michael Downes faces court accused of assaulting disabled boy, 9, at government-run home in the Illawarra

An Illawarra FaCS worker accused of beating a mute autistic boy was brought undone when the child's parents grew suspicious and sent him to respite care with a tape recorder concealed in his bag, a court has heard.

Police will allege disability support worker Lennard Michael Downes, 35, can be heard verbally and physically abusing the boy on the recording, which was taken over a two day period at a government-run care centre in November last year.

It is alleged Downes repeatedly calling the boy a “f—king c—t” while trying to feed him and threatened to hit him if he didn’t eat.

The recording also picked up several sounds, which were described in court documents as slapping, banging and hitting sounds.

The boy, who has a severe mental disability and requires around-the-clock care, returned home from the stay sporting a mark on his face below his mouth, which later developed into a large bruise.

His mother said he started refusing to eat, especially from a spoon, and began rapidly losing weight.

Court documents said the parents reviewed the audio recording, and upon discovering its disturbing contents, immediately reported the matter to police and managers at the group home.

It is alleged the boy can be heard crying, whimpering and gasping for air in between verbal abuse and sounds that will be alleged are from Downes slapping and hitting the child.

Court documents said a pediatric specialist reviewed the boy’s injuries in the days after the incident and found the location, shape and colour of the bruising on his face was “consistent with the victim’s jaw being forced open and/or closed”.

Downes was arrested on December 22 and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was released on strict bail.

During his first court appearance on Thursday, Downes indicated he would defend the charge. He also sought to relax a condition of his bail banning him from having contact with children unless supervised.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Upsall opposed the variation.

“The factual circumstances alleged are horrendous,” he said.

Magistrate Michael Stoddart agreed and refused the vary Downes’ bail.

The case returns to court on March 15.

Downes has been suspended from his job but remains on full pay.

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Alcohol or drug abuse not a trigger for removal of children: Families SA

Alcohol or drug abuse by a parent would not necessarily 'trigger' the removal of a child from their biological family, a parliamentary committee investigating Families SA has heard.

Department for Education and Child Development chief executive Tony Harrison told the committee while he would not want any parent abusing alcohol or drugs, it was not realistic.

"Illicit drugs or excessive use of alcohol by itself would not be a determinant whether we would leave a child in a biological family," he said.

"So I wouldn't advocate to the committee that there should be a trigger if we were to identify the use of illicit substances or alcohol to excess that that becomes the only factor we would take into consideration for removal of that child from a family unit."

Last week, the coroner investigating the death of four-year-old Chloe Valentine in Adelaide was told 

Mr Harrison said the removal of a child by Families SA was a 'major decision' and had the potential to cause a child further harm.

"Removing a child can literally cause more detrimental harm in the form of abuse or neglect of that child because of the potential difficulties of placing it in a nurturing, caring loving environment outside of that biological family," he said.

"I'd suggest strongly if we were to take that approach we wouldn't have 2,600 children in the care of the minister we would have many many, many more."

Premier Jay Weatherill agreed that sometimes removing a child from a home does more harm than good.

"There are not enough resources in the world neccessary to be able to investigate child protection notifications that occur in one in four families," he said.

"It is just simply impossible to devote those resources and it is undesirable we'd have 20,000 kids in our care not 2,000."

Families SA needs to 'crack down' on drug-abusing parents

Mr Harrison told the committee he believed Families SA got its decisions on removing children right most of the time.

However, Family First MP Dennis Hood said Families SA needed to crack down on parents who used drugs.

"I think the public can be forgiven for thinking Families SA almost condones the use of these substances," Mr Hood said.

"It seems that there isn't any clarity about what to do, what are the triggers for action to be taken.

"I mean for me it's relatively simple. If parents are using things like methamphetamine on a regular basis or even a semi regular basis certainly if they're a heroin user, something at that end of the scale, then their ability to look after a child is clearly lessened.

"If somebody's using illicit substances then we really have to ask: are they suitable to look after their children?"