'Inhumane' disability home had fridges locked as residents slept on floor

Building Dreams Services operated a group home for people with disabilities on a cul-de-sac in Broome. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic) Former staff have made multiple allegations of neglect about a disability group home in Western Australia's far north. Following queries by the ABC, the NDIS watchdog is now reviewing a complaint received in February it had initially closed. The owner of the group house did not respond to detailed questions sent by the ABC. Link copiedShareShare articleOn a quiet cul-de-sac in Western Australia's far north, a suburban home has become the subject of allegations of neglect. The residence has been operating as a privately-run NDIS group home for people with disabilities in Broome for at least two years. Now, former staff are speaking out, alleging a lack of organisation by the owner saw residents packed into rooms, not given their medication, and a child had lived in the premises with a drug user. "Inhumane" is the way former worker Jesse*, speaking on the condition of anonymity, described the situation. Former employees of BDS allege participants were crammed inside the three-bedroom house. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic) Former staff have alleged at least six people were living in the three-bedroom house, some sleeping on mattresses on the floor. They said residents were sometimes housed in a windowless back room and air-conditioning was limited throughout the house, despite temperatures in Broome often exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. Contact Dunja Karagic at karagic.dunja@abc.net.au or dunjakar@protonmail.com. At the time of the concerns the group home was owned by Perth-based Sarifah Seaman and operated by the NDIS provider she runs, Building Dreams Services (BDS). It is one of dozens of unregistered NDIS providers operating in the Kimberley region that are not subject to the same compliance and audit requirements as registered companies. It is unclear whether the BDS Broome group home is still operating or how many people currently reside there. Former workers allege a child was living at the property with her mother while another resident was using illicit drugs. That resident "was found to have syringes in her handbag", according to Jesse. Another former employee Jude* said they had concerns the child was in danger because residents were at times "high and drunk" in the house. "There was an altercation there [when] that little girl was at the house," they said. Multiple workers told the ABC the child stopped going to school and her mental health deteriorated. "A lot of time would pass, like weeks, and you rarely saw the daughter or heard from her," Jesse said. "You didn't hear her talking. Compared to when she first came into the house and went to school, she was happy and outgoing." The ABC understands WA's Child Protection Unit received reports of concern about the child's welfare, and the mother and child have vacated the premises. On now-archived web pages Building Dreams Services marketed itself as an NDIS provider "for the locals by the locals". (Supplied: Wayback Machine) Ms Seaman did not respond to questions sent by the ABC. Former staff allege BDS had lacked a medication policy which led to an elderly dialysis patient with limited mobility missing out on his medication. In documents seen by the ABC, staff had raised to Ms Seaman that the man seemed to have missed a lot of medication going back a couple of months. According to packaging the man's morning dose included medication for cholesterol, nerve pain and epilepsy. (Supplied) Former staffer *Alex alleged the lack of organisation around medication for the participant saw failures by other staff members. "They weren't monitoring the medication, going to the clinic. They just weren't doing the right thing," they said. According to photographs of unopened packets seen by the ABC, his morning dose included medication for epilepsy, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and nerve pain. The ABC has seen invoices that show residents were charged $500 a fortnight by Ms Seaman to stay at the house, which covered food and bills, except for electricity. But former staff allege Ms Seaman often did not purchase enough food and had at one point directed locks to be installed on fridges because she believed residents were "eating too much food". Multiple former BDS employees allege locks were installed on fridges to restrict residents from eating "too much food". (Supplied) In a report seen by the ABC, another NDIS service provider wrote to Ms Seaman in August 2025 raising numerous issues, including concern that the front gates were locked from 10pm to 6am. Jude alleged the house was like "a prison" where residents felt "trapped". "They believed keeping them in was keeping them safe, but that is also restrictive practices," Jude claims. The ABC has seen a detailed complaint sent to the NDIS watchdog in February. (ABC Kimberley: Dunja Karagic) The ABC has seen a detailed complaint sent to th

'Inhumane' disability home had fridges locked as residents slept on floor

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