Embattled childcare provider G8 Education will install CCTV cameras in all its centres and allow parents to preference who changes their child’s nappies, as it responds to mounting pressure from investors following revelations that an accused child sexual abuser worked at four of its centres.
G8’s announcement of a range of actions, including expanding the use of CCTV cameras and an independent review into its former employee, came late on Monday after its share price dropped a further 2.5 per cent in a day to trade at 94¢.
G8 CEO Pejman Okhovat has announced CCTV will be installed at all the goup’s childcare centres.Credit: Glenn Campbell
It continued what has been a sharp decline from the $1.20 it was trading at before allegations surfaced last Tuesday that former employee Joshua Dale Brown had been arrested and charged with multiple child sexual abuse offences, including while he worked at G8’s Creative Garden Point Cook from 2017 until this May.
Since those revelations, a series of G8’s major investors, including Wilson Asset Management, HESTA, Australian Retirement Trust and Tanarra Capital have expressed concern to the company, such as requests for specific actions to bolster its child safety standards and employee checks. Meanwhile, shareholder advisers have also raised the prospect of clawing back some of CEO Pejman Okhovat’s pay.
Late on Monday, G8 announced it was taking a series of actions to respond to concerns about its processes.
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While the company had trialled CCTV in several of its premises, it will now “accelerate the rollout of CCTV to all of our centres”.
Additionally, parents will now be able to provide preferences on which educators perform personal care routines, “including nappy changes and toileting”.
G8 will also “commission an independent review … to inform further changes and improvements to our child safety procedures”, to begin once the police investigation has concluded.
