A HOBART woman whose son drowned in 2008 told yesterday how hard it had been to hear the words that her son was dead.
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An inquest into the death of Peta Kelty's severely autistic son Jackson Kelty, 15, and his carer, Brendan Dermody, 27, began in the Hobart Coroners Court yesterday.
Jackson disappeared from Clifton Beach on March 15, 2008, along with Mr Dermody. It is presumed they drowned.
The court heard that the Department of Health and Human Services, which was responsible for Jackson's care at the time, did not have formalised guidelines for outside excursions.
Speaking outside the court, Mrs Kelty said she was "totally astounded" to hear this.
"I'm calling for systematic change. The system is broken - it's time to stop just agreeing with the status quo," she said.
Mrs Kelty said she hoped the inquest would bring her some closure.
"It has been quite difficult ... just even hearing the words that Jackson's dead has been very difficult," she said.
Mr Dermody was one of a number of carers who cared for Jackson as part of a roster system.
On March 15, 2008, he also had another autistic boy in his care.
Mr Dermody's fiancee, Erin Mekking, said in an affidavit read to the court that he had taken children to Clifton Beach in the past, but always for a walk - not a swim.
"Brendan didn't like the water or even the sand," she said.
"I am aware that Brendan can swim but I am not aware of his swimming ability ... (he) would not have entered the water at Clifton Beach for pleasure."
She said Mr Dermody was the sort of person who would jump in to save someone in difficulty and would not have let go of them.
Ms Mekking said her fiance had complained to her about the way the department was run and that he had met a union representative in the lead- up to his death although she was not aware of the reason for this meeting.
She said he was of the opinion that among his colleagues and immediate supervisors "everyone was trying to do the best they could with something that was broken".
She said he was often called in for extra shifts because of staff shortages and had also complained of having problems obtaining grocery items for the care houses he worked in.
The court heard that another carer, Justin Cooper, had been rostered on to care for Jackson and another boy with Mr Dermody but that he was asked to complete his shift elsewhere due to staff shortages.
In an affidavit, Mr Cooper said he was reluctant to leave Mr Dermody alone to care for the two autistic boys who he said needed "extremely high care" but that he was given a directive to do so.
The inquest continues.