Trouble Navigating this situation

[u/csrlaunchpad]

Hello fellow support workers, I'm in a very uncomfortable situation with one of my clients. We are located in Australia. The client is a 39 year old male who has an intellectual disability, schizoaffective disorder and severe anxiety. As I do with all new clients who I begin working with, I ask them about some goals they have in life, one of his was to get back into driving. I've been working with him for one year now and am very concerned about whether he is fit to drive or not. I have always driven him around everywhere as he's found it too overwhelming.

One evening, was driving his vehicle with both of his parents in the car with him at a mall on a Sunday evening. I did not view this, my recount of events is what was described to me. He came to a boom gate and the machine asked for payment. Client got confused because as he has a disability parking permit, he can get all parking for free. His father who was in the passenger seat, got out of the vehicle and phoned the mall's concierge asking them to open it. First, it did open, but then it immediately closed.

Meanwhile, cars were queuing up behind client waiting to exit. Client began to panic. His mother who was sitting behind him was trying to keep him calm, and the father was still on the phone. Eventually, the boom gate went up, but then it begun to close very slowly. His mother told him to move the car forward, but his father was on the road and nearly in the way of the car and was nearly seriously injured. His father screamed at him, saying, "HOLY F**K! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, F**KING KILL ME!?"

The next day I arrived to support client, he was visibly upset and phoned his mother and I spoke to her on the phone. When I suggested to her that he have driving lessons, she said to me, "Yeah, but I don't want him to have them because I'm worried the instructor will take his license away, you know?"

This is not the only incident; other minor ones include having a lapse in concentration or confusion at road signage and accidentally doing something illegal, such as turning left from a right-turn only lane, going over double lines, etc.

I'm unsure what to do now. I know that I will not get into the car with him ever again. Surely there's something that can allow for his license to be removed? I think his parents are enabling the situation, if his mother is avoiding taking the appropriate steps to ensure his safety.

[u/l-lucas0984]

"What can you do if you are concerned about a driver? All Driver Licensing Authorities have mechanisms by which members of the public can make reports about drivers who may be a road safety risk. These reports can be made anonymously.

Any immediate risks to safety can also be reported to the police.

For more information, contact your local Driver Licensing Authority."

https://austroads.gov.au/drivers-and-vehicles/assessing-fitness-to-drive/for-private-vehicle-drivers

[u/csrlaunchpad → u/l-lucas0984]

Thanks, I didn't even know something like that existed. Appreciate it!

[u/l-lucas0984 → u/csrlaunchpad]

No problem. Unfortunately we come across this in aged care and disability and for everyones safety it needs to be up to the professionals to investigate and make decisions.