Confidential documents leaked to the Mercury said clients of the assisted living arrangement, housed in a unit complex in Gillies Street, threatened to kill the staff employed to care for them at the premises.

Clients had also threatened violence in public places, including one incident when a client told a supermarket supervisor to “get out the front so I can put your head in the gutter and stomp on it”.

The centre caters for clients released from prison who have issues with mental illness, learning difficulties, and drug and alcohol abuse.

It is funded by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and operated by the Mercy Centre, a Catholic organisation sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, which runs a number of centres in NSW.

But despite 17 violent incidents since the Rutherford centre began operation in September, the Australian Services Union, representing the workers, said the biggest issue was serious breeches of occupational health and safety by the Mercy Centre and a lack of support from

management.

On several occasions, there was one worker working unassisted at the site.

Employees raised occupational health and safety concerns with management on several occasions, including at an on-site meeting on January 5, to call for more staffing.

In an email to staff on January 12, Mercy Centre chief executive officer Patricia Weekes said an active and a non-active night staff would be established for six weeks, and if staff felt unsafe, “they are to remove themselves to the staff unit and lock themselves in”.

A letter to Ms Weekes from the centre’s occupational health and safety chair said staff believed locking themselves in was an unacceptable option.

Union organiser Peter Lacey confirmed the union was taking action on the matter.

“We have occupational health and safety concerns and we feel the response from management has been inadequate,” he told the Mercury.