Care in detention
There are lots of people in a youth detention centre to help young people, including:
- detention youth workers
- caseworkers
- programs officers
- psychologists
- teachers
- nurses
- doctors
- speech and language pathologists
- cultural staff
- community visitors
Our staff come from many different cultures and backgrounds.
Everyone works together to make sure each a young person is safe and well while they are in detention. We help them with their offending behaviour and help them make better choices.
We also help parents, carers and young people plan for when the young person returns home to their community.
Detention youth workers
Detention youth workers supervise young people while they are in detention. They check on a young person regularly through the day and night, and make sure they are okay.
If a young person needs to go to other areas of the youth detention centre, a detention youth worker takes them.
Detention youth workers help young people in detention understand and follow the rules of the centre. A young person can talk to a detention youth worker if they need someone to talk to.
Detention youth workers have special training to help keep everyone safe if young people behave inappropriately.
Caseworkers
Youth detention centres have caseworkers similar to the ones who work in our service centres.
A young person’s caseworker meets with them regularly and keeps in contact with:
- their parent or carer
- the young person’s lawyer
- the young person’s youth justice service centre caseworker.
The young person can talk to their caseworker if they are worried about anything to do with court, their family, or anything else.
A young person’s caseworker talks to them about what got them into trouble. They also talk to a young person about things that might help them to stay out of trouble when they leave detention.
Caseworkers help young people plan and get ready to leave detention and return to the community. This includes programs, services and planning activities in consultation with the youth justice service centre caseworker.
Teachers
Young people attend the detention centre’s school while they are in detention.
The teacher will work with the young person to:
- address any learning gaps they have in literacy or numeracy
- learn new skills
- help them develop skills for returning to education, training or employment when they leave detention
- improve their social skills.
Nurses and doctors
The youth detention centre has a health centre with nurses who work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When a young person arrives at the youth detention centre, a nurse checks their health and their health needs.
We will arrange for the young person to see the nurse, doctor or dentist at the youth detention centre when they need to. A young person can also talk to the nurse during daily visits the nurse makes around the detention centre accommodation. The nurse can help them with their health needs including immunisation, sexual health and more.
If a young person needs to see a medical specialist or go to hospital, our detention youth workers will take them to these appointments.
We will also help a young person access their Medicare card and immunisation records.
Speech and language pathologists
Speech and language pathologists help young people at the youth detention centre who have difficulties with communication.
They can help with skills such as:
- speaking
- understanding
- reading
- writing
- social skills.
Speech and language pathologists help to test and support a young person’s communication needs. They may work with a young person one-on-one or in groups.
Cultural units and cultural staff
Our cultural units and cultural staff help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people stay connected to their:
- family
- culture
- community
- country
They give cultural support and information to young people and help with family and cultural visits.
Cultural staff also work with Elders and other important community members to provide opportunities for them to talk to young people about their culture.
Community visitors
Community visitors work for the Office of the Public Guardian and not for the detention centre.
Community visitors check on how young people are cared for in detention and support them with any problems they might have.
Community visitors talk to young people and listen to what they have to say about their time in detention. If a young person wants to talk to a community visitor, they can:
- talk to them when they see them walking around the detention centre
- put a note into one of the secure letter boxes around the detention centre
- phone them from the phone in their accommodation unit.
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