Responsibility: State and territory governments
Response:
WA: Accept in principle
ACT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, NSW, NT: Note
This recommendation was directed to the Western Australian Government.
Western Australia
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The Department has implemented mechanisms to both retain and support staff including but not limited to a Staff support network, new salary structure for Youth Custodial Officers (YCO) and changes to the Industrial Agreement for YCOs.
Custodial staffing across our youth detention facilities has steadily increased over the past twelve months. During this period, over 120 YCO’s have been trained and are now employed in the youth estate. The focus on recruitment has had a positive impact by allowing improved relationships between young people and YCO’s. Further initiatives such as staff rostering and training has also had a positive impact on retention of YCO’s. In addition, the recruitment of more YCO’s has reduced the reliance on prison officers to support youth detention staff and led to a significant reduction in the number of Prison officers seconded to the youth estate.
Corrective Services is further exploring additional ways in which staff can be supported such as through a chaplain / welfare model and is working to bolster staff retention efforts.
WA government response July 2024
The WA Government accepts in principle this recommendation.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
The Department of Justice of Western Australia should immediately review its youth justice staffing and recruitment model to ensure sufficient, suitably trained staff are available to supervise children and young people to minimise lockdowns and prevent the solitary confinement of detainees. This should include developing and implementing a recruitment and retention strategy that:
- addresses high staff attrition rates in youth detention
- promotes representation at senior management level of staff with disability and First Nations backgrounds
- includes measures to help staff access mental health support.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.