Who’s here to help in detention

There are lots of people in a youth detention centre to help your child, 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 child 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 you and your child plan for when they return home to their community.

Detention youth workers

Detention youth workers are the people who supervise your child while they are in detention. They check on the young people regularly through the day and night, and make sure they are okay.

If your child needs to go to other areas of the youth detention centre, a detention youth worker takes them.

Detention youth workers help your child understand and follow the rules of the centre. Your child 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 misbehave.

Caseworkers

The youth detention centre has caseworkers like the ones who work in our service centres.

Your child’s caseworker meets with them regularly and keeps in contact with:

• you
• your child’s lawyer
• your child's Youth Justice service centre caseworker.

Your child can talk to their caseworker if they are worried about anything to do with court, their family, or anything else.

Your child’s caseworker talks to them about what got them into trouble. They also talk to your child about things that might help them to stay out of trouble when they leave detention.

Caseworkers help your child plan and get ready to leave detention and go back to live in the community. This includes programs, services and planning activities in consultation with the Youth Justice service centre caseworker.

Teachers

Your child goes to school while they are in detention.

The teacher will work with your child 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 your child arrives at the youth detention centre, a nurse checks their health and their health needs.

We will arrange for your child to see the nurse, doctor or dentist at the youth detention centre when they need to. Your child can also talk to the nurse when they make their daily visit to your child’s accommodation area. The nurse can help them with their health needs including immunisation, sexual health and more.

If your child needs to see a medical specialist or go to hospital, our detention youth workers will take them to these appointments.

We will also help your child 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 your child's communication needs. They may work with your child 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 your child is cared for in detention. They can also help your child sort out problems they may have.

Community visitors talk to young people and listen to what they have to say about their time in detention. If your child 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.

Find out more

• Read more about what happens in detention.
• Find out what rights your child has in detention.
• Learn about the checks made on youth detention centres.