Safety concerns rise at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre after staffer’s head bashed with radio

A savage attack at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre, where a female staffer had her head brutally bashed with a radio, has raised serious concerns over recent equipment changes that could heighten risks for staff, warns a union.

A female staffer who had her head brutally bashed with a radio at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre in late December still hasn’t returned to work.

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A savage attack at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre, where a female staffer had her head brutally bashed with a radio, has raised serious concerns over recent equipment changes that could heighten risks for staff, warns a union.

The distressing attack occurred in late December, when a detainee managed to grab hold of a staff members’s radio and viciously assaulted another female staffer with it leaving a bloody wound on her forehead that required stitches.

Despite the passage of six months, she hasn’t returned to work, haunted by the lingering effects of her head injury.

Following the alarming assault, changes were implemented to the centre’s radio pouches, replacing velcro attachments with metal-plated versions intended to secure radios more effectively.

However, frontline staff have voiced fears that these new pouches do little to prevent youths from accessing radios and could potentially transform them into dangerous weapons.

The new radio pouches have a sharp metal plate on the back of the holder is similar to the one in this image.

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) has urged immediate action from the Department of Youth Justice to reassess the pouches’ suitability before somebody else gets hurt.

“These pouches barely reduce the ability for young people to snatch radios from our members, but they do make it harder for our members to detect that their radios have been taken,” a union spokesman said.

“The sharp metal plate on the back of the pouch that attaches the radio to the workers’ belts are turning these radios into dangerous improvised weapons.

The union are in the process of discussing this issue with the Youth Justice Department.

Cleveland Youth Detention Centre was rocked by two violent attacks on staff in June, including one incident where a male staffer was stabbed. Picture: Matt Taylor

In response to questions from the Townsville Bulletin, a department spokesman confirmed that a possible safety issue around equipment had recently been raised.

“That equipment has not been a risk at this stage,” he said. “We are working with the union, employees, and suppliers regarding this matter.”

Federal Member for Herbert Phil Thompson said the issue highlighted the Department’s detachment from the frontline realities faced by staff in Townsville.

He expressed sympathy for the injured female staffer who has yet to return to the centre, emphasising the urgent need for better plans to support staff and ensure their safety at work. His comments follow two violent staff attacks at the centre in June, including one where a male staffer was repeatedly stabbed in the leg by youths.

The department said any violence against staff is “completely unacceptable, and there are serious consequences for young people.”

“We provide immediate and ongoing support to staff when incidents occur,” a spokesman said.

Originally published as Safety concerns rise at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre after staffer’s head bashed with radio