Malmsbury teen jail has widespread issues, WorkSafe report finds

GANG violence, mental health issues and substance abuse are a threat to staff at a major youth justice centre, WorkSafe has found.

MALMSBURY Youth Justice Centre is bedevilled by gang, mental health and substance withdrawal issues, a WorkSafe report has found. Picture: CFA VIC

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THE MALMSBURY Youth Justice Centre is bedevilled by gang, mental health and substance withdrawal issues, a WorkSafe report has found.

The safety watchdog this week slapped an improvement notice on the centre after a series of inspections.

Inspectors interviewed employees who identified wide-ranging problems, including a lack of consequences for trouble­makers at the facility in central Victoria.

Malmsbury has for months been hit by detainee upheaval, including rioting, violence against staff and fellow inmates, and an escape.

Last Saturday, a teenager was admitted to hospital after an attack by three other inmates in which the victim’s head was stomped.

A major review into how to prevent occupational violence in secure services was completed in September last year.

Known as the Muir Report, it found risk factors included an increase in remand population, the impact of gang violence, mental health issues and substance withdrawal.

The WorkSafe report stated: “I was informed by Department of Health and Human Services that management and employees have stated that these four factors are current issues.”

Staff told inspectors inconsistent use of systems promoting positive behaviour and responding to “challenging” behaviour had seen “clients becoming upset and/or displaying behaviours of concern”.

Other problem areas included staff responses perceived by inmates as unfair, inconsistent application of consequences and staff removing consequences when they started their shifts.

“I believe the employer has failed to provide a system of work that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health, with respect to the process to respond to clients’ challenging behaviour.” WorkSafe found.

The improvement notice said the “contravention” must be remedied by March.

It suggested this could be done by implementing a formal and structured system of “misbehaviour management”, which defined and codified misbehaviour.

A DHS spokesman said the department would “address ­issues raised by WorkSafe”.

‘’Working together, staff representatives and senior department officers are establishing better and consistent behaviour management practices, and an additional 41 staff positions have recently been created,’’ he said.