The Office of the Independent Regulator shared feedback on the Tasmanian Youth Justice Facility Model of Care (MoC). A range of key areas were considered including:
- Alignment with the Child and Youth Safe Standards and the Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety
- How the Model of Care would be translated into practice
- Governance and monitoring and;
- Lessons from the current youth justice settings (including the Ashley Youth Detention Centre).
The OIR Recommendations covered:
- From intent to implementation
Set out clear service standards, measurable outcomes, response times, escalation pathways, review points and reporting requirements so the MoC can be applied and monitored consistently in practice.
- Restrictive practices and therapeutic integrity
Clearly define when restrictive practices may be used, require de-escalation first, prohibit solitary confinement, and set out the documentation, review and oversight required for any use of force, restraint, separation, isolation or searches.
- Workforce capability, supervision and frontline leadership
Strengthen the workforce model through protected training time, reflective supervision, practice-based coaching, professional boundary guidance, frontline leadership support, and clear operational and training requirements for restrictive practices and adverse acute management responses.
- Family involvement, safety and alternative supports
Require family risk assessment, trauma-informed contact planning, support for families and carers, and access to a trusted adult or advocate where family involvement is unsafe, unavailable or not in the young person’s best interests.
- Transition, staged responsibility and life-skills development
Introduce a staged transition process with stabilisation, orientation, life-skills teaching, gradual responsibility, and individual education and vocational planning based on each young person’s strengths and needs.
- Throughcare and post-release support
Set out how post-release support will be coordinated across housing, education, health, mental health, alcohol and other drug services, family support, cultural connection, mentoring and practical reintegration.
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