Govt warned to close youth facility

[Lilith7]

It would be nice to think that any future govt could learn from this report & take up the recommendations.


https://www.thepost.co.nz/a/politics/350...uff_skybox

"The Government was last year told to shut down┬áa controversial youth justice residence┬áÔÇô where boys were forced to fight and offenders later staged a rooftop stand-off.

A report by former police commissioner Mike Bush ÔÇô kept secret until now ÔÇô paints a horrifying picture of staff and culture inside┬áSouth Auckland centre Korowai Manaaki, saying it was a ÔÇ£near miracleÔÇØ no-one had been hurt or killed.

The review points to ÔÇ£under-qualified and under-preparedÔÇØ workforce that was casualised, and not trained to deal with high-needs teenagers housed there.

ÔÇ£We consider it a near miracle that death or serious injury have not occurred to date,ÔÇØ the report, written in July 2022, said.

It also criticised ÔÇ£a male-dominated and cliquey leadership ethosÔÇØ and ÔÇ£an old-fashioned, command and control model of management.ÔÇØA year after Ministry for Children Oranga Tamariki, which runs the centres, received the report into Korowai Manaaki, five teenagers escaped onto the roof, causing significant damage during a 40-hour standoff.
A sickening video then emerged just a few days later, showing a fight between two children. A staff member had filmed the video and another appeared to egg on the violence.

ÔÇØEffective leadership, professionalism, an outcomes focus, a safe, inclusive culture and a sense of calm must replace crisis, ad hoc reactivity and the current exclusive and disengaged internal culture,ÔÇØ his report recommended.

Teenagers are sent to the facilities whilst facing serious charges in the Youth Court or if sentenced to three to six months in custody. The centres are supposed to have a heavy focus on rehabilitation, with schooling, sports and cultural activities, and cooking.

But the Korowai Manaaki reviewers, which included investigator Debbie Francis and former police senior sergeant Mike Paki, found the kitchen and art studio had not been used for ÔÇ£many monthsÔÇØ and other developmental, or anti-recidivism programmes were shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic."

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Sounds to me like it should have been restaffed under new management rather than closed...

[Lilith7]

Sounds to me like it should have been restaffed under new management rather than closed...

Yeah - but that might make sense.

[king1]

yeah closing it makes zero sense - there is clearly a need for it in some form or other

[C_T_Russell]

I honestly don't think this govt is even capable of hiring capable staff to fix the shitshow that it is.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

You do realise the government doesn't hire people, department heads do and they are public service employees. Governments are political entities, the departments do the work for them as they direct, but are still at arms length. Otherwise MPs could not hold more than one 'portfolio'. Public servants also stay in the job longer than your average MP, so are inclined to develop ways of doing things that are very different ti what their political head might inagine. Ever see the series 'Yes Minister' - it is enlightening. And based on a reality often not visible to the public.