Ms ROSOL – Does the department use private companies to transport young people to and from Ashley Youth Detention Centre?
Mr JAENSCH – Can I get an update on transport of young people to and from Ashley Youth Detention Centre and who that work is done by now?
Mr WOODFALL – Yes. It’s currently facilitated by Essential Security.
Ms ROSOL – It’s a private company?
Mr WOODFALL – Yes.
Ms ROSOL – What’s the cost of that?
Mr WOODFALL – We’d have to source that.
Ms ROSOL – Could I take that as a question on notice?
Mr WOODFALL – Yes.
Mr JAENSCH – I do recall conversations that have been had from time to time. I think our preference ideally would be that that is a service that is managed by our staff, so that we can ensure some continuity of our approach to care of young people. We have had times where we probably need those staff to be where we have them to be focused on the care and operation of the centre, to ensure that we’ve got the staffing ratios and the cover that we need for everyone to be safe. One of the options is to be using an external provider for some of those functions.
Ms ROSOL – A question about the external providers – have they been assessed, safety assessed, risk managed? Do they have Working with Vulnerable People checks? What are the protocols in place for that?
Mr JAENSCH – Can I ask the department to make a comment on that procurement?
Mr WOODFALL – They undergo training. All have Working with Vulnerable People checks, all undergo training and familiarisation with the centre, and our processes in putting cuffs on, for transport.
Ms ROSOL – Just to clarify, there’s no centre staff going with them? They go with Essential Security staffed by the security staff?
Mr WOODFALL – That’s a case‑by‑case scenario. If a young person is, say, taken into remand and appears before the courts at 10 p.m. on a Friday night, then Essential Security may make that. Where we’ve got young people going into appointments, or where maybe they’re anxious or maybe we’re buying new clothes, then often it’ll be our staff who will take them out. Sometimes it’s a combination. It just depends. We transported someone the other day and three of our staff transported the young person. No use of Essential Security.
Ms ROSOL – Is there a policy around that? Do you have a formal policy or is that ad hoc, depending on what’s happening?
Mr WOODFALL – Essential Security is contracted to deliver that service when we require them to do so. It’s risk‑managed. Where it’s just pure transport from a remand centre at a random time then they deliver that work.
