Staff at the Oberstown detention centre for young offenders in Co Dublin have voted in favour of industrial action over concerns for their safety.
Impact official Tom Hoare says management at Oberstown detention centre need to think about their staff and introduce health and safety measures to protect them.
He was speaking on Newstalk Breakfast after staff at the young offenders’ campus voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. Staff say the dispute concerns safety issues there are exposed to daily.
“There was a change in legislation which brought about a situation where people who were detained in St Pat’s and Wheatfield are now being set to Oberstown.
“The new complex was developed, and has been in operation for some time, and it has turned out to be a disaster in terms of operation and safety arrangements for the people trying to operate the system.”
Mr Hoare said that figures from the Minister for Health last year identified that 65 staff had been assaulted with 3,005 sick days as a consequence.
“Staff used to dealing with predominantly young offenders are now being asked to deal with criminals that were held in a prison context.
“Effectively this is a residential care centre trying to deal with people who traditionally were dealt with in a custodial prison regime.
“All are under 18, but the buildings are unsafe, inmates are able to take down doors. In one serious incident an inmate was able to kick a door down on top of a member of staff and knocked them unconscious. The structure itself is causing safety issues to staff.
“At the moment the figures are down to 48 because a new health and safety inspection has shown that the buildings are unsafe, therefore require additional money which we understand will be provided. The problem is the buildings are identical, if one is unsafe then all nine are in the same position and six of them are occupied.
He added “the standing issue is staffing levels, but the main issue is Health & Safety. The equipment and support systems are a huge failure in that respect. People are asked to go into a room which is effectively a cell, with no handle on the inside of the door, bars on window, almost the same as a prison and the equipment is not being provided.
“There is where most of the injuries occur where staff are trying to stop self harming of an offender. Trying to relieve a situation. Our staff are being hammered.
“Initially we decided to consult with staff, take time out. Essential services will be maintained. We are going to put it up to management, not for the first time, either deliver with safety practices, procedures and equipment or there will be very serious consequence in the form of industrial action.
“We are specifically looking for different regimes to deal with different problems. It’s not reasonable to have a 14 and 15-year-old subject to a prison regime if they don’t require it. Is it ok to have a 17-year-old who has come out of a prison system mixing in with young children and violent in the context of how they behave and being treated as if they were the same? They’re not the same problem and we need a different response.
“You have ten units there and you could have ten different regimes, if the management would get up and deal with the problems and think about their staff.”
‘Disappointed’
Pat Bergin, campus manager at Oberstown, was “disappointed” with the outcome of the ballot and is “available to staff representatives to address their concerns,” according to a statement from the facility.
Mr Bergin “acknowledged the challenges facing staff” while working in such a setting. “Safety concerns are a high priority for the campus management,” the statement said.
Oberstown also highlighted the various steps management have taken in improving safety and training, including the appointment of a health and safety officer and a HR manager, which has improved awareness and assisted in the development of training programmes.
The campus has also “invested in personal protection equipment as part of the new development and this includes personal alarms system for each member of staff”.
It said injuries to staff “can and do occur” while interacting with young people and that training and management is focused on reducing the number of such incidents.
“Currently there are 5 staff on the assault and injury leave with 18 on ordinary sick leave,” the statement said. “This is a significant reduction on the absences of staff over the past number of years.”
It said the age profile of the residents has remained constant and while there has been an increase in the amount of young people staying at the facility, the “implementation of the proposed Bail Supervision Scheme by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs should assist in reducing these figures”.
It said a staff safety group was established last September, which meets “regularly” to address concerns.
It also said staff had requested protective equipment similar to that used in the prison service, but which “goes against the ethos of the campus” and does “not adhere to best practice in the field of youth detention”. It said training staff in interventions that reduce the risk of harm to all parties is preferable.
“Management remain committed to working with staff representatives to address their specific issues and to achieve outcomes that meet safety concerns and are in line with the purpose and function of the facility,” it said.
