Burden split for Kerr and Warren

DALE Wakefield has put her faith in a former police officer, who has been employed by Territory Families for less than a year, to help fight embattled justice youth centres.

A Territory Families spokeswoman said Brent Warren, who less than a year ago was a commander of police in the Northern Territory, has assumed a “general manager” position.

“Mr Warren will take charge of the NT Government’s Youth Justice reform and the responsibility for overseeing the operations of both the Don Dale and the Alice Springs youth detention centres,” she said.

“The chief executive of Territory Families has transferred him from within the department to a new senior general manager role focused solely on Youth Justice.”

Mr Warren’s background with the police sees him with experience in law enforcement, but his current role as general manager of Families and Regional Services in the Territory Families department provides him with less than a year’s experience in child protection and family support.

Territory Families deputy chief executive Jeanette Kerr will retain her position in the controversial body, but will have her duties halved as Mr Warren moves into his new role.

Ms Kerr is currently on approved recreation leave and will return next week under a revised role, “to be solely focused on the NT Government’s child protection reform agenda as well as child operations”.

“This will enable more focused effort on what is a significant reform agenda,” the spokeswoman said.

The Territory Families and Youth Justice departments have been heavily scrutinised since the rape of a two-yearold girl in Tennant Creek in February. The scrutiny continued last week when four juvenile detainees made their way on to the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre’s roof.

“It is clear that there are numerous challenges within the Youth Justice system,” the spokeswoman said.

“These structural changes have been made in consultation with Minister for Territory Families Dale Wakefield to ensure greater oversight of the system and capacity to enact reform.”

Both Ms Kerr and Mr Warren will report directly to Ms Wakefield in their new positions under the department’s shake-up.