Boss detects staff anxiety Cleveland head goes undercover
THE head of Queensland’s Justice Department has played undercover boss to investigate the daily struggles of staff at Cleveland Detention Centre.
Department of Justice and Attorney- General directorgeneral David Mackie recently posed as a trainee youth worker during a nine- hour shift, gaining an insight into the work undertaken by staff.
Mr Mackie said he wanted to see what it was really like inside the detention centre and how staff and inmates interacted with each other.
“I’ve got people who report to me and I’ve been there many times and … when I go there I normally go there in the suit and everyone knows who I am,” Mr Mackie said.
“So I never know the full story about how the kids react … so I really wanted to experience a day in their ( youth workers’) life. I wanted to see what the pressures were on these guys … how they interact with kids ( and) how the kids interact with them. But I wanted it to be as normal a day as possible for me to gauge for myself what are the issues, both for the kids and the staff.”
Mr Mackie said he learnt a lot about what happened at the centre and how the young offenders try to get over staff.
“These kids, because I was a newbie, challenged me as soon as I walked on the floor, that’s their modus operandi,” he said.
“They were in your face, trying to see how far they can get with you as a new bloke to try and settle you into their way of life, not yours.”
Mr Mackie said it was an “eye- opening experience” and praised the work of staff.
“I just went in there on the precept that I was a trainee because they do shadowing as matter of training. I got given the full kit and dressed up.
“I was taken around to various staff in different blocks, all those blocks have a different collection of kids in there from the rolled gold, down to the ones with significant behavioural issues.
“I spent a nine- hour shift in there … working with the staff and interacting with the kids. It was a great eye- opener for me.
“Out of that day I’ve got nothing but praise for the way ( youth workers) do their jobs, it is a challenging job. The staff were remarkable, the rapport they have with these kids, knowing that there are high behavioural issues involved, was just absolutely fantastic.”