Celebrating the completion of their paid training last night at WA’s award-winning Corrective Services Academy were 40 Youth Custodial Officers (YCOs) and 12 Youth Justice Officers (YJOs).
Corrective Services Commissioner Brad Royce addressed the graduates and their families and said welcoming more than 50 new team members to the Young People Directorate was a proud moment.
“From Kununurra in the north, to Albany in the south, we operate across the largest jurisdiction in the world, supporting what’s possibly the most important thing we can as a team, and that’s young people in our care,” he said.
"Each of you should be commended for contributing to a safer, more connected Western Australian community,” Commissioner Royce said.
YCOs work in youth detention facilities, while YJOs work in community offices across the State, managing the vast majority of young people who come into contact with the justice system.
This group of graduates will work in Perth, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Port Hedland, Newman, Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.
Commissioner Royce said whether they’re in a custodial or community setting, their purpose and shared vision is the same.
“Young people are looking to you for leadership and care,” he said. “Bring the skills you’ve learned during your training, as well as compassion and humanity to understand their journey.”
Trauma Informed Practice, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness are among the mandatory training modules taught to both YCOs and YJOs, as part of an overarching therapeutic approach to dealing with at risk youth.
Print this page
