Annual Report 2019 Laid... · 2020-06-30 · O’Herlihy, Charles Irwin and long-standing Board...

Annual Report 2019

ContentsChairperson’s Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02About Oberstown Children Detention Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04Young People in Oberstown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08The Oberstown Model of Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Oberstown Governance and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Financial Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Working at Oberstown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37External And Internal Communications And Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Appendix 1 – Review of the Implementation of the Oberstown

Children Detention Campus Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Appendix 2 – Record of attendances by Board of Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Appendix 3 – Board of Management Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Young people in Oberstown show the medals they earned in Gaisce – The President’s Award

On behalf of the Board ofManagement of OberstownChildren Detention Campus, Iam pleased to present to theMinister for Children and YouthAffairs the Annual Report for2019. This report is submittedby the Board of Managementin line with section 174 of theChildren Act 2001, as amended,which provides for it to be laidbefore the Houses of theOireachtas. The Annual Reportpresents a summary of our keyactivities for the year, whilerecording the progress madein the implementation of the Campus Strategic Plan2017-2020.

The Report providesimportant details of Campusgovernance, including Boardmembership and theprogress made by the Boardin its compliance with theCode of Practice for theGovernance of State Bodies(2016). In May 2019, the termof the Board of Managementcame to an end. Boardmembers who completedtheir term in 2019 were:Michael Farrell, SineadO’Herlihy, Charles Irwin andlong-standing Boardmember, Diego Gallagher. Allhave given tirelessly of theirexpertise and support duringtheir time as Board membersand we are grateful to themfor their importantcontribution to the Campus’development.

In 2019 we also paid tribute tomy predecessor, Joe Horan,

who passed away in 2016,unveiling a memorial in thevisitors’ courtyard to recognisehis enormous contribution topublic life. Joe continues to besadly missed but we now havea visible tribute to him whichsits alongside a memorial toFreida Delaney, our IYJScolleague, who weremembered last year.

In July 2019, the Minister forChildren and Youth Affairs, DrKatherine Zappone TD,appointed a new Board ofManagement, including f ivemembers selected throughthe State Boardsappointment process. I wasre-appointed chairperson fora period of four years from 1 June 2019. The Boardcontinues to operateaccording to the higheststandards of governance andthis intensif ied in 2019. Acomprehensive Boardinduction took place inSeptember and newGovernance and Audit & RiskCommittee were constitutedto support the Board’scommitment to even greatercompliance andaccountability. Robustgovernance is critical and it isa priority of the Board toprovide important oversightand direction to all aspects ofthe Campus.

At the same time, the Boardremains focused on improvingthe quality of care provided toyoung people referred toOberstown by the courts. As is

evident from the detail ofthe Annual Report, thisobjective is what uniteseveryone who works withand for young people inOberstown. In 2019, we sawimportant progress in theconsolidation of earlierimprovements in the qualityof care provided to youngpeople – decreased use ofrestrictive practices such assingle separation andphysical intervention,improved routines andenhanced activities andprogrammes, includingthose focused on offendingbehaviour. We now have arange of excitingprogrammes designed toprepare young people forleaving – like our barista andfitness training programmesin cooperation with JavaRepublic and Image Fitness.

The Campus continues tosupport young people’sdevelopment and theirmental and physical healthand our colleagues in Tuslaand the HSE provide vitaltherapeutic, counselling andpsychiatric care. As ourpublished statistics show,many of the young peoplereferred to Oberstown bythe courts have experiencedprofound loss anddisadvantage in their lives,often associated with theiroffending behaviour, and itis critical that their needsare met while they are withus, in a way that maximisestheir life chances. Ensuring

that this approach involves –rather than is just about –young people is importantto the success of our work. Progress continues tobe made towards anapproach that engagesyoung people in decision-making on the Campus.

Our people are critical to thesuccess of our work and in2019, there was importantprogress in Oberstown inthe development of anincreasingly progressivepeople strategy. Among thehighlights detailed in thereport are the substantialinvestment in leadershipdevelopment for all theCampus managers,delivered by DCU, and thecomprehensive trainingprogramme that securedimpressive engagementright across theorganisation. Throughout2019, efforts continued tostrengthen the capacity of our people to support and lead those aroundthem.

At the time of writing, inSpring 2020, the country isin the grip of COVID-19, theglobal pandemic, andOberstown is challenged torespond and re-organise toensure the protection of ouryoung people and staff fromthe virus. Despite the scaleand gravity of the challengepresented by COVID-19,which is ongoing, I amproud of how Oberstown

has responded – the early,proactive approach ofmanagement, the resilienceand flexibility of theworkforce and the creativityemployed to ensure that therights of young peopleunder the CEHOPframework are fullyprotected.

In conclusion and incommending theOberstown ChildrenDetention Campus AnnualReport 2019 to the Ministerfor Children and YouthAffairs, I want to express mydeep appreciation toeveryone in OberstownChildren Detention Campus,who works with and foryoung people in our care, fortheir hard work andcommitment. A particularthanks to Director PatBergin for his exceptionalleadership and vision and toour colleagues in theDepartment of Children andYouth Affairs whose supportis constant.

Finally, I would like to thankthe outgoing Minister forChildren and Youth Affairs,Dr Katherine Zappone TD,who provided valuable andconstant support to theCampus throughout herterm as Minister.

Professor Ursula Kilkelly,Chair, Board ofManagement

Foreword

0302 Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2019

Law and Policy GoverningOberstownThe primary legislation providingfor the governance andmanagement of Oberstown isthe Children Act 2001 (the Act), asamended. As per section 158 ofthe Act, the principal objective ofOberstown is to provideappropriate educational andtraining programmes andfacilities for children havingregard to their health, safety,welfare and interests, includingtheir physical, psychological andemotional wellbeing. Accordingto section 180 of the Act, youngpeople in Oberstown are in thecare of the Director who has 'like

control over the child as if he orshe were the child's parent orguardian' and who shall ‘do whatis reasonable…in all thecircumstances…. for the purposeof safeguarding or promoting thechild’s… health, development orwelfare.’ Oberstown is governedby a Board of Managementappointed under sections 164and 167 of the Act.

Oberstown falls under the aegisof the Irish Youth Justice Service,in the Department of Childrenand Youth Affairs. National policy,– ‘Tackling Youth Crime, theYouth Justice Action Plan 2014-2018’ – commits, as a high-level

goal, to provide a safe, secureenvironment and necessarysupport for detained youngpeople to assist theirreintegration into thecommunity. The Action Plancommits to the provision ofevidence-based care anddevelopment opportunities toenable young people to return totheir communities to play aconstructive role in society. TheAction Plan also falls undernational children’s policy,specifically ‘Better Outcomes,Brighter Futures - the NationalPolicy Framework for Childrenand Young People 2014 – 2020’.

Our Mission, Vision and Values About Oberstown Children Detention Campus

1 On 1 June 2016, the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 came into force amalgamating three detention schools into oneCampus, the Oberstown Children Detention Campus.

Introduction Oberstown Children Detention Campus (Oberstown)1 is Ireland’s national facility for the detention ofchildren remanded or sentenced by the courts and is located in Lusk, Co Dublin. The Campus is basedin custom-built premises comprising residential accommodation units for young people as well aseducation, recreation, visiting, medical and other facilities.

In fulfilment of national law and policy, Oberstown accommodates young people up to the age of 18 on detention or remand orders providing them with care and education in a safe and secureenvironment, while helping them to address offending behaviour and preparing them to returnsuccessfully to their families and communities.

Oberstown is authorised to accommodate 48 boys and six girls at any single point in time. Over thecourse of 2019, there were 127 young people detained on Campus.


Annual Report 2019

In October 2017, the Oberstown Board of Management approved the first three-year Strategic Plan forOberstown. Under this Strategy, the five key objectives for the Campus are to:

Implementation of the StrategicPlan continued in 2019. The mainactions completed during theyear can be summarised asfollows:

� A review of offendingbehaviour programmes wasundertaken by the YoungPeople's ProgrammeManager. This resulted inamendments to existingprogrammes and theintroduction of a further suiteof new ones.

� Engagement was progressedwith the AssessmentConsultation Therapy Service(ACTS) on communicationprotocols and complaintsprocedures.

� An audit of theimplementation of the CaseManagement System wasundertaken withimprovements identified andput in place.

� A staff training needs analysiswas completed, and a newtraining officer was recruited,commencing employment inDecember.

� The Advocacy Officer, at therequest of the Board, soughtthe views of young people ontheir preferred method ofconsultation with the Board.

� All 27 managers on Campusundertook a leadership anddevelopment trainingprogramme, in associationwith Dublin City University.

� The Working Wellprogramme continued onCampus with 36 action itemsfrom the Working Wellframework completed overthe course of the year.

� In March, Oberstowndeveloped a presence onsocial media (Twitter andLinkedIn). These channels arenow used to shareorganisational achievements

with wider stakeholders,engendering a sense of pridein developments atOberstown.

� The Campus Council wasformally established providinga forum for young people tobe consulted about decision-making on Campus.

� The Campus held a third levelopen day welcomingrepresentatives from fivethird level institutions toshowcase the work done onCampus and the careeropportunities on offer.

� Oberstown held its annualstakeholder engagementsession on Campus inOctober, welcoming a widerange of external partnersand stakeholders to discussprogress and developmentsover the course of the year.

Implementing Our Strategy

Develop our people and organisation

2 3

4 5

1

Implement policies,procedures and standards

consistent with the bestmodel of detention

for young people Provide

the best possible care for young

people Enhance communicationsaligned to our valuesand mission

Deliver robustgovernance at

all levels to driveeffective accountability


Annual Report 2019

Artwork created by a young person in Oberstown

Young People in Oberstown

Overview of the Young People in Detention in Oberstown During Q1 2019

The medical suite at Oberstown.

Profile of Young People inDetention Report for Q12019During 2019 there were 127individual young peopledetained in Oberstown onremand or detention orders. Ofthose:

� 121 were male and 6 werefemale

� 52 young people servedremand or detention orders,60 served remand ordersonly and 15 young peopleserved a detention order only

� 24 were members of theTraveller community

� 7 young people had beenborn outside of Ireland

The Profile of Young People inDetention Report for Q1 2019gives a broader understandingof the challenges faced byyoung people in conflict withthe law by analysing data withrespect to the 75 young peopledetained on Campus on eitherremand or detention ordersduring the first quarter of 2019.Among the key findings in thereport were that:

� 57% of young people had notbeen engaged in educationprior to detention and 23% ofyoung people had adiagnosed learning disability

� 31% of young people hadsuffered the loss of one or

both parents either throughdeath, imprisonment or nolong-term contact

� 71% of young people wereconsidered to havesubstance misuse problems

� 41% of young people had amental health need

� 41% of young people hadeither been in care or hadsignificant involvement withTusla prior to their detentionin Oberstown.

This data shows a similar patternto the analyses published in2017 and 2018.


Annual Report 2019


Annual Report 2019

The Oberstown Model of Care Oberstown’s ethos and purpose isbased on the Children Act 2001,which sets out the requirementsto ensure that young peoplereceive care, education,healthcare, that they addressoffending behaviour and aresupported in their return to thecommunity. As per theselegislative imperatives,Oberstown’s model of care,CEHOP, has five pillars – care,education, health, offendingbehaviour, and preparation forleaving.

Care Young people’s care is providedthrough the placement planningprocess which serves to identifyyoung people’s needs while inOberstown and for their return tothe community. Upon arrival inOberstown, each young person’scare needs are assessed by aprofessional care team. Individualcare is then provided by a multi-disciplinary team with trainingand expertise in the range ofsupports and services that youngpeople need.

In 2019, seventy-seven concernsrelating to the welfare andprotection of young people werereferred to the Designated LiaisonPerson (DLP) in line with ChildrenFirst legislation and guidelines.Sixty-two of these concernsrelated to specific matters thatoccurred prior to the youngperson being placed on remandor detention orders in Oberstown.Overall, thirty-two concerns metthe referral threshold set down byChildren First and these wereforwarded to Tusla, the Child andFamily Agency, for their attention.Four of these concerns related tothe period of time when the

young person was on detention inOberstown.

Education All young people attend schoolwhile they are in Oberstown andare supported to learn, toundertake state examinations andto continue vocational training.The Dublin and Dún LaoghaireEducation and Training Board(DDLETB) has responsibility for theschool on Campus. The Board andManagement at Oberstowncontinue to engage with theDDLETB to ensure that theeducation received by youngpeople in detention meets theirneeds.

Educational outcomes aremeasured in a number of waysincluding improvements in literacyand numeracy and participation instate examinations, with theultimate objective to equip youngpeople for their successful returnto the community.

In June 2019, 13 young peopleundertook the Junior Certificate insubjects including English, Maths,Art, Music, Materials TechnologyMetal, Materials Technology Wood,Home Economics, andEnvironmental & Social Studies.Nine students sat at least fivesubjects at Junior Cert level.

Two young people sat the LeavingCertificate with each studenttaking exams in three subjects.One young person achieved asufficient grade in Maths to securea place in a third level educationalinstitution.

Health Young people in Oberstown haveaccess to healthcare services

delivered in a purpose-builtmedical suite. The suite ismanaged by a clinical nursemanager, who works with twonurses and a social care worker.Young people also have access toa GP, dentist and physiotherapiston-site. The Health & Wellbeingteam provide valuable services inensuring the health and wellnessof the young people incollaboration with the multi-disciplinary teams in Oberstown.The Nursing team prepared 304Individual Healthcare Reports in2019.

During 2019, there wereapproximately 2,096 visits to theHealth & Wellbeing unit.

Some of the young people seenby the Health & Wellbeing teamwere referred to outside services.Of these:

� 17 attended A&E as urgent oremergency referrals

� 32 attended routine hospitalappointments

� 12 attended the optician forsight tests

580

244

44

visits to thenursing team

dentalappointments

physiotherapyconsultations

The HSE Forensic Child andAdolescent Mental HealthService (FCAMHS) providespsychiatric services to youngpeople in Oberstown. In 2019,FCAMHS and the ACTStherapeutical service received atotal of 109 referrals of youngpeople.

The Health & Wellbeing teamalso provide Oberstown staff with a range of medical supports,including preventative care.Ninety staff members receivedthe flu vaccination duringOctober and December 2019.

Offending Behaviour Oberstown aims to build young people’s responsibilitiesand address the factorsassociated with their offendingbehaviour. The Young People'sProgramme Manager identifiesand implements programmesto address offending behaviourand to support the young

people's care while on Campus.

During 2019, the suite ofprogrammes designed topromote young people'ssuccessful return to thecommunity through thedevelopment of personalresilience and practical skills,was further enhanced with theintroduction of additionalprogrammes and learningformats. These programmesaim to develop skills such asvictim empathy, dealing withimpulsive behaviours andreducing misuse of drugs andalcohol.

Preparation for LeavingPlacement planning is anintegral part of the CEHOPframework. From the moment ayoung person comes toOberstown, information isprovided to them in a youth-friendly manner and their needs are considered by a wide

team of professionals onCampus.

Multi-disciplinary clinicalmeetings, chaired by Oberstown,are held on Campus on a weeklybasis to identify and review theneeds of young people and theservices and supports theyrequire. A dedicated person isallocated to chair placementplanning meetings to ensureconsistency in approach,engagement, attendance,recording and achieving agreedactions. Residential unit staff,Oberstown schoolteachers andexternal partners who will assistwith the young person’s return tothe community also attend themeetings. If appropriate,Oberstown refers young peopleto the Bail Supervision Scheme,which aims to keep youngpeople on remand out ofdetention and to address their offending behaviourthrough community-basedintervention.

12 Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2019

13Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019

Oberstown continues toimprove record-keeping andinformation management aspart of the Campus’commitment to the care ofyoung people. The standard ofyoung people's reports ismonitored ongoing. UnitManagers keep a view of youngpeople’s case managementfiles, site managers maintain anoverview of incident, separationand other reports, and there arecontinuous report reviews atinternal meetings includingplacement planning meetings.

Development continued on theOberstown case managementsystem during 2019, with almost300 features, changes andupdates deployed in batches, atsix-weekly intervals, during theyear.

Some of the key functionalityimprovements included theintroduction of roles and accesscontrol for different user groups,as well as the ability to processsubject access requests inaccordance with GDPRrequirements. There were newfeatures added to support

placement planning, visitmanagement, health careupdates and permittedabsences.

In 2019, the user interface wasfully reviewed, tuned andstreamlined to eliminateredundancy and better facilitatethe planned introduction ofreports which will use systemdata to monitor the progress ofyoung people in Oberstown.

CASE MANAGEMENT

Artwork created by a young person in Oberstown

15Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2019

Victim Empathy Programme‘What Have I Done?” is aprogramme to encourageempathy in young people whohurt others through their actions.It challenges the young person toface the harm they have causedand consider what they can do tohelp put things right.

The Decider ProgrammeThe Decider Life SkillsProgramme is based onCognitive Behaviour Therapy(CBT) which uses skills that areeffective, fun, memorable andeasy to use. The programmeenables participants to learneffective coping skills and buildresilience. The emphasis is on helping young people to deal with impulsive behaviours.

This programme was delivered 12times throughout 2019 to youngpeople on remand and detentionorders. On 10 occasions, it wasdelivered as a group workintervention with twoprogrammes delivered in a one-to-one setting based on theneeds of the young people at thetime.

Crinan – Drug RelapsePrevention Programme The Crinan Drug RelapsePrevention Programme is a

group work intervention thataims to teach participants how toexamine the triggers and theconsequences for theirdrug/alcohol use. Young peopleare supported to developstrategies that help themeffectively manage andovercome any stressors ortriggers in their environmentthat may cause a relapse.

Anti-Violence RestorativePractice Training – (ART)The Anti–Violence RestorativePractice Training programme(ART) enables participants todeal with potentially violentsituations in new and creativeways. Workshops use the sharedexperiences of participants,interactive exercises, games androle-plays. Participants examinethe ways in which they respondto situations where injustice,prejudice, frustration and angercan lead to aggressivebehaviour and violence. The aimof the programme is to startbuilding cooperation,community, self-esteem andtrust in the group, and tointroduce skills in conflictresolution, communication andanger management.

The ART programme waschosen because of its restorativepractice approach. It wasdelivered over 10 modules incollaboration with Tallaght WestChildhood DevelopmentInitiative and three of theresidential units participated in

the programme. A graduationceremony took place in August2019.

Challenging Choices A pilot of the ChallengingChoices programme began inJuly 2019 and 14 modules weredelivered in collaboration with theProbation Service. The content isbased on a generic offendingbehaviour programme developedfor use with adult offenders calledChoice and Challenge.Challenging Choices aims tochallenge young people’s existingnegative attitudes and beliefs bypresenting them with alternativeattitudes, beliefs and behavioursto promote a more pro-sociallifestyle and reduce the youngpeople’s risks of reoffending.

Pathways Pathways, a pilot programme toassist young people in theirpreparation for leavingOberstown, commenced inDecember 2018. Following areview in February which foundthe pilot to be effective, sessionsto familiarise staff with thePathways material wereundertaken. Pathways wasintroduced in June as akeyworking framework for allyoung people.

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These programmes provideyoung people with anopportunity to learn practicalskills that will support theirreturn to the community andreduce the likelihood of re-offending. Interventions withyoung people aim to buildtheir sense of responsiblityand address the factorsassociated with theiroffending behaviour.

Six different offendingbehaviour programmes weredelivered in 2019, a 50%increase compared to 2018,with 51 participantscompleting one or more ofthese interventions.

For the second year insuccession, young people’s

programmes were integratedinto the evening activities andsummer school classtimetable. In collaborationwith the activities coordinator,the class timetable nowincludes the Deciderprogramme, the ARTprogramme, ChallengingChoices, Street Law and theCrinan Drug RelapsePrevention Programme.

YOUNG PEOPLE’S PROGRAMMES TO REDUCE OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR

The goal of the National Strategyon Children and Young People’sParticipation in Decision-making2015-2020 is to ensure thatchildren and young people havea voice, both individually andcollectively, in their everyday lives.

Oberstown developed a YoungPerson’s Participation Strategy inline with the national approach,valuing inclusiveness,empowerment and participationof the young people in our care.The strategy seeks to promotethe participation of young peoplein decision-making at individual,unit and Campus level, ensuringthat they are appropriatelyconsulted about matters thataffect them and are supportedand equipped to participate inCampus decision-making.

Activities undertaken to supportthe participation strategyinclude:

Advocacy on CampusThe Campus Advocacy Servicewas further strengthened andembedded during 2019,supporting the participation ofyoung people in decision-making.

The Campus Advocacy Officer,Gráinne Smyth, met with eachnew admission and providedthem with the Young Person’sBooklet. Young people wereadvised of:

� the role of advocacy onCampus

� how they can access theinformation kept on file in

Oberstown about them –each young person was alsogiven the ‘What We Do withYour Information’ leaflet

� how to access EPIC, theCampus visiting advocacyservice, and the Office of theOmbudsman for Childrenand the function of each

� the young people’s Campusprogrammes and how to gainaccess to them

� the CEHOP model of care.

A new Campus complaintsprocedure was developed witheach young person signing acopy of their complaint andrecording their satisfaction levelat the outcome of the complaint.Learnings from complaintsreceived were recorded andacted on accordingly.

The Advocacy Officer attended anumber of external seminarsincluding the Association ofCriminal Justice Research andDevelopment (ACJRD)conference on neurodiversity inthe criminal justice system inNovember, the Department ofJustice seminar on employmentand social inclusion in December,and Social Care Ireland Advocacyworkshops.

Campus Council In 2019, the Campus Council wasestablished as a single forum topromote the participation ofyoung people in Campusdecision-making. The CampusCouncil identifies issues andcontacts the relevantdepartments across Campusseeking a reply to matters

relevant to the young people asraised on their agenda. TheCouncil established a process toagree its agenda prior to eachmeeting and to provide feedbackto the young people on Campus,informing them of decisionsmade and the reasons for thosedecisions.

During the year, the Councilinvited a number of people fromdifferent departments acrossCampus to attend its meetingsto seek information and putforward their views for change.Council members attended amotivational talk by PhillyMcMahon, Dublin GAA footballer,discussing life choices and thepower each person has toinfluence change in their ownlife. Marc Tuffy from Gaisce – ThePresident’s Awards – attended aCouncil meeting to explain theGaisce awards. A number of staffon Campus have trained asGaisce President’s AwardsLeaders to support the youngpeople in achieving their awards.

The Campus Council were invitedby the Director to review theYoung Person’s Booklet and thevisitor’s information leaflet andthey submitted feedback onboth documents.

The concept of having individualunit charters was introduced tothe management team in 2019and welcomed by all. Youngpeople provided input to thedevelopment of a number of unitcharters as well as to thedevelopment of an overallCampus Charter.


Annual Report 2019

PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTATION AT OBERSTOWN

Consultation With YoungPeople at OberstownThe views of young people werealso sought on a vast variety ofsubjects to inform both Campusoperations as well as on widerpolicy in Ireland relating toyouth justice and detention.

In November 2019, aconsultation was undertakenwith young people to reviewtheir understanding of theCEHOP pillar model and theplacement planning process.

The individual consultationsinvolved 35 young people, fromboth the remand and detentionunits, and were facilitated by theAdvocacy Officer. Each youngpersons’ participation wasoptional.

The findings of the consultationwere that:

� Detailed understanding ofthe CEHOP model was lowamongst young people withless than 10% knowing exactlywhat was involved.

� Understanding of placementplanning on campus washigh amongst the youngpeople, with 97% aware of theprocess and the timing oftheir placement planningmeetings (PPM).

� There was goodunderstanding that the PPM process is optional.However, over 90% of youngpeople were regularlyattending meetings bychoice.

� All of the young peopleattending PPMs were happy

with the process and saw themeetings as central to theircare on Campus.

Consultation regarding Campusoperations:

� A wide-ranging survey ofindividual young people’sexperiences regarding theirlife and treatment on Campuswas undertaken in March2019.

� Two young people meet witha researcher for the Council ofEurope Investment Bank inrelation to facilities onCampus for young peopleand how they felt the moneyto develop the Campus wasspent. They also madesuggestions regarding futureprojects for young people indetention.

� A consultation, on behalf ofthe Catering Manager, wasundertaken with youngpeople regarding menuoptions for the food choice ontheir units.

� A vote was undertaken in thedetention units in relation tothe change of TV channels.This was a positive exercise forthe young people and gavesome of them their firstexperience of a democraticdecision directly relating tothem.

� A consultation wasundertaken with youngpeople concerning the designof murals for the visiting areaand ideas were submitted tothe Campus Council. Theyoung people were alsoconsulted on how they would like to use money

provided under the OPW artproject.

� Following discussions withthe young people on Campusand meetings with householdmanagement, the Tuck Shopsystem was changed to bettermeet the needs of the youngpeople.

� A consultation took place withthe young people in relationto programmes on Campusto assist with programmeplanning for 2020.

Consultation regarding externalpolicy and research:

� In May, consultation focusgroups were undertaken withthe young people on the newCampus Rules to replace thecurrent standards and criteriafor special schools. A report onthis was compiled for theDirector.

� A focus group was held in Julyby Hub Na Nog, whoconsulted with eight youngpeople on campus in relationto the Youth Justice Strategyon behalf of the IYJS.

� A number of young peopleformed the advisory group forthe worldwide consultationwith young people as part ofthe Global Study on ChildrenDeprived of their Liberty,being consulted with andproviding feedback on theconsultation methodologyused in the study.

� Dr Louise Forde (UCC)interviewed two youngpeople for a PolicingAuthority-funded study ofyoung people’s experiences ofpolice questioning.


Annual Report 2019

During 2019, the Oberstownactivities team successfullyprovided recreational andeducational fun-based academicprogrammes for young people,including supporting youngpeople to achieve Gaisce awards.

Seven young people werepresented with bronze and silverGaisce – The President’s Awardsat a ceremony on Campus in July.The young people successfullycompleted their Gaisce – ThePresident’s Award challenges ineach of the four categories –community involvement;personal skill; physical recreation;and adventure journey. Theyacquired valuable and practicallife skills in the process.

Vocational training programmeswere introduced to the Campusto provide young people withadditional practical employmentskills and prepare them forleaving. These programmes seekto give young people the bestpossible chance to move on withtheir lives in a positive way afterthey leave Oberstown.

In April, Oberstown launched acollaborative partnership withcoffee company, Java Republic,to support young people atOberstown to become certifiedbaristas through an on-campustraining programme.

The Coffee EducationProgramme from Java Republicenables young people in

Oberstown to meet the marketrequirements for new baristas. Itis designed to give youngpeople information about thecoffee industry and haveenough confidence to gothrough a potential trial in acafé. Young people taking partin the programme go throughan intensive full-day trainingsession with a professionalcoffee trainer from JavaRepublic, certified by theSpecialty Coffee Association.

Each Java Republic trainingprogramme involves 3-4 youngpeople with an aim of trainingup to 30 young people annually.After completing theprogramme, young people areissued with a Java Republic

SKILLS-BASED TRAINING AND ACTIVITIES

A young person at Oberstown at the launch of barista training with Pat Bergin, Director, Grace O'Shaughnessy, Java Republic and Damien Hernon, Deputy Director.

Barista Skills for BeginnersCertificate of Attendance.

As well as providing the training,Java Republic donated coffeeequipment to the OberstownCampus. This on-site equipmentensures young people who havecompleted the course cancontinue to practise their baristaskills after each training session.

In June, following a nine-weekcourse delivered by ImageFitness Training on site atOberstown, five young peopleand four members of staffsuccessfully qualified as fitnessinstructors. Participants in thecourse achieved the NationalElite Fitness ProfessionalCertificate EQF Level 3 in FitnessInstruction

The course, delivered by ImageFitness who provide fitnesscourses across Ireland, wasconducted using a blendedteaching approach facilitated bythe Oberstown school andactivities team. This ensured thateach participant was supportedand taught in a way which wastailored to their individuallearning needs.


Annual Report 2019

The qualification comes with aguarantee from Image Fitnessthat all of the young people whosuccessfully qualify will get a jobinterview for a role as a fitnessinstructor once they leaveOberstown.

The course undertaken by thestaff and young people includedfull practical fitness instruction,modules on nutrition, anatomy,physiology, and practical trainingmethods. The examination toqualify as a fitness instructor took

place on Campus at Oberstownand included written andpractical components.

Summer School atOberstownThe Summer School programmeat Oberstown implements cross-Campus integrated activityprogrammes, both recreationaland educational. Theseprogrammes are designed topromote rehabilitation andgrowth development, optimisetherapeutic outcomes, and

enhance individual needsthrough the application ofintellectual stimulation involvingdirect experience.

The purpose and function of the2019 Summer School was to:

� provide accreditededucation, recreation and fun-based activities for 38 young people and staff

� ensure that the bestsupports and services areDamien Hernon, Deputy Director and Mariana Browne, one of the Oberstown staff members who

qualif ied as f itness instructors.

A young person assisting in the kitchen at Oberstown as part of vocational training activity.

of the Summer School providedrecreational and academicprojects, with all classes alongwith the Young People’sProgrammes contributing toGaisce portfolios. The SummerSchool ended with thepresentation of awards, a shortdrama was performed by someof the young people, and cakesand coffee were served by theyoung people who had trained asbaristas.

Collaboration withExternal Stakeholders &Partners External agencies supportOberstown to ensure thecomplex needs of youngpeople are met. These include

state bodies Tusla, the HealthService Executive, the IrishPrison Service, the Educationand Training Board, theProbation Service, An GardaSiochána, the Court Serviceand the Ombudsman forChildren’s Office. Oberstownalso works closely with externalpartners EPIC, Extern, LeChéile, YAP and Crinan to thebenefit of young people andtheir families, both on Campusand following their return tothe community. The work ofsome of these agencies isoutlined below.

Street LawStreet Law is an initiative whichplaces trainee solicitors,

studying at the Law Society ofIreland, in Oberstown to teachyoung people about the law.The programme has three keygoals: to provide young peoplewith an understanding of thelaw as it applies to their livesand better equip them in theirdealings with, andunderstanding of, the legalsystem to help them developcritical thinking andcommunication skills; and toassist in changing mindsetsand attitudes. This programmewas delivered as part ofevening activities in April 2019.

Victim Liaison ServiceThe Victim Liaison Service waslaunched in February 2019.


Annual Report 2019

available to meet thecomplex needs of the youngpeople

� promote the participation ofyoung people in decision-making and choice.

The 2019 Summer School ranfrom 9 July to 27 August,operating Monday to Fridayafternoons from 1.30pm to6pm.

Oberstown worked with theDublin and Dun LaoghaireEducation and Training Board(DDLETB) to secure thenecessary teachers so that allyoung people could beengaged in the Summer Schoolprogramme over the seven-week period.

The Summer School timetableincluded a broad range ofsubjects, such as footballcoaching, home economics, artand home economics, art andprogrammes to reduceoffending behaviour. Therewere on average 80 classes perday and over 400 per weekavailable to young people.

This was the secondconsecutive year that theexisting programmes for youngpeople in Oberstown wereintegrated into the SummerSchool class timetable. Incollaboration with the YoungPeople’s Programme Manager,the Deciders, Real U, StreetDoctors and Shout Outprogrammes as well as the

Crinan programme, whichfocuses on drug misuse, wereintegrated into the classtimetable.

The 2019 Summer School alsosaw the introduction ofvocational, career-focusedtraining including the fitnessinstructor qualif ication andbarista training. An additionaleight young people and eightstaff achieved the National EliteFitness Professional Certif icateEQF Level 3 in FitnessInstruction and 12 youngpeople completed baristatraining with Java Republic.

Feedback from all participationson the 2019 Summer School wasvery positive. The overall design

Oberstown staff members receiving their qualif ications as f itness instructors from Conor Whyte ofImage Fitness.

John Smith, Oberstown Activities Coordinator, in the Oberstown School.

Interested parties must applyvia a web-based application orthrough an application formavailable in the Victim Support atCourt suites in Smithfield,Children Court and CriminalCourts of Justice. In 2019,Oberstown received threeapplications from victims ofcrime to take part.

Victims Charter 2019Originally published in 2010, thecharter describes the criminaljustice system from a crimevictim’s point of view. It sets outtheir rights and entitlements tothe services offered by thevarious state agencies workingwith crime victims. Oberstownwas asked to contribute to therevised charter.

Y-JARC The Joint Agency Response toCrime initiative was set up totarget the most prolific, repeatoffenders. It is currently runningin Blanchardstown, Dublin andGurranabraher/Mayfield, Corkwith ten places on eachprogramme. Participantsinclude Oberstown, the IrishPrison Service, Tusla, theProbation Service and An GardaSíochána. Progress meetings areheld on a fortnightly basis andOberstown has representatives atboth Steering Group andOperations Level.

Le Chéile Parent MentoringThe Le Chéile mentor co-ordinator, based in Oberstown,works with young people'skeyworkers and parents on site tosupport referral of interested

parents. Through directengagement with a volunteermentor, parents are given timeand space to: build self-confidence and emotionalwellbeing; engage in activitiesoutside of their home; considerwhat is needed to support themto build and sustain a positiverelationship with their youngperson; and access relevantcommunity-based supports.

All parents of young people ondetention orders and those thathave been on remand for morethan three months are referred.In 2019, the parents of 19 youngpeople were referred and 16 ofthose participated in theprogramme.

Ombudsman for Children’sOffice (OCO)The OCO continues to attend theCampus once a month for directmeetings with the young people.Eighteen young people metdirectly with representatives ofthe OCO in 2019.

EPIC EPIC continues to provide externaladvocacy for the young people,visiting the Campus once amonth.

Gaisce Art Project In August, as part of the GaisceAwards, a young persondesigned and created a mural inone of the visiting rooms. Thetheme of the mural is Oberstown- A Safe Harbour and is based onthe UN Convention on the Rightsof the Child. Images within themural represent each one of the

21 condensed rights taken fromthe 54 separate articles of theconvention.

DCYA Bail SupervisionSchemeThe DCYA Bail SupervisionScheme, provided by social justicecharity Extern, under contract tothe Department of Children andYouth Affairs, can cater for up to 25young people each year. Thescheme allows the courts andOberstown to refer a young personto Extern so that his/her suitabilityfor bail supervision can beassessed. If a referral is successful,the young person receivesintensive support through the useof Multisystemic Therapy (MST) –an evidence-based approach usingan intensive family andcommunity-based treatmentprogramme. During 2019, 11 youngpeople from Oberstown werereferred to the scheme, with 6 ofthose accepted.


Annual Report 2019

A total of

2,062 visits were facilitatedin the visitors’ centre.

Family46%

Professional Services53%


Oberstown - A Safe Harbour mural, created by a young person as part of the Gaisce awards

DCYA

Board

Director

Deputy DirectorChief Operations

Deputy DirectorRisk & Support

Services

Deputy DirectorCare Services

Deputy DirectorCEHOP

Business & Compliance

ManagerHR Manager Organisational

Psychologist Head Of Care

Clinical Nursing Health & Safety Unit Managers Social Worker Finance/Payroll HR Operations Site Managers

Central SecurityResidential Social Care

Workers

Young People’s Programmes Communications Training Night

Supervisors

Activities Household IT Operations/Projects Recruitment

Facilities General Administration

Catering

Organisational Structure at OberstownOberstown is managed by a Director who is accountable to the Board of Management for all aspects of theCampus operations and for ensuring that the Board is provided with all relevant information to enableeffective oversight.

The organisational structure during 2019 is outlined below:


Annual Report 2019

Oberstown Governance And Management

Accountability andInspectionsOberstown falls under thecontrol and legal responsibilityof the Minister for Children andYouth Affairs, to whom theOberstown Board ofManagement is accountable. Anumber of other ways in whichOberstown fulf ils its obligationsof transparency andaccountability are set outbelow.

Oireachtas OversightIn January 2019, ProfessorUrsula Kilkelly and twomembers of the OberstownBoard of Managementappeared before the JointOireachtas Committee onChildren and Youth Affairs.Professor Kilkelly outlined theprogress and positivedevelopments being achievedin Oberstown.

Oberstown provides accurateand up-to-date information topublic representatives andofficials in a prompt andconsistent manner. The numberof Parliamentary QuestionsOberstown contributed to in2019 was seven.

Freedom of Informationrequests Oberstown Children DetentionCampus manages its Freedomof Information (FOI)responsibilities in line with therequirements of the Freedomof Information Act, 2014,Oberstown received a total of 12FOI requests in 2019. Of these12 requests, four were granted,one was part-granted, one wasrefused, two were handled

outside the FOI process orwithdrawn, one was transferredto another government agencyand three were carried overinto 2020.

Data ProtectionThroughout the course of itswork Oberstown ChildrenDetention Campus handleshigh volumes of sensitive dataand personal information. On25 May 2018, GDPR, whichrepresents the biggest changeto data regulation in recenthistory, came into effect. Toensure and promotecompliance with GDPR,Oberstown continued in 2019to embed data protectionwithin all policies andprocesses, as well asmonitoring adherence toprocedures and developingguidance material for carryingout Data Protection ImpactAssessments andimplementing Data SharingAgreements with third parties.

Inspections Health and InformationQuality AuthorityInspectors from the Health,Information and QualityAuthority (HIQA) are authorisedto carry out independentinspections of Oberstownagainst the Standards andCriteria for Children DetentionSchools. The Children Act, 2001requires an inspection ofOberstown to be carried outannually. Following inspection,action plans are agreedbetween the OberstownDirector and HIQA and theimplementation of theseactions is monitored by the

Board of Management.

In July 2019, a full announcedinspection took place overthree days during whichinspectors met with childrenand staff on the Campus. Thisinspection focused specif icallyon the leadership, governanceand managementarrangements in place for theuse of restrictive practices andthe delivery of offendingbehaviour programmes.Inspectors analysed data andreviewed documentation suchas children’s care f iles andplacement plans, policies andprocedures, and minutes ofstaff, management and Boardmeetings.

The report found the Campussubstantially compliant orcompliant across six areas. Itcontained no findings of majornon-compliance, and areduction in the number ofnon-compliance findingsoverall compared with theHIQA inspection in 2018.

HIQA noted positivedevelopments in a number ofareas including:

� the system for reviewingand progressing youngpeople’s placement planswas working well andinvolved young peopledirectly

� young people, who spokewith inspectors, spokehighly of the staff team andthe supports they receivedfrom them. Feedback fromyoung people interviewedwas that they had been

provided with opportunitiesduring their time inOberstown that they hadnot experienced previouslyin their lives, and they feltthat they would benefitfrom these opportunitiesafter they left Oberstown

� improved governance withclear lines of reporting andaccountability

� strategic focus on reducingthe use of restrictivepractices withdemonstrated progresssince the previousinspection

� improvement in the rangeand frequency of evidence-based offending behaviourprogrammes and evidencethat these programmes hadbecome embedded in theway of life on Campus. Thiswas noted as a significant

improvement since the lastinspection

� following completion of thereview, an action plan wassubmitted by OberstownChildren Detention Campusto HIQA to drive ongoingimprovement.

Other Bodies withPowers of Inspection orInvestigationThe Ombudsman for Children'sOffice (OCO) promotes therights and welfare of childrenand young people up to 18years old living in Ireland. TheOCO deals with complaintsmade by or on behalf ofchildren, including those inOberstown, in relation to theactions of public bodies underSection 8 of the Ombudsmanfor Children Act 2002, asamended. A representative of

the Ombudsman for Childrenwas on Campus on the lastThursday of every month in2019. During 2019, 18 youngpeople requested to meet withthe OCO representative.

The Department of Educationand Skills carries outinspections of the OberstownCampus school.

Oberstown is also subject toregulation by a range of otherstatutory bodies including: theWorkplace RelationsCommission relating tocompliance with employmentlegislation; Health ServiceExecutive inspection ofenvironment (catering areasand drinking water) byEnvironmental Health Officers;and the Health and SafetyAuthority regarding


Annual Report 2019

Dr Fionnuala Anderson, with Pat Bergin, Director, and Professor Ursula Kilkelly, OberstownChairperson, at the Oberstown seminar on education for children in detention.

compliance with the Healthand Safety Act 2005. FingalCounty Council inspects theintegrated constructedwetlands on Campus.

The European Committee forthe Prevention of Torture (CPT)is a Council of Europe bodywith responsibility formonitoring standards byvisiting places of detention.Oberstown assisted theDepartment for Children andYouth Affairs in its preparationsfor the CPT’s September 2019visit to Ireland, although the

CPT delegation did notultimately visit the Campus.

Board of ManagementOberstown is governed by aBoard of Managementappointed by the Minister forChildren and Youth Affairsunder the Children Act 2001(sections 164 and 167). The Boardoperates in line with legislationand the Code of Practice for theGovernance of State Bodies,complying with goodgovernance, setting thestrategic direction of theCampus and overseeing the

delivery of Oberstown Strategyand national policy in line withthe 2001 Act.

The Board carries out itsfunctions on behalf of theMinister for Children and YouthAffairs. Its key responsibility is toprovide oversight and strategicdirection to Oberstown onbehalf of the Minister. The Boardis also responsible for ensuringthat the Minister is advised ofsignificant matters arising inrespect of Oberstown, that theDirector is supported to deliverthe strategic plan and is

accountable in line with theChildren Act 2001 andassociated legislation and policy.

Board Membership The Board of Management ofOberstown has 12 members plusa Chairperson and includesrepresentatives of theDepartment of Children andYouth Affairs, the Department ofEducation and Skills, Tusla, tworepresentatives from the localcommunity and two staffnominees, with five membersidentified via the State Boardsappointment process. Membersare appointed for a term,

renewable, of up to four years.Under the Children Act, theBoard must hold as manymeetings as necessary for theperformance of its functionsand is entitled to determine itsown procedure.

The term of the Board ofManagement ended on 31stMay 2019, necessitating theappointment of a new Board bythe Minister for Children andYouth Affairs, Dr KatherineZappone, TD. Therefore, during2019, one Board of Managementoperated from January to June with a new Board of

Management taking upappointment in July.

There were nine Board meetingsin 2019. An update was circulatedto staff and published on theOberstown website followingevery meeting. Two standingBoard committees were in placeduring 2019 – the Audit & Riskcommittee and the GovernanceCommittee.

Dates of the Board ofManagement and committeemeetings, and details ofattendance, are set out inAppendix 2.

30 Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019 31Oberstown Children Detention Campus: Annual Report 2019

Annual Report 2019

The newly appointed Board of Management of Oberstown with Minister for Children and YouthAffairs, Katherine Zappone.


Annual Report 2019

Professor Ursula Kilkelly - Chairperson

Professor Ursula Kilkelly was first appointed Chairperson of the Board of Management on 1 June 2016,having acted in an interim capacity since January 2016. She is a Professor of Law at University College Corkand an established international expert in youth justice and detention and children’s rights. At UCC, sheteaches juvenile justice and children’s rights on the LLM in Children’s Rights and Family Law. She is co-editor of Youth Justice: An International Journal.

Mr Tadgh Delaney

Tadgh Delaney was appointed to the Board on 26 July 2017 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.He is an Assistant Principal Officer in the Irish Youth Justice Service, Department of Children and YouthAffairs.

Mr Eamon Clavin

Eamon Clavin was appointed to the Board on 5 February 2019 until the end of the Board term on 31 May2019. He is a Divisional Inspector in the Department of Education of Skills, attached to the Inspectorate’sTeacher Education and Inclusion Evaluation and Policy Support Unit. He has a particular interest inSpecial Education, DEIS and Traveller Education and is a Council member of the National Council forSpecial Education (NCSE).

Mr Michael Farrell

Michael Farrell was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs,following selection through the Public Appointments Service (PAS) process. He is a retired CorporateSecretary and former Director of Human Resources at University College Cork. He was founding principalof Soil Barra, a co-educational primary school, in Ballincollig, Co Cork.

Mr Diego Gallagher

Diego Gallagher was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs,following selection through the PAS process. He is a solicitor and partner in the health and social careteam with ByrneWallace Solicitors, Dublin.

Mr Charles Irwin

Charles Irwin was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children andYouth Affairs following selection through the PAS process. Charles is an Accountant.

Ms Elizabeth Howard

Elizabeth Howard was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.She is a local community representative resident in the vicinity of the Oberstown campus.

Oberstown Board of Management January-June 2019

Ms Laoise Manners

Laoise Manners was appointed to the Board on 10 January 2017 by the Minister for Children andYouth Affairs. Laoise is a residential social care worker and part of the medical team in Oberstown.She is an elected staff nominee.

Ms Sinéad O'Herlihy

Sinéad O’Herlihy was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and YouthAffairs. She is a night supervising officer in Oberstown. She is an elected staff nominee.

Member of the Governance Committee

Chair of the Governance Committee

Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee

Member of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee



Member of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee

Mr Don O'Leary

Don O'Leary was appointed to the Board on 17 July 2017 by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs,following selection through the PAS process. He is the Director of the Cork Life Centre, a voluntaryorganisation offering an alternative learning environment to young people who find themselvesoutside mainstream education.

Mr Pat Rooney

Pat Rooney was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and YouthAffairs. He is a local community representative, resident in the vicinity of the Oberstown Campus.

Ms Emer Woodfull

Emer Woodfull was appointed to the Board on 1 June 2016 by the Minister for Children and YouthAffairs, following selection through the PAS process. She is a practicing barrister at the Law LibraryDublin who was called to the Bar in 2003. She has a background in child, criminal, investigative,inquiry and employment law. She was previously an award-winning current affairs broadcasterand series producer in RTE, the national broadcaster.

Ms Linda Creamer

Linda Creamer was appointed to the Board on 5 February 2019 until the end of the Board term on31 May 2019. She is a regional Service Director in Tusla with responsibility for the delivery of childprotection and welfare services in the Dublin North East region. During her career she has workeddirectly with children and their families in the community and she has developed extensiveexpertise in the field of child protection and welfare.

Board Actions During 2019January-June� Developed a new policy

framework embeddingchildren’s rights into theoperations of the Campus.

� The Board commissioned theInstitute of PublicAdministration to undertake aboard effectiveness review.

� Version 3 of the GovernanceHandbook was approvedincluding the Code of Conductfor Board Members which wasapproved subject to ministerialsign-off.

� The Customer Charter wasprovisionally approved, subjectto the input of the CampusCouncil.

� The Staff Code of Conduct wasalso approved and circulatedto staff.

� Monitoring theimplementation of theOberstown Strategy andsupporting the Director indelivering on strategicobjectives.


Annual Report 2019

Ms Jennifer Gargan

Jennifer Gargan was appointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years, followingselection through the PAS process. A qualified social worker, Jennifer has worked in the areas ofcommunity development, child protection and family support. As CEO of EPIC, Jennifer was anactive advocate for the rights of young people with care experience in order to bring about changesin legislation, policy and practice.

Ms Elizabeth Howard

Elizabeth Howard was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of three years. *

Oberstown Board of Management July-December 2019

Professor Ursula Kilkelly - Chairperson

Professor Ursula Kilkelly was reappointed Chairperson on 1 June 2019 for a term of fouryears.*

Mr Eamon Clavin

Eamon Clavin was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years.*

Ms Bernadette Costello

Bernadette Costello was appointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years, followingselection through the PAS process. Bernadette is a Chartered Accountant and past Chair ofChartered Accountants Ireland Audit Committee and Chair of the Board of AccountingTechnicians Ireland. She is a former Director of Internal Audit & Risk Management, NationalUniversity of Ireland, Galway and has extensive experience in financial and managementaccounting, corporate governance and related areas.

Ms Linda Creamer

Linda Creamer was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years.*

Mr Tadgh Delaney

Tadgh Delaney was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years. *

Ms Laoise Manners

Laoise Manners was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of two years. *

Mr John McDaid

John McDaid was appointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of four years, followingselection through the PAS process. John is the Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Board havingpreviously worked for the Board as a solicitor and also having worked in private legal practice.

Mr Don O'Leary

Don O’Leary was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of three years. *

Mr Pat Rooney

Pat Rooney was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of three years. *

Ms Emer Woodfull

Emer Woodfull was reappointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of three years. *

Mr Craig Mulligan

Craig Mulligan was appointed to the Board on 4 July 2019 for a term of two years. He is aresidential social care worker in Oberstown. He is an elected staff nominee, appointed by theMinister for Children and Youth Affairs.

July – December� The new Board received a

comprehensive inductioncovering relevant law andpolicy, and the principles of theCode of Practice for theGovernance of State Bodies.

� The Board met MinisterKatherine Zappone at their firstmeeting, which took place inthe Department of Childrenand Youth Affairs in September2019.

� Committees on Governanceand on Audit & Risk werereconstituted with new Board

membership and revised termsof reference.

� The policy framework,including 12 Campus rules, wasforwarded to the Departmentof Children and Youth Affairsseeking the Minister’s consentto adopt the rules undersection 179 of the Children Act2001.

� The Board commissionedresearch to explore theexperience of young people onremand.

� The Board approved theproposal for the development

of the Strategic Plan 2020 –2023.

� The Board initiated a review ofthe operational model for theCampus senior managementteam.

� The Board approved theCustomer Charter. Followingconsultation, the input of theyoung people was incorporatedinto the document.

� The Board approved anOversight Agreement betweenOberstown Children DetentionCampus and the Departmentof Children and Youth Affairs.

* Please see full biography in earlier Board section.


Member of the Audit & Risk Committee

Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee


Chair of the Governance Committee

Member of the Audit & Risk Committee


Annual Report 2019

Board CommitteesAudit & Risk CommitteeThe committee met six timesduring 2019 to review thefinancial management andcontrols of Oberstown,reporting to the Board. During2019, the committee approvedthe 2018 annual accounts.

Governance Committee The committee met six timesduring 2019 to review thegovernance of Oberstown,reporting to the Board. During2019, the committee approveda workplan for the Committeefor 2020.

Required Reporting MattersConflict of InterestIn line with the Code ofPractice for the Governance of

State Bodies, if a Boardmember knows that they havea personal, professional, orfinancial interest in relation tothe decision being made bythe Board, they should declareany such interest to theChairperson. There were noreported conflicts of interestduring 2019.

Risk ManagementDuring 2019, a Strategic RiskRegister was developed.Through this process acomprehensive assessment ofthe organisation’s principalrisks was undertaken andmitigation measures were setout. The risk register is keptunder review and updated asrequired.

Protected Disclosures Oberstown has a protecteddisclosures policy. In line withthis policy the Board ofManagement report on anysuch disclosures for the annualreport period. During 2019, noprotected disclosures weremade in line with the policy.

Gender balanceAs at 31 December 2019, theBoard had six (50%) female andsix (50%) male members, withno positions vacant. TheChairperson is female.

The Board therefore meets theGovernment target of aminimum of 40%representation of each genderin the membership of StateBoards.

During 2019, 267 staff wereemployed in Oberstown, whichequated to 248 whole-timeequivalents.

Development of Staff atOberstownThe development of peopleand the organisation atOberstown is a core pillar of theOberstown Strategy.Oberstown is committed tosupporting staff throughongoing career developmentand training, to equip them to provide the best possiblecare for young people indetention.

Leadership and Development The LEAD (Leadership,Exploration and Development)

Executive Education Programmewas developed by Dublin CityUniversity (DCU) to support theOberstown management teamand build the skills andcompetencies required to ensurethe Campus meets best practicein providing care for youngpeople in detention.

The programme, whichconstituted a major investmentin the development of leadershipskill and capacity in Oberstown,commenced in January 2019.Topics covered includedLeadership & Management,Personal Awareness, PracticalManagement Skills, Coaching forResults, Motivating Others, TeamDevelopment, Communicationand Influencing Skills.

In October 2019, 27 Oberstownmanagers became the firstgraduates of the programme.

Other workplace trainingsupports include STORM (SkillsTraining on Risk Management).This was delivered to care teamsand peer support workers during2019 with 97% attendance.Restorative practice also saw ahigh attendance rate, with 97%participation by frontline staffduring 2019.

Refresher training was providedto 35 Peer Support Workers inOberstown.

In total during 2019, 334 trainingcourses were delivered –including The Management of

Working at Oberstown

The budget of OberstownChildren Detention Campus isallocated through theDepartment of Children & YouthAffairs. In 2019 the financialallocation for OberstownChildren Detention Campus was€23.324m.

As set out in Section 173 of theChildren Act 2001, the Board ofManagement is responsible forpreparing financial statements

and for ensuring theaccountability of OberstownChildren Detention Campus.

Throughout 2019, OberstownChildren Detention Campuscontinued to manage itsfinancial resources in line withgovernance requirements. Theuse of budgeting and ongoingforecasting enabled securemanagement of actualexpenditure against planned and

available resources. There werefurther upgrades to the financialsoftware that processes financialtransactions and providesmanagement information tosupport decision-making.

The financial statements areaudited by the Office of theComptroller and Auditor General.

Financial Management

Oberstown managers, with Professor Daire Keogh, Deputy President, DCU, at the graduationceremony for the DCU LEAD Programme.

Actual or Potential Aggression(MAPA), Critical Incident StressManagement (CISM), ManualHandling, First Aid, FireAwareness Training includingevacuations and drills, CEHOPand Children First –Safeguarding.

Outcome StarOutcome Star is a set of tools formeasuring and supportingchange when working withpeople. It is a unique andinnovative way for frontlineservices to demonstrate theirimpact whilst improving theirkeywork.

It is an outcomes tool that canhelp young people to makechanges by providing them witha clear picture of their journeytowards greater independenceand choice, enabling them totake measurable steps and plotprogress along the way.

At the start of 2019 OutcomeStar was identified as theCampus assessment tool toprovide staff with a tool thatassists young people in a holisticmanner, rather than focusing ononly one area of their life e.g.desisting from crime. InDecember 2019, six unitmanagers and twelve residentialcare workers were trained in theuse of Outcome Star. This hasnow been rolled out acrossCampus in paper-based formatwith an online portalcommencing in early 2020.

Human ResourcesThe Human Resourcesdepartment at Oberstown was restructured in March,

separating human resourcemanagement and payrollfunctions to comply withauditing/governance bestpractice.

During 2019, an HR PolicyReview Project was undertaken,whereby 48 HR policies and sixdata protection policies werereviewed and updated in linewith legislation. The review wasan engaged project, withconsultation and feedback fromcolleagues, managers,department heads and unionrepresentatives.

It is now under final reviewbefore being presented to theBoard of Management forapproval.

During 2019, a number ofrecruitment campaigns wereheld, including three campaignsfor residential social careworkers. Other campaignsincluded the recruitment ofpersonnel in health and safety,facilities management,day/night unit management,administrative and HR grades.

All new staff undertook a three-week induction programmewith HR, specif ically designedto provide them with theinformation, skills and tools towork in Oberstown.

Staff Wellbeing Oberstown recognises the linkbetween health & wellbeing,staff engagement andorganisational performance.Running alongside the learningand development strategy is acomprehensive health and

wellbeing strategy that has ledthe way in the promotion of staffwellbeing.

The inaugural strategic health &wellbeing framework, WorkingWell, was developed by CaraDriscoll, the organisationalpsychologist in Oberstown, andlaunched in January.

The Working Well framework ismade up of four pillars withspecific strategic objectives:

� Work Safe: creating a safe andhealthy working environmentand culture

� Work Healthy: commitmentto engaging in healthyinitiatives; encouraging andsupporting employees todevelop and maintain healthybehaviours

� Work Well: a collaborativeapproach to wellbeing andrecognising the challengeswithin the workingenvironment. Buildingawareness regarding physical and emotionalwellbeing in self and others

� Work Wise: the creation of aninclusive team workingenvironment.

Some key developmentsdelivered under the strategywere:

Work Safe� After Incident Review (AIR)

process was rolled out onCampus and AIRs wereconducted to improveindividual and organisationallearnings.

Annual Report 2019


Tony Hatton, Training Officer, in the recreational area of one of the residential units.

� A target of 70% was set todeliver training to frontlinestaff in the area of suicideprevention and self-harmmitigation (STORM). By theend of 2019 this target wasexceeded, with 94% offrontline staff trained inSTORM skills.

� Achieved ISO 45001 foroccupational health andsafety management systems.

Work Healthy� Wellbeing Day and Wellbeing

Week included workshopsand events on Campus.

� Slí na Sláinte walking routeswere established on Campus.

� A wellbeing calendar ofevents was developed andincluded monthly themedevents and awareness days,such as green ribbon mentalhealth awareness, sun smartinvolving the Irish CancerSociety and peer support.

� Promotion of physical healthon and offsite, including cycleto work and fitness initiatives.

Work Well� Flu vaccinations were

provided for employees onCampus.

� Employee Assistance Providerdelivered support to Campusat individual andorganisational level.

� Peer Support Worker servicewas embedded and

undertook Mental Health FirstAid Training.

� DCU Leadership Explorationand Development (LEAD)programme – 27 managersparticipated in the bespokeprogramme.

� Critical incident refreshertraining was delivered tomanagers and PSWs.

� How Are You? campaign wasrun to inform all staff ofmental health and wellbeing.

Work Wise� Work commenced on the

exploration of employeeengagement and living ourorganisational values

Health and SafetyDuring 2019, the health andsafety team placed an emphasison the establishment andintegration of health and safetythroughout the Campus.Household, administration,catering, security, activities,medical and facilities adoptedthe Campus risk managementsystem, creating continuityacross departments.

The lowest number of Health andSafety Authority (HSA) reportableinjuries to date was achieved in2019, a reduction of 41% on 2018.This has also impacted on thenumber of lost day injuries, fallingto 19 in 2019, down 48% from theprevious year. It is noted that theincrease in reporting in 2019 hasallowed for a more proactiveapproach to control measures onCampus.

The health and safety team haveextended the scope of audits andintroduced score-based audits,which allows the Campus totrack progress and identifyimprovements required.

The establishment of a healthand safety file on Campuscreated a centralised place forhealth and safety information forOberstown employees, includingthe Campus safety statement,risk assessments, safety datasheets and safety memos.

Ongoing Campus health andsafety inductions wereundertaken with new employees,contractors, visitors and externalbodies such as ACTS, FCAMHS, LeChéile and the Ombudsman forChildren's Office. Specificinduction training was createdand presented to all new staffmembers on Campus.

Other health and safety trainingcontinued, with risk assessment,health and safety and chemicalsafety training completed withstaff in Q3 and Q4 of 2019.

Oberstown Children DetentionCampus was OccupationalHealth and Safety ManagementSystem ISO 45001 registered as ofMarch 2019.


Annual Report 2019

The Oberstown Communications& Engagement Strategy sets outthe organisation’scommunications objectives until2020. The strategy is in line withthe Oberstown mission, visionand values, and supports thedelivery of the OberstownStrategic Plan 2017 - 2020. Thestrategy provides a frameworkthat directs communicationsboth internally and externally inOberstown. During 2019, workcontinued to enhance andpromote consistent and clearcommunications with specificaudiences in line with theobjectives of the OberstownStrategic Plan.

Internal Communications Oberstown is committed to openand transparentcommunications with staff andstakeholders.

Internal communications goalsin the OberstownCommunications & EngagementStrategy for 2019 focused onstrengthening staff engagement– by being more open,accountable and transparent –and identifying newcommunications tools andopportunities to communicateOberstown’s messages moreengagingly and to a wideraudience.

� The Oberstown monthlynewsletter was delivereddigitally to all staff on Campus.

� Campus bulletins weredisseminated weekly from

the Campus communicationsmeeting and monthly fromBoard of Managementmeetings.

� A communications email wasset up to communicate withstaff and to encouragefeedback.

� The Oberstown website wascontinuously updated withnews, publications andstatistics in order to become aconsistent and valuablesource of information.

External CommunicationsExternal communications goalsfor 2019 focused oncommunicating more effectivelywith stakeholders, the media andthe public in order to increasepublic awareness andunderstanding of the role andwork of Oberstown and deliverkey Oberstown messages.

The young people in Oberstownwere supported in sharing theirexperiences of Oberstown withthe media, with the aim of givingthe wider community an insightinto Campus life. One youngperson participated in a mediainterview with the Irish Examinerin relation to the young peopleprogrammes they hadundertaken and the progressthey have made while onCampus. Two young people wereinterviewed by the Irish Times fora feature on the Street Lawprogramme. Feedback from theyoung people was that theyvalued these opportunities toshare their experiences.

Stakeholder EngagementIn 2019, Oberstown sustainedproactive stakeholderengagement and continued tocommunicate with externalagencies to develop andstrengthen partnerships.

In early 2019 Oberstown held aseminar, Education – Closing theGap for Children in Detention.Speakers included: Professor AineHyland, Emeritus Professor ofEducation, University CollegeCork; Senator Colette Kelleher; DrFionnuala Anderson, Director ofFurther Education and Training,DDLETB; and Shane Griffin,advocate for young people andcareleavers.

Representatives from Oberstownattended the 2019 Social CareIreland conference, whereOrganisational Psychologist CaraDriscoll gave a talk on theCampus wellbeing strategy.There was also a stand withinformation about Oberstown forattendees.

In May 2019 Oberstown DeputyDirector Damien Hernon sharedhis perspectives on NationalIncident Management System(NIMS) Incident Reporting andInvestigating, at the 2019Enterprise Risk Networkconference.

In August 2019, Director PatBergin spoke at the UCC NorthSouth Criminology Conferenceabout translating the theory of achild's rights-based approach

External And Internal Communications AndEngagement

into practice in a detentioncentre.

In October 2019, Oberstownhosted an open day on Campusfor third level educationalinstitutions, attended byrepresentatives from IT Carlow, ITSligo, IT Waterford, Athlone IT andTU Dublin.

Also in October 2019, AdvocacyOfficer, Gráinne Smyth,attended the Dublin SaferFamilies conference.

An on-site meeting was held atOberstown with a number of keyexternal stakeholders. A jointpresentation by the Director andthe Chairperson of the Board ofManagement outlined the goalsof the Oberstown Strategic Plan.Progress against those goals wasdiscussed and stakeholders hadan opportunity to contributeviewpoints and ask questionsduring a constructive session.

Public and MediaEngagementOver the course of 2019Oberstown continued to work toincrease public awareness of theCampus by working proactivelywith the media to ensure thatcoverage presented a fair,accurate and true reflection ofOberstown.

Proactive media campaignsacross the year highlighted theorganisation as a supportiveworking environment andshowcased the care and supportprovided to young people onCampus.

The website was furtherdeveloped as a tool for attracting


Annual Report 2019


Review of the Implementation of the Oberstown Children Detention Campus Strategic Plan

Ref. Goals Progress for 2019

Strategic Objective 1Provide the best possible care for young people

1(a) Review and revise all relevant policies that support the CEHOP framework.Promote staff awareness of these policies and improve management responsibility for their implementation.

Children’s Rights Framework has been developed, following widescale consultation including with young people, staff and external stakeholders. It was approved by the Board in 2019 and has been submitted to DCYA for consideration. A Care Policies Project was initiated to review all policies in line with this Framework. This will be completed in 2020.

1(b) Appoint a Young People’s Programme

evidence-based programmes to address offending behaviour.

A review of offending behaviour programmes was undertaken by the Young People’s Programme Manager. This resulted in changes to the approach of approach of both programme development and implementation. A booklet on all programmes has been developed as an information guide and this has been disseminated throughout the Campus. The Probation Service on Campus was reviewed however, due to personnel leaving, the current resource will be undertaken in early 2020.

1(c) Review behaviour management policies and procedures in consultation with staff and taking into account the views of young people.

A review of the behaviour management on Campus was initiated and included a review of the rating system. The implementation of safety plans was also undertaken and developed into practice. A formal review of the behaviour management policy was included in the Children’s Rights Framework and the procedures project will consider practice improvements across the Campus.

1(d) Ensure that restricted practices are implemented in line with approved policies and procedures.

A review of restrictive practices is ongoing. Reviews of individual incidents occur in real time. The Board reviews the trends in the use of restrictive practices monthly. Evidence has shown

reduction of single separation and physical interventions.

1(e) Take further steps to promote a Campus- wide and holistic approach to CEHOP, with shared practices and approaches across residential units and the Oberstown School, with enhanced access to learning in line with the needs of young people.

Some progress has been made in this area. The appointment

consultation with young people on a range of aspects of their living and care. The outcome of these consultations have been shared with staff and the Board. The Campus Council is now part of the conultation process and regular unit meetings are held in many of the residential units with staff and young people. Some programmes are provided by teachers and care staff in collaboration however further work is required to be undertaken to develop more joint initiatives.Formal communication between the Board of the Campus and the school has been initiated to progress these and related issues. This engagement will continue in 2020 .A review is underway of the activities and programmes available to young people on remand to ensure fairness and

progress has been made to ensure placement planning is used to support young people on remand.

new staff to the organisation,featuring news and updates, aswell as increasing transparencythrough the regular publicationof Campus statistics.

Monthly occupancy levels andsnapshot ‘Point in Time’ statisticswere also published throughout2019. As well as serving toeducate and inform, this datasupports internal decision-making in areas such asmanaging behaviour, use ofrestrictive practices, and theneeds of young people. Theinformation is reviewed atCampus management level andis routinely interrogated at Boardof Management meetings.

In February 2019, Oberstownwelcomed Cormac O’Keeffe,justice correspondent with theIrish Examiner, to Oberstown. Thevisit resulted in a large feature inthe Irish Examiner, whichdiscussed the programmes onCampus that address offendingbehaviour and includedinterviews with senior Campusmanagement and a youngperson.

Over the course of the year,Campus initiatives andprogrammes attracted mediacoverage. The Java Republictraining programme, GaisceAwards, Street Law programmeand Oberstown's partnershipwith Image Fitness all receivedcoverage across national andlocal media.

On radio, Newstalk with PatKenny and Drivetime with MaryWilson featured Deputy DirectorDamien Hernon and BoardChairperson Ursula Kilkelly

during 2019 in items covering lifeat Oberstown and the publishingof statistics.

The Irish Times interviewed CaraDriscoll about the Health andWellbeing programme forOberstown staff. The article‘Caring for the carers: Lookingafter the wellbeing of frontlineworkers' appeared in June anddetailed the work under way oncampus around mental healthand peer support.

The publication of the Q1statistics was covered in anumber of publications includingan article in the Irish Times,written by Conor Gallagher whovisited the campus andinterviewed both the DeputyDirector and Director.

Online CommunicationsThe Oberstown websitecontinues to be an importantsource of information for ourstakeholders and the generalpublic. Website traffic rose

significantly, with 35% morevisitors in 2019 than in 2018.

In March, Oberstown began touse Twitter as a communicationsplatform to engage with externalstakeholders. LinkedIn was alsoused to share campus updatesand employment opportunities.

Engaging with the LocalCommunity During 2019, Oberstown madefurther efforts to buildrelationships with itsneighbouring community. Thecatering department continuedto provide meals for Meals onWheels locally. In December, theOberstown household andcatering staff ran the annualSeniors' Christmas Dinner at theMan O' War GAA club, for whichyoung people from Oberstowndesigned and printed Christmascards and baked shortbread asgifts for those attending.Oberstown staff have beencontributing to the communityin this way for 28 years.


Annual Report 2019


Appendix 1

Artwork created by young people at Oberstown


Annual Report 2019



1(f) Work with external agencies to ensure that the complex needs of young people in Oberstown are met.

Important progress was made in this area. A stakeholders’ information session was held on site in October 2019. A seminar for stakeholders was also undertaken in 2019 to address core issues relating to young people in detention (mental health and substance misuse). Stakeholders have been invited to participate in the new strategic planning process for the Campus and to advise as to how best to support young people who have contact with the juvenile justice system. Due to personnel changes on Campus in September 2019, the mapping exercise was not progressed.We have initiated a process of reviewing service level agreements, memorandums of understanding and communication protocols.

1(g) Adopt a Campus strategy to promote the participation of young people in decision-making.

implementation of the complaints process for young people and there is evidence that through her proactive engagement the number and seriousness of complaints has decreased. Monthly reviews of the complaints received by the Advocacy

eight weeks to ensure young people’s rights are met.

By 2020, we will: Promote Oberstown as a secure and safe environment for the care of young people by providing suitable physical infrastructure and the effective implementation of all operational procedures in its use.

1(h) Work with our stakeholders to agree a campus facilities management plan that provides effective management and support for the physical estate.

A Campus Facility Manager was appointed in 2019 to ensure the contracted facility management contract was fully met. We have reviewed elements of the contract to ensure compliance with work programmes. A tendering process is due to be initiated in 2020 as the current contract ends in 2020. Provision is in place to extend the contract for 12 months to allow the tendering process to be completed.

1(i) Develop a plan for the future of the physical Campus, identifying priority physical works. the reviews. Discussions have been initiated with DCYA on the

long term plan for the Campus and the resources required to

further in 2020.



By 2020, we will: Have in place multi-agency and specialist support to deliver effective assessment and clinical and therapeutic services to young people in line with their needs.

1(j) Ensure that the best supports and services are provided to young people in Oberstown and where possible on their return home in conjunction with other agencies.

The clinical services provided by the Assessment Consultation Therapy Service (ACTS) were put in place in 2019. As of December, a dedicated clinical team, consisting of psychology, speech and language, addiction services and social work are based on site at Oberstown. The ACTS team operates the CEHOP framework and there is regular engagement between the clinicians on a formal and informal basis within the placement planning process. Engagement with ACTS on communication protocols and complaints procedures was progressed during 2019. Some matters remain outstanding and are due to be concluded in early 2020.

The development of a service level agreement with the

challenges around the sharing of information. This matter will be progressed in 2020 with a scheduled meeting on multidisciplinary working planned.

Service level agreements with YAP, Le Chéile, CDI and other services have progressed. Some work was undertaken with Tusla in September 2019 but more needs to be done. The review of the mechanisms under the Children Act has not yet been undertaken, but mobilities and temporary release continue to be used to facilitate young people’s return to their family and community.

1(k) Take steps to make publicly available information on the care provided to young people and factors associated with their care in conjunction with the IYJS and Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Three year analysis of Q1 admissions to Oberstown was completed in 2019. This information was published and informed national discussions on the characteristics of young people placed in detention. The website was amended to support easier access to information. Campus statistics and information are placed on the website in a timely manner.

1(l) Take steps to ensure that the range of supports that young people need are provided through better placement planning, effective working with key workers and ensuring that young people have a say in these processes in line with the Oberstown Strategy on the Participation of Young People in Decision-Making.

The formal review of placement planning is outstanding. However consultation with young people on placement plans determined a comprehesive knowledge of the process, the areas of consideration and the desired outcome. Further examination of the effectiveness of the placement planning process was undertaken through consultation with the parents of young people in Oberstown on their experience of the care of their children and engagement with Oberstown staff.

young people’s views are sought and considered within the placement planning process. A review of the placement process highlights a high percentage of young people attending the placement planning meetings.


Annual Report 2019



1(m) Deliver on the Oberstown agreed measures and metrics to support the full implementation of CEHOP.

This action did not progress as the development of the Case Mangement System was underway and extracting data from the system on aspects of CEHOP required data to be recorded over a period of time. More information will be available from early 2020 on the metrics associated with the implementation of CEHOP

By 2020, we will: Promote the collation, analysis and use of good quality data to support the quality of care provided to young people.

1(n) Implement the new case management system across Campus, providing enhancing recording of decision-making.

A audit on the implementation of the Case Management System has been undertaken and improvements have

improvements was completed in December 2019.Work is underway to develop a comprehensive system to extract further information from the case management system. This project involves the Department of Justice IT division.

1(o) Ensure that accurate data is readily available to decision-makers and taken into account in both operational and strategic decision-making.

and a review of data on young people on remand during 2019 is being undertaken to be completed by March 2020.Improvements have been made in the sharing of information in a number of areas including health and safety, sick leave, staff attendance, incident reporting, restrictive practices, campus capacity and bed management.

1(p) Take steps to make publicly available information on the care provided to young people and factors associated with their care.

Information continues to be made available on the Oberstown website including the Publication of the Q1 2019 characteristics data, the Annual Report 2018, information on occupancy and restrictive practices.

Strategic Objective 2Develop our people and our organisation

By 2020, we will: Have in place a people and career development strategy with clear alignment to employee development, skills enhancement, continuing professional development and succession management practice.

2(a) Have in place a skills matrix for all staff. A training needs analysis was completed in 2019. A new training

is underway to source information on staff to support skills training.

2(b) Develop and implement a staff training and

needs from our performance management process.

Recruitment continues across all departments. Skills gaps are

2(c) Develop a set of career pathways where applicable and appropriate for staff. opportunity for promotion. A number of inter-departmental

opportunities have been supported including changing of roles to support learning and development.



2(d) Develop and implement a continuing professional development (CPD) model for all grades within Oberstown.

The training needs analysis was not completed until Q3 2019

Funding available was allocated to implementing a leadership program for 27 managers for 9 months in 2019. CPD for 2020 will be reviewed in Spring 2020. Engagement with CORU is under way but registration is not now expected to open until 2022. The situation will be kept under review.

By 2020, we will: Implement our revised grading structure with appropriate promotional opportunities for staff.

2(e) Engage with our staff and trade unions to ensure that our existing grading structure and proposed additional grading opportunities are negotiated and implemented.

A consultation process with RSCWs and NSOs was undertaken in 2019 with respect to their rosters. A formal request has been issued to the trade union to engage with management to progresss a roster review by the end of the year, for implementation in February 2020.

2(f) Review our practices to ensure that fairness and transparency applies in all promotional situations.

The leadership programme (LEAD) was undertaken by all 27 Oberstown managers across the Campus.

By 2020, we will: Put in place a programme of supports and enablers to ensure the smooth implementation of registration for our Residential Social Care staff.

2(g)competencies and modules necessary for residential social care staff to meet the impending standards and put in place the needed training programmes.

The training needs analysis has been completed. The Training

training needs analysis and training needs in 2020.

2(h) Assess the gaps between our existing staff groups’ knowledge and practice and standards.

of the analysis and the training needs approach to roll out in 2020.

2(i) Recruit all future new care staff to the

registration.

This action has not been undertaken and is a priority for 2020

By 2020, we will: Have reviewed and enhanced our performance management processes and ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities staff.

2(j) Implement phase 1 of the Performance Management Development System (PMDS) for management.

PMDS was rolled out for the Campus Senior Management Team in 2019 and PMDS training is planned for middle managers in 2020.

2(k) Roll out PMDS for other staff groups.

2(l) Invest in our management groups with a view to developing and enhancing their capability to support better decision-making in all areas.

This action was completed in 2019. The leadership programme (LEAD) was undertaken by all 27 Oberstown managers across the Campus.


Annual Report 2019



Strategic Objective 3Implement the policies, procedures and standards consistent with the best model of detention for young people

By 2020, we will: Have adopted a revised policy and procedure framework, ensuring unambiguous guidelines and procedures are in place in all areas.

3(a) Ensure that all revised Campus policies are evidence-based, communicated effectively to staff and young people, and their implementation supported by unit and senior managers.

Consultation with staff on HR policies was completed in 2019. A

Board to IBEC for review. They are expected to be approved by the Board in January 2020.The Children’s Rights Policy Framework was adopted by the Board in 2019 and is with the DCYA for ministerial approval.

3(b) Implement a system of regular policy review, taking into account the views of young people and staff.

In line with the Children’s Rights Policy Framework, policies have been developed and adopted by the Board and are now pending the approval of the Minister. Consultation was undertaken with young people as part of this process.

3(c) Take steps to promote and test consistent adherence to recording decision-making.

Audits have been completed to determine compliance with the case management system and recording requirements. Measures have been put in place to address the shortcomings

improvements in recording decisions.

3(d) Ensure information is available to the Board of Management to enable scrutiny of Campus policy implementation.

of her role and on the Board’s request has sought the views of young people on their preferred method of consultation with the Board. A process of engagement with young people

approach and this will begin in January 2020.The Board continues to scrutinise data and to seek new data to enable it to review policy implementation and assess outcomes for young people.

ISO for Health and Safety and ISO accreditation in our Catering Department.

3(e) Commence the documentation of ‘how we do things’ from a quality standards perspective in Oberstown for the health and safety and catering functions.

Compliance with this standard was achieved for catering and health and safety in 2019. Due to key personnel changes, this delayed the roll out to other departments in 2019.

3(f) Put in place a project team to drive the ISO accreditation processes in these areas.

ISO accreditation was achieved and measures taken to ensure retention of the standard.

By 2020, we will: Develop a programme to support student placement and continuing professional development for staff.

3(g) Engage with relevant higher education providers to identify opportunities for student placements.

Engagement was undertaken with third level colleges with an open day held on Campus in October 2019. Student placements will come into effect in 2020 as per agreement with the relevant colleges.

3(h) Actively promote a system of continuing professional development for staff.

A Practice Placement mechanism was put in place with the relevant colleges in 2019. The academic and education support programme will not be reviewed until 2020 due to priority given in 2019 to the LEAD programme for managers



Strategic Objective 4Enhance communications aligned to our values and mission

By 2020, we will: Have enhanced the public understanding of the Oberstown mission and vision to provide excellence in the care and education of young people in detention.

4(a) Adopt a Communications and Engagement Strategy to ensure stakeholders are regularly informed of Campus developments and initiatives.

Although communications are kept under regular review, a formal review of the Strategy was not undertaken due to changes in key personnel. This will be undertaken once the

4(b) Continue to engage with the public to raise

Oberstown.

A recruitment campaign was undertaken to appoint the

4(c) Enhance staff understanding of their roles and their contribution to developing pro-social model of engagement with young people.

Consultation was undertaken on the recommendations of the literature review and the implementation of the

By 2020, we will: Support strong engagement with our neighbouring community.

4(d) Engage with our neighbours to better understand their needs. the Director.

4(e) Develop an enhanced community engagement programme to ensure these

A system was put in place which is operating well and in line with neighbours' expectations.

By 2020, we will: Implement a series of actions to create an Oberstown Campus culture.

4(f) Support the development of the associated behaviours for our values and communicate how these values affect our practice.

Campaigns to drive the mission, vision and values across the campus were undertaken including internal communications, town hall meetings and discussions with staff and young people.

4(g) Seek to enhance the reputation of the Campus through a series of culture initiatives and the creation of a common language.

work of the Campus. A series of events were held on Campus to highlight mental health, physical health and wellbeing approaches for staff, and to recognise achievements of the young people such as awards received.

4(h) Develop and implement a staff engagement programme to focus on cultural change.

An active process of internal communication is in place. Views have been sourced from staff on range of issues through surveymonkey, town hall meetings, training sessions and After Incident Reviews.

Strategic Objective 5Deliver robust governance at all levels and drive effective accountability

By 2020, we will: Establish a clear understanding of the Oberstown governance structure.

5(a) Make available a clear concise map of the organisational structure with areas of responsibility.

This has been completed and communicated to all staff.

5(b) Implement the legislation and policies as set down by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

A robust process has been put in place to ensure the implementation of national law and policy by Campus management. Particular progress has been made in lowering the use of restrictive practices.



5(c) Develop and implement a Campus Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct for Board members was adopted by the Board as part of the Governance Handbook. This is now with DCYA for consideration. The staff code of conduct will be approved as part of the new HR policy framework.

5(d) Ensure that good practice in governance is applied in all areas of our operations.

A Board Effectiveness review was undertaken by the IPA in 2018 and its recommendations form part of a workplan adopted by the Board in 2019. A review of the implementation of the Governance Handbook is currently underway. The induction for the new Board of Management was undertaken in September 2019 fully in line with the IPA recommendations and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.

By 2020, we will: Continue to enhance the accountability provided by management, including the Board of Management of Management, for the Campus.

5(e) Have effective IT systems in place to act as an enabler of enhanced case management, information sharing and availability of relevant data for decision making.

This action remains outstanding.

5(f) Ensure the Board is supported to provide effective oversight by the provision of timely information.

Ongoing following completion and approval of the Governance Handbook by the Board of Management.

5(g) Engage with a variety of audiences nationally and internationally to share the experiences and expertise in the practices of youth detention.

Although an international event has not yet been hosted, Oberstown participated actively in the Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty. The Chairperson attended and spoke at the launch of this event in Geneva in November 2019, along with another Board member. International engagement also took place via the Director's study visit to New Zealand in October 2019.

5(h) Actively participate in youth justice decision-making at national level, including in the development of a long-term vision and legislative programme for the sector.

The Chairperson and Director continue to actively engage publicly, including through print and broadcast media, on matters of priority to Oberstown. Participation in the Global Study was completed with young people acting as the advisory group and participating directly in the global consultation.


Annual Report 2019

Appendix 2Board of Management Meeting Attendance January - June 2019

Name 11/01/2019 08/02/2019 21/03/2019 15/04/2019 28/05/2019Total

MeetingsAttended

Ursula Kilkelly 3 3 3 3 3 5Sinead O’Herlihy 3 3 3 3 3 5Pat Rooney 3 3 3 3 3 5Elizabeth Howard 3 7 3 3 3 4Charles Irwin 3 7 3 3 3 4Diego Gallagher 3 7 3 3 3 4Emer Woodfull 3 3 3 3 3 5Mr Michael Farrell 7 3 3 3 3 4Laoise Manners 3 7 3 3 3 4Tadgh Delaney 3 3 7 3 3 4Don O'Leary 3 3 3 7 3 4Linda Creamer 1 3 7 7 3 3 3Eamon Clavin 2 N/A 3 3 3 3 4

1 Linda Creamers Term commenced January 20192 Eamon Clavin's term commenced 05 February 2019

Eamon Clavin joined the Governance Committee in April 2019.

Name 08/02/2019 13/03/3019 07/05/2019Total

attended2019

Sinead O’Herlihy 3 3 3 3Mr Michael Farrell (Chair) 3 3 3 3Eamon Clavin 7 7 3 1Ursula Kilkelly 7 7 3 1

Governance Committee Attendance January - June 2019

3 = Dial In

Name 02/02/2019 12/03/2019 10/04/2019 17/05/2019Total

attended2019

Charles Irwin (Chair) 3 3 3 3 4Diego Gallagher 3 3 3 3 4Tadgh Delaney 3 3 3 3 4

Finance, Audit & Risk Committee Attendance January – June 2019


Annual Report 2019

Committee was established in October 2019

Committee was established in October 2019

Name 08/11/2019Total

attended2019

Ursula Kilkelly (Chair) 3 1Jennifer Gargan 3 1Eamon Clavin 3 1

Governance Committee Attendance July - December 2019

3 = Dial In

Name 14/11/2019 11/12/2019Total

attended2019

Bernadette Costello (Chair) 3 3 2John McDaid 3 3 2Tadgh Delaney 3 3 2

Audit & Risk Committee Attendance July – December 2019

Board of Management Meeting Attendance July - December 2019

Name 10/09/2019 17/10/2019 21/11/2019 11/12/2019Total

MeetingsAttended

Ursula Kilkelly 3 3 3 3 4Eamon Clavin 3 3 3 3 4Bernadette Costello 3 3 3 3 4Linda Creamer 3 7 7 3 2Tadgh Delaney 7 7 3 3 2Jennifer Gargan 3 3 3 3 4Elizabeth Howard 3 7 3 3 3John McDaid 7 3 3 3 3Laoise Manners 3 3 3 3 4Craig Mulligan 3 3 3 3 4Don O'Leary 3 3 3 3 4Pat Rooney 3 3 3 3 4Emer Woodfull 3 3 3 3 4

3 = Dial In

Appendix 3Board of Management Fees

The following Board members did not receive a payment as they are public servants and the oneperson one salary rule applies:

Board Fees Paid in respect of 1 January – 31 May 2019 Board member Amount (€) Diego Gallagher Waived Fees

Elizabeth Howard 2992.50

Charles Irwin 2992.50

Don O'Leary 2992.50

Pat Rooney 2992.50

Emer Woodfull 2992.50

Board Fees Paid in respect of 4 July 2019 – 31 December 2019Board member Amount (€) Bernadette Costello 2967.90

Jennifer Gargan 2967.90

Elizabeth Howard 2967.90

Don O'Leary 2967.90

Pat Rooney 2967.90

Emer Woodfull 2967.90

1 January – 31 MayUrsula Kilkelly

Eamon Clavin

Linda Creamer

Tadgh Delaney

Michael Farrell

Laoise Manners

Sinead O’Herlihy

4 July – 31 December 2019Ursula Kilkelly (1 June - 31 December 2019)

Eamon Clavin

Linda Creamer

Tadgh Delaney

Laoise Manners

John McDaid

Craig Mulligan


Notes

Oberstown Children Detention Campus, Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin, K45 AY66.

www.oberstown.com

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