Monitoring

Where vulnerable children live in institutional settings, including Youth Detention Centres.

Why do we monitor?

Around the world, experts consider monitoring an integral part of best practice when it comes to the operation of detention centres. The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory (2017) recommends the OCC independently monitor without prior notice;

• detention centers,
• residential facilities,
• places where a child who is in the child protection system resides,
• places that are required to be OPCAT compliant and
• any place where children are involuntarily held or routinely accommodated in an institutional setting.

While the monitoring function is yet to be embedded in legislation, it is a vital part of the OCC and the required reforms to child protection and youth justice in the Northern Territory to uphold and respect children’s rights.

Part of these proposed powers include visiting functions to allow the OCC to develop strong relationships and cultivate an environment where low-level resolution occurs. Given the absence of legislation for this function, there is increased pressure on the collaborative and productive relationship between the agency responsible for operation of these services and the oversight body.

To date the OCC has undertaken monitoring of youth detention centres, residential care facilities and support bail accommodation.

How do we monitor?

For each type of accommodation monitoring, the OCC develops a unique framework to suit the type of accommodation. This framework is developed using a combination of national standards, legislation and policy. Children and young people’s rights, safety, health and wellbeing are central to the monitoring framework and are assessed through set domains.

To make these assessment OCC staff visit facilities, interview staff and service providers, talk to children who are living or have lived in the facility and review documents pertaining to the care provided to children living in the facility.

More information about the framework and domains are located in the monitoring reports here.

What happens with the monitoring results?

For each round of monitoring a report is generated. Copies of these reports can be found here.

These reports are provided to the Minister responsible for the administration of the Children Commissioners Act and the Minister responsible for the facility being monitored (if applicable).

Monitoring reports outline the OCC findings, both positive and negative, and make recommendations to service providers about improvements that should be made to continuously improve the standard of care provided.

Service providers who are the subject of a recommendation report back to the OCC on how they are progressing the implementation of recommendations relevant to their service.