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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1842 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

Where possible, the department has moved quickly to address the areas of concerns. I will deal, firstly, with the Kaleen Youth Centre. Mr Aldcroft noted that the centre required a major restructuring and that, Mr Speaker, is exactly what has been done. The Official Visitor was particularly concerned about the lack of any structured program in operation at the centre which would prevent young people from leaving and returning to the centre whenever they pleased. The contracting out of the Kaleen Youth Centre to the Richmond Fellowship last year - it started in November - has led to the provision of high-quality, useful programs for the young residents, and a veritable transformation in the way the centre is managed. The reports I get back in relation to that are that that is going very well indeed.

Immediately the fellowship took over the centre in November a comprehensive day program at their Pialligo facilities was put into place. All residents of the centre who are not presently working or at school spend the day at Pialligo undertaking a range of living skills and educational activities. These activities are designed to prepare young people for work or to reintegrate them into mainstream education. I am sure that the Assembly will agree with me, Mr Speaker, when I say that outsourcing of the Kaleen Youth Centre has been a triumph for all those concerned with its operation. Residents are now engaged in a highly useful program in the stable environment that the Richmond Fellowship is able to provide and are learning skills that will, hopefully, obviate their need for this sort of accommodation in the future.

At Quamby, Mr Speaker, the winds of change are also blowing with a refreshing vigour. Ms Reilly was correct in pointing to Ms Vardon's farewell article in the Canberra Times, as she has been intimately involved in improvements there. I will come to one particular area there which is really showing a lot of benefits to the young people concerned. Mr Speaker, programs have been enhanced to provide meaningful activities for residents of all age groups, including the older youth mentioned in the Official Visitor's report. A new teacher has been appointed at a senior level, a Level 2 teacher, and he has organised close contacts with schools and the CIT so that work completed in the Quamby school program can be recognised as a qualification or a part qualification upon the resident's release. Residents, when they are released, are given a portfolio of what they have done at the centre in terms of the educational program. This recognition gives real value to the work that residents are doing, Mr Speaker, and makes a return to either school or the workplace that much simpler.

In relation to the security issues raised, I am pleased to report that the Government is currently considering proposals in terms of enhancing those. Work has occurred in relation to enhancing some aspects of the centre already. Those works are such things as security mesh on windows and reinforcement of doors. That has been done to improve the security of the residential units. Also, a gate in the fence, allowing access to facilities on the old Quamby site mentioned in the report, will be provided in the future. Unfortunately, the gymnasium that was mentioned by Ms Reilly and by Mr Aldcroft is not economically feasible at this stage. However, a number of the physical activities of the residents there are being addressed. There is a gym there and there is a very high participation rate in the sports fitness program run within the school program. There is organised football, touch football and soccer available to residents if they wish to compete.

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