Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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34. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to address the increased challenges for staff of Oberstown youth detention centre in County Dublin to ensure the safety of those detained there and the staff working there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35136/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The safety and wellbeing of both staff and young people in Oberstown Children Detention Campus is of the utmost importance to me and to this Department. While I acknowledge the challenges faced by staff working in this demanding environment, I am confident there are several measures in place that ensure the safety of the young people detained and the staff working there. The following is a list of all the supports and processes in place.

• Practice Supervision is a new model of practice supervision which provides a reflective space for staff to process the impact of work on their professional and personal wellbeing and to strengthen professional practice. The model was reviewed after its first year of implementation which showed overwhelming support for the benefits it provides to staff. Recommendations from the review are being incorporated into an action plan to further strengthen system-wide practice. Importantly, the model adopted by Oberstown is described by McMahon et al. (2022) as the most influential model in supervision internationally, reflecting international recognition of its value in supporting staff wellbeing and resilience.
• Staff in Oberstown are supported through access to an onsite psychologist, peer support workers, employee assistance services and structured after-incident reviews, forming part of a systemic approach to support wellbeing in a challenging workplace.
• All staff working with young people in Oberstown receive training in suicide prevention, self-harm mitigation, and incident management. A framework and training programme for incident management ensures preparedness and consistent response to critical incidents. Further delivery of incident management training is planned, following the conclusion of a competitive tender process currently underway.
• Oberstown has adopted a psychosocial risk management framework, which guides the management of workplace mental health risks. This approach was recognised through the achievement of International Standards Organisation (ISO) ISO45003 certification, the first global standard on psychological health and safety at work-a significant milestone in safeguarding staff wellbeing.
• Oberstown maintains an ISO45001 Health and Safety Management system on campus to address management of health and safety. Standards are in date, audited annually and certified through the National Standards Authority of Ireland and the British Standards Institute.
• Amongst staff numbers, there are several safety intervention instructors on campus. Training is consistently provided and refreshed by the Crisis Prevention Institute safety intervention team.
• The Health and Safety officer in Oberstown works closely with all the staff and all incidents on campus are followed up as soon as possible. Oberstown continues to maintain an A level rating with the State Claims Authority for prompt reporting.
• Taken together these measures reflect a comprehensive and systemic response to the challenges of this difficult environment. They demonstrate a commitment to ensuring the highest possible standards of staff safety, wellbeing, and professional support, which in turn underpins the safe and effective care of the children detained.