Oberstown Campus Violence Raises Staff ⁣Safety Concerns

⁣ Updated June 19, 2025

A Wednesday incident at Oberstown Children Detention Campus resulted in⁣ injuries to ‍nine staff members, according to the Forsa⁣ trade union. The incident involved a young person and the use of improvised weapons.

Four staff members required ‌hospitalization, and several others have been ‍signed off work for up to ⁢a month following the oberstown campus violence.The incident highlights growing concerns​ about workplace safety at the facility.

The Department of ⁢Children, which oversees Oberstown, stated ‌Tuesday it plans⁣ to increase capacity at the youth⁢ detention center. The department aims to allocate resources⁤ to create a‌ small ⁢number of ⁣additional spaces in ⁢the​ near future.

Oberstown currently has ⁣the capacity for 40 boys and six girls. As of​ Wednesday,the facility was accommodating 40 boys and one⁣ girl.

According ​to a staff member, who requested anonymity, Wednesday’s⁣ violence marked the third incident since june 8 resulting in five staff members needing hospital treatment. The staff member described a previous serious incident where a residential social care worker suffered a facial injury requiring emergency ‌hospitalization during an attempt to move a young person who had assaulted a staff member.

Forsa described a “growing crisis in workplace safety”​ at Oberstown. The union contends that senior ⁢management is “failing in their ⁢duty of care” to staff, which is worsening staff recruitment ⁤and retention problems.⁤ According to Forsa, only two⁤ of the 10​ staff members recruited at the‌ beginning of the year remain employed.

The staff member also noted ⁣a shift in management focus, wiht increased emphasis on the “care” of young people leading to inadequate attention to ⁤”safety.” The⁢ complexity of​ the young⁤ people’s needs is increasing, ⁣and the crimes for which‍ they are sentenced are becoming⁢ more violent. “The young people used to‌ be coming in for ​robberies, robbing cars.Now it’s all ⁤murder, attempted murder, rape, sexual assault,” the staff member said. Drug use is also a ⁢concern,⁤ with young people testing positive for various substances.

The violence affects both staff and⁢ young people,the staff member added. “You have young ​people we have built huge relationships with, and then they see‍ someone​ walk past, their head covered in blood, and we’re ⁣meant to just move on. The system is normalising this,” he​ said. “Staff are stressed, injured, burnt out.”

Forsa reiterated its call for‌ more‍ effective restraint techniques and appropriate personal protective equipment. The union stated that repeated warnings to senior management about the risks facing staff have been ‍consistently ignored. ⁤”management’s failure ​to recognize and address ongoing problems ​can no ⁢longer ⁣be ignored: we are witnessing a complete failure to uphold basic health⁢ and safety obligations. Our members are being placed⁤ in ‍harm’s way every day with no adequate response or accountability,” Forsa said.

A ‍Hiqa report‌ from last year indicated that young people ‌at Oberstown⁢ were sometimes confined to their bedrooms‍ to facilitate staff breaks due to staff shortages. However, the report also found that ‍the young people generally received “good-quality, child-centred care.”

What’s ⁣next

Oberstown management and the Department of Children have been contacted for comment regarding the ‍recent incidents and ongoing safety concerns at⁤ the​ Oberstown Children Detention Campus.