As a Streetwork Youth Custody Advocate, your role is to support and engage with a young person while they are in police custody. This role does not include providing legal advice.

Once this online form has been completed, any ongoing Streetwork support will be coordinated by our Youth Services Team. Your direct role with the young person begins and ends at the police station.

Please ensure that police contact the Youth Legal Aid Hotline on 1800 10 18 10 on the young person's behalf, and encourage the young person to follow the advice provided by Legal Aid.

Please also let the young person know that Streetwork case workers may be able to assist with preparing for court, transport to and from court or related appointments, re-engagement with school, job seeking, drug and alcohol counselling, safe accommodation, and other practical support.

* Note - Police can provide the young person's date of birth, parent's contact details, and required identification details if not forthcoming from the young person.

Kickstart is Streetwork’s outreach mentoring program. It is a goals-based, empowerment-focused program designed around each young person’s needs and circumstances, with a focus on addressing the risk factors affecting them.

The success of the program depends on matching each young person with a Youth Caseworker who is well placed to support them. To help us make the best possible match, please provide any information that may be useful, such as the young person’s family situation, personal or career goals, interests, hobbies, strengths, or any current challenges.

You may also wish to introduce the young person to our Instagram account, @streetworkaus, which includes information about our activities, programs, and opportunities that may be of interest to them.

 

Please provide the young person’s parent or guardian’s contact information, as this helps our Youth Case Workers coordinate appropriate support.

Please note: If safe accommodation cannot be found, a young person may be at risk of being refused bail and taken to a juvenile detention centre.

We recommend that advocates remind police of the Bail Line, which can help find emergency accommodation, commonly known as a bail bed, for a young person who cannot safely return home after an arrest.

The Bail Line seeks to provide an alternative to a young person being taken to a juvenile detention centre. The service can be contacted on 0457 559 930 between 8.00am and 4.00pm, and on 1300 224 555 between 4.00pm and 3.00am.

Please send any paperwork issued by police, including charge sheets, to Streetwork at info@streetwork.org.au.

Streetwork Youth Services Manager can be contacted by phone during business hours 94197559, or by email info@streetwork.org.au 

 

Thank you for supporting this vulnerable Young Person at the police station.  All further assistance to the Young Person will be managed by the Streetwork Youth Services team.