| Gwynne Lea, adjacent to Nyandi |
| Years of Operation | 1970 – transferred to the Ministry of Justice (now Department of Justice) on 1 July 1993. |
| Role Of Facility | Open residential cottage adjacent to the maximum security unit at Nyandi. |
| Address(es) | 3 Allen Court, Bentley |
| Brief History | “An open residential cottage adjacent to the maximum security unit caters for up to ten girls in a domestic-living type unit. This unit has developed special techniques for the generalisation of newly-learned skills. Each girl is found a weekend placement and behaviour-rating scales are used to provide feedback on behaviour during these periods” (Annual Report of the Department for Community Welfare, 1977).
“The average length of stay on first admission is two to three months. During the year a total of nine new referrals to Nyandi were admitted direct to Gwynne Lea.” (Annual Report of the Department for Community Welfare, 1978).
The WELSTAT (welfare statistics) Collection of 1979 notes “Gwynne Lee” as a ‘campus home’ (ie. “a residential child care establishment consisting of two or more dwellings that do not share cooking or eating facilities”, with an on-site manager “who has authority over the treatment and location of all the children in the dwellings” and which are not otherwise defined as secure institutions or hostels).
In 1982, there were 9 new admissions to Gwynne Lea. The average weekly population there was 4 to 5 girls. (Annual Report of the Department for Community Welfare, 1982).
In 1984, the Annual Report indicated that, although Gwynne Lea could “cater for up to eight girls”, it was desirable to have up to only three girls resident at any one time “given the difficulty of the girls involved.” The “two main tasks” of Gwynne Lea were to “provide an environment where girls will stay despite previous histories of running away…[and to] bring the girl’s behaviour within socially acceptable limits to allow her to be moved back to parents or to foster/boarding placements.” (Annual Report of the Department for Community Welfare, 1984).
Since 1993, Gwynne Lea has been the responsibility of the Department of Justice. |
| Records | Departmental records for children or young people placed by the Department or the Children’s Court may exist. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | Freedom of Information
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 5000, Fremantle WA 6959
Telephone: (08) 6217 6888
Country free call: 1800 176 888
Email: foi@communities.wa.gov.au
Website: www.communities.wa.gov.au |
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