In 2018 The Youth Justice Program Transferred From The Department Of Health And Human Services To The Department Of Justice And Community Safely. Using Theories Related To Change And Cultural Determine What Challenges Might Have Resulted In This Transfer
In 2018 The Youth Justice Program Transferred From The Department Of Health And Human Services To The Department Of Justice And Community Safely. Using Theories Related To Change And Cultural Determine What Challenges Might Have Resulted In This Transfer
According to history, Victoria has been known for having a strong system of youth justice or youth justice system taking into account the interventions and policies that are capable of preventing the crimes and diverting children and young people to keep themselves away from crimes. While, others affirm that it can accuse a negative impact on their lives and their societies in the long run (Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria, 2019). Victoria is always recorded and termed as a place with comparatively lower rates of young people who are giving any other jurisdiction of Australia. Victoria is recorded as one of the leaders in the youth justice system (Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria, 2019). The cohort of these attributes is associated with the fact that there is a comparatively much lower rate. However, youth offending and its records have decreased surprisingly from 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.
Discussion
According to a recent research report, it is found that Victoria is actually experiencing a youth crime way, in fact, there are a number of children and young people who despite crisis, are living a peaceful life. It is asserted that about less than 1% of 10 to 17 years old in Victoria are sentenced for committing criminal offences, where over the last 10 years, the number of people who have been committing offences is decreased. About 43% of the re-education is found in the number of children who are sentenced to Children Court of Victoria, within the last five years (Youth justice, 2019). Moreover, there are a small number of young people who are accused of committing repeated crimes. Under the influence of all these scenarios, it is found that there is a legitimate community concern about these crimes, taking into account the idea that some authorities believe a tailored intervention is required that can help the reoffending and act as a source of rehabilitation for these young people (Youth justice, 2019). This cohort is meant for carrying out a high proportion of crimes that are committed by the young people where only 1.6% of the young offender are accounting of almost one-quarter of recorded offences that are committed by young people. It is highlighted that there is a majority of young offenders making up to 89% of the ratio who commit very few crimes. Although there are cases of some high-profile case such as home entry and car theft, still it is asserted that the overall ratio of young people is much less than adults who are accustomed of committing some serious crimes. All these aspects highlight the idea that the Victorian government has become highly punitive to address crime concerns (Parliament.vic.gov.au, 2019).
These punitive measures include a politically procure behaviour, detention abused sanctions and strict limitations for bail but unfortunately, these steps have proved ineffective at reducing offences and reducing recidivism among the people. It is found that the young offenders are highly disadvantaged who are a subject to these circumstances. It is obvious that their brains are still developing and the criminal records and capabilities are making the societies to be affected by peer influence and influences some risk-taking behaviours. Many children have already faced adversity in their lives where the information from Department of Health and Human survey of 176 people in the stance of remand and sentence highlight that there are about 63% people who are found to be victims of trauma or abuse, about 455 were found to be subject to previous child protection orders and 19% were found to be subjected to current child protection order (Parliament.vic.gov.au, 2019).
In the year, 2018, the Victorian Government has taken some decisions that were meant to transfer the responsibility of youth justice from the Department of Health and Human Service to the Department of Justice taking into account the underlying aim of community safety in the long term. According to the CEO of Jesuit Social Services, Julie Edwards,
We are all concerned by the recent images we have seen of young people committing serious and violent offences in the community and rioting in youth detention facilities (Parliament.vic.gov.au, 2019).
According to her, the Victoria Youth site has been handled very badly by the successive governors that has paved the way for creating a bad situation so it was necessary to take some productive actions. Although it seems a productive step, still there are some challenges for which certain strategies are required (Youth justice, 2019). As this shift of vision and action are proceeded by change, there are some change theories that are applicable to the situation, accompanied by some challenges and the strategies required to overcome the challenge (Parliament.vic.gov.au, 2019.
Kurt Change Model
In accordance with the change management model that is proposed by Kurt, change is more like a block of ice where there are three stages to be considered. These three stages are unfreezing, change and freezing, taking into account that these stages proceed in follow up with each other (Hussain, et al. 2018). Unfreeze refer to the unattachment of the already implemented policies and framework that are in practice. Here, unfreeze refers to the shifting or shifting of the responsibility of youth justice from the Department of Health and Human Service to the Department of Justice (Hussain, et al. 2018). The next step is change, that refers to the implementation of the policy and framework to the department of justice. It also refers to the underlying ideologies that are newly formulated to be practised and conveyed to the department for practice. The practical approach and implementation of the change in a consistent way that is called freeze. It is the adherence to the change that is to be transferred to the new department (Hussain, et al. 2018).
Kotter Change Management theory
The shifting of position and rights from the Department of Health and Human Service to the department of justice and community can be understood in terms of Kotter Change Model (Abraham, et al. 2019). Under the implication of this model, it is found that there are some specific reasons and backgrounds that supporting an actual change. This background or support can be in the form of stages that are expressed as the steps for the implementation of change model (Hayes, et al. 2018). Urgency refers to the underlying necessity that paves the way for orientation that can promote action to achieve some particular objectives (Abraham, et al. 2019). It is the measure of urgency, that promotes the building of the team and the creation of the correct vision. After the formation of an agenda, the set ideas are then communicated to the people and the relative department so as to get the things moving. After that, continuous efforts and persistent factions are required to keep a check on the ideas and incorporate the relative change (Wentworth, et al. 2018). Both the change theories are relevant to the scenario and pave the way for incorporating changes
Challenges to transfer change
Change of policies
One of the basic challenges that will occur will be the change of policies. It is evident that when a position is shifted from one dimension to another, there is an evident change of policies and this change is hard to manage. As department of justice and community rules has its own values and platform to work, so there has to be a change in the policies that could address the youth justice program as well (Riahi-Belkaoui, et al. 2019).
Enactment of new framework
As it is not easy to accept change, it would be hard for the department to set the enactment of new framework because earlier the youth justice system was enacted in a different manner and it was followed by different ideas, if there is a change in the department then it is necessary to establish a framework that could address the desired outcome and bring relative opportunities for work (Riahi-Belkaoui, et al. 2019).
Formation of creative stakeholders
None of the stakeholders can work without stakeholders and every position requires a head that could help to understand and analyse the underlying features of the tasks so as to make justice system of youth. In order to manage this change, it is necessary to formulate relative stakeholders who would be efficient enough to address the need of hour, set dimensions, goals to be achieved and incorporate the code of conduct that can manage change in its real essence (Wentworth, et al. 2018).
Incorporation of the new framework with adequate channel
It is assumed that the former youth justice system was unable to work because of the lack of adequate channel that could associate justice with set roles and responsibility. It was the weak and careless approach to work that challenged the adequacy of the department of human resource. So, in order to address the necessity of youth justice system, it is required of the community rules and health department to set adequate channel where crimes, its rate and the approach to overcome crimes can be addressed on the same board and with an equal sense of responsibility (Parliament.vic.gov.au, 2019).
Understanding of the new concept
“Concept” is defined as the notion that is termed as an underlying ideology of change. It is asserted that one of the challenge or gaps that exist between the implementation of change is the understanding of concept. Shifting of paradigm from one department to another would automatically result in the change of concept because there would be a shift in the rules and regulation that would be formulated for the investigation of crimes, keeping a check on the crimes or the understanding of the youth system (Abraham, et al. 2019).
Retrieving adequate motivation and focus for the new formulated channel
As there would be an increase in the responsibilities and role sifting, then there would be a change in the ideologies to work. It is found that motivation and focus are the two major ideologies that are reposted and directed by the change model. These are a common observational tool that is associated with bringing about a change. Increasing motivation would automatically result in the new ideas and focus that would help stakeholders to understand their roles. This motivation and focus would be guided by a different approach, distinct from the later structure. So, certain incentives and other additional rules should be added to the newly set channel of youth system so that a change can be brought in the vision of the youth system and positivity can be restored (Wentworth, et al. 2018).
Misconception
A shift of motifs and ideologies are one of the underlying misconceptions that are associated with youth system after the shifting of feasibilities. Misconception would be associated with the external authorities and the people who are either directly or indirectly linked with the youth system (Youth justice, 2019).
Strategies to overcome challenges
There are some strategies that are to be incorporated in order to understand and then mitigate the challenges that are associated with shifting of roles and responsibilities in terms of the youth justice system (Hussain, et al. 2018).
Critical thinking for setting visions of work
It is asserted that critical thinking should be incorporated in order to understand the need of hour and the formulation of strategies that can help to overcome the gaps that were found in the later department and policies that questioned the working of department (Vu.edu.au. 2019).
A critical approach to the idea
It would not be wrong to say that the major gap which paved the way for approach of shifting justice program from the department of health and human services to the department of justice and community is the lack of practical approach that can address dealing with crimes and empowering the youth justice system so that crime rates can be controlled. (Hayes, et al. 2018).
Consistent follow-up
The newly adopted change model should keep a follow up with a consistent approach to work because it will not only let the stakeholders and other people know proposed dimensions of work but it will also lead authorities to take decisions that can prove fruitful in the long run. Moreover, it will facilitate the state by incorporating peace and harmony (Wentworth, et al. 2018).
Adequate sharing of information
It is asserted that employees and the employees both should share the required information and make sure that information is received by everyone. There are a lot of departments that are failed to address their outcomes just because of the inadequate infrastructure that could address the sharing of information (Hussain, et al. 2018).
Setting values and norms
Setting values and norms is one of the tools that are necessary for the smooth working of any department. It is asserted that people would be more positive to their work-life if they will know the set norms. Changed norms would be hard for people to embrace but they can only be adopted by giving special attention to its practice. It is obvious that there would be a change of underlying ideologies in the newly set system so special attention should be given to the setting of norms that can be learned and easy to address by the external stakeholders and general public as well (Abraham, et al. 2019).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that change is something that is not easily acceptable. Taking into account the implication of change model, it is asserted that there would be some major challenges arising as a result of the implication of the change model. So, some strategies are required to address these challenges. In a nutshell, it can be found that that the transfer of youth justice program from the Department of Health and Human Services to the department of justice and community safety is more like a massive change that can cause some major and long-term complications so, adequate change strategies are required to address these changes at an acceptable level.
References
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Riahi-Belkaoui, A. (2019). Value Added Reporting Under Price Change Models. Available at SSRN 3318594.
Hayes, J. (2018). The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave.
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(2019). Vu.edu.au. Retrieved 24 September 2019, from https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/Improving-educational-connection-for-young-people-in-custody.pdf
