Creating a women-centred model of care
Bandyup had the benefit of a stable and experienced leadership team that were committed to the recently developed Department of Justice women’s strategic framework, Better Futures. This recognition of women’s distinct experiences and needs had led to the beginnings of local initiatives to embed a women-focused, trauma-informed model of care. The prison’s business plan, some new operational and security procedures, and a focus on building relevant community partnerships had commenced Bandyup’s journey towards implementation. Challenges to continuing its commitment to change lay in meaningfully engaging all staff, matching resources with need, and being mindful of security practices that may not be consistent with trauma-informed care.
Health services achieving positive outcomes in a challenging environment
Health centre staff continued their practice of providing a good standard of care that worked to meet the specific needs of its women patients. While some service gaps were evident, a combination of on-site professionals and connections with external providers provided a good level of care. As was the case for other areas of service delivery, Bandyup faced several resourcing challenges. We found patient access to appropriate healthcare was frustrated by three main issues – uniformed staffing shortages, aged or absent infrastructure, and level of dental service.
With the opening of the Bindi Bindi mental health unit, we found an emerging focus on supporting women living with disabilities. Many of the improvements had come through leveraging from the resources provided for Bindi Bindi, and in particular the engagement of an occupational therapist for the unit.
Bandyup became a smoke-free prison in August 2022. While this important health and safety initiative had initial success from sound planning, several problems emerged after the trial became permanent in April 2023. A key lesson learned was the need to fully engage with, and properly resource prison health staff to lead and support what is essentially a health issue.
Bindi Bindi mental health unit: trauma-informed care that needs consistent support
The Bindi Bindi mental health unit (Bindi Bindi) opened at Bandyup in July 2021. It aimed to provide step-up and step-down support for women living with acute mental health needs. Its model of care aligned well with Bandyup’s increasing focus on providing a trauma-informed model of care. Following from a positive initial opening and operating period, we found some risks to the operation of the unit had emerged. Recruiting and retaining appropriate health staff, and structured consistent clinical leadership were of main concern.
Many women at Bandyup did not meet the admission criteria for Bindi Bindi but still lived with some level of need for mental health support. We found these women faced more difficulty in securing the services they needed, with a focus on the specialist unit having priority. While the establishment of the unit has achieved positive outcomes, the work remains to ensure other women at Bandyup are not left at risk.
A trauma-informed focus had variable impact on service delivery
We found most staff were motivated to try and support prisoners during their time in custody, and for their services to be relevant for women specifically. However, many women expressed a decline in their positive experiences of services at Bandyup, particularly in relation to aspects of life that spoke to whether they felt treated respectfully and with decency. Areas of high concern for them were accommodation, food, and connection with family. We were also concerned about the impact of staffing shortages and infrastructure on aspects of services to support women’s wellbeing.
Positively, women with babies or nearing birth at Bandyup generally felt well supported with a new role designated to support them more closely. Prisoner support officers, peer support, Aboriginal visitors service, chaplains and recreation were all services highly appreciated by the women. Each faced its own challenges in meeting the women’s needs.
Rehabilitation and transition services supporting women to improve post-release success
Bandyup provided some excellent rehabilitative services focussed on addressing the needs and interests of women accommodated there. A specially designed treatment program, a suite of relevant volunteer programs, education and skills courses, and transition services all contributed to working towards Bandyup’s women-centred model of care.
Opportunities for improvements that could further meet Bandyup’s business plan goals, enhance rehabilitation, and improve outcomes for women were also evident. These included increasing access to services, focussing on First Nations women needs, better managing staffing shortages, and addressing inequity in some practices compared to male prisons.