The recently concluded training for staff at Zenaida Haven has been deemed a success. Twelve Care Workers at Zenaida Haven, the Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre, have completed a Continuous Professional Development Training Course held over the period January 18th to February 12th, 2010.

Care workers at Training session

A key component of the Department of Probation’s (DOP) mandate is to serve juveniles, as a significant portion of offenders are young males, many of whom are juveniles. Therefore, Probation supervises clients with court-ordered non-residential and residential sentences. The Juvenile Rehabilitation Centre/Zenaida Haven is the Unit of the DOP that operates a 24-hour residential programme for chronic and persistent young male offenders ages 12 to 17. Care Workers provide the juveniles with a safe and nurturing environment at Zenaida Haven while engaging juveniles in reintegration programming.

Zenaida Haven’s mission …is to provide a safe and secure residential environment for 12 – 17 year olds who have persistently broken the law, and rehabilitate them through a range of targeted interventions that will reduce their anti-social and offending behaviour. Our goal is to engage them, teach them alternatives to offending, and equip them with the appropriate skills necessary to become law-abiding and productive citizens who can successfully reintegrate with their families and the local community. Our home will work in partnership with families and caregivers and will actively collaborate with key community stakeholders to fulfill this mission.’

In order to deliver on this mission all staff must be fully trained. The Continuous Professional Development Training Course aimed to offer opportunities for staff to update their knowledge and learn new skills; increase opportunities for team building; and foster partnership with other agencies and the wider community.

The sessions offered were geared towards refreshing the staff on the professional, clinical, procedural aspects of working with the residents of the Centre and included Understanding Youth Crime; Basic Counselling; Communication; Behaviour Management; Reintegration Planning; Search, Security and Individual Responsibility. Facilitators from various Government Departments, and from the wider community, gave of their time. A hearty thank you is extended to all who committed their time and skills to conducting the training sessions.

A debriefing session was held on Wednesday February 24th, 2010 with the participants, Acting Supervisor of Zenaida Haven, Ms Letitia Wiltshire; Chief Probation Officer Acting, Mrs. Christine Brooks-Morancie; Social Development Planner, Ms. Kiesha Gumbs; and Permanent Secretary, Health and Social Development Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake. During this session participants were also presented with certificates.

The Ministry of Social Development, commends the Care Workers for their participation in the training and their commitment to the development of Anguilla’s youth.

- Press Release

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