WARNING: This story includes incidents of self-harm and contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died. If you or someone you know needs help you can contact 13 YARN or Lifeline on 13 11 14 An inquest into WA's first recorded death in youth custody has heard senior management at Unit 18 were told staff were not coping with the incidence of self-harm by detainees. The first part of the inquest wound up today, with the Coroner flagging some uncomfortable questions for senior management at inquiry's next instalment.
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00:00Christine Mitchell raised red flags about Unit 18 time and again, with colleagues and
00:07senior management, along with staff at Banksia Hill.
00:15She told the inquest her message was that staff simply couldn't cope with the level
00:19of self-harm, saying we cannot continue doing this, it's breaking people, it's traumatic,
00:25something needs to change.
00:34Ms Mitchell said she hoped something good may come out of the tragedy, her sentiment
00:39echoed by Cleveland Dodds family.
00:41We shouldn't be here, we are here to put in place procedures for this not to happen again,
00:47any family, we wouldn't want any family going through what we're going through.
00:50This has blown my mind, I'm going to go insane after listening to what I listened to, we're
00:55only halfway through.
00:56The inquest has provided the clearest picture yet of the facility in which Cleveland Dodd
01:01decided to end his life.
01:03It has also raised many more questions, most directed at the facility's senior management.
01:10For Coroner Philip Urquhart, a burning question after a week of evidence is what inquiries,
01:16if any, were made after Unit 18 was commissioned in relation to its effectiveness, and if no
01:22inquiries were made, why not?
01:25It will be one of many senior management will have to answer in the second part of the inquiry
01:31beginning later this year.