A worker at the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre in central Victoria has suffered non-life-threatening injuries after he was attacked by a young person this afternoon.
In a statement, Victoria Police said a man in his 40s was attacked about 1:15pm.
Ambulance Victoria said the man suffered an injury to his upper body and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
The Community and Public Sector Union Victoria (CPSU) sent a union delegate to the centre to speak with staff.
A CPSU spokesperson said the worker from the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) was conducting a room search after a young person on remand in the centre's high security unit resisted.
During the search the worker smelt cannabis, the spokesperson said.
The young person lunged at the worker with the top of a broom handle that had been shaped into an improvised knife and the worker's skin was punctured, the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Community Safety said the incident had been referred to Victoria Police.
"Violent behaviour or assaults at youth justice centres are absolutely unacceptable, and the safety of staff, young people and the community is of the utmost importance," the spokesperson said.
"New laws are now in effect that strengthen consequences for young people who assault youth justice custodial workers, damage property, and escape or try to escape."
"This includes a presumption they will serve their sentences on top of an existing period of detention."
