Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
The Department expected providers to be able to share data as part of the new...
Conclusion
The Department expected providers to be able to share data as part of the new contracts, to make sure they are providing the service expected for asylum seekers. The contracts required an automated link for issue reporting between the AIRE provider and the accommodation providers.23 However, the NAO found that this had not been in place and instead providers had to rely on workarounds such as reporting issues by email, which were inefficient and more prone to errors. The NAO concluded that this lack of integration meant providers could not provide an efficient service for asylum seekers.24 The Department accepted that automated links had not always been available early on in the contracts, but told us that information was still being shared and that it had agreed a workaround with providers. It said that it was still its firm intention to ensure that information was shared in an automated way and that work was underway to improve the 17 Q 72 18 Q 97 19 C&AG’s Report, paras 8, 2.4 20 Qq 96–97 21 Qq 119–122 22 Qq 99, 116 23 Qq 104–105 24 Qq 105–106; C&AG’s Report, paras 13, 3.6 12 Asylum accommodation and support transformation programme automated sharing of data.25
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
1.2 There are clear and established mechanisms for national and local engagement between the Home Office (the department) and its stakeholders and partners. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has dedicated MP account management teams. There is a national structure for engagement with local authorities headed by a Chief Executives group, and a national structure for engagement with the third sector headed by a Strategic Engagement Group. The department and its accommodation providers also engage intensively at a local level. These fora generally work well and are effective, although they have not always met the needs of stakeholders, especially during the initial period of the Covid-19 pandemic. 1.3 The department has listened to the feedback of the Committee and stakeholders and taken further steps to improve its engagement work. The department has also recently been consulting stakeholders on how to make its engagement more effective and is conducting lessons learned exercises to look at how it 6 can be improved further. This will be reflected in the Directorate Engagement Strategy which will be shared with stakeholders.