Key concerns 15 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Staffing
The number of Board members has increased since our previous report but not in sufficient numbers, causing difficulties for existing Board members in completing monitoring obligations.
Key concern 2
Food/Catering · Repeated from a previous year
Detainees at East Midlands Airport continue to have no access to hot food.
Key concern 3
Safety · Repeated from a previous year
Lack of a fitted and operational CCTV system at East Midlands Airport, an issue ongoing for over four years, posing a security risk to detainees and staff.
Key concern 4
Safety
Absence of a secure vehicle bay at Holyhead Port for detainee transfers, compromising their safety and dignity, and staff safety.
Key concern 5
Safety
Ligature risks posed by straps on baby change mats across the estate, with some straps removed creating a fall risk and others remaining, despite installation of improved units at Dallas Court.
Key concern 6
Estate/Conditions
East Midlands Airport facility requires upgrading to current safety and security standards.
Key concern 7
Safety
Holyhead Port lacks a secure vehicle area and its main gate is only metres from the dock edge, protected by a low rail, posing severe safety risks.
Key concern 8
Safety
Attempted escape incident through ceiling tiles at Manchester Airport.
Key concern 9
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
Detainees at East Midlands Airport may be held in the Controlled Waiting Area (CWA), compromising dignity and privacy, when staffing levels prevent admission to the holding room.
Key concern 10
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Increased detentions and regular late-night holding at Sandford House result in detainees potentially missing hot meals upon arrival at IRCs.
Key concern 11
Equality/Diversity
A nine-week outage of the female toilet light at Sandford House forced females to share a toilet with males, leading to a lack of privacy and dignity.
Key concern 12
Estate/Conditions
Slow rectification of structural and equipment deficiencies across facilities, exemplified by consistently low temperatures (13°C) in the Birmingham Airport family room.
Key concern 13
Healthcare · Repeated from a previous year
Detained individuals are generally denied access to their own medication in holding rooms.
Key concern 14
Healthcare
Inadequate medical provision across most facilities, relying on unsatisfactory NHS services (111, 999, crisis teams, A&E) rather than dedicated medical professionals.
Key concern 15
Safety
Detainee arrivals and departures at Holyhead Port occur in full public view, compromising their dignity.