Key concerns 7 items
Key concerns were extracted from the report text by an AI model.
Key concern 1
Healthcare · Repeated from a previous year
The Board remains concerned that, generally, detained individuals are still being denied access to their own medication while in the holding rooms and, again, urges the Home Office to reconsider their current position.
Key concern 2
Healthcare
Of the facilities covered by this Board, the only one that has a medical professional on duty full time is the Manchester RSTHF. At all other facilities, staff have to rely on local procedures, which include NHS services in the form of calls to 111, 999 and the local mental health crisis teams or by arranging a transfer to hospital A&E, which the Board considers is far from satisfactory.
Key concern 3
Safety
The capacity at Manchester RSTHF means that, on occasion and when numbers in the establishment exceed seven, women are held in a room on the male accommodation corridor. The Board is very concerned about the risk to the safety of the women in these circumstances and that being accommodated alongside men may leave women distressed or uncomfortable.
Key concern 4
Safety
When people are detained in the Port of Holyhead facility, there is no secure vehicle bay within the secure port area for their transfer to and from the holding rooms. This could compromise the safety and dignity of those being detained, as well as staff. The main gate to the facility is a few metres away from the edge of the dock and is only protected by a low rail, which could easily be scaled, with possible fatal consequences.
Key concern 5
Regime/Time Out of Cell · Repeated from a previous year
The Board remains concerned that, since July 2023, individuals being detained at East Midlands Airport have no access to hot food and may be held in the CWA, where dignity and privacy is compromised when staffing levels do not permit admission to the holding room. The facility would also benefit from being upgraded to include current safety and security standards (including CCTV) and a television for relaxation.
Key concern 6
Estate/Conditions
The Board is concerned about the time it takes to rectify deficiencies to the structure and equipment within all the facilities the Board monitors. An example concerns the temperatures in the family room at Birmingham Airport, which can be as low as 13 degrees centigrade. Another holding room has been decommissioned, leaving detained people in a small room that has no natural light or TV. The family room can also get cold and draughty.
Key concern 7
Staffing
There was an incident at Loughborough in 2024, during which a detained person tried to damage the room, using a large piece of wood with protruding nails as a weapon. The DCOs rang for re-enforcements and a crew arrived from Yarl’s Wood IRC, who are trained in control and restraint. However, this is not compatible with DCOs, who are trained according to the Home Office manual for escorting safely (HOMES). In the Board’s view, a consistent approach to training needs rolling out to all staff, so there is uniformity across the estate.