Safety
Manchester residential-short term holiday facility (RSTHF) 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 are very concerned by the risk to the safety of women in these circumstances and that being accommodated alongside men may leave women distressed or uncomfortable.
Safety
The East Midlands Airport holding room lacks a fitted and operational CCTV system, posing a security risk to both detainees and staff.
Source wording under review
Safety
However, the Board are concerned that when detained people arrive or depart from Holyhead Port, there is no secure area for vehicles to park for the transfer of detained people to and from the facility. The main gate to the facility is only a few metres away from the edge of the dock, where there is potential for the public to see arrivals/departures of detained persons, and is only protected by a low rail that could easily be scaled with possible fatal consequences.
Food/Catering
Detainees at East Midlands Airport have no access to hot food since July 2023.
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 of this is a light in the prayer room at Manchester Airport STHF needed to be modified to motion sensor activation - it was first reported in January 2022 and rectified in January 2024, two years later.
Healthcare
Repeated
Detained individuals are still being denied access to their prescribed medication while in holding rooms.
Healthcare
The only facility that has a medical professional on duty full time is the Manchester RSTHF. All other facilities need to rely on the National Health Service (NHS) ambulance service if medical advice is needed. This is far from a satisfactory situation and can only add to the pressures on the ambulance service.
Safety
The Board has concerns that there is potential for foot ferry passengers, awaiting to board or disembarking from coaches transferring them from ferries, to have sight of those being detained at, or leaving, the Holyhead facility. They are also in full view of any vehicle traffic in the port area.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
The Board is concerned at the practice of leaving detained persons in the Controlled Waiting Areas, and recommends that they should always be afforded the dignity, privacy and relative comfort of being moved into the Holding Room where there are toilets and other facilities to help them rest while being detained (see section 2.3.2.4).