Investigation into Allegations of Racism and Mistreatment of Detainees at Oakington Immigration Reception Centre

Immigration Detention

Published 14 Jul 2005

Commissioned By Home Office

Subject G4S

Investigator Prisons and Probation Ombudsman

PPO special investigation into allegations of racism and mistreatment of detainees at Oakington Immigration Reception Centre, commissioned after the BBC documentary 'Detention Undercover'.

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Acceptance Status

No Response Published 54

Total Recommendations 54

About this data

Acceptance Status tracks whether the responsible body accepted or responded to each recommendation.

These are independent investigations into detention conditions, including immigration removal centres and prisons.

Recommendations (54)

1 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that all complaints of racism at Oakington, however dealt with, are formally recorded.

10 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND commissions a race relations audit of the entire removal estate.

11 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that staff are instructed not to touch detainees or their beds while waking them up.

12 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the Race Relations Liaison Manager’s office be re-located in the main compound and that the remit for the postholder should emphasise that they must spend more time out and about.

13 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the whistleblowing policy be ‘talked up’ during initial training and further endorsed during subsequent training.

14 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I also recommend that a new term be chosen that reflects the positive nature of the arrangements.

15 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that GSL develops a training package for newly promoted managers which should cover amongst other things leadership, giving positive and negative feedback, and effective supervision of staff.

16 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I also recommend that, wherever possible, staff are promoted into a different shift from the one in which they have worked as a DCO.

17 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the senior management offices be re-located at the heart of the compound.

18 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that senior managers ensure that strict deadlines are adhered to when progressing complaints and grievances.

19 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I also recommend that those who raise issues or grievances are given regular progress reports.

2 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the staff of Green Shift be dispersed equally amongst the other shifts.

20 IND, GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

Alongside the contractors, I recommend IND considers establishing a zero-tolerance campaign across the detention estate, with appropriate posters and literature, to remind staff of the expected standards of conduct.

21 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that GSL ceases the practice of highlighting Eastern Europeans and automatically entering their names in the ‘Blue Book’.

22 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that GSL managers are reminded to avoid supposition and generalisations in asking for authority to segregate detainees. Evidence should be factual, objective and specific to the individual.

23 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND introduces new audit procedures to ensure the objectivity of requests for segregation.

24 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that GSL urgently establishes an area within the main compound for the care of those at risk of suicide and self-harm.

25 GSL, IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that a protocol is drawn up between GSL and IND specifying the qualities necessary for DCOs allocated to the DDU. Any officers so allocated should have enhanced interpersonal skills and training, and their integrity must be beyond doubt.

26 GSL, IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that Officers B and C’s status is checked and that their accreditation be withdrawn if this has not already happened.

27 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND reviews the relationship between escort contracts and removal centre contracts with a view to building in contractual requirements relating to timely presentation of detainees for escorts.

28 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND consults with BAA about ways of accelerating entry to Heathrow.

29 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND urgently reviews the use of, and conditions in, the Queen's Building at Heathrow.

3 IND, GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that washing, eating and toilet facilities be made available at all sites where detainees are likely to be held for more than an hour.

30 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND urgently reviews the lawfulness of the 'segregation room' in Queen's Building and establishes a clear protocol to govern its use.

31 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND reviews the Aardvark programme; in particular, it should review the frequency of flights with a view to improving seat occupancy levels.

32 GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that staff be trained to ask the detainee by what name he/she would like to be called and to check with him/her their pronunciation of the name.

33 Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that further training be provided to escort staff on effective and appropriate engagement with detainees.

34 Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that Securicor requires staff to take regular meal-breaks.

35 IND, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND and Securicor review the logistics of escorted removals to minimise the time that staff and detainees spend waiting at airports.

36 IND, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the Immigration Service considers introducing music or radio into vans and that detainees be offered something to read or do during the wait.

37 IND, GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND negotiates with GSL to produce a version of the DVD that could be used for training purposes.

38 IND, GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND and its contractors jointly review the shift patterns worked by staff in the immigration detention arena.

39 IMB

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that Oakington’s IMB members be offered refresher training in relation to their powers and how to ensure maximum effectiveness.

4 Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that Securicor draws my views to the attention of those officers still employed who were responsible for taping the detainee's skirt together between her legs, and considers what further action may be required.

40 IMB

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the IMB carry out more frequent, unannounced visits between 9:00pm and 9:00am in order to assess the centre during all its hours of operation.

41 IMB

Pending

Recommendation

In general, I believe that Boards in IRCs (as in prisons) need to develop a range of techniques for taking the temperature of an institution in addition to formal applications and walking the site. I think the idea of regular … Read more

42 IND, National Council of IMBs

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND and the National Council of IMBs take steps to provide IMB scrutiny of all areas (that is, vans and holding areas) where detainees are held.

43 IND

Pending

Recommendation

The computerised monitoring schedule needs to be redesigned to make it more flexible and adaptable in monitoring and recording non-commercial aspects of the contract; A training analysis should be conducted across monitoring teams to ascertain the levels of understanding surrounding … Read more

44 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that all casework currently undertaken by the contract monitor be assigned elsewhere.

45 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that clear guidelines are produced for contract monitors.

46 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND gives urgent consideration to contract monitoring in relation to all holding rooms.

47 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND considers the advantages and practicality of contract monitors carrying out investigations into allegations against staff in other centres.

48 IND, GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that all contractors carry out ethnic monitoring of all complaints, overseen by the respective contract monitors.

49 IND, GSL, Securicor

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that a formal protocol is drawn up between the contractor and the Immigration Service setting out the circumstances in which attempts at removal could be abandoned.

5 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND’s Detainee Estate Population Management Unit (DEPMU) staff are reminded of the emotional and practical problems (including access to legal advice) associated with movement, and encouraged to keep moves to a minimum.

50 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I also recommend that the performance of the RFU – in terms both of facilitating removals and forestalling problems between the contractor and the detainee – is monitored with a view to introducing a RFU at other ports.

51 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that contract monitors be instructed personally to investigate all allegations against members of staff.

52 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that a module on complaints handling and investigation is incorporated in the training package for contract monitors.

53 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that a separate resource is identified and properly trained to handle complaints and associated work.

54 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND establishes the office of Prisons and Probation Ombudsman on an administrative basis as the independent tier of its detainee complaints system as a matter of priority. The Ombudsman should be required expressly to act as guardian … Read more

6 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that the Immigration Service urgently considers the provision of pagers to detainees at Oakington.

7 GSL

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that GSL reorganises its ITC to ensure that race relations training informs the whole of the course.

8 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend IND reviews the assessment and screening processes developed for the police to determine whether they might be relevant in an immigration context.

9 IND

Pending

Recommendation

I recommend that IND considers what information might usefully be given to detainees about Use of Force and in what form. Care must be taken to avoid suggestions of oppression or intimidation.