Prison
Cat STHF
Key Concerns Identified
Positive Findings
Kent Coast Short Term Holding Facilities (STHF)
IMB Annual Report 2023 · Published 30 July 2024
The IMB's report for Kent Coast STHF (WJF, KIU, Manston) for 2023 highlights commendable staff empathy and improved medical provisions. However, it raises significant concerns regarding the lack of clear information for detainees about their processing and length of stay, inadequate privacy for interviews, and substandard conditions in isolation units and sleeping arrangements. The Board also noted issues with facility maintenance and the inconsistent receipt of vital monitoring reports.
Positive Findings
The Board noted improvements such as a black covering added to fencing at Western Jet Foil (WJF) for privacy and the installation of CCTV. Processes at WJF for providing dry clothes, food, and water have improved, supported by an increase in staffing and upgraded accommodation. Medical staff are available across all three sites (WJF, KIU, Manston) and effectively manage health issues like scabies and diphtheria. Staff were consistently observed to be courteous, empathetic, and actively engaged with detainees, especially children, promoting positive activities. Additionally, ventilation at WJF improved, and access to phones for detainees was well managed.
Key Concerns
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Detained people should be given information of their ‘process journey’. The Board continues to note that the welfare of detained people has been adversely affected by a lack of understanding of where they are being taken and understands that work has begun to address this issue but is disappointed as to the length of time that it has taken to solve this problem.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
The Board recommends that detained people should not be held at Manston for longer than 24 hours and continue not to have detentions longer than 96 hours in a RHR.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
Repeated
Have visual information on the screens and for interviewing instead of just written format.
Safety
Repeated
Try to make induction booths more private, so detained people, can feel at ease answering personal questions.
Safety
Repeated
Ensure that the Board receives the ‘Safer Detention & Security Reports’, as required.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Ensure that the cleaning contractor for KIU & Manston marquees provide consistently high levels of service.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Request that contractors work with the Home Office to get repairs completed promptly and quickly.
Safety
Repeated
The Board were concerned that interviews were not held privately which would make it more difficult for detained persons to reveal personal information which might be relevant to vulnerabilities, potentially causing a risk to their welfare.
Estate/Conditions
The isolation units which are used to isolate cases with scabies/diphthetria have always been considered by the Board to be inadequate, inappropriate and unsatisfactory.
Estate/Conditions
At WJF, there are toilet facilities and a couple of showers. However, the showers were mainly used to treat arrivals with petrol splashes (which could cause substantial burns) in order to wash wounds. The Board found the toilets to be stocked with feminine sanitary products. As mentioned above, WJF have portaloos. During the reporting year, there have been several instances when the cleaning of the toilets was not of an acceptable standard. Portaloos can often have a residual smell, and the smell has sometimes been repugnant.
Estate/Conditions
Repeated
Over the year, the showers have been prone to some flooding, and repairs have gone on for months. During the year, the shower has proved to be a problem, with water not all going down the drain; some seeping into the Induction Room. It never seemed to be fixed quickly, and has also been a recurring problem. This means the shower is out of use during this time. The Board consider the problem to be delays in the Home Office giving approval for repairs to be carried out.
Regime/Time Out of Cell
detained people still sleep on floor mats which the Board does not consider to be acceptable. When the facility was busy, there was often no floor space to be seen in the marquees with individuals sleeping in close proximity.
Estate/Conditions
The RHRs each have a recreational room to facilitate the 12 detained men per corridor. These rooms only have three or four chairs each and are inadequate to serve 12 people.
Food/Catering
Repeated
During the reporting year, there were concerns that some detained people did not like the food being served at Manston. On one particular occasion, out of six dishes, four were ‘curried’. The Board felt that more nutritious food should be served to children, especially when they are on the premises for long periods of time; as they had been in the previous year.
Board Commentary
Staffing
The Board observed an increase in staffing across the facilities during the reporting period. All staff were consistently noted for their courteous, empathetic, and attentive approach to detainees' needs, often actively engaging with children and promoting positive activities. Staff have received safeguarding training, leading to increased awareness and reporting of potential safeguarding issues. Efforts by staff to occupy detainees were also observed and appreciated by the IMB.
Healthcare
Healthcare provision across WJF, KIU, and Manston is supported by trained medical staff from Aeromed, Medivent, and Complementary Medical Services. WJF has a dedicated medical team, including doctors and paramedics, and a new cabin for private consultations. Basic medical checks are conducted upon arrival, with effective management of conditions like scabies and diphtheria. The medical centre at Manston was revamped, and electronic medical notes are now used. There were 80 hospitalisations from WJF, and no specific mental health issues were observed or reported during visits.
Regime & Daily Life
The facilities involve detailed processing stages from arrival at WJF to transfer to KIU or Manston, with minors, families, and single women separated from men and prioritised. Manston's marquees were upgraded, but facilities remain basic, with detainees still sleeping on floor mats. Residential Holding Rooms (RHRs) were introduced, offering multi-bed rooms, communal areas, and secure outdoor spaces. KIU and Manston provide snacks, hot meals, and access to drinks, with some activities available. However, concerns persist regarding the lack of privacy during sensitive interviews and detainees' understanding of their 'process journey' and length of stay.
Recommendations (12)
Home Office: 7
Other: 5
9 repeated
Recommendation 1
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Detained people should be given information of their ‘process journey’. The Board continues to note that the welfare of detained people has been adversely affected by a lack of understanding of where they are being taken and understands that work has begun to address this issue but is disappointed as to the length of time that it has taken to solve this problem.
Home Office
Regime
Recommendation 2
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
The Board recommends that detained people should not be held at Manston for longer than 24 hours and continue not to have detentions longer than 96 hours in a RHR.
Home Office
Regime
Recommendation 3
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Have visual information on the screens and for interviewing instead of just written format.
Home Office
Regime
Recommendation 4
Recommend that work towards regaining/having access to the European security system, which was available before BREXIT) to help Border Force teams when assessing suitability (in terms of criminal events) of detained persons.
Home Office
Safety
Recommendation 5
Have more consistent representatives at our monthly Board meetings from IMIU.
Home Office
Board Oversight
Recommendation 6
Repeated
Request that SBOC’s positive engagement with the Board continues and that senior personnel maintain their attendance at the monthly Board meetings.
Home Office
Board Oversight
Recommendation 7
Recommend that Board Members are given some form of personal safety training.
Home Office
Safety
Recommendation 8
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that the cleaning contractor for KIU & Manston marquees provide consistently high levels of service.
Other
(other)
Estate
Recommendation 9
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Request that contractors work with the Home Office to get repairs completed promptly and quickly.
Other
(other)
Estate
Recommendation 10
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Try to make induction booths more private, so detained people, can feel at ease answering personal questions.
Other
(other)
Safety
Recommendation 11
Repeated
Prev. unaddressed
Ensure that the Board receives the ‘Safer Detention & Security Reports’, as required.
Other
(other)
Board Oversight
Recommendation 12
Repeated
Request that their constructive engagement with the Board continues and that senior personnel maintain attendance at the monthly Board meetings.
Other
(other)
Board Oversight