Inspection report published: Annual inspection of ‘Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention’ (2018–19)
Following on from Stephen Shaw's reviews of the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons in 2016 and 2018, the then Home Secretary commissioned the Chief Inspector to report on “whether and how the Adults at Risk policy is making a difference”.
Publishing the report, David Bolt said:
Having waited many months for the Home Office’s response to my first annual review of the operation of the ‘Adults at Risk in Detention’ policy, I am sure that, like me, immigration detainees and those who fear they may in future be detained, along with the large body of interested stakeholders, will be disappointed with what the Home Office appears willing or feels able to do to improve how this is working.
Although challenging, in light of my findings I did not regard my recommendations as especially radical or contentious, and some people will no doubt feel that they did not go far enough. However, I was hoping that the Home Office could move at pace and implement the recommendations relating specifically to the Adults at Risk process by 31 March 2020. The proposed timescales for those improvements the Home Office now says it is making are therefore also disappointing.
Shortly, my inspectors will begin the second annual review of how the Adults at Risk policy is working. It will be an opportunity to explore the Home Office’s responses in more detail and to identify specific areas where improvements are both necessary and achievable. I would expect the next inspection to examine whether the Home Office’s understanding of vulnerability has changed as a result of the present pandemic, the actions taken to reduce the immediate risks to immigration detainees, and what this means for the application of the Adults at Risk policy in the longer-term. However, as always, I will be inviting views from stakeholders and talking to the Home Office before deciding on the precise scope and focus of the inspection.