Independent Review of Welfare in Detention
An independent review of policies and procedures affecting the welfare of those held in immigration removal centres has been announced by the Home Secretary.
The purpose of the review is to identify whether improvements can be made to safeguard the health and wellbeing of detainees, and those being escorted in the UK.
It will be led by Stephen Shaw CBE, a former Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, who will inspect detention facilities, review healthcare provision and scrutinise all Home Office policies and operational practices.
In conducting the review, which is likely to last around six months, Mr Shaw is expected to consult with a wide range of stakeholders including current and former detainees, charities, non-governmental organisations, other government departments, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and the President of the Independent Monitoring Board.
The announcement comes as the Home Office publishes the findings of a narrower, more focused external review of mental health issues in detention.
In 2012, the Home Office commissioned the Tavistock Institute to consider the way mental health issues are dealt with in immigration detention. The Tavistock Institute’s Review of Mental Health Issues in Immigration Return Centres, along with the Home Office’s response to it, has recently been published.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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