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<p>As required by law, we provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute
with accommodation which is safe, secure and fit-for-purpose, paid for by the taxpayer.</p><p>We
welcome independent scrutiny of our sites, processes and procedures; and routinely
facilitate inspections from relevant bodies to assure ourselves of the ongoing safety
and suitability of the accommodation and services we provide.</p><p>The Independent
Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) recently launched a call for evidence
on the use of hotels and military barracks as contingency asylum accommodation. The
Home Office have received a formal notice of inspection from the ICIBI. The Home Office
will work with the ICIBI and his inspection team to facilitate full access to our
asylum accommodation estate.</p><p>An independent rapid review was also recently conducted
to assure ourselves of the extensive COVID-19 protocols in place to safeguard the
health and safety of asylum seekers during the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office
is currently reviewing and acting upon the recommendations of the review and, as previously
stated, will seek to publish a summary of the recommendations in due course. We will
also hold round tables with stakeholders to discuss the recommendations, actions taken
and proposed next steps.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office will continue to carefully
review the operation of the site and will make any improvements necessary. We continue
to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for improvement,
as we do across our entire accommodation estate.</p><p> </p><p>Asylum seekers who
are accommodated at Napier receive an induction which outlines the process for raising
complaints. A booklet available in ten languages detailing the process is also issued
to new arrivals.</p><p>All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue
Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help, where
complaints or concerns can be raised, including reporting issues with their accommodation.
Migrant Help will then refer the report to the relevant accommodation provider through
a designated point of contact.</p><p>Community support workers at the site can also
support asylum seekers in accessing the AIRE service to raise a complaint. Providers’
staff will make clear to asylum seekers that registering a complaint will not affect
their asylum claim.</p><p>The provider will then seek to resolve any complaint, within
five working days of receipt, and will inform the service user and Migrant Help of
the action taken and any subsequent action necessary.</p><p>As part of our robust
contract compliance measures, providers are required to regularly report to us on
complaints handling and support any audits or quality reviews that we may undertake.</p><p>The
Home Office does not publish statistics relating to complaints raised by those accommodated
at Napier Barracks.</p>
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