ESG reports and resources, public third-party reports on Serco operations, and our responses to frequently asked questions.
ESG reports and resources
Browse our various Environmental, Social and Governance reports and resources.
Public third-party reports on Serco operations
As a provider of services to governments much of our work is open to scrutiny by independent regulators and observers. Some of the output from this is published. We collate here a selection of independent and publicly available performance and regulatory reports on current Serco operations. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a focus on those areas where we receive most enquiries and comment, namely in our Justice, Immigration and Healthcare operations. We welcome questions at [email protected].
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United Kingdom
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HMP (Her Majesty’s Prison) Ashfield
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HMP Dovegate
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HMP & YOI (Young Offender Institution) Doncaster
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HMP Kilmarnock
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HMIP Scotland: Report on a Liaison Visit to HMP Kilmarnock, 2020
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HMP Lowdham Grange
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HMP Thameside
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Asia Pacific
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Acacia Prison
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Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services: Prisoner access to dental care in Western Australia, October 2021
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Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services: Inspection of Acacia Prison, 2018
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Auckland South Corrections Facility
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Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services: Inspection of Acacia Prison 2021
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Ombudsman New Zealand: Report on an announced inspection of Auckland South Corrections Facility, February 2019
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United Kingdom
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Home Office
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Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC)
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House of Commons Public Accounts Committee: Asylum accommodation and support transformation programme, November 2020
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National Audit Office: Asylum accommodation and support, July 2020
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Gatwick Immigration Removal Centre (IRC)
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IMB: Annual Report of the IMB at Gatwick, Stansted & Luton airports & Lunar House (GSL), 2021-22
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Note: Serco took over operations from G4S in May 2020. Reports include references to pre-Serco operation of the sites.
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Yarl’s Wood IRC
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Asia Pacific
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United Kingdom
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Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary
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Forth Valley Royal Hospital
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Great Western Hospital
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Harpland's Hospital
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Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
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Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
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The Royal London Hospital
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Whipps Cross University Hospital,
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Asia Pacific
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United Kingdom
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NHS Test and Trace
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National Audit Office: Test and trace in England – progress update, 2021
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Frequently asked questions of Serco
We are often asked questions about our activities by investors and analysts. Here are a selection of common questions with our response:
We recognise that human rights risks exist across all our operations and have identified several salient human rights issues that may potentially arise due to the nature of our business operations. Serco recognises its responsibility to understand the human rights risks and any potential impacts associated with the services we provide, the customers we work with, the suppliers we use and through the fair and appropriate treatment of our employees and those who are in the facilities we manage or benefit from the services we provide.
We expect employees, business partners and related third parties to remain vigilant for adverse human rights impacts in respect of these, with appropriate reporting and mitigation actions taken should they be discovered. Serco continues to build the awareness and knowledge of employees on human rights, including labour rights, encouraging them to speak up, without retribution, about any concerns they may have, including through our grievance channels. Serco is committed to increasing management competence to effectively identify and respond to concerns.
Serco is committed to respecting children’s rights, understood in line with international standards, in its operations and through business partners and related third parties when acting in connection with Serco’s own operations. Children’s rights are fundamental rights, freedoms, and standards of treatment to which children are entitled.
Whilst sovereign states have the primary duty to protect and uphold all human rights, where Serco is involved in potential adverse children’s rights impacts, we will strive to respect children’s rights by understanding and managing the impacts arising from the conduct of our business activities. Serco strives to respect all human rights in our operations and uses International Human Rights Standards such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011) (UN Guiding Principles1).
Our potential involvement in activities on behalf of our customers – what we do, where we do it and who we do it for – is carefully governed through our Business Lifecycle process of rigorous review and qualification, which we apply to our business activities. It enables transparent and well-informed decision-making; compliance with our strategy, Policies, Standards, and controls; and due consideration of stakeholder interests, adverse human rights impacts and other risks.
Serco is not responsible for the decision to place people in immigration detention, nor the site at which they are to be accommodated. Serco is responsible for the management and general care for people in detention while they are in the facilities that we operate. Serco staff are trained in Control and Restraint techniques, as per Government approval and guidelines, that includes de-escalation techniques, and force is used only as a last resort and proportionately.
Serco is contractually bound to ensure that operations are within the requirements of Government policy, to provide the best practicably possible alignment to international expectations regarding the proper treatment of detained persons. Serco is committed to respecting the human rights of individuals in all aspects of our operations wherever we operate. Our Human Rights Group Standard (as part of the Serco Management System) demonstrates this commitment and the significance of human rights for a diverse global organisation. It sets out expectations for the conduct of Serco, our employees, those who are in the facilities we manage or benefit from the services we provide, those of the communities in which we work and those with whom we do business.
Employees and related third parties who may potentially be in situations where force might be used will receive training in the procedures. Serco staff are trained in Control and Restraint techniques, as per UK Home Office approval and guidelines, that includes de-escalation techniques, and force is used only as a last resort and proportionately. Training is a key part of ensuring compliance, and all training is certified by a private governing body on how to conduct control and restraint techniques.
During rota visits to a Serco managed detention facility, the Board found plenty of examples of staff who were trying to build trusting relationships with detainees. In conversations with detainees, some said that most staff were kind and helpful. Across our operations, our leadership, management, and frontline colleagues are committed to continuously improving the social impact of our services and human rights responsibilities, often in very challenging circumstances and under intense scrutiny. Numerous focus group and protected characteristic group meetings are held at regular intervals. These cover topics such as gender, racial equality, disability, and religion as well as country specific focus groups.
Serco is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our people, our customers, our partners, and contractors, those who are in the facilities we manage or benefit from the services we provide and the public. Our policies regarding this can be found in our Health Safety and Environment Group Standard.
Government policies regarding the management of offenders, immigrants and asylum seekers, and the circumstances surrounding those communities, can attract challenge and criticism, and this can transfer by association to the operations in place to deliver those policies, especially in response to any incident or allegation. Our role in these complex, sensitive areas is to deliver specific elements of those policies in the most effective, efficient, and caring manner. We concentrate on working with our customers to mitigate risks and maximise value generated for society and improve our impact and the difference we can make, continually challenging ourselves to overcome any shortcomings in traditional market practice and our own approach.
On behalf of the UK Home Office, we manage two Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (“AASC") contracts, covering North West England and the Midlands and East of England. The UK Home Office has designed AASCs with a focus on providing asylum seekers with a good standard of community accommodation and access to the support they need as they progress through the UK asylum system. Our delivery of AASCs has been subject to external scrutiny from the UK Home Affairs Select Committee, Public Accounts Committee and the Immigration Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration.
On instruction from the UK Home Office, we work to identify contingency sites that can meet core criteria for service delivery and submit these to the UK Home Office for approval. A Serco AASC team then visits approved sites, carrying out due diligence for all compliance requirements. If the property meets required standards, a team is mobilised to initiate operation of the site. This includes engaging with UK Home Office, local authority and statutory service representatives to prepare for operational delivery as well as standing up required wrap-around support services. Pace and volume of demand can make this a very complex and challenging process for all involved.
Contingency accommodation is operated in line with our standard procedures for initial asylum seeker accommodation. Dedicated housing officers work onsite to induct new arrivals using translation services to ensure understanding. These professional officers manage the resident experience, including welfare checks, ensuring that they receive three suitable meals each day and that property owners address any faults, as well as managing any incidents.
Serco’s proposed welfare model acknowledged the importance of supporting detainee mental health and wellbeing through the delivery of enhanced services. Feedback and recommendations from scrutiny bodies were considered in the development of the model. One important aspect of the work at the centres is identifying vulnerabilities so that we can focus on their care. Each detainee is assessed by welfare officers when they first come in and individual case management plans are written for them.
Serco is not responsible for government policy or for case management. We are responsible for ensuring those under our care are safe and treated fairly, decently and with respect. Therefore, what we do is designed to support and underpin human rights.
Serco continues to build the awareness and knowledge of employees on human rights, including labour rights, encouraging them to speak up, without retribution, about any concerns they may have, including through our grievance channels. Serco is committed to increasing management competence to effectively identify and respond to concerns.
Our relationships with trade unions (TUs) are a vital part of our engagement with employees and how we manage our business. We are committed to supporting the rights of our colleagues to join recognised TUs or employee representative bodies, and we strive to maintain open and constructive relationships with them, wherever they operate across the globe. Separate to our internal mechanisms, employees are also able to raise workplace concerns via the relevant labour offices in each country in the region. The Speak Up and grievance processes enable those in the company to have any allegations investigated.
We can confirm that Serco Group, or any of its subsidiaries/joint ventures, is not directly involved and does not intend to be directly involved in any activities related to the following controversial weapons: cluster munitions, biological and chemical weapons, anti-personnel mines, depleted uranium weapons and white phosphorus weapons. We do not manufacture, install, or maintain any nuclear weapons, nuclear launch systems or nuclear propulsion systems and we hold no contracts that require the delivery of nuclear weapons, weapons systems, or weapons systems platforms. Our services do not directly relate to missiles themselves and nor are they dedicated to those vessels.
We respect the authority of governments and maintain honest relationships with them, their agencies, officials, and staff. We contribute to public debates about policies that affect our business. However, we are always impartial about party politics and take care to ensure that our actions do not compromise our impartiality. We do not contribute to any political party, politician, or candidate for public office, or try to raise funds for them.
Our potential involvement in activities on behalf of our customers – what we do, where we do it and who we do it for – is carefully governed through our Business Lifecycle process of rigorous review and qualification, which we apply to our business activities. It enables transparent and well-informed decision-making; compliance with our strategy, policies, standards, and controls; and due consideration of stakeholder interests, adverse human rights impacts and other risks.
We work in many difficult, sensitive areas of government policy delivery, balancing diverse interests across a complex global ecosystem of stakeholders. We approach new and repeat business opportunities with conscience and caution. We will not pursue an opportunity if we are uncomfortable with what it will require of us and deem it at odds with our Values of Trust, Care, Innovation and Pride, nor if the risks are unacceptable.
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