Serco welcomes findings of independent investigation into Yarl’s Wood

Serco, the international service company, is today publishing the independent investigation by Kate Lampard CBE and her co-investigator, Ed Marsden, into the operations at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre (Yarl’s Wood). The company welcomes the report, a report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons, published in August 2015, is also available here (opens in a new browser window).

The independent investigation team, who reported to Rachel Lomax, one of Serco’s Non-Executive Directors and Chair of the Board’s Corporate Responsibility and Risk Committee, highlights the challenges of working within and operating the facility. Significantly their report concludes there is no abusive culture at Yarl’s Wood, stating: “we do not believe there is a hidden or significant problem of serious misconduct or inappropriate behaviour by staff”. It continues: “the majority of staff appear to be sympathetic to the concerns and needs of residents and to deal with them in a caring and supportive manner”.

The report goes on to make a series of recommendations to improve operations at Yarl’s Wood and the care of residents. Serco is today committing to respond to all of these recommendations and has already agreed, or completed, over 30 of the changes. Significant changes and improvements already achieved, or being implemented, include:

• An 11% increase in staffing levels compared to the low point in May 2015
• Focus on recruiting more female staff, which is currently at 55%, with eight out of eleven recent recruits being women
• A new Assistant Director who is joining the Centre in February
• A new shift pattern which has increased the staffing profile during the day and night
• A review of recruitment to ensure suitable candidates are selected
• New specialist training for all staff introduced including modules on subjects such as safeguarding, human trafficking and mental health
• The removal of the remaining security wire at the centre this month and improvements to the outdoor sports area.
• Introduction of new menus designed with a greater focus on nutrition and a better balanced diet
• Introduction of body cameras for all front-line staff
• Introduction of multi-lingual self-service electronic kiosks for residents and biometric fingerprint recognition technology

Rachel Lomax, Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board’s Corporate Responsibility and Risk Committee, said: “I welcome the findings of the Investigation and I would like to thank Ms Lampard and her team for their detailed and comprehensive work. I believe that the recommendations she has made, nearly all of which we will be implementing, should significantly improve the operations of Yarl’s Wood.”

Rupert Soames, Chief Executive of Serco, said: “The recommendations of the Investigation will enable us to deliver a number of operational improvements, and we are already implementing many of them. Critically, her review repeats the finding of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons that there is not an abusive culture at Yarl’s Wood, and that the majority of the staff are sympathetic to the concerns and needs of residents and deal with them in a caring and supportive manner, often in very challenging circumstances.”