The UK Border Agency needs to undergo a major cultural shift if the government's pledge to end child detention is to be successful, the man overseeing the policy has said.
Speaking publicly for the first time in his role as head of the newly formed Independent Family Returns Panel, Chris Spencer told CYP Now that a training programme is in place to help the agency adopt a more child-centred approach to immigration removals, and that the process of change is only beginning.
"The biggest challenge is trying to introduce a culture that is used to looking at children's safeguarding and welfare and where that is embedded in practice," he said. "Changing the culture of frontline workers and the whole training process is the issue. If we can improve the way they engage with families we will have achieved our objective and there are signs of it happening."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
