Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training his Department provides to (a) Border Force and (b) UK Visas and Immigration staff on handling traumatised people.

All frontline officers undertake e-learning in keeping children safe, Section 55 safeguarding responsibilities, trafficking indicators, the National Referral Mechanism, Female Genital Mutilation and Modern Slavery.

All new Border Force staff now undertake a four hour classroom based module on protecting the vulnerable. This Protecting The Vulnerable (PTV) module is mandatory and is also included in training for seasonal workforce. Evaluation of this module is that it is having a positive effect on the skills of new officers and work is underway to use this to up-skill all existing BF frontline staff.

Border Force also has a network of specially trained Safeguarding and Modern Slavery (SAMS) teams who receive a classroom training course focussing on the knowledge and skills needed for this area.

For UK Visa’s and Immigration staff. A training package is delivered to all staff who handle refugees with trauma called Vicarious Trauma. This course is designed to encourage Decision-Makers to reflect upon the nature of asylum work and consider how it may affect them psychologically and emotionally. It raises awareness of both the psychological factors affecting Decision Makers and the potential risks which accompany this work.

In addition, the Home Office offers Safeguarding training to all staff who handle refuges with trauma. The Home Office has worked closely with experts in trauma in developing its policy guidance on asylum screening, in particular Freedom from Torture.

The employee assistance programme (EAP) aids with any emotional or practical problems, for example anxiety, bereavement, sexual harassment, debt or depression. The EAP gives impartial, confidential support to staff. The EAP provides practical, up to date information on a wide range of topics. There is also a manager support area with advice on disputes, mental health issues and traumatic incidents.’