COVID-19: Immigration Enforcement Issues

An update for members working in IE around COVID-19 arrangements in the workplace, the level of engagement between PCS and the employer and advice for members.

Background

PCS has made clear in previous Health & Safety briefings that there has been significant engagement with the employer on COVID-19 arrangements in Immigration Enforcement (IE) work areas.

There has been enthusiasm and commitment from the employer to work with PCS to support our members in dealing with the difficulties/problems currently being encountered in front line roles, those working from home and the significant number of us staying at home to protect their own health and vulnerable family members. Factored into all that are parents who haven’t secured a place in school & nursery and are trying to cope with home schooling, childcare and some homeworking too (and stay sane!)

Our engagement with the employer has supported the position for those parents that childcare & home-schooling responsibilities are paramount and exhausting as well as rewarding. This means that a reduced quota of your IE role can be dealt with and members are advised to have regular conversations with line managers to establish a reasonable expectation around the level of work they can appropriately and safely undertake.

IE has been clear throughout that their face-to-face undertakings during ‘lockdown’ are restricted to dealing with high harm work which has enabled a large number of staff to work from home. This includes closure of Reporting Centres with RC staff using a variety of other means to undertake their tasks. PCS has asked that the screened environment within unused Reporting Centres is used for any kind of urgent asylum interviews which need to take place to avert destitution and thus to keep staff exposure around those applicants to a minimum level.

Many meetings have taken place within IE around Health & Safety pertaining to the current difficult working arrangements. There has been constructive and positive engagement throughout which has allowed PCS to issue specific Health & Safety advice to members about availability and use of PPE in a variety of different circumstances as well as advice about reporting incidents and near misses both on Home Office and PCS systems.

The thorny subject of wearing face masks has been discussed at length and regularly within these meetings. The PHE evidence-based stance adopted by the employer requires there to be a change in advice from PHE to support routine wearing of masks in face-to-face front line activities but, as detailed previously, there is a requirement to wear them and wear gloves when dealing with clandestine encounters in any location, dealing with symptomatic individuals and fingerprinting. Clear advice has been published by the employer around when to wear full PPE in relation to dealing with COVID-19 instances.

Based on an emotional position around wellbeing perception, PCS understands that some front line staff want to use face masks routinely in their undertakings. We understand the reassurance aspect staff would gain from this and that it would positively support mental health & wellbeing. We also think that the public is much more comfortable with the concept of people generally wearing face masks than a couple of weeks ago. In fact, foreigners may be reassured by that concept as it has become the norm in many other countries. The Scottish government now has also encouraged people generally to wear face masks on public transport and in public places (supermarkets etc).

Therefore our current opinion around face mask use differs from the employer’s at this stage but further discussion on this subject is taking place with PHE and SAGE involvement so the evidence-based position may well change. We will keep members updated if it does.

One thing we are reassured about in connection with PPE is the availability of the supply being distributed for use within IE. We’re also aware that a huge effort has gone in to make sure those supplies are coming from different sources from those supplying NHS needs and we have supported IE in making those specific arrangements.

Ongoing engagement

PCS continues to engage positively at various levels and within different IE work areas to represent members’ interests, highlight aspects of concern, resolve differences where possible and deliver positive outcomes within workplace arrangements for PCS members and for the business.

There is continuing engagement on the subject of annual leave carryover and around aspects of allowances.

Advice to members in IE

We understand from personal experience how difficult current circumstances are for many members and that they will rely on support and advice from their local and national TU reps.

• If you think appropriate arrangements for working safely in line with social distancing requirements aren’t being observed in your work area please let us know so we can ensure your concerns are addressed effectively.
• If you’ve tried to address wellbeing issues with your line manager and have had no positive response or supportive outcome please let us know.
• If you have any issues around PPE supply or usage that are not being resolved within your work area please let us know.
• We do need feedback from members to know what’s wrong and where it’s wrong before we can attempt to resolve a specific problem.
• Please contact a local PCS branch rep or the authors of the briefing to raise any concerns and get further advice.

Patricia Corrigan (Group Assistant Secretary), Stephen Taylor (Group Assistant Secretary)