Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) Member Port of Dover Short Term Holding Facility (STHF).
- Body
- Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB)
- Appointing Department
- Ministry of Justice
- Sector
- Prison & Policing
- Location
- Kent Intake Unit (KIU), Eastern Docks, Dover, CT16 1JA
- Number of Vacancies
- Up to 6
- Remuneration
- Unremunerated though reasonable expenses will be re-imbursed
- Time Requirements
- Approx. 2 to 3 visits per month although this may be slightly higher during the first year of training and this can be flexible depending on the needs of the Board and the individual. Board meetings take place once per month, though the days and times vary. Board meetings scheduled for 2021 will all take place on weekdays, starting at either 1000 or 1400. However, there can be some flexibility in meeting times to accommodate the needs of members. Currently all meetings take place remotely over conference call or video conference; we will always make provision for members who wish to take part remotely and travelling to Dover for meetings will not be required, even once COVID restrictions have been lifted.
Campaign Timeline
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Competition Launched
08/02/2021
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Closed for Applications
18/04/2021 at 00:00
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Panel Sift
TBC
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Final Interview Date
TBC – anticipated late March 2021 onwards
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Announcement
TBC
Vacancy Description
Applicants do not need any special qualifications or experience. However, you will need to undertake Counter Terrorism Checks (CTC), for which possession of a current passport is required, if successful. We will provide all necessary training and support. Candidates need to be over 18 years of age and live within 25 miles of the Port. You need to be enthusiastic, open-minded, possess effective communication skills and have the ability to exercise sound, objective judgment.
Person Specification
We are currently looking for new volunteers to join the Dover Board, to help to ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained for those detained in Holding Rooms.
Additional Information
Dover Independent Monitoring Board monitor the welfare and treatment of people detained at the short-term holding facility at the Port of Dover. The holding facility – known as the Kent Intake Unit (KIU) – is located within the Eastern Docks. The purpose of the facility is to detain people who attempted to gain entry into the UK without detection, usually in vehicles but sometimes in small boats or via the Channel Tunnel. The facility consists of a large room designed to hold up to 58 detainees, with a small separate room for families and areas for searching and the storage of property. Most detainees will be present in the holding room for no longer than 36 hours. The holding room is a 24-hour facility which can receive detainees at any time of day or night. A Member of the Board will visit at least once each week to monitor the facilities, speak to detainees and to report on their welfare and treatment. The Board as a whole meet once a month to discuss their observations and any issues with immigration and holding room officials and report annually on their findings to the Minister for Immigration. The holding facility can be accessed by car or public transport and arrangements may be possible those with accessibility needs. The Board welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and may be able to offer some flexibility in the way monitoring duties are carried out in order to accommodate Board Members’ commitments. The work of the Board may be expanded in the future to include the monitoring of other locations, in Kent and Northern France.
Inside every Detention Facility there is an IMB – a group of ordinary members of the public doing an extraordinary job. IMB members are independent, unpaid and work an average of 3 days per month depending on the needs of the Board and the individual. Members are the eyes and ears of Ministers and monitor the day-to-day life in Detention Facilities to ensure that proper standards of care and decency are maintained. Your background can be as a student, a person of working age or retired. We welcome applications from people over 18 and are particularly keen to hear from those of working age and individuals from black and minority ethnic communities, since these groups are under-represented on the existing Boards. The role is about ensuring standards of fairness and decency and is always rewarding, educational and challenging. Please click on www.imb.org.uk to find out how being an IMB Member can benefit you. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZla8-O_qH8 and view the short film ‘Joining the Independent Monitoring Board’ and hear current IMB Members talking about their role.