Super complaints
The police super-complaints system allows designated organisations to raise issues on behalf of the public about harmful patterns or trends in policing.
Further information is available on the Police super complaints page on the gov.uk website.
Responses
Super-complaint made by Liberty and Southall Black Sisters about the police sharing immigration data.
Further details about Police super-complaints: police data sharing for immigration purposes
Our response to recommendations - 2nd December 2021
Response to recommendations made in the report to the NPCC and HMICFRS.
Recommendation 1
The constabulary has been advised that the NPCC has worked closely with the Home Office and relevant NGOs in a series of workshops exploring the implications of a firewall and examining all possible solutions with the goal of increasing the confidence to report for all victims with an insecure immigration status. Those workshops have concluded and the Home Office is due to publish its review before Christmas. Once the outcome of the review is known, the NPCC will then continue to work with the Home Office to deliver those outcomes and update the current safeguarding and information sharing protocol with Immigration Enforcement. The Constabulary is therefore awaiting the outcome of the Home Office review and the subsequent update to the safeguarding and information protocol before taking any further action. We will, of course, ensure that the protocol is adopted as soon as it is made available to us.
Recommendation 4
Cheshire Cares is Cheshire Constabulary’s commissioned victim support service. It provides victim support for all victims of crime and for those needing more bespoke victim services seeks to signpost them onwards to specialist resources or organisations. There is no disparity in service towards any victims, including those who may have varying immigration status.
Cheshire Constabulary works in close partnership with the four local authority Independent Domestic Violence Advocate Services (IDVA) who are fully cited on the super complaint and the recommendations made therein. They have confirmed that the referral of Domestic Abuse victims to them for the police and other agencies, and the service they provide thereafter, is in no way influenced by the individual’s immigration status.
As per our response to recommendation 1 (above) we are awaiting the outcome of the Home Office review and the subsequent update to the safeguarding and information protocol. We will work with our partners to ensure that the protocol is adopted as soon as it is made available to us.
Recommendation 5
As per our response to recommendation 1 (above) we are awaiting the outcome of the Home Office review and the subsequent update to the safeguarding and information protocol. We will ensure that we adopt the protocol as soon as it is made available to us.
We will then seek to maximise communication and engagement opportunities with the public in order to increase confidence regarding safe reporting pathways.