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The Home Office has a statutory duty to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute and provide for their essential living needs whilst their claim for asylum is being considered. The safety and wellbeing of those we are accommodating is of paramount importance. Not every supported asylum seeker is vulnerable, however the experience of adjusting to life in the UK and settling into their new accommodation and support arrangements is often a period of time when vulnerabilities become most apparent. It is essential that sufficient safeguarding controls are in place to ensure that all adults, children, staff and stakeholder agencies are sufficiently protected throughout our processes.

This framework gives an outline of how the Home Office, as the statutory body, and our commissioned providers are expected to ensure that procedures and processes are in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those we are accommodating.

This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the contracts, for safeguarding arrangements. The framework does not replace the statutory arrangements for the care and welfare of vulnerable adults and children that apply across the UK and which are usually the responsibility of local authorities. Asylum seekers and their children are subject to these safeguarding processes and procedures in the same way as others in the community.