Home Office outsourcing to ‘exploitative’ contractor must be reviewed, say MPs and lawyers – The Independent

‘MPs and lawyers have called for an urgent review into outsourced immigration services after it emerged Home Office profits on UK visas had surged by millions of pounds a week since visa operations were contracted to a private firm accused of exploiting applicants.’

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The Independent, 18th August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cost of outside legal advice doubles at 42 councils – BBC News

Posted August 16th, 2019 in budgets, contracting out, legal services, local government, news by tracey

‘A doubling of spending on outside legal advice by more than 40 local councils has been labelled “ridiculous” by people fighting funding cuts. Figures from 270 of the 408 councils asked by the BBC showed £322m was spent last year on in-house legal teams and £142m on external legal services.’

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BBC News, 16th August 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Capita to challenge payment ordered to family of woman who died after benefits were wrongly stopped – The Independent

‘A private company which was instrumental in stopping the benefits of a disabled woman who later died is going to court in a bid to avoid paying £10,000 awarded in damages to the family.’

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The Independent, 6th August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sheffield tree activists in legal talks to get convictions quashed – The Guardian

‘Move comes after investigation into city council found it fell far short of good practice.’

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The Guardian, 24th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office outsourcing immigration operations ‘on the cheap’ due to funding shortages and lack of ministerial interest, says chief inspector – The Independent

Posted July 15th, 2019 in budgets, contracting out, immigration, news by tracey

‘The Home Office has been outsourcing immigration operations “on the cheap” because of funding shortages and a lack of interest from ministers, the government’s own chief inspector of borders has admitted.’

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The Independent, 15th July 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Serco fined £22.9m over electronic tagging scandal – The Guardian

‘The outsourcing company Serco has been fined nearly £23m as part of a settlement with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over electronic tagging contracts.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Chris Grayling’s privatisation of probation service ‘a disaster’ – The Guardian

Posted July 1st, 2019 in contracting out, news, probation, reports by sally

‘The extent of Chris Grayling’s botched privatisation of the probation service is exposed by research which brands it an “unmitigated disaster” that left the public at greater risk from ex-offenders released from jail.’

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The Guardian, 30th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

NHS pays firms £181m to care for patients with serious mental illness – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2019 in budgets, contracting out, mental health, news, statistics by sally

‘The NHS is paying private firms an “eye-watering” £181m a year to look after people with serious mental health problems in units often hundreds of miles from their homes.’

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The Guardian, 25th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court brings clarity over ‘contracting out’ of leases in statutory declarations – OUT-LAW.com

‘The English and Welsh High Court has clarified the wording to use in statutory declaration when “contracting out” of business lease legislation.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th June 2019

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

England and Wales jail ‘shameful’ numbers of people, says report – The Guardian

Posted June 24th, 2019 in contracting out, news, prisons, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, statistics by tracey

‘More people are being sent to prison in England and Wales every year than anywhere else in western Europe, figures described as “shameful” suggest.’

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The Guardian, 24th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

MPs and lawyers call for investigation into privatised visa system which allows firms to make millions – The Independent

Posted June 24th, 2019 in auditors, contracting out, immigration, Law Society, news, parliament, visas by tracey

‘Cross party politicians back demands for urgent review into Home Office partnership with French firm Sopra Steria following warnings legal migrants risk being ‘thrown into the hostile environment’

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The Independent, 23rd June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

HMP Birmingham: Scanner funding failure ‘inexplicable’ – BBC News

‘A troubled jail’s failure to secure funding for a body scanner to help stop drugs being smuggled in is “inexplicable”, the chief inspector of prisons has said.’

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BBC News, 18th June 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Magistrates call for end to prison sentences under eight weeks – The Guardian

‘Prison sentences of less than eight weeks should no longer be imposed by the courts, the Magistrates’ Association is urging, in defiance of more radical government proposals.’

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The Guardian, 4th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grayling probation changes led to ‘expensive merry-go-round’, says report – The Guardian

‘Offenders have been locked in an “expensive merry-go-round” by a key plank of Chris Grayling’s disastrous probation overhaul, which has failed to reduce reoffending, a watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 21st May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Probation will be renationalised after disastrous Grayling reforms – The Guardian

Posted May 16th, 2019 in contracting out, news, probation, recidivists, rehabilitation, statistics by sally

‘The supervision of all offenders in the community is to be undertaken by the state in a major renationalisation of the probation sector, just five years after Chris Grayling introduced a widely derided programme of privatisation while justice secretary.’

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The Guardian, 16th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Arriva takes UK to court over East Midlands rail franchise – The Guardian

‘Chris Grayling’s embattled transport ministry faces a second legal challenge over the way the East Midlands rail franchise was awarded, from Arriva Rail, owned by Germany’s state-backed Deutsche Bahn.’

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The Guardian, 12th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Private jails more violent than public ones, data analysis shows – The Guardian

‘Private prisons are more violent than public jails, according to data analysis that raises questions over the government’s plans to pursue its prisons-for-profit model.’

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The Guardian, 13th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grayling probation changes ‘took unacceptable risks’ with public money – The Guardian

‘Chris Grayling’s widely derided changes to the supervision of a quarter of a million offenders in the community were rushed through at breakneck speed, taking “unacceptable risks” with taxpayers’ money, a spending watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 3rd May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

G4S stripped of contract to run Birmingham prison – The Guardian

Posted April 2nd, 2019 in contracting out, Ministry of Justice, news, prisons by tracey

‘G4S is to be permanently stripped of its contract to run Birmingham prison after the government was forced to take control of the failing jail.’

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The Guardian, 1st April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Probation services: Part-privatised system ‘flawed’ – BBC News

Posted March 28th, 2019 in contracting out, news, probation by sally

‘The system which sees private firms monitor criminals serving community sentences is “irredeemably flawed”, the chief inspector of probation has said.’

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BBC News, 28th March 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk