Travel v1

Content

1. Overview

2. Travel Caseworker’s Role

3. Travel to NASS Accommodation

  • Action of the Allocation Officer
  • Action of the Travel Caseworker
  • When to book Travel
  • Booking seats on coaches
  • Action by Wackenhut
  • Passenger Manifests
  • Dispersal
  • Failure to travel see Policy Bulletin 14
  • Travel Delays and Other Problems

4. Individual Journeys to NASS Accommodation

5. Individual Journeys for Interviews etc.

  • Medical Foundation Referrals
  • Evidence of Need for Travel
  • Considerations when Planning the Journey
  • Journey Plan
  • Overnight Accommodation
  • Hotel Bookings

6. Harry Weeks travel – Rail

  • Ticket Types
  • Children
  • Travel Packs and the Underground

7. National Express Bookings

  • Self Write Tickets
  • Voids on Self Write Tickets

8. Special Arrangements for Oakington

9. Audit Travel

Purpose and Scope

1.1 All travel for NASS supported persons to their allocated accommodation is arranged by the NASS Travel Section based in Quest House. (N.B. This section does not deal with travel for NASS staff. This is done via the NASS Management Unit.) This section is made up of twelve travel caseworkers headed by an HEO and an EO.

1. Overview

1.2. Thetravel caseworkers make arrangements for individuals to travel to interviews, appeals, bail hearings or Medical Foundation appointments as necessary. There may be occasions when it is necessary to book overnight accommodation for these travellers. Travel section does not arrange for travel to Solicitors appointments, medical appointments, criminal court cases etc.

1.3. Along with the NASS computer systems, they also have access to specialist software to assist them to book various modes of transport and plan routes. The majority of journeys from emergency accommodation to the new NASS accommodation will be made via hired coaches arranged through a NASS contract, currently Wackenhut (UK) Ltd. Wackenhut are familiar with immigration work as they already move IND detainees around the country. The contract provides for coaches travelling along designated routes from the emergency accommodation, delivering dispersed asylum seekers to pre-determined drop off points where Accommodation Providers will meet them.

1.4. The individual journeys for appeals, interviews etc will be tailored to and the most cost-effective way of meeting the requirements of the individual. As a general rule, the preferred choice for transport will be National Express coaches, but sometimes a rail journey will be more suitable, or possibly a combination of both. For example, travellers arriving at London Victoria Coach station may complete their journey to East Croydon by train.

1.5. NASS have direct links to National Express for coach bookings and a company called Harry Weeks for rail bookings. When arranging overnight accommodation the Travel Officers must first look to spot book a local bed & breakfast hotel. If it is impossible to spot book a hotel, Travel Officers must contact Expotel Hotel Reservations who will make hotel bookings on behalf of NASS. Travel Caseworkers will complete and issue “self write” travel tickets that will be maintained under secure storage arrangements via the Group Authorised Person. Travel have their own safe for storage of self write tickets.

2. Travel Caseworkers’ role

Travel Caseworkers will:

  • arrange the journeys,
  • write out the tickets where necessary,
  • produce a journey plan to assist the traveller where necessary
  • arrange hotel bookings where necessary
  • record the information on the appropriate computer systems (including ASYS)
  • maintain a system which allows an audit trail of which ticket was issued to whom etc

Travel Caseworkers will not:

  • book business travel tickets for staff members (this is done by the NASS management unit )
  • make casework decisions about the actions to be taken after a traveller does not turn up for travel or absconds during the journey ( this will be decided by Assessment/Allocation caseworkers)

3. Travel to NASS accommodation

3.1.1. NASS has agreed to give Wackenhut and the Reception Assistants at least one clear day’s notice of travel. Cases delivered to the Travel Bureau before 2.45pm will be booked on the next coach run at least 24 hours later (weekends and Bank Holidays excluded). Cases delivered after 2.45pm will be included on the following day’s coach.

3.1.2. For supported asylum seekers who are in main emergency voluntary accommodation, travel will normally be by means of contract coaches (Wackenhut). The coaches will collect supported asylum seekers from the emergency accommodation and will take them to designated set down points, where the appropriate accommodation providers will meet them.

3.1.3. The emergency voluntary sector accommodation locations currently covered by Wackenhut are as follows:

Amsterdam House – Dover

Millbank - Ashford

Thorncliff Hotel – Hounslow

YMCA – Lambeth

Camden Island – Kentish Town

Sydenham

Pembury Hotel – Finsbury Park

Lambeth Euro Tower

In addition, a coach service will also be required from Oakington Reception Centre.

Further emergency accommodation locations will be identified as the scope of NASS’ responsibility increases to include in-country asylum supported asylum seekers. There may be as many as five additional locations which will need to be serviced by the contract coaches.

Also see section 3.4. ‘When to book travel’

Action of the Allocation Officer

3.2. The Allocation caseworker should progress the case to the point where the next action would be to issue emergency vouchers and HC2, using the earliest likely date for travel.

3.2.1 The caseworker must complete the travel record sheet (Annex A) and attach it to the front of the file. They must note ASYS to show the file has passed to the Travel Bureau and then walk the file to the Travel Bureau and enter it on the Group travel log. They must also leave their extension number on the file. It is important that the intended date of issue of the support package is noted as this determines the earliest date of travel. When they collect the file from the travel section they must prepare the travel letter for the applicant. This letter is then faxed to the reception assistant so they know the details of travel.

Action of the Travel Caseworker

3.3 The Travel Caseworker must check the travel record sheet:

  • to establish whether the applicant is in emergency accommodation
  • to gather the remaining information required by Wackenhut
  • to identify any dependants also travelling
  • to see if there are any special needs to be notified to Wackenhut. If the special needs mean they are unable to travel by hired coach, the Travel Caseworker must discuss the case with the Team Manager with a view to making an individual journey plan.

The Travel Caseworker must then:

  • enter the details of those people in emergency accommodation onto the Wackenhut computer;
  • prepare an individual journey plan and tickets for those not in emergency accommodation;
  • note the paper file;
  • prepare and print the travel information letter and attach it (and the tickets where appropriate) inside the paper file ready for inclusion in the support package;
  • record the details of the journey on the Travel Screen on ASYS;
  • note ASYS comments to show the file has passed back to the Allocation Caseworker;
  • call the Allocation caseworker to advise them the file is ready for collection

3.3.1. It is important that the Allocation Caseworker informs the Travel Caseworker when the pack is due to be dispatched as this will decide when a seat on the coach is to be booked. Emergency vouchers have to be back in the Stock Control Room by 4.00pm, therefore the cut-off time for arranging travel is about 3.00pm. This deadline is also necessary for the travel officer to arrange for the coach journey on a specific route. Any cases not completed by this time must be carried over to the following day and travel booked accordingly.

3.3.2. There may be instances when Wackenhut can book a space on a coach already running up until 5pm the day before travel. This option should not be used as a matter of course and is likely to be used for Oakington cases and in instances when an applicant missed the coach on which they were booked. In the latter case the need to travel should be discussed with the Travel Manager.

When to Book Travel

3.4.1 When booking a seat for an applicant on a coach the Travel Caseworker must take into account when the applicant’s pack will arrive with the Reception Assistant, and must allow time for the Reception Assistant to advise the applicant of the contents of their pack. If, for example, the Allocation Officer confirms that TNT (courier service) will collect the pack that day, the pack will be delivered to the Reception Assistant the following morning before 11.00am. The Reception Assistant will then have that day to advise the applicant of the content of his pack and the seat on the coach must be booked for the following day.

Example

Monday – the applicant’s pack is collected by TNT

Tuesday – the pack is delivered to the Reception Assistant at the emergency accommodation address before 11.00 am

Wednesday - the seat is booked for the applicant on the coach

The following chart sets out the schedule for booking supported asylum seekers onto coaches.

Day of the week / Mon
Before 3pm / Mon
after 3 pm / Tues / Tues
After 3 pm / Wed / Wed after
3 pm / Thurs am / Thurs after 3 pm / Frid am / Fri after
3 pm
Day coach book-ed for / Wed / Thur / Thur / Fri / Fri / Mon / Mon / Tues / Tues / Wed

The above chart does not take into account bank holidays. When arranging travel the Travel Caseworkers must always take into account when the packs will be delivered to the Reception Assistants, bearing in mind that they do not work weekends or bank holidays. The seat on the coach should be arranged for the day after the receipt of pack by the voluntary sector

3.4.2. If travel cannot be arranged for one of the days included on the Assessment section’s calculations a place should be booked on the earliest coach thereafter. This must then be brought to the attention of the Allocation Caseworker when the booking is completed so that the amount of emergency vouchers may be adjusted if necessary.

3.4.3. Where the applicant is not living in emergency accommodation an individual journey is planned to take place two to three days after the expected date of receipt of the support package (excluding weekends and bank holidays). In these cases the travel tickets will be sent with the support package.

Booking seats on coaches

3.5. Once a caseworker has decided what day the seat on the coach should be booked for they must record the relevant information onto the database supplied by Wackenhut. Dependants must also be recorded on the database.

Action by Wackenhut

3.6.1. Each day, by 5pm, Wackenhut sends back details of the next round of journeys and the passenger manifests. Wackenhut must transport everyone notified to them by 3pm 2 days before travel even if this means using minibuses or running coaches half full. A care assistant accompanies the travellers on the coach and refreshments are provided on journeys longer than four hours duration.

3.6.2 The Travel Section compiles a spreadsheet of travellers and faxes this to the reception assistants and accommodation providers 2 days before travel. [This isn’t Wakenhut]

Supported asylum seekers not travelling on Wackenhut coaches:

  • if anyone in emergency accommodation is travelling on an individual journey (see section ‘Individual Journeys’), their tickets must be included in their support package and the Reception Assistant will explain the details of their particular journey to them.
  • the Accommodation Provider is notified of the details of the arrival point and expected time of arrival of any supported asylum seekers making individual journeys to their new accommodation by theallocation officer.

On the day of dispersal

3.8.1. On the day of dispersal the Voluntary Sector must ensure that all supported asylum seekers travelling are ready and packed to go at the stated times. The voluntary sector also has an important role to play in reassuring supported asylum seekers. Wackenhut inform the Travel Section of anyone who has failed to travel.

Failure to Travel

4. See Policy Bulletin 14

Individual Journeys to NASS Accommodation

5. Where a NASS supported person has not been able to travel to their new accommodation on a Wackenhut hire coach, an individually tailored journey may have to be arranged. If the person is in emergency accommodation the tickets are sent in the support package via the Reception Assistant. If they are elsewhere the support package is sent direct to them. Where the individual journey is to new NASS accommodation, the Accommodation Provider is also advised where the person should be picked up and the estimated time of arrival. (See section ‘Harry Weeks’ and ‘National Express’)

In these cases a similar process to that for Wackenhut travel indicated above is followed except that:

The travel package must be returned to the Allocation Caseworker for inclusion within the support package and:

  • sent to the Reception Assistant if the person is in emergency accommodation
  • sent direct if they are living elsewhere.
  • the Accommodation Provider is also advised where the person should be picked up and the estimated time of arrival by the allocation officer
  • if the person is in emergency accommodation, the Reception Assistant is informed that this person is also travelling, but separately from the Wackenhut group

Individual journeys for interviews etc

5.1.1. Allocation Caseworkers include a travel ticket application form and reply envelope in each support package.

5.1.2. NASS supported persons may apply for travel tickets when they need to travel for:

  • an asylum interview or appeal,
  • a NASS interview,
  • the bail hearing of a spouse or any other dependant.
  • their own bail hearing – see section 96(1)(d))

5.1.3. The dependants of an asylum seeker, who are supported by NASS, may also apply for a travel ticket to enable them to attend the bail proceedings in connection with the detention of the asylum seeker or any of the asylum seekers dependants.

5.1.4. ACU 1 send details of NASS applicants who are being invited to attend interviews to the Travel HEO. When an interview is arranged they check ASYS to establish whether the asylum seeker is supported by NASS. A list of interviews arranged is sent by email to the HEO travel daily. The list contains the name, NASS ref, and ICD ref of the person and the time and date of the interview. Interviews are typically arranged, and the details sent to Travel, 7 to 14 days in advance.

5.1.5. The email is printed and added to the folder containing pending Travel Warrant requests. This folder is actioned by Travel caseworkers on a rota basis. The ACU 1 list is prioritised appropriately and actioned in the same way as a Travel Warrant request except that it is not necessary to check that there is a valid reason for travel.

Medical Foundation Referrals

5.2.1. NASS will also consider granting a travel ticket on an exceptional basis if a supported applicant has a confirmed appointment with the Medical Foundation, following a referral from a GP and is living outside the Greater London area. If an applicant is living in London NASS would expect them to meet the cost of the bus fare (local travel) from the £10.00 cash voucher.

5.2.2. The Travel Officers record the application as CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED on ASYS, obtain the paper file and consider the application. If the travel date is within 10 working days of the date of receipt of the application, consideration of the application begins without the benefit of the paper file.

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Evidence of need for travel

5.3.1. The applicant is asked to include a copy of the letter inviting them to attend as evidence of their need of a travel ticket. In all cases, the Travel Caseworker takes a photocopy for the file returns the one submitted by the applicant with the tickets. The travel caseworker checks if it is a Port interview and that the applicant is required to attend. If they are the Travel Caseworker makes the arrangements.

5.3.2. If no proof of the need to travel has been included with the application, the Travel Caseworker rejects the application and writes to the applicant advising them to resubmit their application with the necessary evidence.

5.3.3. However, if the travel date is less than 14 working days away, the Travel Caseworker tries first to confirm the need for travel without rejecting the application. They may e-mail Validation Section to see if they can validate the need for travel through ACID or make other telephone enquiries e.g. to the ICD interview booking unit or Appellate Authority. They will only reject the application if they are unable to obtain confirmation of the need to travel.