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Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency

The role of Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency was created to provide an independent, external assessment of the Agency, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. The Chief Inspector is independent of both the Agency and the Home Office, and reports directly to the Home Secretary.

The role and its responsibilities

Individual cases or complaints are not handled by the Chief Inspector - the role is to review Agency procedures, such as:

  • the availability of ways to make complaints;
  • ensuring queries are responded to within published service standards; and
  • ensuring any actions taken to improve the organisation are effective.

The Chief Inspector will report on efficiency and effectiveness, with particular focus on:

  • the consistency of approach within the Agency;
  • the Agency's performance compared with other bodies carrying out similar ranges of activity;
  • the quality of decision making and the use of enforcement powers;
  • the provision of information to the public, applicants and claimants;
  • the treatment of individuals, including the handling of complaints; and
  • how the Agency meets its commitments on United Kingdom discrimination law.

Inspections of the Agency

Inspections are intended to drive improvements in the Agency's performance and to identify and promote best practice.

A variety of approaches to inspections will be adopted. These will include:

  • site visits;
  • review of sample case files;
  • interviews with staff, stakeholders and the public; and
  • other methods such as 'mystery shoppers', as appropriate.

Inspections will be both planned - from a published list - and also unannounced.

Inspection reports

Following an inspection, a report will be published identifying strengths and weaknesses. All reports will be made available on both the public and the internal websites of the Agency and the Home Office.

All good practice identified by reports will become recommendations to be adopted by the Agency as a whole.

The Agency is expected to make an action plan to tackle any shortfalls identified by the report.

The Agency will also provide regular updates to the Chief Inspector to demonstrate continuous development in meeting its challenges.

  • The Chief Inspector's first inspection report, on the visa section in Rome, was published in August 2009. It can be downloaded from the Chief Inspector's website. The Agency's response to the report can be downloaded from the right side of this page.
  • The Chief Inspector's second unannounced inspection report, on the Liverpool asylum screening unit, was published in September 2009. It can be downloaded from the Chief Inspector's website. The Agency's response to the report can be downloaded from the right side of this page.
  • The Chief Inspector's report on the visa section in Abuja, was published in July 2009. It can be downloaded from the Chief Inspector's website. The Agency's response to the report can be downloaded from the right side of this page.