Independent Family Returns Panel

This section describes the work of the Independent Family Returns Panel.

The purpose of the panel is to provide independent advice to the UK Border Agency on the method of removal from the UK of individual families when an ensured return is necessary. The advice provided by the panel will help to ensure that individual return plans take full account of the welfare of the children involved and that the UK Border Agency fulfils its responsibilities under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.

The panel will publish an annual report on the advice it has given, including information on any cases where the method of return differed from that advised by the panel.

It will also consider the overall handling of families who are denied entry to the UK at the border to assess whether detention in such cases is being kept to a minimum.

The panel will include an independent chair and other members with safeguarding and medical expertise.

Decisions about whether a family should be removed from the UK rest with the UK Border Agency and the independent courts. It is not a function of the panel to endorse or reconsider these decisions.

Panel members

The panel has an independent chair and a pool of 10 members who have experience of safeguarding and medical expertise.

• Chris Spencer (chair), former Director of Children's Services at Hillingdon borough council. He is also a senior member of the Association of Directors of Children's Services and a trained child psychologist. He has a long association with child welfare issues.
• Dr Robin Basu, former Senior Medical Manager and Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in the NHS for 30 years.
• Dr Stephanie Green, a Port Medical Officer for the past 10 years at Heathrow airport, advising on the health of new entrants to the UK, including those seeking asylum.
• Philip Ishola, former Head of Immigration and Asylum and counter-child-trafficking lead officer at Harrow Children's Services, and current chair of the London Safeguarding Children Board subgroups on trafficked children and the 2012 Olympics.
• Dr John Keen, a GP in Chiswick since 1988. He is also chair of the Research Ethics Committee in both Central London and Brent and Medical Adviser (Housing) to several local authorities in London and elsewhere.
• Pauline Newman, former Director of Manchester Social Services and Manchester Children's Services and former Deputy Director of Birmingham Social Services.
• Bernard Phillips, former head teacher of an inner city comprehensive school for 19 years.He has extensive experience in community cohesion work and currently chairs the governing body of a primary school in Oldham.
• Sir Roger Singleton, chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). He has a background in education, children's services, policy and management and is the former chief executive of Barnardo's.
• Geoff Sloan, recently retired Detective Superintendent with Merseyside police who, as Operations Commander for the Wirral Division, was head of the Family Support Unit and a member of the area's Child Protection Committee.
• Prospera Tedam, a senior lecturer and programme leader for the undergraduate degree in social work at the University of Northampton who previously worked in the private and statutory sectors as a social work practitioner and manager.
• Lorna Tull-Griffith, a trainer and consultant who has worked with children and young people for 30 years and was previously a head of service in a large local authority.