Guidance: Care and management of transgender detained individuals

As of 15th November 2024, the Detention Services Order (DSO) 11/2012 ‘Caring for and managing transsexual detainees’ has been withdrawn. A new and substantive version of the DSO will be published in due course, but until such a point, this interim operational instruction must be used when considering the placement of transgender individuals in an immigration removal centre (IRC) or residential short-term holding facility (RSTHF).

Detainee Escorting Population Management Unit (DEPMU) will conduct an initial assessment based on the information provided by the referring officer. It is the responsibility of DEPMU to share these known risks or vulnerabilities with the receiving IRC prior to an individual’s placement. DEPMU will endeavour to place transgender individuals in the most appropriate centre, based on the considerations within this instruction and on information known at the time of placement.

Every transgender resident has the right to be treated with respect and to have their wishes considered. In order to determine appropriate accommodation to allocate within the IRC, the individual’s preference (male or female centre) must be established upon reception at the IRC, by the contracted service provider, along with any immediate concerns that the resident has in relation to their accommodation. Following that, a vulnerable adult care plan must be opened by the service provider, considering the circumstances of each transgender individual. The subsequent IS91RA Part C document must be completed with pertinent details of the resident’s circumstances and sent to Detention Engagement Teams (who will share with caseworkers), local Compliance teams, and DEPMU. DEPMU are responsible for uploading the IS91 RA Part C to ATLAS.