29 
January 
2009 
 
FAO Mr K Lambert 
Director of Central Operations, UKBA 
UASC Central Operations 
UK Border Agency  
Immigration Group 
10th Floor West 
15 Wellesley Road 
Croydon, CR9 1AT 
 
Dear Mr Lambert 
 
Re:  UKBA Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Reform Programme  
 
You recently wrote to individual local authorities in our region seeking expressions of interest to 
participate in the UASC Reform Programme.  Several of these local authorities, and Government 
Office, approached us here at the Regional Migration Partnership to help co-ordinate a regional 
response, and to consider whether there were merits to a regionally co-ordinated approach to 
delivery, not unlike the current arrangements for adult and family dispersal.   
 
Whilst the region, and individual local authorities, are not yet in a position to make a firm commitment 
to participate, I thought it would assist your planning to provide an initial update on how our 
discussions are progressing. 
 
To move the debate forward, on 13 January 2009 we hosted a joint regional information event with 
GOYH, at which we discussed the merits of the reform programme and a proposed outline of what a 
regional specification might look like.   
 
The event was well attended by representatives from both existing asylum teams and from a number 
of Children’s Services Departments.  An attendance list is attached. The aim of the event was to 
understand, at officer level, the potential benefits of participating in the programme, and to identify the 
potential political and practical barriers that would need to be addressed to move this issue forward. 
 
The key message from the event was a positive one which recognised the merits of the approach set 
out in the Reform Programme, and expressed a willingness within the region to begin to develop a 
potential proposal, coordinate a regional cost evaluation exercise and begin to engage with strategic 
managers on this issue within individual LA’s.  
 
However, in order to do this it would be helpful if UKBA was able to provide three things: 
•  A draft specification to allow LAs to understand clearly what is required – the present lack of 
clarity is viewed as a major block to successfully engaging LAs in our region. 
•  A small amount of development funding to progress a regional proposal to deliver to UASC – 
because at present no organisation has the capacity to co-ordinate work across local 
authorities, at a senior level. 
•  Clarity on the issues of post18’s – which we believe is the key political barrier to engagement 
of LAs.  The UKBA promise of increased removals is not sufficient to convince individual 
authorities to take a substantial financial risk around this issue.  Until this issue is resolved any 
cost analysis will include leaving care support costs in the core unit price. 
 
I believe that there is potential for a regional proposal, but this is a process that requires careful 
planning, development and management.  We are keen to continue to have a meaningful dialogue  
 

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with UKBA to move this programme forward, but we can only do this within a realistic timetable that 
recognises some of the practical and political complexities that this involves. 
 
I think it would be helpful to meet with myself and a couple of members of our Strategic Migration 
Group sub-group dealing with UASC issues to discuss this in more detail.  My office will be in touch 
shortly to arrange a suitable date. 
  
Yours sincerely 
 
 
 
Rob Warm 
YHRMP Manager 
 
 

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UASC Reform Programme Information Event 
Bewleys Hotel Leeds 
January 13th 2009 
 
 
Attendees: 
Name 
Organisation 
Email 
Sharon Hague 
Leeds CC 
[email address] 
Anne James 
Leeds CC 
[email address] 
Hajra Bhamji 
Hull CC 
[email address] 
Nawa Ahmed 
Hull CC 
[email address] 
Lisa Hunter 
Hull CC 
[email address] 
Julie Wingfield 
Barnsley MBC 
[email address] 
Pete Williams 
Barnsley MBC 
[email address] 
Jackie Wray 
Barnsley MBC 
[email address] 
Judith Shalkowski 
The Children’s Society  [email address] 
LEAP Project 
Joan Parr 
Calderdale Council 
[email address] 
Ted Brown 
Bradford MDC 
[email address] 
Liz Shingler 
Leeds CC 
[email address] 
Jill Stuart 
Leeds CC 
[email address] 
Brian Walsh 
Wakefield Council 
[email address] 
Jane Dykins 
Refugee Council 
[email address]
Penny Bartlett 
North Yorkshire CC 
[email address] 
Barbara Newton 
Leeds CC 
[email address] 
Vicky Williams 
YHRMP 
[email address] 
 
 
 

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