Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We can confirm that Essex County Fire & Rescue Service does hold the information you have requested.
Questions and final response:
Question 1 – "We are writing under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA 2000”).
Our request concerns the former Ministry of Defence (“MoD”) site, Wethersfield, now being used as asylum support accommodation.
We understand that incidents on site are handled by the site operator and/or the relevant authority, including yourselves.
We therefore seek the information on the following questions:
1. How many calls/referrals/reports of incidents you have received in respect of residents accommodated at Wethersfield you have received to date, and how many of these pertained to:
a. Suicide attempts
b. Self-harm
c. non-accidental injury
d. Accidental injury sustained at Wethersfield.
We have interrogated our Incident Recording System (IRS) for Incidents relating to the Wethersfield site.
The data returned, shows that we have received one call since July 2023.
See response to Question 2 for details of the incident.
Incident Type Number of Calls
Suicide attempts 0
Self-harm 0
Non-accidental injury 0
Accidental injury sustained at Wethersfield 0
Question 2 – Details of each of the calls/referrals/reports of incidents including:
a. Who made the call e.g., a resident, a member of staff, the Home Office etc.
b. When each call occurred.
c. Whether the call involved reports of physical violence.
d. Whether the call involved any reports of racism (actual or apparent).
e. If the call reported physical violence or racism e.g., whether this was. between residents or between residents and staff employed at Wethersfield.
Anon Incident No Date Time Incident Type Other Information
1 11/01/2024 21:17:27 Assist Other Agencies Two males in external open fire escape stairwell threatening to jump from 2nd floor both down safely, no injuries.
We have responded to one incident at the Wethersfield site, we were called to assist Police as part of a Multi-Agency Response. A National Inter Agency Liaison Officer (NILO) was allocated to the incident, after telephone consultations with the partner agencies and progression of the incident, our attendance was not requested or required and therefore ECFRS was stood down.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) did not deploy any further resources to the incident.
Question 3 – Dates of when each call/referral/incident was reported.
See table in answer to Question 2
Question 4 – Confirmation of what actions were taken following these calls, referrals and incidents, including:
a. What action you can take, and whether any action was taken.
b. Whether in respect of each call/referral/incident, your staff were required to attend Wethersfield.
c. Whether any of these calls were reported to third parties, and if so:
i. When each incident was reported;
ii. Who the incident was reported to (e.g. the Home Office, the accommodation provider, Braintree District Council, Essex Police); and
iii. Whether, to your knowledge, the third party took any action."
Additional Resources
Anon Incident No Date Time Incident Type Origin of Call Resources
1 11/01/2024 21:17:27 Assist Other Agencies Police One x National Inter Agency Liaison Officer
Referrals
Anon Incident No Date Time Incident Type Any Referrals
1 11/01/2024 21:17:27 Assist Other Agencies None
We hope you find this information useful.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Incident and other data is published on our transparency site. Incident Data (essexfire.gov.uk).
Please note that the response and data released to you as part of this request will be published on our website http://transparency.essex-fire.gov.uk/.
All requests will be anonymised and no personal information including contact details will be disclosed as part of this process.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Thank you for your interest in Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, we hope this satisfies your request.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to apply for an internal review.
Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date of your original email and should be sent to informationgovernance@essex-fire.gov.uk or sent to our postal address: Internal Review, System & Data Information Governance Team, Kelvedon Park, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex CM8 3HB.
Please ensure you quote the above reference number in all future communications