Linton on Ouse: Jobs supporting residents of asylum centre 'not for faint hearted' with no experience with vulnerable necessary

The Home Office have outsourced the day-to-day management of the centre to contractor firm Serco, and have told villagers that all staff working at the centre will be fully trained.

But a job advert for housing officers to be based at the centre read: “No previous experience within the housing industry is required.

“These roles are not for the faint hearted

“The Housing Officers will be the first point of contact for the Asylum Seekers within the designated premises.

“You don’t need any previous experience of working with Asylum Seekers or within a Housing role.”

Recruiters said the roles would be suitable for those with a hospitality background including casinos and bars, and would pay between £12 and £14.73 an hour.

Read more: Linton on Ouse: "No final decision" taken on whether to open new asylum seeker centre, Home Office admits----------

The advert was posted by recruitment firm Berkeley Scott. Serco had previously indicated at a parish meeting that some of the recruitment of centre staff would be outsourced.

Last month, a document circulated to villagers from the Home Office read: “The site will be managed by Serco who have extensive experience managing asylum seeker accomodation.

“Onsite staff will be trained to identify and deconflict situations that may result in tensions between groups.”

But one charity which works with refugees nationwide said hiring inexperienced staff could worsen mental health difficulties of asylum seekers living at the centre.

The spokesperson for City of Sanctuary said: “If people aren’t thoroughly trained in identifying what a trauma trigger could be and dealing with it, or if someone is not experienced enough, to be given a lot of power over a lot of men who have no agency is a dangerous thing.

“If these people are really unskilled and really inexperienced, I don’t care what the Home Office say about the training they’ll be given.

“I don’t trust that.”

Another advert, since taken down but confirmed by Serco to be genuine, said staff at the centre - which could hold up to 1500 men - would be expected to manage situations including suicide risks, domestic violence and deaths of the asylum seekers based in the former RAF base.

A spokesperson for Serco said: “Our professional Housing Officers are expected to respond to a variety of issues and circumstances when looking after such a group.

“As in any large group of people there may tragically be a death. These are very rare and in our experience the vast majority of them are from natural causes.”

Campaigners have also warned that low flying aircraft which uses the base as a navigational way-point could re-traumatise asylum seekers who have fled war zones, as well as bird scarers and game shooting in adjacent fields to the site.

It comes after the Home Office confirmed at the eleventh hour that they had not yet formally rubber-stamped plans to open the centre, which was due to see the first asylum seekers arrive earlier this week. Up to 1500 lone men will be housed at the centre while their asylum claims are processed.

The Home Office and Berkeley Scott were approached for comment.