A Code of Practice has been published aimed at assisting public authorities to meet their statutory duty under the Immigration Act that staff in customer-facing roles can speak fluent English. The Government’s intention is to bring the provisions in the Immigration Act 2016, which create a duty to ensure that all public authority staff working in customer-facing roles speak fluent English or Welsh to an appropriate standard, into force in the autumn of 2016. The Code is aimed at public authorities defined in Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 who must have regard to the Code when fulfilling their statutory duty. The Code is made up of five sections:
- The scope of the Code.
- Ways in which public authorities can set a standard of spoken English (or Welsh) for customer-facing roles.
- Options for remedial action where staff do not meet the necessary standard of spoken English (or Welsh).
- The complaints procedure to be followed if a member of the public makes a complaint under the fluency duty.
- Guidance on compliance with other legal obligations.
Content Note
The aim is to provide summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. In particular, where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out full details of all the facts, the legal arguments presented by the parties and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Click on the links provided to access full details. If no link is provided contact us for further information. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, SM&B cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.
This provides summary information and comment on the subject areas covered. Where employment tribunal and appellate court cases are reported, the information does not set out all of the facts, the legal arguments presented and the judgments made in every aspect of the case. Employment law is subject to constant change either by statute or by interpretation by the courts. While every care has been taken in compiling this information, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Specialist legal advice must be taken on any legal issues that may arise before embarking upon any formal course of action.
