HMIP inspected the site between September and October 2025, at which time there were 55 women being held there with the largest nationality groups being Chinese, Brazilian and Polish.
Over the past 12 months, five women were homeless when they left the site, including a woman who had previously been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, inspectors found.
HMIP said the site held “multidisciplinary meetings” on the day of release of each woman but they “gave little consideration to individual risks”.
Another issue highlighted was the removal centre not doing enough to “encourage and support family contact”.
It said only 17% of the women it surveyed had been visited by friends or family while being held at Derwentside IRC.
But Groom said the numbers highlighted how remote the site was and the distance the women were from their homes.
“[People’s] family and friends will not have lots of money and therefore the ability to travel to Derwentside,” she said, adding: “It further isolates women and increases the deterioration in their personal, physical and mental health.”