Redbridge YOS Appropriate
Adult Training for Volunteers
Objectives
 Understand the Role of police when yp
are arrested
 Understand the Role of AA when called
to the police station
 Understand Redbridge YOS/police
Appropriate Adult protocol
Who are the Police in
Redbridge?
The police use the Phonetic Alphabet, each station has a call sign
 JI (JULIET INDIA) = Ilford police station
 JB= (JULIET BRAVO) = Barkingside police station
 JN (JULIET NOVEMBER) =Wanstead
 JF (JULIET FOXTROT) =Woodford
Officers have ranks, and are known by numbers and call signs
Ilford Police Station
274-290 High Road
Ilford IG1 1GT
Custody tel:0208 345 2629/30
Custody Offices
 Ilford Police Station based in High Road
Ilford. It is the main station for all
prisoners. CID and Case Progression
Unit are based there.
 Barkingside Police Station can be used
as an overflow, so you could be called
there as well
Process when police arrest a
person
 Evidence of an offence
 Grounds to arrest
 Arrest
 To police station ASAP
 Booked in
 Interviewed
 Disposal
Who deals with what?
It is the core team that deal with the day to day calls – they will be
first on scene but can contact specialist staff via their radio
E.g.
Dog handlers
Traffic cars
Helicopter
Mounted branch
Cid
Robbery squad
Fraud squad
Serious crime squad
Sexual offences investigators
Territorial support
Appropriate Adult?
This is a term that is used within
Criminal Justice and means someone
who is an ‘adult’ and who is
‘appropriate’, to ensure that young and
vulnerable people are looked after and
understand what is happening to them.
So if such a person is arrested the
police should call an ‘Appropriate Adult’
“Appropriate Adult”
Means:
 The parent, guardian, or if the juvenile is in
local authority …a person representing that
authority or organisation
 A social worker of a local authority
 Failing these, some other responsible adult
aged 18 or over who is not a Police Officer or
employed by the police”
Codes of Practice C Para 1.7
Legal Requirements
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
first introduced a legal requirement for young people
under 17yrs to have an appropriate adult (and 17
year-olds to be offered one)
The PACE Codes of Practice lays down guidelines for
people kept in police detention(Codes of Practice)
It was the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 that made
YOS responsible for providing appropriate adults if
parents could not attend
Who requires an Appropriate
Adult?
Whether arrested or at Court, the following will require
an Appropriate Adult:
 Any Young Person aged 16 years or under
 Any adult over 16 who is vulnerable
 17 year-olds are offered the service but can turn it
down
 If anyone appears to be under 17 they shall be
treated as a juvenile for the purposes of the
detention- Code C Para 1.5
Who should act as AA?
The best person to act as Appropriate Adult is
the young persons parents or carers.
The police should make enquiries to get the yp parents
or carers first before calling the YOS for an AA
The Custody Officer
The Custody Officer is a Sergeant who
is in charge of all those arrested and
taken to the police station.
Usually there are a number of Civilian
Detention Officers who assist the
Custody Officer
PACE 1984
The act says the custody officer must
inform the parents of those under 17 or
another ‘appropriate adult’ of his/her
detention and get that person to the
police station.
The act also says the young person
cannot veto this.
(para. 3.9)
This is different from the
young person’s right to
have someone informed of
his/her arrest.
Scenario- Residential Burglary
Young person Johnny- was seen by a
member of the public carrying a DVD
recorder at 4 am. He was seen coming out
of rear alley behind residential houses.
Police were called. When they arrived
Johnny refused to say where he got the
DVD recorder from. Nearby police saw a
house with a broken window and signs of
a burglary.
Police arrest for suspected Burglary and
take to station, where it is found that
Johnny is 16 years old.
Johnny
The justice process
The police have the power to arrest
Johnny (on suspicion of Burglary), take
him to the police station and interview
him about what has happened.
There may be an innocent reason why
he was carrying the DVD recorder-it
may be just a coincidence that a nearby
house had been burgled…..
The Role of the AA
Under the Police and Criminal Evidence
Act 1984 an Appropriate Adult is
someone who supports a young person
when they have been arrested.
They observe the interview by the police
to ensure that it is carried out fairly and
properly
At the police station
The police will take Johnny to the police
station. He will be booked in by the
Custody Officer who will start a Custody
Record. However because he is only 16
years, they cannot interview him without
an Appropriate Adult present
In the old days…..
Police call YOS for AA
Before the police interview Johnny they
will need to have an Appropriate Adult
present. The first thing the police will do
is try and get hold of a parent/relative.
Failing this, there is a protocol on how
they should go about calling for a
volunteer
Cases Volunteers will not deal with
 Murder
 Manslaughter
 Rape
 Serious assaults
YOU are called to act as AA
As a volunteer, we will train you and
support you in your role as AA. The
YOS have regular supervision
sessions to help you in this role
When you are called to the Police Station
At police station phone custody or tell station officer you
have arrived
Someone will take you to custody suite
Introduce yourself and speak to custody officer or officer
in case to find out what is happening
Check custody record
Start to fill in pace form
Introduce yourself to Johnny- who will be in a
Detention room rather than a cell
On arrival at Custody Suite
Ilford Custody Area
Detention Rooms
Speaking to young person
Do not let Johnny speak to you about the offence.
Why do you think this is important?

Check Johnny is ok and understands why he
has been arrested

Explain what is going to happen

Tell Johnny you will be at the police station
throughout his stay
(if you have to leave make
sure you let him know)
What will AA have to do?
 Johnny will have his rights read again in your
presence
 You will attend the interview when officers
ready
 You will complete a PACE form for the YOS
 You will be present at charge or bail etc
 You may be present for fingerprints etc
Rights of detained person
Under PACE a detained person has the right to
have; Someone informed that he/she has been
arrested.
 To have legal advice i.e. Duty Solicitor or to
speak to a Solicitor on the phone
 Consult the Codes of Practice
PACE Codes of PracticeCode C
Guidance for dealing with people in Detention e.g.
 So far as it is practical, not more than one detainee
should be detained in each cell –Code 8.1
 Access to toilet and washing facilities must be
provided-Code 8.4
 At least two light meals and one main meal should be
offered within any 24 hours-Code 8.6
 Meals should so far as practicable, be offered at
recognised meal times, or at other times that take
account of when the detainee last had a meal-Code
8B
Rights…
Under PACE the young person has
a right to consult privately with the
Appropriate Adult at any time
(para. 3.12)
Solicitors
PACE states if the Appropriate Adult
thinks that the young person needs
legal advice, the Police are required to
treat this as a request for a lawyer by
the young person himself/herself
(annex c para.2)
Guidance on calling a Solicitor
It is Redbridge YOS
policy to call a
solicitor every time.
But what if the yp
refuses and tells you
he doesn’t want
one. If you call one,
the yp could be kept
longer than is
necessary…….
Gillick decision mature minors have
the right to make
decisions regarding
their welfare -so if
they refuse a
solicitor where do
you stand…..
NAAN Guidance
Young person 15yrs and under, overrule them and call a solicitor –ensure
custody officer marks it up on custody
record. Record it on PACE form
Try to persuade the young person to
speak to the solicitor when he/she
arrives
Consider whether they are looked-after
YP 16 years and over…
Try to persuade the young person to
have a Solicitor or at least speak to one
over the phone. If they are still adamant
that they do not wish to have one then
ensure that what you have done is
marked up on custody record. But tell
young person that you are not a
Solicitor and you strongly request they
get one if they are charged
The Solicitor arrives
When the solicitor arrives, let Johnny speak to
him on his own. Solicitors have legal privilege
whereas you don’t. Solicitors have access to
the police evidence. Support Johnny by
explaining that the solicitor is there to help
him and advise him on what to tell the police.
Once Johnny has spoken to his solicitor, the
police will interview him about what has
happened.
As AA you will be with Johnny
throughout the interview
process
Police Interviews
Before the interview begins the police officer must; Identify himself and other officers present by name
and rank
 Caution Johnny
 Put to Johnny any significant statement or silence
which occurred before his arrival at the police
station
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
AA’s role in Police interview
Code 11.17 says:’
‘If an Appropriate Adult is present at an interview, they
shall be informed;
 They are not expected to act simply as an observer
 The purpose of their presence is to;
• Advise the person being interviewed
• Observe whether the interview is being
conduced properly and fairly
• Facilitate communication with the person being
interviewed’
Caution…
“You do not have to say anything. But it
may harm your defence if you do not
mention when questioned something
which you later rely on in court.
Anything you do say may be given in
evidence”
Effect of caution in interviews
The right to silence has not been
abolished. All the changes relate to the
right to comment on a person’s silence.
E.g. “but it may harm your defence if
you do not mention when questioned
something which you later rely on in
court and anything you do say may be
given in evidence”
Consequences???
If Johnny refuses to answer any
questions even though he has been
given ample opportunity to explain what
has happened, the court may draw its
own conclusions from this
S34 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Interviews
After the interview the police will
decide on what will happen next
Disposal options
 Charge and bail to court
 Charge and remand to local authority
secure accommodation
 Charge and remand in custody to court
 Police bail to return
 NFA
 Youth Caution
 Youth Conditional Caution
 PND
 Refer to YOS for Triage
 Bailed for CPS advice
Charging
Regarding charging a person, Code 16C says:‘There is no power under PACE to detain a
person and delay action…solely to await the
arrival of the Appropriate Adult. After charge,
bail cannot be refused, or release on bail
delayed, simply because an Appropriate
Adult is not available’
What happens next for the
AA?
 As AA you will complete the PACE form
and hand it to the YOS (this is needed
for statistical data)
 Your role then finishes - although if the
young person has no parent and is
bailed to return, you could arrange with
the YOS to go back as AA
YJB Secure Placements
Phone YJB Secure Placements, they have several
beds all over the country. The problem is with this- is
where they can accommodate the young person and
is it practicable for the young person to attend there?
E.g. if the young person is bailed to the next day, how
appropriate is it for them to travel to a bail bed in say
Manchester which will take 3 hours only to have to be
produced at court the next day.
Bail Beds continued
If the bail bed is nearby then you need to arrange for
transport to collect the young person from the police
station to the secure accommodation. You will need to
phone Wrixon. They will also need to be booked to
collect the young person from the secure
accommodation and take them to court the next day
The police will need to give you a specific form which
will go with the young person to the secure
accommodation
Getting home
 Do NOT transport the young person home.
 If you have concerns that they do not have
the means/are too young to make their own
way, inform the custody sergeant.
 It is the police’s responsibility to ensure
they get home safely.