The Appropriate Adult Service Ltd

Service details

Who we are...

Appropriate adults support people who:

  • appear to be aged under 18, or
  • may be suffering from mental ill health or other mental vulnerability for example learning disability or autism

Young people aged under 18 years old and mentally vulnerable adults must be accompanied by an ‘appropriate adult’ when undergoing certain police processes & procedures in custody or being interviewed under caution, either following arrest or during attendance at a voluntary interview.

The Appropriate Adult service for both young people & vulnerable adults living in Hackney is commissioned from The Appropriate Adult Service Ltd, a publicly funded, independent private company, with over 17 years’ experience of providing this service.

Appropriate adults are called to the police station as an important safeguard, providing independent support to people being kept in custody, for questioning about a crime or in a related sensitive situation.


What we do...

The Appropriate adults Ltd provide independent appropriate adults within police custodies & voluntary interview settings, for young people (aged 10-17yrs) & vulnerable adults with a mental health illness or learning difference/disability, who also live in Hackney.

Appropriate adults are not there to provide the person with legal advice.

Appropriate adults are not simply observers.

Their role is to actively assist the person in understanding what is happening at the police station, during all procedures, processes and  the interview, during the investigation.

Appropriate adults are called to the police station as an important safeguard, providing independent support to people being kept in custody ,or voluntarily attending the police station, for questioning about an allegation.

In particular to:

  • support, advise and assist the person being held
  • address welfare and safeguarding issues that may arise
  • make sure that the person understands their rights and entitlements and been given an opportunity to exercise them
  • make sure that the police act fairly during the interview procedure & intervene if necessary
  • facilitate communication and understanding between the person, the police, custody staff, legal representatives, health care professionals and any other person they may come into contact with

SEND Local Offer

Training and Experience

Members of National Appropriate Adult Network (NAAN)

3 days initial classroom based training and minimum 2 shadow sessions


Training on the following conditions and presentations:

  • Dementias
  • Depression
  • Bi-polar
  • Schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders
  • Disorders caused by substance misuse
  • Psychosis
  • Personality Disorders
  • Autism
  • ADHD/ADD
  • Learning difficulties
  • Learning disabilities

Follow up training on:

  • Child Sexual Exploitation
  • Child Criminal Exploitation/County Lines
  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Breast ironing
  • Honour Based Abuse
  • Forced Marriage
  • Prevent
  • Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act (Ports of exit & entry to UK)
  • Schedule 8 of the Terrorism Act & Police & Criminal Evidence Act (Code H) & detention within a specialised TACT Suite
  • Ongoing training & legislation updates appropriate to the role. 
Local Offer Age Bands
Secondary 11-14
Young Adults 18 - 25
SEN Provision Type
  • Targeted

Who to contact

Telephone
0845 600 1528 0845 600 1528
E-mail
info@theappropriateadultservice.org.uk
Website
www.theappropriateadultservice.org.uk
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Where to go

Name
Appropriate Adult Ltd
Address
Head Office
Barnstones Business Park
Grimscote Road
Towcester
Northants
Postcode

NN12 8JJ

View NN12 8JJ on a map
Venue Notes

Children and young people will be seen on police premises. 

Apropriate Adult staff will attend at the setting where the service user is based.  

Time / Date Details

Time of day
  • Morning
  • Afternoon
  • Evening
Session Information
24 hour service
7 days a week
365 days a year

Other details

Who is eligible?

Aged 10-17 years old without an appropriate family member able to attend.

AND/OR

Adults aged 18 and older who have been assessed by police/HCP as being vulnerable for the purposes of the Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (2018)

Referral required?

Yes

Referral Details

All referrals to this service are made by Metropolitan Police Services only

What to do if you have a complaint

All detainees are offered an evaluation/feedback form at the Police station.

Regional Manager Lynn Frusher will respond to service user complaints.

Costs

  • This service is funded by the local authority Youth Offending Team and Adult Social Care services

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Disclaimer

Read our disclaimer - important information about Hackney SEND Local Offer and FIS

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