Appropriate Adult and PACE 1984

Overview

The role of the Appropriate Adult was created in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 (updated 2019), with the intention of safeguarding the rights and welfare of young people and vulnerable adults in custody. When someone is arrested by the police and taken to a police station they have three basic rights; • The right to free and independent legal advice • The right to have someone informed of their arrest • The right to consult the Codes Of Practice (concerning police powers and procedures) Having identified a young person or a vulnerable adult, the custody officer has a duty to request the attendance of a responsible adult, ( known as an ‘Appropriate Adult’) .This role is different to that of a solicitor. An Appropriate Adult can be a family member, friend or a volunteer or social / health care professional. The training will provide the knowledge base required to fulfil the above role in an appropriate manner. It will instruct and update professionally qualified staff from health and social services (who work with adults with mental health problems or learning disabilities that make them vulnerable), on the subject of PACE and Appropriate Adult work

Who is Appropriate Adult and PACE 1984 aimed at?

All those involved in interviewing with vulnerable people and suspects

Course Length

1 day

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course, participants will understand:

• The role and responsibilities of an Appropriate Adult in police interviews of a vulnerable interviewee suspected of wrongdoing
• the 7 Principles of Investigative Interviewing
• PACE and 'PEACE' - why interviews are structured the way they are
• The importance of planning & preparation for interviews
• the Caution and 'significant comments'
• the opening questions and their potential impact
• PACE and fairness
• The Impact of the some arrest tactics on cognition and reasoning
• The ongoing impact of detention on the vulnerable memory.
• the Challenge phase of the interview
• Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act Special Measures