November 2010
National Standards
A new consultation on the National Standards on custody visiting allows you to have your say on the Standards and make suggestions on how they might be improved.
The National Standards can be downloaded here and comments are now welcome. The closing date for this consultation is 31st January 2011.
You can forward any comments you may have to info@icva.org.uk
Annual Conference
We enjoyed meeting with scheme administrators and independent custody visitors from across the UK at ICVA’s national conference at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Please click on the titles below to view presentations of our key speakers on the day:
- Mental Health & Criminal Justice Service: Current position & what needs to happen in the future
Professor Sean Duggan, Center for Mental Health - Custody Visiting in the New Policing Landscape
Andrew Alexander, Police Powers & Procedures Unit, Home Office - Learning from & Improving Custody Practice – An IPCC Perspective
Nicholas Long, Independent Police Complaints Commission - Samaritans – Delivering peer support to prisoners through listeners
Jane Van Zyl, Samaritans - Recent Developments in Custody Visiting
Mr Ian Smith OBE, ICVA
NI ICV Scheme a Winner!
Northern Ireland’s independent custody visiting scheme, administered by the Northern Ireland Policing Board, has received the Investing in Volunteers (IIV) award.
Chair of the Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee, Basil McCrea MLA said: "The scheme is entirely reliant on the involvement and commitment of our volunteers who positively contribute to the work of policing and the (Policing) Board by providing us with independent oversight on police custody arrangements. This award is particularly significant as it is the first time a custody visiting scheme has been recognised in this way, which shows the dedication of our volunteers to this unique role."
Harrow and South Yorkshire Custody Reports Published
Police custody reports on South Yorkshire and the London Borough of Harrow were published on 11 November 2010, as part of the ongoing national programme of inspections.
Police custody in both areas was found to be generally positive, though some further improvements could be made, according to Sir Denis O’Connor, Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Nigel Newcomen, Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons.
South Yorkshire inspections covered seven custody suites in Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley, and in Sheffield at Attercliffe, Ecclesfield, Moss Way, and Bridge Street.
Overall, the inspection found that detention was well-managed and there were some areas of excellent practice. However there were also areas for improvement.
Harrow is the single custody suite for the London borough. Overall, it found some good practice and some areas of excellence.
The reports can be read in full here: