Student custody visitors training for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Procedures and Processes

The Role of Independent Custody Visitors
Police Procedures
The Visit Process
Operational Categories
Scenarios & Questionnaires
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The Visit Process

In order to provide a point of reference for training the following sequence outlines a typical visit to a police custody suite…
So as to observe, comment and report upon these issues effectively when making these visits, visitors always work in pairs as this ensures

Impartiality

Competence

Safety

Visits by individual visitors are only possible when the local Police Authority has carried out a thorough and robust health and safety inspection and deemed that a visit by an individual visitor is the best option for those specific circumstances.

Having arrived unannounced at the police station and identified themselves, independent custody visitors are escorted through to the custody area immediately- subject to it being safe and appropriate to do so.

The custody officer, or a nominated member of custody staff, will facilitate the visit, and having opened the visit report form, custody visitors initially check

the number of detainees

their custody numbers

and whether there is anything known which may have a bearing on the visit.

At this stage, subject to it being safe and appropriate to continue, custody visitors are escorted to the cells where the escorting officer will give each detainee the option of receiving a visit.

Some individuals may not be able to give permission; for example, people who are

Intoxicated

Suffering from mental health problems

or non-English speaking immigrant detainees

In these circumstances visual inspections of the cell and custody record can be carried out with the consent of the custody officer.

Conversations with detainees that do give permission should be confidential and will be held out of earshot, but for reasons of safety, in view of the escorting officer.

Any matters of concern or queries arising from these discussions are then raised with the custody officer. It may be obvious to raise issues if a person’s rights are being denied but the entitlements of a detainee are at the discretion of the custody officer and these may need negotiating.

As well as speaking with individuals, independent custody visitors also examine the general conditions of the custody suite and may also cross-reference matters of concern with the police custody records.

Custody visitors use a comprehensive check list to assist them throughout the visit.

Having completed the inspection, the visit report form must be on completed on site and then distributed to

the scheme administrator

the custody officer

any other identified parties relevant to your local independent custody visiting scheme.

This information is then filed and compiled with other visit report forms so that any issues of concern can be raised at meetings held with the police authority or panels of independent custody visitors and the police service.

At the same time, the local scheme administrator may raise matters directly with the appropriate member of the police service.

The following model outlines the stages of a visit:

1 • Arrive unannounced at the police station
2 • Gain access to cell area
3 • Ascertain the number of detainees
4 • Open the visit report form
5 • Speak with detainees
6 • Follow up queries, custody records
7 • Examine custody suite
8 • Complete visit report
9 • Leave police station