The Bedfordshire Independent Custody Visiting Scheme has recently achieved platinum status at the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) Quality Assurance Framework awards. 

Platinum status means Bedfordshire’s ICV scheme provides an outstanding standard of custody visiting and volunteer management. To achieve this, there were more than 25 criteria covering key areas such as holding the force to account and requiring evidence to support each assessment. ICVA assessed each submission in order to obtain platinum award.

In a country-first Beds OPCC have progressed from being co-compliant to platinum for their Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) scheme.

Bedfordshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) won the award at the inaugural Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) Quality Assurance awards.

They were presented with platinum status at a ceremony in Birmingham on Wednesday 29^th November. 

ICVA is the national organisation that supports, leads, and represents locally run custody visiting schemes. 

Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are trained volunteers from the local community who visit police stations unannounced to check on the rights, well-being and dignity of detainees held in police custody.

The volunteers report their findings to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) who in turn holds the Chief Constable to account.

Bethany Coles, Compliance Officer OPCC said: “Undertaking the Quality Assurance Framework as Scheme Manager for Bedfordshire has been a great experience as it has allowed our scheme and custody visitors to reflect on how we comply with the Code of Practice.

“We have been able to positively highlight and celebrate key areas of strength within our scheme, although it has required a lot of hard work, dedication and most importantly patience. I am very pleased that we have been able to work our way up from Code Compliant to achieving Platinum level”.

Dame Anne Owers, Chair of ICVA, said: "Independent custody visiting schemes ensure that the public have oversight of a high pressure and often hidden area of policing.  These awards demonstrate how local schemes use volunteer feedback to make change and ensure that police custody is safe and dignified for all.”

Sherry Ralph, Chief Executive at ICVA said: “The quality assurance framework represents a significant amount of additional work to ensure that independent custody visiting is regularly reviewed, improvements are made where they are needed and excellent practice is shared. I congratulate schemes on their accomplishments and thank them for their commitment."

The Police and Crime Commissioner has a statutory duty to maintain an Independent Custody Visiting Scheme for Bedfordshire.  Independent custody visiting is a well established system whereby volunteers attend police stations to check on the treatment of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed. The scheme offers protection and confidentiality to detainees and the police and provides reassurance to the wider community. 

What is Independent Custody Visiting? 

Under the Police Reform Act 2002, as amended by the Police Reform & Social Responsibility Act 2011, the Local Policing Body has a statutory duty to establish and maintain an Independent Custody Visiting Scheme, which involves volunteer members of the public visiting police stations to check and report on the treatment of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed. The scheme offers protection and confidentiality to detainees, the police and provides reassurance to the wider community.

Day-to-day management of the Scheme is undertaken by a Scheme Administrator within the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office. 

What is the purpose of Independent Custody Visiting? 

The purpose of Independent Custody Visiting is

to provide assurance that detainees in Bedfordshire Police Custody are: 
  

1. Treated fairly and in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and associated codes of practice
   
   2. That the conditions detainees are kept in are clean and safe and any matters of concern are recorded and dealt with effectively; 
    
   3. That the rights and entitlements of detainees in Bedfordshire Police Custody are observed and adhered to. 

What is the role of an Independent Custody Visitor? 

Independent Custody Visitors are members of the local community who, working in pairs, call at Police Custody Suites unannounced at any time. With agreement, the visitors can speak to detainees about their treatment or conditions, and take up any issues of concern with custody staff. A short report of their findings is made prior to leaving the suite. Their work provides the PCC (and in turn the local community) with assurance that anyone arrested by the police and held in custody is treated fairly and has access to appropriate facilities. 

For more information on the requirements of the role, please refer to our leaflet promoting the scheme or review the Custody Visitor Role Profile at the bottom of this page.

Who can become an Independent Custody Visitor? 

Independent Custody Visitors come from all sections of the community. They must be aged over 18, reside in Bedfordshire and be a resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the date of application. No specific qualifications are required as full training and support is provided, however visitors should be good listeners, non-judgmental and unbiased. 

Appointing Independent Custody Visitors 

Independent Custody Visitors must be independent and impartial and, when making appointments, care is taken to avoid any potential conflict of interest. Serving police officers and other serving members of Police or PCC staff are unsuitable for this reason. The same applies to Special Constables, Justices of the Peace (JPs), Police and Crime Panel members and others connected with the criminal justice system. 

After an initial probationary period of six months, Independent Custody Visitors are appointed for up to a further three years (as a review of all appointments to the Scheme is undertaken once every three years). 

Appropriate Adults and ICV Role 

Applications from interested Independent Custody Visitors will not be accepted if they are currently an Appropriate Adult in the same area. This is due to a conflict of interests in the two roles, as custody visitors may, on occasion, have cause to give critical feedback regarding the provision of appropriate adult services in the area they visit. Therefore, the independence element of the custody visitor role precludes one person covering both ICV and Appropriate Adult roles in a suite.

Exceptions 

Independent Custody Visitors may act as an Appropriate Adult if: 

• in relation to a child, they are the parent or guardian; or 

• in relation to a vulnerable adult, they are a relative, guardian or other person responsible for their care or custody. 

How to apply to become an Independent Custody Visitor

If you would like more information about becoming an Independent Custody Visitor in Bedfordshire, or for general information regarding the scheme, please contact us via our website. 

If you would like to complete the application form via Word or an alternative format, please contact us.