The Suffolk OPCC has been recognised nationally for the good quality of its independent custody visiting scheme.
Under this scheme, trained volunteers from the local community (Independent Custody Visitors or ICVs), managed by Sarah McNulty, make regular unannounced visits to police custody suites to check on the rights, entitlements, wellbeing and dignity of the detainees held there. Their findings are reported to the Police and Crime Commissioners, Mayors and equivalents across the UK who hold Chief Constables to account.
The Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) - the national membership organisation that supports, leads and represents these schemes - has developed a quality assurance framework to assess how well schemes comply with the code of practice that governs custody visiting.
This is the third year that schemes have been assessed under the framework, and have been able to gain quality assurance awards to recognise the value of their work. The Suffolk scheme was presented with a Silver quality assurance award by ICVA on July 8th, at a ceremony in London.
Welcoming the award, Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said: “Custody visitors play a crucial role. They visit the custody centres unannounced to look, listen and report on their findings to the PCC to ensure that the police are providing the service that is expected of them.”
“We have a great team of custody visitors in Suffolk, who give their time to support this valuable service and it is great that their commitment has been recognised with this prestigious national award.”
Dame Anne Owers, Chair of ICVA, said: "Once again, these awards show the value and importance of independent custody visiting and reflects the crucial work that ICVA does, in providing support and training for volunteers and schemes across the country.”
Sherry Ralph, Chief Executive at ICVA said: “The Quality Assurance Framework represents a significant and growing commitment from schemes to ensure that independent custody visiting is regularly reviewed, improvements are made where needed, and excellent practice is shared. This year, we have also strengthened our approach by introducing a greater focus on volunteer voices, ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of Independent Custody Visitors are embedded within schemes and reflected in assessments, particularly at the higher levels of the framework. I congratulate schemes on their accomplishments and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment."
For more information about the role please visit our Independent Custody Visitors Page.
