Appropriate Adult

Delivered in Gloucestershire since 1993 and Wiltshire since 2014, this 24 hour countywide service provides trained volunteers to act as “Appropriate Adults” for young people aged 17 and under and adults with mental health or learning disabilities when held in police custody, and whose parents, guardians or carers are unable or unwilling to attend (as required by law).

When a juvenile or an adult with mental health or learning disabilities is arrested and held in police custody, the CCP Appropriate Adult coordinator will receive a call from the Police, Youth Support Service or the Emergency Duty Team. The coordinator will then contact volunteers to find someone able to attend.

The Appropriate Adult’s role is to ensure legal rights are upheld, provide non-judgmental moral support and monitor the welfare of the young person or vulnerable adult during police interview and whilst held in the cells.

Appropriate Adults attend over 850 calls per year and spend an average of 3 hours on each.

There are many factors that increase the chances of young people or vulnerable adults committing crimes, including a troubled home life, poor attainment at school, truancy and school exclusion, drug or alcohol misuse, mental illness, deprivation, poor housing or homelessness, peer pressure and lack of parenting skills. CCP is able to offer a range of services to young people and their families aimed at preventing further offending by tackling these risk factors.