Bill’s Appropriate Adult journey

Bill Wallace moved to Orkney with his family and was keen to immerse himself in island life. 

Part of that was to engage with the community and Bill knew there was no better way than to volunteer. 

At Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) he spotted a list of vacancies – one of which was with the Orkney Appropriate Adult Service. 

Bill started out as a committee member and in 2015-16 became Chairman and responsible for co-ordinating the work of the then volunteer Appropriate Adults. 

Appropriate Adults are called upon, usually by the police, to provide communication support to vulnerable victims, witnesses, suspects and accused people, aged 16 and over. The police will assess and decide if an Appropriate Adult is required to be present during an interview – that could be for any number of reasons – such as autism, dementia or mental health issues. 

The Appropriate Adult service in the county has been moved from being voluntary to statutory and brought under the umbrella of Orkney Health and Care (OHAC) following a Scottish Government move to standardise the service. 

Bill said: “My job was to ensure that the Appropriate Adults had all the necessary tools in place to allow them to carry out their roles to the best of their ability. 

“Their work is so important in making sure people, who have been assessed by the police as requiring support during an official interview, fully understand what is being explained to them and asked of them during this process. 

“The responsibility of who requires an Appropriate Adult lies with the police and that may be for an accused, victim or witness.” 

The number of referrals in any one year has fallen significantly in recent years Bill says, from around 17-20 to 4-6. 

“The pandemic played a part in that, but it is important moving forward with the new statutory service that everyone that needs to be is aware of the Orkney Appropriate Adult Service and to use it. 

“Any interview with someone with mental health issues or who may have difficulty in understanding what is required of them without an Appropriate Adult present could actually lead to a miscarriage of justice and that has happened elsewhere.” 

Bill has relished his time in Orkney, and playing a significant role in many organisations but has now moved off to pastures new with his family. 

He will miss many things about life in the county and the people are at the heart of that – but he is confident that those who remain, and any new faces who are involved with the Orkney Appropriate Adult Service will continue to offer up a first-class service. 

“It has been very satisfying working with an enthusiastic team of volunteers who are very professional and provide this invaluable service to the people of Orkney. I am so pleased that most of them are transferring over to the statutory service.” 

If you would like to find out more about becoming an Appropriate Adult please get in touch withCallan Curtis, Public Protection Lead Officer with Orkney Health and Care on (01856) 873535 extension 2604 or email: callan.curtis@orkney.gov.uk. 

To read more about the service head here: https://www.orkney.gov.uk/News?postid=9032