Volunteers behind Appropriate Adult Service join statutory offering and encourage others to get involved

Volunteers behind a successful service in the county are encouraging others to come on board to continue its good work among more vulnerable members of the community as it becomes a statutory offering. 

Appropriate Adults provide communication support to vulnerable victims, witnesses, suspects and accused people, aged 16 and over, primarily during police investigations who are believed to have a mental disorder as a result of a learning disability, Autism / ADHD, dementia or an acquired brain injury. 

The Appropriate Adult service in the county has recently been brought under the umbrella of Orkney Health and Care (OHAC) as part of a move by the Scottish Government to see the service become statutory and standardised across the nation. 

As OHAC launches the “new” statutory Appropriate Adult service, gratitude has been expressed to the volunteer Appropriate Adults who have contributed so much to the community in support of others. 

Orkney Health and Care Public Protection Lead Officer, Callan Curtis, said: “We thank the volunteers who have given their time so willingly to assist and support others during what can be a stressful time given the nature of the work. 

“A number of the volunteers are continuing on with their roles as part of the statutory service and we are very grateful for that continuity and onward contribution they will make. The Appropriate Adults co-ordinator, Bill Wallace, has retired and we thank him for all he has done for the service and wish him well in the future. Thanks also to the Appropriate Adults who have supported the service over recent years and decided not to move to the new service. 

“Whilst OHAC will be hosting the service, raising awareness of its existence, dealing with recruitment, training etc, the Appropriate Adults will be based and work out of Kirkwall Police Station when their services are required. 

“Given it is now a statutory service, people will no longer be volunteers – they will be paid for their time.” 

Orkney Local Area Commander, Chief Inspector Scott Robertson, added: “Officers have a duty to identify when people require support from an 'Appropriate Adult'. This support is available at any stage during a police investigation. 

"Whether you are a victim, witness, suspect or accused person, this service is there to help people understand our processes and procedures.” 

 Appropriate Adults can also be requested by British Transport Police, The Civil Nuclear Constabulary, HMRC, HM Revenue & Customs and The Immigration Service. 

 Some of the volunteers share their stories. 

Bill Wallace 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. 

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. 

“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.” 

Retired nurse, Jan Buchanan, was a volunteer for many years and is transferring over to the statutory service. She said: “As a nurse you care, and you have seen and experienced pretty much everything. I wanted to give something back to the community and becoming an Appropriate Adult allowed me to do that. 

“You have to be able to listen and observe and it’s really important not to make any judgement. You need to be confident and the more life experiences you have had yourself, the better. 

“Some of what you hear through the interview process can be tough, but your role is to make sure that person understands what is being asked of them. 

“I come away feeling I have achieved something and certainly hope I have helped by being there. That’s a good feeling.” 

Being a carer for the past 18 years has given Winifred Dunnet extensive experience of supporting vulnerable people. 

Those are the same skills she has been utilising as a volunteer with the Orkney Appropriate Adult Service for in the “teens of years”. 

Winifred said: “When the police call, I do always check who the person is and what the situation around their interview is. Being from Orkney I may know the person involved and, it has happened on one occasion that I was unable to be the Appropriate Adult. You must be impartial – it is not for us to judge anyone’s situation or take anyone’s side. We are there to make sure they understand what is happening. 

“The service is beneficial to both the person with vulnerabilities but also the criminal justice system – no one wants a case to be thrown out of court because an Appropriate Adult should have been in place and wasn’t at the time of interview of an accused. We can also mean the difference between a victim being able to give clear evidence.” 

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

For more information on the Appropriate Adult Service please head here: Appropriate Adult Services | COSLA 

You can email appropriateadults@orkney.gov.uk if you have any concerns, complaints or commendations about the service provided by our Appropriate Adults or if you feel you require further input or training on the role of an Appropriate Adult.