CHILD ACTION Northwest has expanded its services to West Mercia, including Worcester.
Starting September 1, CANW will expand its Appropriate Adult service to Worcester, marking its seventh county of operation across the UK.
This service will provide 24/7 support to young people and vulnerable adults in custody, ensuring their rights and welfare are safeguarded.
The expansion into West Mercia means CANW’s trained Appropriate Adults will now be available around the clock to attend custody suites when a young person aged 10-17 or an adult identified as vulnerable is detained, and their caregivers are either unable or unwilling to attend.
The role of these Appropriate Adults is crucial: they safeguard the interests, rights, entitlements, and welfare of detainees, ensuring they are treated fairly and justly, and are able to participate effectively in the police investigation process.
CANW already successfully delivers this vital service in County Durham, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, and Lancashire.
In the 2022-23 period, CANW responded to 16,266 referrals, and 92 per cent of these cases attended to within one hour – an hour faster than the national standard.
Michelle Dixon, strategic director of CANW, said: “We are excited about the opportunity to support children and vulnerable adults who have found themselves detained in police custody.
“This West Mercia partnership will ensure they receive the best support possible.
“We have an amazing team of Appropriate Adults who will ensure these individuals are treated fairly and justly during the police investigations and help them participate effectively.”
The service will be delivered in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984) and its PACE guidelines, as well as the NAAN National Standards (2018).
