SURREY APPROPRIATE ADULT VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Are you looking for a challenge? Do you have some spare time? Do you want to give something back to your community? Is justice important to you and do you like to see fair play?

If your answer is yes you may want to become an Appropriate Adult.

The Appropriate Adult Service offers support to vulnerable adults and young people who find themselves detained in Police custody. Being an Appropriate Adult is a challenging, fulfilling and often rewarding role.

What will be expected of me?

You don’t need previous knowledge of legal procedures or social work. The role of the Appropriate Adult is not to provide legal advice but to offer impartial support and be a friendly face in the absence of a family member or carer to people who may be feeling frightened, bewildered, and confused in an unfamiliar situation. As an Appropriate Adult you’ll join a team of local volunteers and will be on call at times to suit you. You will be available to answer a call to custody in a swift and professional manner, in all weathers and with very little notice. You will offer vital support to those who need it when they need it most.

How do you become an Appropriate Adult?

Every Appropriate Adult is DBS checked and given training before joining a team. Each team covers one or more of Surrey’s custody suites in Salfords, Guildford or Staines. Although Appropriate Adults work independently there is on hand support and guidance with ongoing training on a regular basis. The service SAAVS provide is 24 hour for 365 days of the year and each volunteer is responsible for a regular weekly time slot of 6/8 hours.

What sort of person becomes an Appropriate Adult?

All sorts of people become Appropriate Adults and bring different skills to the teams. The one thing each of them has in common is an excellent ability to communicate and a willingness to donate their free time to SAAVS.

If you think you may be interested in joining this team of unsung heroes please complete the online Application form. We will then be happy to meet with you and tell you more about the role.

This scheme provides for an adult to be present when a juvenile or vulnerable adult is being interviewed in custody, when a parent or other representative is not available. The volunteers are all trained and ready to attend the police station at any time. This scheme is so successful that it has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards and is now the only provider of this service to Surrey. The scheme is funded through Surrey Youth Justice Team and Surrey County Council's Mental Health Team.