The Office of the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner wins national award for custody visiting

The Office of the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner has been recognised nationally for the quality of its independent custody visiting scheme.

Under this scheme, trained volunteers from the local community (Independent Custody Visitors or ICVs), managed by the Scheme Managers make regular unannounced visits to police custody suites to check on the rights, entitlements, wellbeing and dignity of the detainees held there. Their findings are reported to the Police and Crime Commissioners, Mayors and equivalents across the UK who hold Chief Constables to account.

The Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) – the national membership organisation that supports, leads and represents these schemes – has developed a quality assurance framework to assess how well schemes comply with the code of practice that governs custody visiting.

This is the third year that schemes have been assessed under the framework, and have been able to gain quality assurance awards to recognise the value of their work. The South Wales scheme was presented with a Silver quality assurance award by ICVA on July 8th, at a ceremony in London.

Welcoming the award, Emma Wools, the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales, said:

“I am delighted to accept this Silver Award, which reflects the strength and success of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme in South Wales. This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our volunteers, who play a vital role in promoting transparency, dignity and welfare within South Wales Police Custody. I would also like to thank ICVA for the support they provide to the scheme, and for their continued commitment to helping custody visiting schemes maintain the highest standards through the assurance framework. This award is a testament to the hard work and professionalism of everyone involved, and I am proud of what we have achieved together.”

Dame Anne Owers, Chair of ICVA, said: “Once again, these awards show the value and importance of independent custody visiting, with even more schemes being awarded the top ‘platinum’ grading.  This also reflects the crucial work that ICVA does, in providing support and training for volunteers and schemes across the country.”

Sherry Ralph, Chief Executive at ICVA said: “The Quality Assurance Framework represents a significant and growing commitment from schemes to ensure that independent custody visiting is regularly reviewed, improvements are made where needed, and excellent practice is shared. This year, we have also strengthened our approach by introducing a greater focus on volunteer voices, ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of Independent Custody Visitors are embedded within schemes and reflected in assessments, particularly at the higher levels of the framework. I congratulate schemes on their accomplishments and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment.”