Independent Custody Visitors
Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are members of the local community who volunteer to visit police stations unannounced to check on the treatment and welfare of people held in police custody.
ICV recommendations can require the police to make improvements for the welfare of detainees. Working as part of a local panel, they play a valuable role in maintaining public confidence in this important area of policing by making sure that detainees are treated well.
Each Police and Crime Commissioner has a legal obligation to make arrangements for a custody visiting scheme to operate in its area. In London, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) holds overall responsibility for the scheme’s management and administration. Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) are volunteers from within the community and the scheme is independent of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
ICVs volunteer to visit police stations unannounced to check on the treatment and welfare of people held in police custody.
The Independent Custody Visitors (ICV) Scheme
The Independent Custody Visitors (ICV) Scheme, formerly known as Lay Visiting, was introduced in the 1980s following a recommendation in Lord Scarman’s report into the civil disturbances across the Country including the Brixton Riots of 1981. Lord Scarman recommended a system of independent, unannounced inspections of procedures and detention in police stations.
Since then panels of ICVs have evolved throughout the UK as an important means of securing police accountability for the local communities they serve.
ICV recommendations can require the police to make improvements for the welfare of detainees or staff. Working as part of a local panel, they play a valuable role in MOPAC’s oversight of Police Custody and maintaining public confidence in this important area of policing by making sure that detainees are treated well.
All ICV Schemes in the United Kingdom work within the framework provided by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984) and the Home Office Code of Practice on Independent Custody Visiting. The UK is also party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). This is an international human rights treaty designed to strengthen the protection of people deprived of their liberty through a system of regular, independent visits to places of detention that serves as an important safeguard against abuses, and to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places that by their very nature are hidden from public view. ICV Schemes are an important part of our National Preventative Mechanism, which exists to ensure our adherence to OPCAT.
The London Scheme
MOPAC runs the largest ICV scheme in the UK, with the largest volunteer workforce visiting the UK’s largest Police Force’s Custody Estate.
An ICV panel operates in every London borough that has an active custody facility. Overall, the scheme is made up of over 21 panels visiting 25 London custody suites. In addition to visiting MPS Custody Suites, MOPAC provides ICV services to the UK Border Force (UKBF) based in Colnbrook, Hillingdon and British Transport Police (BTP) based in Islington.
Our volunteer workforce is made up of a diverse group of Londoners. The voluntary work develops communication, writing and analytical skills.
MOPAC also provides ICV training services to the City Of London (CoL) volunteers. This shared training benefits both schemes’ volunteers as volunteers have opportunities to compare and contrast the CoL and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Custody practices, whilst ensuring a consistent level of training for all ICVs operating across London regardless of the Force they visit.
The London ICV Scheme is a member of the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA).
Custody Visiting in London in 2021
In 2020 Custody visiting was forced to adapt and change to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic. The Home Office has designated ICVs essential workers and MPS, BTP and UKBF have made their custody suites COVID-Secure for staff, detainees and external stakeholders, including ICVs.
Since March 2020 MOPAC has adapted the London scheme to incorporate virtual work allowing vulnerable volunteers the flexibility to conduct remote visits.
MOPAC will ensure that we keep our volunteers safe whilst continuing to deliver a quality service for London during the uncertainties ahead.
Unfortunately, we have seen a 50% reduction in the number of volunteers in the scheme due to the pandemic impacting individual's ability to volunteer. We therefore have a large number of panel vacancies across London.
Key facts about the London ICV Scheme
- 990 ICV visits were made to custody suites across London in 2019-20.
- 4,661 detainees were interviewed by ICVs, representing 45 per cent of all detainees in custody at the time the ICV visits were conducted.
- Despite the COVID pandemic, 584 ICV visits were made to custody suites across London in 2020-21. 263 of these visits were remote visits.
- In 2020 ICVs received training on Race and Policing, Children and the Law, Mental Health and Vulnerability.
The Visits
Once a week two visitors from a local panel attend a police station at a random, unannounced time to make an inspection and speak to detainees. On arrival at the police station, visitors are escorted to the custody area where they interview a number of detainees in their cells and complete a structured report form.
For the visitors’ protection interviews are normally carried out within sight, but out of hearing, of the escorting custody officer.
Strict rules of confidentiality apply. Detainees are identified only by their custody numbers, and the details of what visitors see and hear must also be treated as confidential. It is equally important that independent custody visitors maintain their independence and impartiality and do not become involved or take sides. They are there to look, listen and report on conditions in the custody facility.
The online visit report form (VRF) completed after each visit provides an insight into the running of the custody facility, and the conditions under which the detainees there at the time are being held, including the provision of their rights and entitlements. Copies of the reports are provided for the police, police authority and the visitors’ local panel for discussion and follow up.
Panel meetings
ICV panels hold their local police to account on behalf of their community. Police representatives attend the quarterly panel meetings to discuss the ICV reports and address any concerns that have been raised. These meetings assist in rectifying any problems affecting the running of custody and conditions for detainees in the borough.
Recruitment and eligibility
MOPAC is responsible for recruiting, selecting and appointing all custody visitors and aims to do this from as many different backgrounds and communities as possible to ensure the scheme reflects London’s diversity.
To be eligible to join the MOPAC London Independent Custody Visitor Scheme you must be 18 or over and have no direct involvement in the criminal justice system. For example, serving or retired police officers or staff, special constables or magistrates would not be considered for the role.
Other people such as solicitors or probation officers may also be excluded, to prevent possible conflict of interests for the individual. This maintains the independence of the scheme as a whole.
Appointment as an independent custody visitor is subject to a successful application and interview process. This includes receiving clearance from the Metropolitan Police Service Vetting Department and signing up to MOPAC's Memorandum of Understanding.
Training
Successful applicants will need to attend an initial training course to prepare them for the role, and complete a six-month probationary period in order to be fully accredited.
MOPAC is responsible for the recruitment, training and continuous development of all ICVs. Thereby we ensure we maintain an adequate number of accredited ICVs to conduct weekly visits across all operational custody suites in London, and to ensure the ICVs are properly inducted, maintain an awareness of changes in legislation and developments in custody visiting practice and other relevant matters. These include working effectively and safely within a stressful environment and maintaining confidence and purpose in their role of keeping Londoners safe.
How to apply
Join a dedicated group of volunteers in your borough who visit police custody suites and speak to detainees to ensure fair and equal treatment under the law.
Application form
MOPAC recruits Londoners from across the capital to the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme, and would like to hear from you if you believe you can offer your time and experience to this important role.
To apply please complete a copy of the ICV application and monitoring form and email your completed form to us.
FAQs
Each Police and Crime Commissioner has a legal obligation to make arrangements for a custody visiting scheme to operate in its area. In London, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) holds overall responsibility for the scheme’s management and administration. The Scheme not only helps the public have greater confidence in the police, it also helps MOPAC to hold the Commissioner to account. The scheme is administered by officers within MOPAC who provide a point of contact for each panel of ICVs and coordinate, collate and monitor the statistics of visits.
We appreciate that people lead very busy lives and fortunately the scheme does not require a huge amount of the volunteers; however it does require a level of commitment and flexibility. When they join the scheme visitors are required to participate in the induction training, which takes place over two weekday evenings and to conduct 3 shadow visits with an experienced pair of existing ICVs.
Each custody suite must receive a minimum of one visit per week. Rotas are drawn up in advance so visitors know which week they will be visiting and so there is a fair rotation with regards to how often each volunteer carries out visits. Visits can be carried out at any time, 7 days a week. It is important for the success of the ICV scheme to have visits carried out at a variety of times and this is where the need for flexibility arises. Each panel meets on a quarterly basis and ICVs are expected to attend.
Upon appointment, ICVs are given a memorandum of understanding, which further details what is expected from them.
The person specification lists the essential and desirable criteria. It is important to be able to listen well and have the ability to talk to people from a wide range of backgrounds.
There is no set uniform or written dress code, however it is important to consider health and safety and practicality. For this reason some items of clothing or accessories are advised against in all cases, for example: neck ties, scarves, necklaces, expensive jewellery, short skirts and shorts.
It is up to each individual to determine what is most appropriate for themselves, but as a general guide ‘smart-casual’ will be most appropriate. Formal wear such as suits are not advised as this may give the impression that the visitor is an ‘official’ or ‘authority’ figure rather than an independent individual.
You can resign at any time and resignations should be made in writing to MOPAC. When an ICV resigns they will be offered an exit questionnaire to give feedback on their experiences whilst in the scheme.
It is important that custody visits are spread out across different days and times of the week and weekend visits must be carried out by each team to ensure an even distribution of visits. It is helpful if several volunteers are willing to carry out frequent weekend visits, and we would encourage each volunteer to undertake at least one weekend visit after 8pm.
You should not make any physical contact with the detainee, and you will usually be positioned just in the door way of the cell, while the detainee will be inside, usually sat down.
Police custody is a very controlled environment and steps are taken to ensure the safety of custody visitors. Visitors can only undertake visits in pairs and the visit will be conducted in the line of sight of the escorting officer. Visitors will be advised by the custody staff if there are any specific health and safety risks from detainees and if it is ever unsafe for ICVs to visit a particular detainee then the visit to that individual will not go ahead.
Under the COVID-Secure practices ICVs have access to full PPE on visits, as well as the track and trace procedures in place.
MOPAC has developed virtual practices alongside risk assessments to allow volunteers to work remotely including interviewing detainees, panel meetings, training and recruitment.
The ICV scheme utilizes a range of professional competencies and skills from the volunteer workforce. Here are some examples of skills volunteers need to have and/ or will develop:
• Commitment
• Communication - written and verbal
• Assertiveness
• Compassion and Empathy
• Leadership
• Strong work ethic
• Teamwork
• Time management
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