The important work of volunteers who carry out welfare checks at police custody sites will be highlighted at a regional conference this Saturday (5 October), hosted by the Staffordshire Commissioner’s Office.
The Dignity in Custody event will see over 50 Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) from Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and the West Midlands come together at Staffordshire Police headquarters to share best practice.
ICVs are appointed by Police and Crime Commissioners and monitor the wellbeing of people held in police custody through regular, unannounced visits.
A range of welfare considerations within custody sites will be discussed at Saturday’s event, including the use of force, how vulnerable people are treated, transgender awareness and mental health.
Sue Arnold, Deputy Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Commissioner, who manages the volunteer portfolio on behalf of the Staffordshire Commissioner, said: “Our ICVs commit a lot of their time to volunteering and I’m immensely proud of the work they do.
“They make a real difference, not just to the people they visit in police custody, but in providing confidence to the public about the quality and safety of custody sites.”
Elizabeth Shenton, regional representative for the West Midlands Independent Custody Visitor Association (ICVA), added: “The annual regional conference is a fantastic event for volunteers across the four schemes to meet up, share best practice and learn about new initiatives that will help to improve the welfare of detainees as we carry out our visits.
“It’s also an opportunity to come together to celebrate the positive contributions made by ICVs and to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication.”
The four schemes in the West Midlands ICV region have a combined team of 163 custody visitors. Each year they make around 1,000 visits, with volunteers typically seeing 3,500 detainees during that time.
In May, the Staffordshire ICV scheme was awarded the Gold Award in the ICVA Quality Assessment Framework standards, in recognition of the high standard of scheme delivery.
Find out more about becoming an ICV, as well as other volunteer opportunities including Safer Neighbourhood Panels.
