Quality Assurance – exciting term isn’t it? Made to make us think of audits, paperwork and for me possible tangents to alternative careers in biscuit factories (oh what a great job that would be…). So, when the idea of developing a Quality Assurance Framework popped up in our business plan last year with the name of yours truly next to it I unsure what the lines on the business plan would become in the fullness of time. ICVA knows that its schemes do good work. We know that scheme managers are very seldom given full time hours to run their […]

  You wouldn’t believe that we are coming towards the end of the financial year, I write this blog whilst looking at snow through a train window. Time moves on and, as I start to write our annual report, it’s a nice opportunity to look back at the year past and look ahead to our plans for 2018/19. Training I look back on ICVA’s training review, now a couple of years back, with some discomfort.  We were very conscious that we had decided to fundamentally change our membership offer and it was a nerve-racking time.  I am pleased to say […]

Independent custody visiting delivers human rights in its purest form. Volunteers make unannounced visits to local custody suites where they meet detainees at all times throughout the day and night. Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) speak to detainees and check their custody records without consideration of what detainees may be suspected of to ensure that their rights, entitlements and wellbeing are upheld. This is an excellent service. It speaks of British ideals of fairness and proper treatment of all. It’s made even more valuable that it is volunteers who give up their time to do so, ensuring that our state treats […]

Our blog has been quite quiet of late. It has been a very busy time for all matters custody with the Children’s Concordat, Mental Health Act Regulations and the launch of the Independent Review of Deaths and Serious Incidents in Police Custody. We have been expecting these changes and have been excited to release new training material and support to our schemes. If you haven’t already seen it, please take a look at Inspector Michael Brown’s video explaining changes to the Mental Health Act. Members, please log on to the members’ website to take a look around the new training […]

Introduction I hadn’t planned to write this blog now; I had intended to write one on the role of Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs). Visiting suspected terrorist detainees (also known as those detained under the Terrorism Act / TACT) is definitely part of this, but is specialist role and makes up a small proportion of our visits. However, recent awful events have overtaken and it seems like a good time to explain the role of ICVs after TACT arrests take place. Before that, I will begin by sending my best wishes to all of those affected by the Westminster attack that […]