Platinum Custody visiting Scheme; one of the top in the country

Gloucestershire’s OPCC Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) scheme has been awarded a prestigious ‘Platinum’ award.

‘Platinum’ is the highest achievement an ICV Scheme can achieve by the Independent Custody Visiting Association’s (ICVA) Quality Assurance Framework.

Independent custody visitors (ICVs) are volunteers from the community who undertake unannounced visits in pairs to our police custody suite at HQ.

Here in Gloucestershire, we have 16 of them.

After their visits, the volunteers file reports to the scheme manager who makes sure any issues are addressed.

The scheme is a critical part of the Commissioner’s work to deliver accountability to the public and maintain the integrity and transparency of the force’s custody provision.

Schemes that are assessed as Platinum status have passed a rigorous assessment process, requiring detailed evidence to be submitted against an extensive set of criteria. These are grouped into six core themes: recruitment and training, managing volunteers, communications, holding the force to account, public assurance and detainee welfare.

Annie White, the Volunteer and Scrutiny Officer, and the ICV Scheme Manager in the OPCC is responsible for recruiting, training, managing and supporting all volunteers appointed to Gloucestershire’s Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (ICVS). She reviews the reports made by the ICVs and leads in holding the police to account with any issues raised from the visits. 

She said: “I am so proud of my volunteers. They have allowed us to achieve this top award. They have dedicated huge amounts of time, some of them decades, to this important work and I would like to thank them all.

“They perform their duties with professionalism and empathy.

“Anyone can end up in police custody, and everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and our volunteers help make sure detainees are treated as they should be.

“The scheme also plays a key part in both ensuring the voice of the community is heard within its police force and in the Office’s role of holding the Constabulary to account. Something our Office cares deeply about."