Sir Sadiq Khan has launched a new £5.4m service aimed at ensuring vulnerable adults are treated in a “fair and just manner” by the police.
The funding will pay for independent “appropriate adults” to provide help to people who are in contact with the police, including during searches, interviews and eyewitness identification procedures.
In the UK, it is a legal requirement for any child, or any adult assessed as “vulnerable”, to have an appropriate adult with them in police interviews, in order to safeguard their interests, rights, entitlements and welfare.
An adult is considered vulnerable if a police officer deems they may be prone to confusion, compliance or could unintentionally provide unreliable, misleading, or self-incriminating information. This includes adults with mental health issues or learning difficulties.
Until now, no single agency in London has been responsible for providing appropriate adults, which according to City Hall has led to “inconsistency and gaps in provision, costly delays and pressure on resources”.
The mayor’s office added that the new service - which is the first ever London-wide scheme of its kind - will ensure appropriate adults are accessible quickly and that vulnerable people are “treated in a fair and just manner, and are able to participate in police proceedings effectively”.
Sir Sadiq said: “Providing eye-witness statements and giving voluntary police interviews can be an extremely stressful time for anyone, so it is vital that the right support is available for those who are vulnerable and need assistance to help them understand their situation and ensure they are treated fairly and appropriately.
“My new London-wide appropriate adult scheme will guarantee timely access to the right support, reducing delays in custody which can have huge emotional, practical as well as financial costs.
“The service will also ensure that those from vulnerable communities have the confidence that they will be treated fairly, be believed, and can ultimately trust our policing and judicial system, which is vital to building a safer, fairer London for everyone.”
Data sourced by the mayor’s office shows that demand for appropriate adults in London increased by 10 percent in 2022/23 compared with 2019/20. In the later of those years, more than 18,511 London adults who were in custody and took part in voluntary interviews were assessed as vulnerable and in need of support.
City Hall said the new service is designed to complement the Metropolitan Police’s work to exit special measures, and to respond to Baroness Casey’s damning 2023 review, which found the force was suffering from institutional misogyny, racism and homophobia.
Geraldine Evans, director of Appropriate Adults UK (AAUK), said: "Our role as appropriate adults is essential in safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of vulnerable individuals. This partnership ensures they receive the necessary support to successfully navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system.
“The initiative underscores the shared commitment of MOPAC [the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime], the Met Police, and AAUK to uphold the rights of vulnerable individuals, promoting a standardised approach to service delivery, and guaranteeing that all vulnerable adults receive equal levels of professional care and support.”
