All Age Appropriate Adult Service

Service to provide persons to act as an Appropriate Adult for Vulnerable Adults as well as children and young people who have allegedly committed an offence and require a formal interview and for whom a person with parental responsibility or other appropriate family member cannot be located or declines to attend. All partners support the principles that police custody should be used as little as possible for young people, that when young people enter police custody their specific needs should be identified and met, and that the time they spend in police custody should be as short as possible. The service is commissioned by a partnership of the Dorset Combined Youth Justice Service, Dorset Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s Adult Services as well as their Children’s Services and Dorset Council’s Adult Services and their children’s Services. Dorset Council’s Children’s Services are acting as the lead commissioner.