Independent Custody Visiting Scheme Annual Report 2022/23

Report reference number:: 148-23
Classification:: Not protectively marked
Title of report:: Independent Custody Visiting Scheme Annual Report 2022/23
Area of county / stakeholders affected:: Countywide
Report by:: Katarzyna Grabka (ICV and Animal Welfare Scheme Manager)
Date of report:: 26 September 2023
Enquiries to:: Katarzyna Grabka (ICV and Animal Welfare Scheme Manager)

1. Executive Summary

1.1 The purpose of this report is for the Commissioner to approve the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme for Essex Annual Report for 2022/23 attached at Appendix 1.

2. Recommendations

2.1 It is recommended that the Commissioner approves the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme for Essex Annual Report 2022/23 attached at Appendix 1.

3. Background to the Proposal

3.1 The Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) Scheme was developed in 2012 and is based on the Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody Visiting published pursuant to section 51(6) of the Police Reform Act 2002 dated March 2013. The ICV Scheme is supported by more detailed national standards that expand on the relevant visiting procedures and set out established good practice.

3.2 In 2018 the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) introduced a voluntary quality assurance framework (QAF) in which the ICV Scheme in Essex is participating. One of the requirements of the Home Office Code of Practice, the Independent Custody Visiting National Standards and to achieve a Silver award (the PFCC’s current level of accreditation) against the QAF is either to include a specific section on the ICV Scheme in the PFCC’s overarching Annual Report, or to publish a bespoke ICV Annual Report on the PFCC’s website.

3.3 Previous ICV Annual Reports have been published on the PFCC’s website and are cited by the public when they contact the ICV Scheme.

4. Proposal and Associated Benefits

4.1 The Essex ICV Scheme Annual Report will be published on the PFCC’s website, supporting the Commissioner’s effective scrutiny of Essex Police and transparency of the provision for the public.

4.2 Approval of the recommendation will also ensure the PFCC’s continued compliance with the Home Office Code of Practice, National Standards and ICVA QAF requirements relating to ICV schemes, as discussed above.

5. Options Analysis

5.1 We could decide not to produce and publish a dedicated annual report for the ICV scheme and simply make a brief reference to the ICV scheme in the PFCC’s main annual report, to fulfil our statutory obligation. However, this would not be best practice and is not recommended. It is unlikely that the content relating to the ICV Scheme in the overarching annual report would meet the standards expected within the ICVA QAF, which may result in the PFCC losing their Silver accreditation for the ICV Scheme.

6. Consultation and Engagement

6.1 We have worked with Essex Police and our Independent Custody Visitors to produce some of the information contained within the report.

7. Strategic Links

7.1 Provision of the ICV scheme is a statutory responsibility of the PFCC. It also supports effective governance of Essex Police by providing independent checks on detainees and allows public transparency of that process.

8. Police operational implications

8.1There are no direct operational policing implications arising from this report, although the annual report does refer to operational matters within police custody suites.

9. Financial implications

9.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from the publication of this annual report.

10. Legal Implications

10.1 As set out in section 3 above, it is a requirement of the Home Office Code of Practice, the Independent Custody Visiting National Standards and to achieve a Silver award (the PFCC’s current level of accreditation) against the ICVA QAF either to include a specific section on the ICV Scheme in the PFCC’s overarching Annual Report, or to publish a bespoke ICV Annual Report on the PFCC’s website.

10.2 The content of the proposed Annual Report 2022/23 attached at Appendix 1 reflects guidance produced by the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

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11. Staffing implications

11.1 There are no direct staffing implications arising from publishing this annual report.

12. Equality and Diversity implications

12.1 The publication of this annual report is not expected to disadvantage any individual with a protected characteristic.

12.2 The proposed annual report attached for approval at Appendix 1 compares the demographic profile of our ICVs with the population of Essex and sets out our ambition and plans to make the scheme ore representative of the local community going forward.

13. Risks and Mitigations

13.1For the reasons discussed elsewhere in this report, there is a reputational risk associated with not publishing an annual report for 2022/23.

14. Governance Boards

14.1 This report was discussed and approved in principle at the PFCC’s Senior Management Team (SMT) meeting on 28 September 2023.

15.Links to Future Plans

15.1 The ICV scheme for Essex will be re-assessed under the ICVA Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) in September / October 2023. The publication of this annual report will provide required evidence of our continued performance against the QAF at the Silver level.