Appropriate Adult Provision

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025510

I note you seek access to the following information:

Does a local authority provide an appropriate adult service to the Metropolitan Police Service? If so, can you name the local authority?

Does an independent company provide an appropriate adult service to the Metropolitan Police Service? If so, can you name them?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Due to legal constraints and the requirement for all appropriate adults to be independent of the Police Service, the Metropolitan Police does not commission any form of appropriate adult service directly.

These provisions are provided for juveniles or vulnerable adults (both require the provision of appropriate adults under statutory regulations of the Police And Criminal Evidence act 1984) using various options.

These options are provided on a geo-centred basis by Local authorities under their Youth Offending Teams in line with the requirement made by Crime & Disorder act 98 to provide appropriate adults for all children (anyone below the age of 18).

Each Local Authority (LA) can provide this service in a manner that they see fit as such various different options exist with these local authority provisions ranging from volunteers, specialist members of staff or local authority commission services.
Although the statutory provision is not legally mandated for vulnerable adults a tri-party funding agreement exists with the majority of local authorities whereby the National Health Service the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime and Local authorities commission services for appropriate adults for this cohort.

This service provision is primarily directed again by the local authority to ensure the independence of appropriate adult provision is maintained as required by legislation.
As such the Metropolitan police service does not commission or facilitate directly the provision of appropriate adults either for juveniles or vulnerable adults this is provided under statutory provision or tri-party agreement in the main.

Where adhoc service provision is required this is provided utilising the same services used by LA buy paid for on a non contractual basis by the MPS to ensure an independent stance is maintained.