THE APPROPRIATE Adult Service (TAAS) is encouraging North Wales residents to apply for the role of Appropriate Adult (AA), helping to safeguard the rights and welfare of young people and vulnerable adults in police custody.
An Appropriate Adult is typically a parent, guardian, social worker, or another responsible person aged 18 or over when no suitable person is otherwise available. The role was introduced under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and applies across England and Wales.
The primary purpose of the role is to protect children under 18 and vulnerable adults during police detention, interviews, searches, and identification procedures, ensuring they are treated fairly and understand their rights and entitlements.
TAAS is the largest provider of Appropriate Adult services in the UK, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The organisation has been delivering Appropriate Adult services since 2001, supporting individuals across criminal justice settings nationwide.
The service plays a crucial role in safeguarding detainees’ rights, welfare, and wellbeing, while also helping to ensure that police procedures are carried out properly, fairly and in accordance with PACE.
TAAS’s vision is to be the benchmark for the delivery of Appropriate Adult services across the UK, ensuring that every child and vulnerable adult entering the criminal justice system is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.
Dawn Roberts from Bangor, an Appropriate Adult at TAAS, met with the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner to discuss her motivations.
She said: “In 2021, my son was attacked. When police interviewed him, they asked me to leave because I was his mother and assigned a woman from social services as his Appropriate Adult. At the time, I didn’t know what that meant.”
“It was horrible. I left the Police station, then researched what an AA was. Seeing my son’s fear inspired me to want to be a safe person for others.”
She added that the success of an AA relies on your ability to compartmentalise your work and home life and remain impartial.
She added: “I always say to people, I don’t want to know what you’re accused of. You have to treat everyone the same, whether they’ve committed murder or stolen a packet of Smarties, it’s irrelevant.”
You may often interact with the same person and at times, it can feel like a friendship, but you must remain mindful that it is not.
“Remaining impartial is easy for me, whether they have or haven’t done anything is irrelevant. It is the police’s job to worry about the case. I focus on the person who needs help.
Dawn expressed appreciation for TAAS, recognising the support and flexibility she has received since joining earlier this year.
She explained: “TAAS is an amazing organisation; they are responsive to any queries and provide a lot of support. At the end of each case, you have the opportunity to report if it has impacted you, and they will do their best to help.
“Both of my children are autistic, so I must be available to the school during school hours. The flexibility of TAAS is amazing because I can tell them when I am available, and I can fit jobs in around me. It works perfectly around any lifestyle.”
TAAS is now recruiting Appropriate Adults to support detainees held in North Wales custody suites, including:
- Caernarfon
- St Asaph
- Llay
Applicants should demonstrate patience, a non-judgmental approach, impartiality, empathy, professionalism, excellent listening skills, and clear communication.
Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin praised the work of commissioned service TAAS in helping to maintain key elements of his Police and Crime Plan priorities by ensuring the support of victims and a fair and effective criminal justice system.
PCC Dunbobbin said: “The Appropriate Adult Service plays a vital role in delivering the Police and Crime Plan by protecting vulnerable people, strengthening the fairness and legitimacy of policing, supporting effective criminal justice outcomes, and building public confidence.
“By safeguarding children and vulnerable adults at their most critical point of contact with the police, the service helps ensure that dignity, legality, and compassion remain at the heart of policing in North Wales.”
Applicants must have a full UK driving licence, their own transport, a smartphone, or tablet for app-based forms, and be willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS check.
TAAS embraces diversity. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, neurodiversity, gender reassignment or identity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
To apply directly to us here at TAAS, please click on the link or scan the QR code below.
Application Form – Join The Appropriate Adult Service North – Fill in form
