Provision of an Appropriate Adult Service

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice require vulnerable adults detained in Police custody, or interviewed voluntarily, to be supported by an Appropriate Adult.

Funding of £36K per annum has been identified and will be available for the contract, if required.

Local Authority adult social care has historically been the source of Appropriate Adults for vulnerable adults. In 2018, Local Authorities in Cheshire announced they would be withdrawing their resources from Appropriate Adult provision for adults in custody, and have confirmed it is no longer a statutory requirement for the Local Authorities to provide this service and as such an alternative arrangement must be sourced. This Procurement is for the provision of an Appropriate Adult for adults only as requirements for children will continue to be serviced by the Local Authorities.

The proposed duration of the Contract will be a two [2] year initial term with the option to extend for a further one [1] year period.

It is the intention that the service provider will establish a fully managed Appropriate Adult Service for vulnerable adults to be delivered across Cheshire at the following Custody Suites in Runcorn, Middlewich & Blacon and various Designated Vulnerable Adult Suites.

Minimum requirements for this Service include:

• Guaranteed availability of an Appropriate Adult to attend every day between 0700-0000 hours when required;
• Guaranteed availability of an Appropriate Adult via telephone 24hrs per day, 365/366 days per year;
• 24 hours per day, 365/366 days per year single point of contact for booking of the Appropriate Adult Service;
• Robust management resources to ensure effective and efficient running of the service, rota management and to meet the reporting requirements of the PCC;
• Suitable, secure IT systems to accurately record requests for service and details of client contracts, and provide monthly contract monitoring and budgetary information, in line with a Service Level Agreement to be agreed between the service provider and PCC upon contract award