An unannounced inspection of police custody covering two 24-hour custody suites at Hounslow and Chiswick, as well as an overflow custody suite at Brentford, found areas of good practice but noted a number of improvements must be made.
The report found that relatives or friends were usually called on to act as appropriate adults for children and, when this was not possible, there were reasonable options available, but only during working hours. An appropriate adult is someone who acts to safeguarding the rights and welfare of young people and vulnerable adults in police custody.
Juveniles who could not be bailed were routinely held in police custody overnight. "Records did not always show that [appropriate adults] were present during key stages of custody," the report states.
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