About Us

The Kent Appropriate Adult Service provides accredited volunteers to advise and assist juveniles and vulnerable adults being dealt with under Police and Criminal Evidence Act procedures within the Kent Police Area, when parents or carers cannot attend.

The role of the appropriate adult is:

• to advise the person being questioned;
• to observe whether or not the interview is being conducted properly and fairly;
• to facilitate communication with the person being interviewed.

The service has been operational since 1987 and is provided by the Young Lives Foundation under agreements with Kent County Council and Medway Council.

There is close liaison with the two local authorities and with Kent Police, all of whom are represented on the service’s inter-agency liaison group.

Approximately 20 accredited volunteers are currently available to attend custody suites across Kent and last year the service was used on more than 1700 occasions.

Requests for attendance are made by Kent Police via the Kent County Council contact centre.

For further information please contact us using by telephone or e-mail, or alternatively use the contacts page above.