Lancashire’s Independent Custody Visiting Scheme Earns National Silver Award

The scheme, managed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, enables trained volunteers from local communities, known as Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs), to make regular unannounced visits to police custody suites across Lancashire. During these visits, volunteers independently monitor the welfare, rights, entitlements, and treatment of detainees, helping to ensure they are treated fairly, lawfully and with dignity.

Their findings provide valuable independent scrutiny and are reported to Police and Crime Commissioners, Mayors and equivalent bodies across the UK, supporting accountability and public confidence in policing.

ICVA, the national organisation that supports and represents Independent Custody Visiting Schemes, assesses schemes against a quality assurance framework designed to measure compliance with the national code of practice and promote continuous improvement.

This is the third year the framework has been used to recognise outstanding performance across the country. At a ceremony in London on 8 July, Lancashire’s scheme was awarded Silver status in recognition of its strong performance and commitment to independent oversight.

Welcoming the award, Clive Grunshaw, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, said:

“I am delighted that Lancashire’s Independent Custody Visiting Scheme has received this Silver Award, recognising the outstanding commitment of our volunteers and staff.

“We have 37 Independent Custody Visitors across Lancashire who play a crucial role in promoting transparency and accountability within police custody suites. Last year they carried out 174 visits across four custody suites, unannounced to provide valuable independent scrutiny, helping to ensure detainees are treated fairly, lawfully and with dignity, while strengthening public trust and confidence in policing.

“This award reflects the dedication and professionalism of our volunteers, who give their time to support effective oversight of custody arrangements across Lancashire. I would like to thank every Independent Custody Visitor for their continued commitment and invaluable contribution.”

Dame Anne Owers, Chair of ICVA, said:

“Once again, these awards show the value and importance of independent custody visiting, with even more schemes being awarded the top ‘platinum’ grading. This also reflects the crucial work that ICVA does, in providing support and training for volunteers and schemes across the country.”

Sherry Ralph, Chief Executive at ICVA said:

“The Quality Assurance Framework represents a significant and growing commitment from schemes to ensure that independent custody visiting is regularly reviewed, improvements are made where needed, and excellent practice is shared. This year, we have also strengthened our approach by introducing a greater focus on volunteer voices, ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of Independent Custody Visitors are embedded within schemes and reflected in assessments, particularly at the higher levels of the framework. I congratulate schemes on their accomplishments and thank them for their continued dedication and commitment.”