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Information for family and other supporters

This information is for people who have been asked to act as an appropriate adult for someone they know. This might be your child or other family member, your partner, or a friend.  

They might have been arrested, or invited to a voluntary interview. 

You may be feeling confused, overwhelmed, upset, even angry. The information will help you to understand your role and provide them with the best possible support.

What would you like to do first?

Watch a video
Read a guide

Video: Being an appropriate adult

This video explains the role of an appropriate adult in under 10 minutes. 

If your work regularly involves supporting children or vulnerable adults who may be arrested or questioned, we recommend appropriate adult training.

About the video

Video help

In the tool bar under the video:

  • Click the lines to move between 'chapters' in the video
  • Click the four arrows  to watch in full screen mode
  • Click the Vimeo logo to watch on the Vimeo website (or app if you have it)
  • Click "CC" to add closed captions or subtitles (we hope to add more languages)
  • Click the cog to watch in lower quality (to save mobile data)

Want to watch later with no internet connection?

  • Some custody suites don't have a signal
  • While you have a connection, download the Vimeo app from your app store
  • Find the video
  • Click the three dots and then "add to offline"
  • Chapters and subtitles are not available in the app

You can also watch the video on the Vimeo website by:

Give us your feedback

If you are a parent, family member or other supporter who has watched the video, we'd love to hear your feedback.

Fill in the feedback form.

Can my organisation use the video?

Do you represent a police force, charity community group, or other organisation?

If you'd like to use the video in your work, please see our video implementation page for information and resources (including our poster).  

If you are currently acting, or thinking about acting as appropriate adults, you may be interested in membership, training and qualifications. 

In the meantime, we'd love your your feedback on the video. 

Credits

The project was a partnership between Dr Miranda Bevan (funded by the London School of Economics and the Economic and Social Research Council) and the National Appropriate Adult Network.

Ilustration and animation by John Brown and Scott Spencer.

Voice acting by Audionarrative and Jon Wright.

Translations kindly donated by    

Written guides

These guides can be printed or or saved to your device, so you can access them in police custody or a voluntary interview.

If your work regularly involves supporting children or vulnerable adults who may be arrested or questioned, we recommend appropriate adult training.

Our detailed guide

Our recommended guide for anyone who has not had AA training (10 pages).

Being an appropriate adult: an independent guide

Our simple guide

Print double-sided and fold into thirds to make a pocket sized pamphlet (2 pages).

A quick guide to being an appropriate adult

Ein canllaw cyflym

Argraffwch ddwy ochr. lygwch yn draean i wneud pamffled maint poced (2 dudalen)

Canllaw cyflym i oedolion priodol

Need more help?

We know that every situation is unique. We also know there is a need for a national helpline that can provide individual advice. As a very small charity, we don't yet have the capacity to answer individual cases. We are looking at how this kind of support could be provided in future.

However, we have a range of other web pages that may be helpful, including: