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JOINT INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEW TRAINING

ANNUAL REPORT

Introduction Welcome to the 2008/2009 Joint Investigative Interview Training (JIIT) Annual Report. In this report I will outline the changes and additions to JIIT over the last 12 months and detail key areas and future areas of work. The Joint Investigative Interview Training (JIIT) course based at Strathclyde Police Force Training and Recruitment Centre (FTRC) at Jackton started in June 2002. The purpose of the training is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct joint investigative interviews with children in a child centred manner and in accordance with evidential requirements. On 2-4-07 Mark O’Donnell, social worker, started a two year secondment to the newly created post of Joint Investigative Interview Training (JIIT) Coordinator. Although employed by the West of Scotland Chairs the JIIT Coordinator is based in the Detective Training Department of Strathclyde Police FTRC at Jackton. The main duties of the post relate to the facilitation and administration of all aspects of the JIIT courses. In April 2009 it was agreed that Mr O’Donnell should continue in this post for a further 2 year secondment. In August 2008 DC Angela McLellan was appointed as the JIIT Police Coordinator. DC McLellan who is also based at Detective Training in Jackton coordinates and facilitates the police side of the JIIT courses 5 Day JIIT Course The 5 day JIIT course is open to the 12 local authorities that made up the old Strathclyde Region and to Dumfries and Galloway Council and the West of Scotland Standby service. The Police allocation is made up of the 8 Divisions that make up Strathclyde Police, the Serious Crime Squad, British Transport Police, the Ministry of Defence Police and Dumfries and Galloway Police. Between April 08 and March 09 there have been 14 JIIT courses. Two extra courses were added to provide basic 5 day JIIT to police and social work managers. In total 221 participants have been trained of whom 138 were social workers and 83 police officers.

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Places are allocated to each local authority by the calendar year. The table below shows the allocation and take up of places by local authority between Jan 08 and December 08.

LOCAL AUTHORITY ALLOCATED PLACES TAKE UP

GLASGOW 27 31 NORTH LANARKSHIRE 12 13 SOUTH LANARKSHIRE 12 12 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE 9 7 RENFREWSHIRE 9 8 INVERCLYDE 9 9 DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY 9 9 ARGYLL & BUTE 9 7 EAST DUNBARTONSHIRE 6 6 EAST RENFREWSHIRE 6 9 EAST AYRSHIRE 6 6 NORTH AYRSHIRE 6 8 SOUTH AYRSHIRE 6 6 WEST OF SCOT STAND-BY 6 7

The course is facilitated by the 2 JIIT Coordinators and a police and SW tutor drawn from the 8 divisions and the local authorities respectively. The external tutors are now only required to assist on days 3&4 of the course which consist of the practice element. There are a range of guest speakers who continue to provide invaluable inputs to the course. Margaret McKinnon and Rachel Murray, both Forensic Psychologists, deliver the Child Development input, Joe Nee, Psychologist, delivers the input on the Dynamics of Abuse, Jim Wallace, Solicitor Advocate, delivers the defence agent input. The Scottish Reporters Administration, The Procurator Fiscal Service and Sherriff Dixon, Sherriff Platt, and Sherriff Herald also provide inputs and assist in the court practical on the final day of the course. The course is well attended and continues to be very well evaluated both in formal and in informal evaluation.

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2 Day JIIT Development Course The 2 day JIIT Development course was introduced in June 08 and has since been run a further 3 times. A total of 53 participants have been trained, 32 of whom were social workers and 21 police officers. The development course is open to all those who have completed the 5 day course and are still involved in joint investigative interviews. The course consists of 10 social workers and 10 police officers and will be run 6 times a year. 1 Day Managers Course The 1 day JIIT Managers course was introduced in June 08 and has since been run a further 3 times. A total of 42 participants have been trained 32 of whom were social work managers and 10 police managers. The Managers course is open to all managers who have completed the 5 day JIIT course and who are currently involved in managing joint investigative interviews. The course consists of 12 social work managers and 4 police managers and will be run 6 times a year. Key Areas of Work The main duties of the JIIT Coordinator relate to the facilitation and administration of all aspects of the JIIT courses. The main areas of work are outlined below:- 1. To carry out all tasks in relation to preparing for the monthly 5 day JIIT and the Development and Managers courses. This involves liaising with the 13 local authorities and West of Scotland Standby regarding the nomination of participants and the provision of tutors. The JIIT coordinators are also the lead SW/police tutors on each course providing continuity and consistency of tutor input. An evaluation report is provided for each course to monitor quality and effectiveness. The course has also been revised and updated in line with recent developments. 2. To organise and facilitate the Link Representatives meetings and the joint meetings of all the police/social work tutors, who meet every 6 months. This enables effective liaison with partner agencies 3. To gather and retain information about social workers who have attended the course. The names of all the social work students who have been on the course since it started in June 2002 have been collated and are now recorded. Up to March 09 there have been 784 social workers trained in joint investigative interviewing. The names of all participants who complete each course are recorded on a data base.

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This means that local authorities can contact the JIIT Coordinator to check if new employees have been trained in JIIT at Jackton.The JIIT Coordinator has sent each local authority an up to date list of employees trained in the 3 JIIT courses up to March 09. 4. A workplace evaluation has been completed The aim of the workplace evaluation was to measure what impact the training has on performance in the workplace, specifically to measure improvement (or otherwise) of;

• Understanding and ability in terms of aims and learning outcomes • Practical benefits • Skills in key competences

The JIIT Coordinator provided Mr Harry Pearson, Quality and Standards Unit at FTRC with information regarding the course. He then produced a questionnaire which was sent to a sample of those who had completed the Course between 6 months and a year previously and their line managers. A total of 102 questionnaires were distributed, 49 to police officers and 53 to social work staff. The resulting report found that: ‘ ....there is clear evidence that this training is well-designed, targeted, relevant and highly effective. It is proved to play a direct and major role in producing practitioners who are able to operate effectively and efficiently in this difficult and sensitive area.’ A copy of the JIIT Workplace Evaluation Report can be obtained from the JIIT Coordinator. 5. The implementation of Visual Recording Both JIIT coordinators have been involved in assessing the suitability of premises for locating the visual recording of joint investigative interviews. A short training programme has also been developed to brief existing workers about the use of visual recording and the changes to interview practice this will entail. It is expected that this will be extended to all areas as the roll out of VR continues 6. Review of joint investigative interviews. The JIIT Coordinators have organised and facilitated reviews of visually recorded interviews about which concerns have been raised. Future Work The following is a list of future and ongoing work

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a. The main work of the post will continue to be carrying out all tasks in relation to the administration and facilitation of the 3 JIIT courses. This will involve continued liaison with the 13 local authorities and Standby via the Link Representatives and Tutor meetings. b. The JIIT Coordinator will continue to update all courses regarding new developments. This may include incorporating changes to the course in line with the roll out of the visual recording of interviews. It may also involve developing extra training/briefings to social work/police staff. c. The implementation of Visual Recording. The JIIT Coordinators will attend all local and national groups in relation to the roll out of the visual recording of interviews and feed information back through the Link Reps group and the Tutors Group. They will also continue to give support and advice regarding the identification of suitable premises for visual recording. The JIIT Coordinators will also facilitate additional training to each area regarding the requirements of visual recording. d. Joint Investigative Interview Quality Control. An area of ongoing debate centres on how to assess the quality of joint investigative interviews currently being carried out. Discussions have taken place at the Link Representatives meeting about developing a framework for assessing the quality of joint investigative interviews and how they are recorded. The JIIT steering group has agreed that a sub group of the Link Reps group can be set up to move this forward. e. New Guidance on interviewing child witnesses. The consultation period for the new guidance has now ended and it is anticipated that the new guidance will be published shortly. All JIIT courses will be need to be updated and consideration given to retraining existing practitioners on any changes to interview practice. Conclusion The workplace evaluation is evidence that the 5 day JIIT course provides effective and well designed training to police and social workers regarding the interviewing of children. The 2 new courses aimed at practitioners and managers are still evolving but early evaluations are very positive. The rollout of visual recording of joint investigative interviews will lead to greater scrutiny of interviews. The JIIT coordinators will continue to assist and support this process and provide appropriate training as required. The imminent publication of new updated guidance on interviewing child witnesses will lead to changes in interview practice which will be reflected in the existing JIIT courses.

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