Kent & Medway Appropriate Adult (AA) Service

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent would like to invite suppliers to attend a supplier engagement event in relation to an Appropriate Adult (AA) Service for Kent & Medway. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) introduced the provision of Appropriate Adults (AA) to safeguard the interests of vulnerable adults and juveniles suspected of a criminal offence. An AA's role is to ensure that vulnerable people are treated fairly, with respect for their rights and entitlements and that they can understand and participate effectively in criminal proceedings related to the investigation and/or their detention. AAs can also reduce the risk of miscarriages of justice because evidence obtained from vulnerable suspects which, by virtue of their vulnerability, could lead to unsafe convictions. Under PACE the Police have a statutory requirement to provide an AA when dealing with a suspect who is a juvenile or vulnerable adult, but they cannot provide the AA themselves, as they must be independent from the police. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent will be conducting a tender process in May 2025. Prior to the tender publication a supplier engagement event will take place on 29th April 2025 via on-line Teams meeting at 10.00am. This engagement event is to provide an overview of the service requirements, commissioning intentions and timelines for this procurement. Please ensure you express interest so formal invites can be shared, joining instructions will be issued before the event. Please email veronica.o'mahoney@herts.police.uk to register interest.