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Welcome Message from the Chair of the IAP, Lord Toby Harris
Welcome to the official website of the Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody. The IAP will play an important role in helping to shape government policy in this area through the provision of independent advice and expertise to the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody. The remit of the Council covers deaths, which occur in prisons, in or following police custody, immigration detention, the deaths of residents of approved premises and the deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA) in hospital. The principles and lessons learned as part of this work will also apply to the deaths of those detained under the Mental Capacity Act in hospital.
Ministers appointed me as the inaugural Chair of the IAP in December 2008, followed by the six independent Panel members in April 2009, who were selected for their experience and expertise in matters connected with deaths in custody. The Ministerial Council will be operating initially for a period of three years, after which time a review will be undertaken to determine the effectiveness of these arrangements. We face an enormous challenge ahead of us, but also an opportunity to work with the Ministerial Board to strive to bring about a continuing and sustained reduction in the number and rate of deaths in all forms of state custody in England and Wales.
The IAP will be supported by a small Secretariat team who will act as a central point for sharing learning and information about means of preventing deaths in custody. The Secretariat will also be responsible for maintaining this website, will produce an annual report outlining the Panel’s progress and successes at the end of each financial year and issue regular communications to provide an update on the work of the IAP, new developments and lessons learned.
The Secretariat have established a Stakeholder and Practitioner Group, which will support the work of the IAP by providing input into the Panel’s ad hoc working groups. Most of the time, this will be a ‘virtual’ group, but the intention will be for all of its members to be brought together at an annual event. It is particularly important that operational staff from the different custody sectors are represented on this group to ensure that recommendations produced by the IAP are grounded in practical reality and I would encourage interested parties to contact the Secretariat for further information about the group.
The Panel are keen to hear from families who have been affected by the death of a relative within state custody. Although the Panel are unable to investigate or comment on individual cases, we are very interested to hear their views on where the IAP’s focus could be most effective in terms of meeting the needs of bereaved families.
I want the work of the IAP to be as transparent and inclusive as possible. The intention is that everyone with an interest in preventing deaths in custody should have the opportunity to contribute to this work. The IAP is committed to consulting and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in order to collect, analyse and disseminate relevant information about deaths in custody and the lessons that can be learned from them. The aim is that as this website develops, it will be used as a resource for those working within the different custodial sectors to share good practice and learning on preventing and reducing the number of deaths in custody.
I hope that anyone accessing the site feels free to contact the Secretariat team who will answer any questions and ensure that comments are passed onto myself and the other members of the Panel. I hope that you find this website useful and I look forward to receiving your views and input over the next two years. Thank you for taking the time to visit the site.

Downloads
- Physical-Control-in-Care-Training-Manual Oct 2010
- NOMS Personal ProtectionTraining Manual 2010
- NCI into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness Annual Report July 2010
- MoJ Safety in Custody 2009 Statistics Bulletin
- Learning the Lessons June 2010
- MoJ Safety in Custody Statistics 2008 -2009
- PPO Deaths from Circulatory Diseases Nov 2010
- NOMS Safer Custody News January-February 2010
- PPO Fatal Incidents Report March 2010
- PPO Bereaved Families Report 2009
- PPO Annual Report 2010-2011
- IPCC Report on Deaths during or following police contact 2010 - 11
- NCI into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness Annual Report 2011
- NCI into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness Annual Report 2011
- Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody Newsletter July 2011
- Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin 2010
- Reporting of Deaths in Custody July 2011
- Learning the Lessons July 2011
- Register of Interests
- Letter to Secretary of State for Justice Dec 2010
- Vulnerable adults in police custody
- Mental health awareness training for police officers
- Self-harming behaviour in police custody
- NACRO's new responses to vulnerable children in trouble - Improving youth justice
- Wandsworth HMCIP Report Aug 2011
- Transfer from custody of young people under the Menatal Health Act
- INQUEST Briefing on Coronial Reform March 2011
- IAP Minutes May 2011 Meeting
- PPO Report on Violence Reduction, Bullying and Safety October 2011
- Appendix 6 - STC and SCH deaths 2000 to 2010
- Appendix 5 - Prison deaths 2000 to 2010
- Appendix 4 - Immigration Removal Centre deaths 2000 to 2010
- Appendix 3 - Approved Premises deaths 2000 to 2010
- Appendix 2 - Secure Mental Health deaths 2000 to 2010
- Appendix 1 - Police deaths 2000 to 2010
- IAP Statistical Analysis of All Recorded Deaths in State Custody Between 2000 and 2010
- Independent investigation into the case of 'JL'
- Coroners report into case of 'JL'
- Initial NOMS response to 'JL' report
- IAP Deaths in Custody Parliamentary Log
- Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd Review of Medical Theories of Restraint Deaths
- NOMS response to JL Investigation Report
- Public hearing investigation report into case of JL'
- Delays in DiC Inquests - IAP Cross Sector Learning
- IAP on Deaths in Custody Newsletter November 2011
- Progress Report on IAP's Working Groups Feb 2010
- Review of Rule 43 and Narrative Reports on Restraint Deaths
- IAP Minutes September 2011 Meeting
- IAP Minutes 7 December 2011 Meeting
- QTLB - Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork Dec 2011
- Bromley Briefing December 2011
- Bulletin of the Eighth Ministerial Board 18 October 2011
- IAP Workstream Paper on Article 2 Compliant Investigations
- Response to JL investigation report
- IAP 2nd Family Listening Day Mental Health
- Family Listening Day - follow up letter
- Written Ministerial Statement - Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody
- IAP recommendations list
- IAP end of term report February 2012
- IAP Listening Day Report
- IAP Deaths in Custody Parliamentary Log
- QTLB - Increased Risks in Young Offenders & Young People 10
- IAP on Deaths in Custody E-bulletin March 2012



