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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 on Deaths in Custody, of which the IAP forms one tier, has been subject to an evaluation to determine whether the current arrangements should continue after March 2012.  I am pleased to report that Ministers have approved continuation of the Council for a further three years, and to reappoint the individual Panel members for terms of either two and three years. 

The  IAP  is supported by a small Secretariat team which acts as the central point for sharing learning  and information about means of preventing deaths in custody.  The Secretariat is also responsible for producing  report’s outlining the Panel’s  progress and successes at the end of each term and issues 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  supports the work of the IAP by providing input into the Panel’s projects.  The majority of the time it will be a ‘virtual’ group, but the intention will be for all of its members to be brought together at regular stakeholder consultation events held by the IAP.  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 of our work.  Thank you for taking the time to visit the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downloads

• Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody E-Bulletin March 2012
• QTLB - Increased Risks in Young Offenders & Young People - Issue 10
• IAP 2nd Family Listening Day Report September 2011
• IAP end of term report February 2012
• IAP recommendations list
• Written Ministerial Statement - Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody
• Family Listening Day - follow up letter
• IAP 2nd Family Listening Day Mental Health
• Response to JL investigation report
• IAP Workstream Paper on Article 2 Compliant Investigations
• Bulletin of the Eighth Ministerial Board 18 October 2011
• Bromley Briefing December 2011
• QTLB - Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork - Issue 9
• IAP Minutes 7 December 2011 Meeting
• IAP Minutes 7 September 2011 Meeting
• Review of Rule 43 and Narrative Reports on Restraint Deaths
• Progress Report on IAP's Working Groups Feb 2010
• Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody E-Bulletin November 2011
• Delays in DiC Inquests - IAP Cross Sector Learning
• Public hearing investigation report into case of JL'
• NOMS response to JL Investigation Report
• Caring Solutions (UK) Ltd Review of Medical Theories of Restraint Deaths
• Initial NOMS response to 'JL' report
• Coroners report into case of 'JL'
• Independent investigation into the case of 'JL'
• IAP Statistical Analysis of All Recorded Deaths in State Custody Between 2000 and 2010
• Appendix 1 - Police deaths 2000 to 2010
• Appendix 2 - Secure Mental Health deaths 2000 to 2010
• Appendix 3 - Approved Premises deaths 2000 to 2010
• Appendix 4 - Immigration Removal Centre deaths 2000 to 2010
• Appendix 5 - Prison deaths 2000 to 2010
• Appendix 6 - STC and SCH deaths 2000 to 2010
• PPO Report on Violence Reduction, Bullying and Safety October 2011
• IAP Minutes 17 May 2011 Meeting
• INQUEST Briefing on Coronial Reform March 2011
• Transfer from custody of young people under the Menatal Health Act
• Wandsworth HMCIP Report Aug 2011
• NACRO's new responses to vulnerable children in trouble - Improving youth justice
• Self-harming behaviour in police custody
• Mental health awareness training for police officers
• Vulnerable adults in police custody
• Letter to Secretary of State for Justice Dec 2010
• Learning the Lessons July 2011
• Reporting of Deaths in Custody July 2011
• Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin 2010
• Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody E-Bulletin July 2011
• 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
• IPCC Report on Deaths during or following police contact 2010 - 11
• PPO Annual Report 2010-2011
• PPO Bereaved Families Report 2009
• PPO Fatal Incidents Report March 2010
• NOMS Safer Custody News January-February 2010
• PPO Deaths from Circulatory Diseases Nov 2010
• MoJ Safety in Custody Statistics 2008 -2009
• Learning the Lessons June 2010
• MoJ Safety in Custody 2009 Statistics Bulletin
• NCI into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness Annual Report July 2010
• NOMS Personal ProtectionTraining Manual 2010
• Physical-Control-in-Care-Training-Manual Oct 2010