Juvenile Clients at the Police Station: Attendance Note Essentials

Why juvenile attendances need a distinct approach

Clients under 18 are treated as juveniles for PACE purposes unless they are suspected of a grave crime and treated as an adult under the relevant provisions. The custody record should reflect age, but your note should independently confirm date of birth, age, and whether an appropriate adult is required and present.

Failure to record welfare and safeguard steps is a common audit finding — particularly where interviews proceed in complex family situations or where the appropriate adult's role is unclear.

Appropriate adult: record their role

Record the appropriate adult's name, relationship to the client, and arrival time. Note whether they were present during consultation and interview, and whether you spoke to them separately if needed. If no appropriate adult was available and attendance was delayed, record that — it may be relevant to the admissibility or fairness of later proceedings.

• Client age and date of birth confirmed
• Appropriate adult identity and relationship
• Whether AA present for consultation and interview
• Any communication difficulty or learning need observed
• Welfare checks — food, rest, water, medical needs

Consultation and advice

Juvenile clients may need advice expressed in clear, age-appropriate language. Your note should reflect that advice was tailored — without patronising summaries. Record who was present in consultation, whether the appropriate adult contributed, and whether the client appeared to understand the caution and options.

Interview and outcome

Interview notes for juveniles should include welfare observations — fatigue, distress, requests for breaks — alongside substantive content. Outcome recording should note bail conditions, youth court dates, and any referral to youth offending services where relevant.

What if the client turns 18 during detention?

Record the client's age at the time of arrest and at interview. If status changes during detention, note when and whether safeguards were reviewed. The custody record is authoritative for detention timing, but your note should flag any anomaly you observed.

Should the appropriate adult sign anything?

Practice varies by force and firm. Your attendance note should record what happened in your attendance — whether the AA was consulted, whether they raised concerns, and whether they remained present. Do not assume paper processes at the station match your firm's file requirements.

Are juvenile attendances billed differently?

Police station legal aid billing uses the same fee schemes; complexity may support escape fee claims where time exceeds thresholds. The note must still provide a full time breakdown and justify any escape with activity detail.