Eltjo’s volunteering story
Somerset Youth Offending Team (YOT) aims to reduce youth offending. Most of the work of the team is with young people aged 10 to 18 who have been arrested by the police for a crime. YOT also work with families and carers, with victims of the young people concerned, and with their communities. The team includes social workers, psychologists, drugs workers, parenting workers, restorative workers, education workers and volunteers.
To act as an Appropriate Adult Volunteer is to support a young person, ensuring that the detained person for whom they are acting understands what is happening to them and why. They support young people in police custody to safeguard their interests, rights, entitlements, and welfare and ensure that they are treated fairly and can understand the criminal justice process. The Police and Crime Act requires the presence of an ‘appropriate adult’ where the suspect is a young person.
Jenny Oliver, at the Central Volunteer Team, spoke to Eltjo to talk about his experience of being a volunteer with the Youth Offending Team. Eltjo is an Appropriate Adult Volunteer and has been volunteering with this service for six/seven years.
What does your volunteering role involve Eltjo?
My role with the Youth Offending Team involves safeguarding a young person’s rights when they are taken into custody. This can be because they have been arrested or are attending a voluntary police interview. We are brought in if that young person doesn’t have an adult friend or family member who can act as their appropriate adult.
Why did you start volunteering?
When me and my family moved to Somerset in 2015 and were settled in, I fancied doing something with my time whilst I was in between acting jobs. I saw an advert calling out for Appropriate Adults and it sounded interesting. I had a friend with mental health issues who had gone through the process of being in custody and needed somebody there, and although I didn’t know about the role at the time, I felt he needed someone there with him. It all went from there! I applied, had an interview, and went through the training process into the role.
What keeps you volunteering?
It’s just the sense of making sure that I am there for the young person and ensuring that procedures are being done properly; seeing how they are, and being treated with fairness, and understanding where they are coming from. We have all done silly things in our youth, so it is a chance to find a connection without prejudging and lecturing. Some have been in the situation several times, but it can still very daunting for them. I think I generally make a good connection with the young people; and as a team we have very good relationships with the custody staff, officers, and solicitors. It has become part of my life from which I keep learning from. Sometimes I get calls often and sometimes they are few and in-between, but I am there as and when required.
What is your favourite thing about volunteering?
For me it’s being that point of safety for that young person during that time, to ensure that they are treated properly, ensure they understand what is happening and to get them through it as quickly as we can although it is a big system. Also, to make sure that they are treated like a human being.
What difference has volunteering made to you? For example, making new friends or enhancing your skills.
Loads! I understand a lot more, and continue to learn about, so many things! How the criminal justice system works; mental health issues in society; the problems people face that have arisen due to a lack of investment and actual understanding of their needs. It gives me a glimpse into people’s lives and their circumstances. I have found that there are way more complexities that lead up to a situation where a young person ends up being arrested than headlines and soundbites portray.
What would you say to someone who has never volunteered?
Ask and find out more. There is lots of advice available such as the National Appropriate Adult Network online. Contact the Youth Justice Team volunteer lead. I would also suggest speaking to a couple of different volunteers, as we all have different experiences and viewpoints, we are all cogs in a wider machine, but we are all different. What I get and what I see may well be different from my other volunteering colleagues.
Can you think of a good strapline to describe your volunteering?
Safeguarding, respect, rights and personal wellbeing, without prejudgment.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I would say that I am very fortunate to be part of the Youth Justice Team as a volunteer: they are brilliant, very helpful, supportive, and always listen to you if you have ideas. They are always open to suggestions – for example this may be better or work better, do we need this, and have we thought about this etc. if it helps improve the service we give. For example, I once suggested that we look at the gender section of the report form, as whilst a person may look physically male or female, they may self- identify differently, so a new box was added in. The staff of Somerset’s Youth Justice Team are totally open to that, as well as providing further training and things that are needed to ensure that we keep improving the service we give. They are a good, hard working team of professionals, and are excellent to volunteer for and give support when needed.
Could you help this team? You can find this role and others here. What are you waiting for!