ICV- Lived Experience

My name’s Jaimie, and I cover the Telford and Shrewsbury custody blocks. 

I’ve been volunteering as an Independent Custody Visitor with the Shropshire Panel for 17 years now. 

I wanted to become an ICV because I think it’s really important that people in custody are treated fairly, respectfully, and safely. I also feel strongly that the public should have an independent presence within the custody environment. It felt like a meaningful way to support both the community and accountability in policing. 

I also think it’s important that people have confidence in our police and custody facilities. Part of the ICV role is helping show that custody blocks are well looked after, professionally run, and focused on welfare and safety. Obviously, custody isn’t somewhere anyone wants to be, but people should still be treated with dignity and respect while they’re there. 

My favourite part of the role has been seeing firsthand the work that goes into custody care and welfare. I’ve also enjoyed meeting lots of different people and feeling like, even in a small way, I’m helping to maintain transparency and trust between the police and the public. 

One of the most rewarding parts of the role is knowing that sometimes we can help highlight things that need attention or improvement. It’s reassuring to know that our visits and observations can genuinely help support positive standards within custody. 

I think good communication skills are really important, along with empathy, fairness, and the ability to stay calm and professional. Being open-minded and approachable also helps, as every custody visit can be different. 

If you’re thinking about becoming an ICV, I’d say go for it. It’s a really interesting and worthwhile role, and you don’t need to be an expert or have a policing background. If you care about fairness, people, and your community, it’s a great opportunity to make a difference and learn something new at the same time. 

My name’s Tony and I’ve been volunteering as an Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) for four years.  

I decided to become an ICV after a personal bad experience in custody, and I was determined that didn’t happen to others. I also wanted to give something back to society. 

My favourite aspect of the job is seeing how well people are treated by the custody staff. 

I love doing what I do and would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of volunteering.  It’s enormously rewarding and not a drain on your time as visits can be worked around your schedule. 

You need to be objective and possess good communication skills. Having empathy is also high on the list, as is being able to make an assessment of someone’s situation to determine if any action is needed. 

I’ve been volunteering at Hereford Custody Suite for more than 15 years. 

I joined out of curiosity initially, and I wanted to develop my personal skills and become a team player.  

My favourite part of volunteering as an ICV is building on those skills and making a difference to those people who find themselves in custody. 

I think the key skills needed to do the role are being a good listener, a team player, and being non-judgemental. 

An ability to challenge staff when the need arises is also important, as is being able to walk into the custody suite confidently and openly. 

I think for anyone thinking about becoming an ICV, think not just about what you can bring to the role but also how much the role can bring to you.  

It’s made a tremendous difference to my life and who knows what it might bring to yours. 

I’ve been volunteering as an Independent Custody Visitor in Worcester for three months, including shadowing visits whilst training.  

I wanted to do something useful as a volunteer, but also something that was a change from my original career in education.  

I heard about the ICV role from a friend, and it fitted perfectly with my other commitments, as well as feeling useful and interesting.  

I find my favourite part of the role has been gaining an understanding of how the custody system works and finding that a vulnerable adult in custody was well-supported and their needs were met.  

I think an ICV needs to be alert, interested and inquisitive but also open-minded. They need to be understanding of the difficult roles carried out by the police and non-judgemental in considering the detainees and the circumstances that have led to their detention.  

If someone is thinking of becoming an ICV volunteer, I would say try it. It is interesting and worthwhile. It opens your eyes to a whole system that is unseen. 

As visits are always made by two people, meeting other ICVs is also an important and interesting part of the role.