Recording ASP interviews

This gives guidance (and an example) of the recording of an ASP interview. The Falkirk guidance for Assessment and Care Management staff (2017) states that if the Police are involved in an interview the Detective Sergeant needs to decide if a verbatim record is needed.

Where an interview takes place without Police involvement it is acceptable to take a summarised record of the interview. The guidance states however there are “minimum requirements” of that summary. These are shown on page 32 of the guidance but are also listed below:

• Date of the interview, the time it begins and the location it is held
• Names and titles/positions of all people attending (including any person accompanying the Council Officer in any capacity)
• That identification of each person has been shown and been explained
• The purpose of the interview is to determine if the person is at risk of harm and needs help with support and protection
• The interviewee has a right not to speak or they can choose to answer all questions or they can choose to answer some but not other questions
• Explanation of the need to take written notes during the interview.
• Any issues that could, in any way relate to whether the person is an adult at risk or whether they have been (or might be) subject to harm will be recorded in full
• Wherever possible actual statements made by the adult that may be evidentially important to helping them receive support and protection will be recorded in full
• That a summary of the interview was provided at the end
• That discussion took place on what actions the Council Officer(s) will or might take following the interview (including consultation with others)
• That discussion (and assessment) of ongoing risk took place

To give an example of this please see the following 3 documents. These are:

• A summary of a fictitious case that required an ASP interview
• An example of a verbatim interview record of the interview
• An example of a summarised interview record – containing the “minimum requirements” that must be recorded in any such interview

CASE STUDY – Jeff Taylor – Practitioner Forum – Wednesday 30 May 2018

SAMPLE – Verbatim Interview – Jeff Taylor – 22 February 2017

SAMPLE – Non Verbatim Interview – Jeff Taylor – 20 February 2017