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Health and Wellbeing
A Health and Well-being Wales Partner

Appropriate Adults Service - Advocacy

Last updated: 25/09/2025
Advocacy This resource can use the Welsh language
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What we do

The Appropriate Adults Service plays a crucial role in the police investigation process, ensuring that the rights and welfare of all vulnerable individuals are protected across the areas covered by South Wales, Dyfed Powys and Gwent Police. While the support provided by Appropriate Adults is short-term, it serves a crucial purpose by advocating for vulnerable individuals and ensuring their protection and fair treatment during a critical phase of legal proceedings, helping to mitigate potential injustices and fostering trust in the justice system.

Who do we support

The service provides support to vulnerable adults across South Wales, Dyfed Powys, and Gwent Police Force areas whenever they need an Appropriate Adult in custody. Our service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round.

The need for an Appropriate Adult is usually decided by staff in the custody unit, such as a custody healthcare professional or a custody officer. Our role is to provide clear, person-focused support to help individuals understand and take part in police processes, including interviews.

This service is for people aged 18+.

Is there a charge to use this service?

No

Can anyone use this service?

Appropriate Adults can be requested for any organisation who are performing interviews under caution such as the Police Forces, HMP Prisons, and other external organisations via Telephone. Adferiad’s Appropriate Adults only attend cases with vulnerable adults. If you would like to request more information or to discuss the referral process with us, please get in contact using the details above.

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 Opening times

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Where do we provide our service?

We will take reasonable steps to ensure the information within the website is as accurate as possible. We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of this information. The contributors themselves maintain their own information and they welcome feedback about the accuracy of the information they provide. Those accessing it are advised to take reasonable steps to consider its content before acting upon it. This could include seeking professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information within our website.

Please note that the results found when searching in English or Welsh on the English and Welsh sides of the website (www.dewis.wales or www.dewis.cymru) will sometimes differ. Providers can (subject to rules around language standards that apply to some provision) choose to enter their information in English only, in Welsh only, or bilingually. Whilst we try to use the technology within the site to limit the impact of their choice, both terminology and the structure of the languages mean that differences in the results produced is sometimes inevitable.

We assume no responsibility for the content of websites linked on our site. Such links are provided for your information only and should not be interpreted as endorsement by us of those linked websites. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources. We reserve the right to reject or remove links to any website if we find the site content inappropriate.

For more information please refer to the full terms and conditions.

Find more well-being information at www.dewis.wales

We will take reasonable steps to ensure the information within the website is as accurate as possible. We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of this information. The contributors themselves maintain their own information and they welcome feedback about the accuracy of the information they provide. Those accessing it are advised to take reasonable steps to consider its content before acting upon it. This could include seeking professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information within our website.

Please note that the results found when searching in English or Welsh on the English and Welsh sides of the website (www.dewis.wales or www.dewis.cymru) will sometimes differ. Providers can (subject to rules around language standards that apply to some provision) choose to enter their information in English only, in Welsh only, or bilingually. Whilst we try to use the technology within the site to limit the impact of their choice, both terminology and the structure of the languages mean that differences in the results produced is sometimes inevitable.

We assume no responsibility for the content of websites linked on our site. Such links are provided for your information only and should not be interpreted as endorsement by us of those linked websites. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources. We reserve the right to reject or remove links to any website if we find the site content inappropriate.

For more information please refer to the full terms and conditions.