I saw that Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind were advertising for the role of Appropriate Adult and I had also read about other Appropriate Adults experiences of volunteering with Mind through Volun-tees so decided to apply.

No two days as an Appropriate Adult are ever the same that’s for sure! I may get called to the police station for 15 minutes or I could be there for the full shift.  Each day is unpredictable and that is what I enjoy about volunteering as an Appropriate Adult in custody, you never know what you are going to be faced with and I love a challenge.

Through Volunteering I am more sympathetic towards people who have learning disabilities or mental health regardless of the circumstances surrounding the need for an Appropriate Adult in custody. Empathy is also what is needed for this role and I personally think I show this a lot more now through volunteering within this role than before I started volunteering.

There are so many skills you can develop through Volunteering.  Communication is a big skill you develop in this role as you need to be able to communicate with various individuals who all have either mental health issues or learning disabilities. Alongside communication I would say that listening plays a big part in this role as well. Service users want you to listen to them and be able to offer the correct help they are asking for.

My advice to potential volunteers is to expect the unexpected. Volunteering as an Appropriate Adult is nothing like you would see on Television and neither is the set up of police custody and how it runs/functions. Go in with an open mind.

When I leave University I’m looking at a range of options, but working with the Probation Service is my ideal goal.

I would definitely recommend using the Volun-tees system.   I found that it really simple and efficient and as soon as I had applied for this role through Volun-tees I had an interview and began the role of an Appropriate within weeks.