In partnership with Social Work Scotland, we're delighted to release a report that provides the background to the development of a model for joint investigative interviewing in Scotland, which has been ongoing since 2017.
This model provides interviewers with the skills to respond to the needs of the child in the interview and minimise the risk of further traumatisation. It involves applying trauma-informed principles of safety, choice, collaboration, trust and empowerment to their planning and practice within the interview.
The report, authored by Calum Frier, Jillian Ingram and Lorrette Nicol, sets out previous interview practice, shares messages from research and describes the Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviews. It details the new model, covering the areas of strategy, planning, action, outcomes, and support and evaluation.
Lorette Nicol from Social Work Scotland commented:
"The last four years have seen significant developments in relation to forensic interviewing of child witnesses and victims of abuse in Scotland. The Scottish Child Interview Model for joint investigative interviews is a trauma informed, best practice model which seeks to secure best evidence for court processes, and to inform assessment of risk to the child and other children. The provisions of non-suggestive support during the investigative interview is key to this process and this paper seeks to explore this in more depth."
The Scottish Child Interview Model for Joint Investigative Interviews and the associated training programme (which lasts seven weeks with further reading and completion of exercises) was first delivered in 2019, and is to be rolled out across Scotland by 2024.
