Scottish Child Interview Model is a new approach to joint investigative interviewing which is trauma informed, maintaining the focus upon the needs of the child in the interview and minimising the risk of further traumatisation, whilst seeking to achieve to best evidence through improved planning and interview techniques.

Where a decision is taken during an inter-agency referral discussion on the need for an Investigative Interview, police and social work managers will -

• Identify interviewers to carry out the joint investigative interview.
• Ensure, within the planning of the joint investigative interview, the availability of recording equipment either at a fixed site or utilising mobile recording equipment.
• Provide the child or young person with the opportunity to specify the gender of the lead interviewer in advance of the joint interview taking place in compliance with the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014
• Agree the arrangements for the interview (time/date, location, additional support needs of the child e.g., an interpreter, and parameters)
• Children/young people require to have a full understanding of the JII process in order that they can be supported to engage and participate in the interview. This is the responsibility of the allocated Social Worker / duty Social Worker.
• Ensure the interviewers are briefed, with all the detailed information gathered from relevant agencies to that point to enable them to develop the interview plan, including any additional needs of the child. This will include the development of a written interview plan
• Ensure that the interviewers are given the opportunity to prepare their investigative interview
• Confirm arrangements for the debriefing of interviewers to explore fully and access the information elicited during the interview
• Ensure that a detailed record of all stages is completed, including all decisions made, who was involved in making them and reasons for these decisions. Copies of this record must be kept by police and social work

Briefing and debriefing of interviewers are essential parts of the planning process for an investigative interview and are conducted by a supervising officer from either the social work service or police.

Once the interview and an agreed joint record of its proceedings have been completed, a debriefing session will take place between the interviewers and the managers of social work and/or police overseeing the investigation.

The debriefing session will be documented and both agencies will keep records identifying decisions made, by whom and the reasons for them.

Although the findings from the interview will be discussed during debriefing, any further action will be taken forward by each agency. The social work manager and/or police supervisor conducting the debriefing session will feed back the findings of the interview to each agency, to ensure that information contributes to the child protection investigation process. Police Scotland will progress any suspected criminality.

A joint discussion will take place with all relevant agencies to review all available information and consider the need for any further action e.g., the arrangement of a medical examination or a further interview.

A visual recording of a joint interview provides a far superior record of an interview than ‘verbatim ‘written record. All joint investigative interviews therefore must be visually recorded, unless there are specific reasons why this may be inappropriate, e.g., the alleged offence involved video recording or photography of the child/young person.

The visual recording includes all the pauses, body language and demeanour of the child, the interviewers, and any support person present. As well as the information provided by the child that may be of evidential value, the visual recording will also give a clear impression of how evidence was obtained.

As there is a visual recording of the joint interview, the second interviewer is no longer required to take a verbatim record of the interview. However, the second interviewer will take written notes, recording salient points and details. This will be required to inform the assessment of the child witness, the level of concern and whether any action needs to be taken.

During any journey to the interview, any conversation about the case should be avoided. However, if the child raises issues material to the case, or its circumstances, the conversation should be re-directed to neutral topics.

A comprehensive written record of the conversation during the journey must be made at the earliest opportunity. In addition, this information must be referred to in the recording of the interview. At the conclusion of the interview, both practitioners will agree the written notes/record taken during the interview.