Registered intermediaries’ assessment of children’s communication: An exploration of aims and processes

Collins, Kimberly and KRAHENBUHL, Sarah (0200) Registered intermediaries’ assessment of children’s communication: An exploration of aims and processes. The International Journal of Evidence & Proof. ISSN 1365-7127

Text Evidence and proof accepted (6).docx - AUTHOR'S ACCEPTED Version (default) Available under License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Download (92kB)

Abstract or description

Following the implementation of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 for England and Wales, Registered Intermediaries have been available to assist child witness communication in legal proceedings since 2004. Registered Intermediaries are given training to fulfil this role. However, their assessments and practices are conducted independently. This study examined Registered Intermediaries’ perceptions and experiences of this independent practice, and the impact this had on the quality of the legal process in terms of evidential quality, child witness experiences and engagement. Seventeen experienced and currently active Registered Intermediaries with a range of communication specialisms took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Six main themes emerged from the data: assessment constraints and requirements, essential elements of the assessment process, why the assessment process is effective, ensuring recommendations are followed through, pressures and barriers, and practice development. The Registered Intermediaries stressed the need for further training for themselves as well as for legal professionals, and emphasised the benefits of working as a team throughout the assessment and legal process.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage Publishing in The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, available online: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1365712720952335
Uncontrolled Keywords:	assessment, children, communication, registered intermediaries
Faculty:	School of Life Sciences and Education > Psychology
Depositing User:	Sarah KRAHENBUHL
Date Deposited:	14 Sep 2020 10:00
Last Modified:	24 Feb 2023 14:00
URI:	https://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/id/eprint/6548

Actions (login required)

View Item