MONITORING METHODOLOGY It is always useful to have at least one monitor with a legal background within the team. The presence of a health professional may also be of particular importance where cases of torture or ill treatment may be reported and/or to access to medical files and/or to facilitate the contacts with the medical staff members with respect to medical confidentiality. In addition, the following fields of expertise could usefully complete the team: child rights and in particular juvenile justice, social work, education / pedagogy, criminology, child psychology and/or (pedo-) psychiatry, etc. Notwithstanding the abovementioned special expertise and competences, a monitor should also always remember that using common sense is always valuable when conducting monitoring visits. The composition of the team must also reflect gender equity and it should, as far as possible, integrate the ethnical, linguistic and regional background of the group of children held in the visited facility. The inclusion of a former child-detainee may also be considered with the added value of his/her own experience of deprivation of liberty. Training The initial training of monitors should ideally cover the following elements: ʺʺ the (national, regional and international) legal framework of children deprivation of liberty; ʺʺ the basic principles of monitoring See – Section 3.4. – p.37; ʺʺ the key needs, issues and problems as well as their potential causes related to deprivation of liberty of children and child protection policy; ʺʺ the connections between social exclusion and deprivation of liberty; ʺʺ the ethical principles, skills of communicating with children and techniques of interviewing children in a context of deprivation of liberty; ʺʺ the methodology to practically conduct a monitoring visit and interview staff members and directors of places where children are deprived of their liberty; ʺʺ the methods to formulate and address reports and recommendations. The need for ongoing training is fundamental. It ensures awareness of the last developments and necessary knowledge and skills to deal with specific issues in relation with deprivation of liberty of children. In addition, it contributes to share experience with other people conducting the same kind of monitoring. 55 4