Section Four National Preventive Mechanism member profiles still in the police station, custody visitors complete a report of their findings. One copy remains at the station for the attention of the officer in charge while additional copies are sent to the police authority and other interested parties. Arrangements for publishing reports and addressing the concerns of visitors are different in each local area. However, each police authority must report annually on the activities of its custody visiting scheme. In addition, ICVA produces an annual report of custody visiting generally and of its own activities. Impact of NPM membership The joint inspections of police detention carried out by HMIP and HMIC, which were initiated following the ratification of OPCAT by the UK, have helped custody visitors to focus on monitoring the human rights of detainees as well as ensuring their detention is PACE-compliant. Much of ICVA’s work in 2009–10 has involved raising awareness of human rights among custody visitors and scheme administrators. New training programmes are being piloted to reflect this increased focus on human rights and upcoming events will focus on the rights and welfare of particularly vulnerable detainees. Although custody visiting schemes in England and Wales have always worked with their counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland, membership of the NPM has reinforced their relationship with other members of the NPM, including other lay bodies. NPM membership has also helped ICVA to collaborate with other bodies responsible for monitoring police detention. Summary of activities In 2009–10, custody visitors carried out thousands of visits to police stations across England and Wales. At the national level, ICVA took the lead in redrafting the code of practice which underpins custody visiting. The majority of the work was completed in 2009–10 with the revised code being published in April 2010.24 The code of practice covers the function, organisation and recruitment of custody visitors and their working arrangements. In 2009–10 ICVA also produced new training materials for custody visitors which include a reference to their new role as members of the UK’s NPM. Looking forward For some time, custody visitors have been concerned about detainees with mental health problems. In the next year, ICVA will continue working to address these concerns. ICVA will also be working with the government to develop a protocol for visiting suspected terrorists who are detained in police custody. Currently, there is uncertainty over the future of the police authorities, which have statutory responsibility for overseeing custody visiting schemes. The impact on custody visiting of any changes to police authorities is as yet unknown. As with many other members of the UK NPM, resources for custody visiting and for ICVA are likely to come under pressure. 24 Home Office, Revised Code of Practice on Independent Custody Visiting (2010). 29