Round Table: Putting the Guidance into Practice: Tailoring the interview for victims with hidden and/multiple vulnerabilities

Title: Roundtable: Putting the Guidance into Practice: tailoring the interview for victims with hidden and/multiple vulnerabilities

Abstract:

This roundtable will follow the keynote presentation of Dr Kev Smith in which he introduces the 2022 Achieving Best Evidence Guidance to discuss the ‘bigger picture’ as to challenges of implementation. How do interviewers identify vulnerability when it does not fit a check box?

And how can an interview be adapted to provide the witness support?  How does an interviewer work with a victim who has hidden or multiple vulnerabilities? We will then explore what expertise, training or resources should an interviewer have to assess vulnerability and prepare a bespoke interview? We will also discuss the potential problem of relying on generic assumptions when assessing vulnerability that could undermine the credibility of the victim or witness. We invite academics and practitioners to comment on how the ABE can support interviewers working outside their comfort zone, how they can be supported to develop a needs assessment approach, and a bespoke interview that is tailored to the witness.