What is an ‘appropriate adult’?

In the context of age assessments, an appropriate adult is an adult that’s independent of the Local Authority whose role it is to support the young person during an age assessment. A full breakdown of their role and responsibilities can be found below.

When supporting a young person during their age assessment process you may either work alongside an appropriate adult or act as one yourself.

Is a young person legally entitled to an appropriate adult in an age assessment?

The role of the appropriate adult was first set out in the context of criminal law and is defined in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) guidance.

In the age assessment context, the courts have found that a child should have the opportunity to have an appropriate adult present, and have criticised age assessments on the grounds that an appropriate adult was not provided, but it is not specifically provided for in legislation. See this Coram guidance and our page on Caselaw.

In practice, this means that young people and those supporting them should always ask for an appropriate adult to be present during an age assessment (either provided by the young person, supporting organisation or the Local Authority), pointing out that this is established best practice. If the Local Authority refuses to allow an appropriate adult to be present a note should be made of this, and the reason that’s given, as this may be helpful if the age assessment needs to be challenged later on.

What does an appropriate adult do in an age assessment?

• Helps the young person understand what's happening and why
• Supports the young person by asking for breaks when needed - like if they're tired, upset, or need to talk to their solicitor
• Makes sure the social workers are being fair and speaks up if they're not
• Takes notes during the age assessment so there is a written record of what is said - this is very helpful if the assessment is legally challenged later on
• Makes sure the young person knows their rights, like being able to talk to a solicitor.

Who can be an appropriate adult?

It can be any adult the young person knows who doesn't work for the Local Authority. Often, it's someone called an advocate who helps children. Some Local Authorities provide appropriate adults during age assessments, but the child can choose someone else if they want.

The appropriate adult needs to:

• Be independent from the Local Authority
• Know how to work with children and young people
• Be confident enough to speak up if needed
• Look after the child's best interests and make sure they're okay during the interview