The first of its kind in London at Putney Police station

Police from the Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team have celebrated the opening of a family-friendly interview suite at Putney Police Station, the first of its kind in London.

The suite, which includes three interview rooms (see picture above), two waiting rooms and a kitchen area, has been created with the assistance of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. The area is designed to be an engaging, comfortable place where children and families in crisis can relax and includes books, games, toys, art supplies and computers for children of all ages.

Following a previous partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, in which the Foundation created a mobile resource pack for police officers to take to locations when interviewing children, it has again partnered up to create the area at Putney Police Station. The area, called a ‘Bright Space’ has been enhanced with the addition of soft furnishings and equipment for police interviewers to use during interviews and for children and families when waiting. A second interview suite will be adapted at Edgware Police Station with work set to commence in May.

Detective Superintendent Steve Williams of the Metropolitan Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Command, said: “We are committed to continuously improving the service we provide to victims of child abuse and an important part of this means making our interview rooms as welcoming as possible, ensuring vulnerable victims can speak to us in confidence and in comfort. The Metropolitan Police takes issues of safeguarding children extremely seriously and with the assistance of the Bright Horizons Foundation and its supporters we now have a comfortable space within Putney Police Station where families in crisis can relax. I would like to thank the Foundation and its supporters for all its hard work in bringing this vision to reality.”

Tracy Wilkes-Green, Bright Horizons Foundation Manager, said, “The Bright Horizons Foundation is proud to partner with the Metropolitan Police Service to support their amazing work, assisting children when they are at their most vulnerable. I would like to thank DC Luke Williams, DCI Paul Monk and their teams for working with us to make these projects come to fruition and all of the Bright Horizons staff who have helped us to achieve our 30th Bright Space in Europe. Every day, I am amazed by the things our employees do to raise money and awareness, and by their passion and commitment to making a difference. I am also inspired by our partners and the work they do to support children and families. We all have a shared purpose - to make a difference for the better in children’s lives - and we are all passionate about making that difference we can each make in small but effective and life-changing ways.”

April 16, 2014