Professor Michael Lamb

The Scottish government is funding the £2 million initiative – which involves pre-recorded investigative interviews of children conducted jointly by police officers and social work staff.

A key aim of the new model is to protect children and reduce stress when recounting their experiences.

These core principles are embedded in a new intensive training course at graduate diploma level for police and social work interviewers run at the Police Scotland College at Tulliallan, in Fife.

Improving the quality of joint interviews, which are already used in children’s hearings, will also ensure they can be more routinely used as a witness’s evidence in chief in criminal trials, increasing the use of pre-recorded evidence.

Advocate John Halley, who is involved in the training course, told Scottish Legal News: “At the very heart of the new model is the NICHD investigative interview technique developed by Professor Michael Lamb.

“We teach interviewers to question children in a developmentally appropriate manner, that is the essence of the new model.”

Speaking after a graduation ceremony for newly trained staff at the college, Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “It is widely recognised that child victims and witnesses can be particularly vulnerable, especially in the circumstances which lead to a joint investigative interview being necessary.

“When gathering information from children, who are often already extremely traumatised, we must ensure the interview is as child-focused and stress-free as possible.

“The new Scottish Child Interview Model will deliver an interview process that secures the child’s best evidence at the earliest opportunity and minimises the risk of further traumatisation.”

Assistant chief constable Judi Heaton from Police Scotland said: “These awards are the culmination of the commitment by Police Scotland and partners to develop an interview model that reforms and enhances how children are treated within the criminal justice system.

“The programme of training continues to be implemented throughout Scotland ensuring our officers better support and meet the needs of child victims and witnesses.”