If someone is arrested or invited to answer police questions in respect of a criminal matter, they are entitled to free and independent legal advice whilst at the police station. A Police Station Representative is a legal representative who will be responsible for assisting that client when they are being interviewed by police at a police station. This role holds a large responsibility as the advice provided by the Police Station Representative will have the ability to influence no further actions taken by police or a prison sentence.
Becoming a Police Station Representative involves becoming “accredited” which can be gained by completing a legal qualification. These qualifications can be found by legal training providers such as Datalaw, who provide a Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS). This accreditation is the means through which any individual, including those with no previous legal knowledge or background, can train to provide advice and assistance at the police station for which payment is claimed from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).
Often referred to as the police station representative course or police station accreditation scheme, the PSRAS consists of three assessments: the police station accreditation written exam, the police station accreditation portfolio, and the critical incident test. These assessments will assess an individual’s legal knowledge and practice to demonstrate how they would perform as a representative for a client within a police station.
Becoming a candidate for the Police Station Representative Accreditation will allow learners to gain an understanding of the legal advisor’s role in the police station, the skills needed to perform a police station representative role effectively, assess the learner’s competence to give advice in police stations, and assess the learner’s effectiveness in assisting clients as the police station. This process will ensure prospective police station representatives have the necessary level of competence to undertake police station work and that the advice they provide is of a sufficiently high standard.
On completion of the Police Station Representative Accreditation Scheme assessment process, candidates will become fully accredited police station representatives.
If you require further information regarding how to become police station accredited, please contact Datalaw’s Accreditations Department on 0151 236 2024 or visit our Police Station Accreditation page.
Datalaw offers over 800 legal CPD courses in as many as 46 areas of law, from a minimum of £49/month per course. We also provide Qualifications and Accreditations such as The Magistrates Court Qualification, Police Station Qualification and the Police Station Accreditation. Datalaw also supplies a Level 3 Paralegal Diploma, which is included in the Level 3 Paralegal Apprenticeship. This apprenticeship is suitable for all levels of staff in law firms, such as Support Staff, Admin Staff, Secretaries, Clerks, and Training Paralegals. Visit Datalaw today.
