Appendix XIV
SUMMARY OF THE PHASED APPROACH
(Extracted from Memorandum of Good Practice)
Purpose
Approach
To be avoided
Additional Comments
Phase I
Rapport
- To settle the child
and relieve anxiety.
- To supplement
interview's
knowledge of child.
- To explain reason
for interview.
- To admonish child
to speak the truth.
- Any topic which relaxes
the child.
- Play must be needed.
- Any mention of the
alleged offence.
- Staring at or touching
child at any time.
This phase may needed to be repeated at
several points in the interview. Never
start without it.
Phase II
Free Narrative
Account
To enable child to
give an account in
own words
- Prove opportunities to
talk about alleged
offence at child's pace.
- Use a form of 'active
listening'.
- Questions directed to
events not
mentioned by child.
- Speaking as soon as
child appears to
stop.
Be patient. If nothing related to alleged
offence is mentioned, consider moving
to Phase IV.
Phase III
Questioning
To find out more
about alleged
offence.
Questions graduating from
general to more specific.
- Interrupting the child
even to clarify
language.
- Repeating a question
too soon.
- Using difficult
grammar/ sentence
construction.
- Asking more than
one question at a
time.
Consider at each stage of questioning
whether it is in the interests of child and
justice to proceed further.
Stage A
Open-ended
questions
Enable child to
provide more
information without
pressure.
Use focused but
non-leading questions.
Stage B
Specific yet
non-leading
questions
- To extend and
clarify information.
- To remind child of
purpose of
interview.
- Use specific questions
which may inevitably
refer to disputed facts.
- Probe factual and
linguistic inconsistencies
gently.
Stage C
Closed questions
To encourage reticent
child to speak.
Questions which allow a
limited number of
responses.
Stage D
Leading questions
To encourage reticent
child to speak.
Questions can be used
which imply answer or
assume disputed facts.
Questions which
invariably require
same answer.
- Avoid all directly leading questions.
- Revert to 'neutral' mode as soon as
possible, and in all cases in which an
answer seems evidentially relevant.
Phase IV
Closing the interview
To ensure child has
understood interview
and is not distressed.
- Go over relevant evident
in child's language.
- Revert to rapport topics.
- Thank child and allow
child to ask questions.
Summarising in adult
language.
- Never stop without it.
- Give child or accompanying adult
contact name and number.
Questions which
require a "yes" or "no"
answer or allow only
one of a possible two
responses.
Consult with other interviewer before
questioning further.