Purpose

In June 2025 the Justice Rehabilitation Executive authorised £72,000 for Section 16 audits. Greater Manchester Police completed the audits and from the £72,000 have an underspend of £27,000
The audit will be delivered using the remaining budget, maximising organisational value by completing as many assessments as possible within the available time and resources.

The Section 16 audit demonstrated the value of audit activity, revealing significant variation in interview quality, technical compliance, planning standards, and courtroom suitability across the force.
Why a Section 17 Visual Recording Interview Audit Is Required
Section 17-trained officers regularly deal with some of the force’s most vulnerable victims, including but not exclusive to:
o victims of rape and sexual offences,
o victims of domestic violence,
o victims of gun and knife crime,
o witnesses intimidated through threats, gangs or coercion,
o victims presenting with trauma, anxiety, or complex communication needs.

These interviews directly influence victim engagement, safeguarding decisions, charge outcomes and court results.
Despite the importance of Section 17 Visual Recording Interviews, the force has never conducted a formal audit of Section 17 interviewing standards. This represents a significant assurance gap in an area that routinely produces primary evidence for the Criminal Justice System.
There are approximately 1,100 Section 17-trained officers across Greater Manchester Police, significantly more than Section 16, meaning the scale and potential risk to the force is larger.
Auditing will therefore focus on those officers conducting the greatest volume of Visual Recording Interviews first, as they carry the highest operational impact and risk.
The audit criteria will mirror the Section 16 audit model, focusing on:
Camera angle and framing,
o sound quality,
o rapport and trauma-informed practice,
o planning and preparation,
o structure and coverage of relevant points,
o post-interview explanation and victim care,
o interview support, special measure considerations, and intermediary identification.
Conducting the audit will allow Greater Manchester Police to:
o identify where practice is in need of improvement
o highlight examples of excellent practice,
o target training to the highest-risk areas,

o Maximise confidence of Crown Prosecution Service , in terms of interviews conducted by the police.
o reduce court challenges,
o ensure Visual Recording Interviews are consistently suitable for Evidence in Chief,
o improve outcomes for victims,
o protect the organisation from reputational, legal and evidential risk.
The audit criteria will mirror the Section 16 audit model, focusing on:” listing:
• Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 (ss.16, 17)
• Victims’ Code of Practice
• Victims and Prisoners Act 2024
• Operation Soteria – National Operating Model
• GMP PIPPA (Pre-Interview Planning, Preparation and Assessment)

Decision

To authorise the underspend from the Section 16 audits (authorised by the Justice and Rehabilitation Executive in June 2025) to be allocated to further Audit activity. The ask from Greater Manchester Police is to complete Section 17 Audits.
The audit will create the first comprehensive understanding of whether Section 17 interview practice meets the standard required to protect victims, support prosecutions, and deliver reliable court-ready evidence.
The ask is to authorise the underspend on £27,000 to be allocated to further Section 17 audits.
This will be reported to the Operation Soteria Board and the Justice Rehabilitation Executive Programme Board to provide oversight and