The Society of Forensic Interviewers (SoFI) has been set up to establish and administer a quality standard for investigative interviewing in the private sector.
Jeff Shiplee, Managing Director of SoFI, is a retired 30-year Met Police detective. He said: “The society was founded to establish and administer a quality standard for investigative interviewing in the private sector. We hope this standard becomes widely adopted and is adhered to by practitioners and trainers across the UK who work in this field. The standard is supported by expert practitioners and academics who are experts in investigative interviewing.”
Co-founder of the society is Kirsten Alderson who worked for the Metropolitan Police and the Legal Aid Board/Legal Services Commission.
SoFI argues that the quality of service, or expertise, provided by investigative interviewers in the private sector is variable and there is no standard against which quality can be measured. However, interviewing witnesses and potential respondents forms an integral and important part of any investigation and information obtained from these interviews is used to guide the direction of the investigation and is also referred to at the final point a decision is made.
Police in the UK have been at the forefront of investigative interviewing using interview frameworks and techniques developed and researched by psychologists and other academics over decades. These standards are acknowledged as being lawful and ethical by the criminal justice system. They can also be applied to all types of investigative interview conducted in the private sector, including HR disciplinary proceedings and internal and external investigations.
SoFI says that high standards in interviewing will improve the quantity and accuracy, and therefore veracity of the information obtained. Improved quality through the introduction of standards will also ensure that interview-dependent investigations will be more efficient, and as a result more cost effective. Improving accuracy also improves ethical standards, which in turn improves employer/employee relations in work. Also, poor quality or unethical interviewing can not only have a direct and detrimental impact on interviewees, but also can affect the options available at the conclusion of an investigation.
For further information visit – www.so-fi.org
