What Is the Role of the Appropriate Adult in an Age Assessment?

Age assessments are one of the most consequential processes in the UK immigration and children's services system — and one of the least understood. This post explains the role of the appropriate adult in an age assessment, why it matters, and where to access free training resources on the topic.

What is an age assessment?

An age assessment is a formal process carried out by a local authority when there is genuine doubt about whether a young person claiming to be a child is actually under 18. This most commonly affects unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who cannot provide documentary evidence of their age.

Local authorities have a legal duty to assess age in these circumstances. The process must follow the Merton standard — a framework established through case law (R (B) v Merton LBC [2003]) that sets out the legal requirements for a fair and lawful assessment.

What is an appropriate adult in an age assessment?

An appropriate adult is an independent person present during the age assessment to support the young person. They are distinct from a legal representative — their role is not to argue a case or challenge the assessors.

The appropriate adult's responsibilities include:

• Being present throughout the assessment interview

• Ensuring the young person understands the questions being asked

• Intervening if questions are confusing, distressing, or inappropriate

• Documenting concerns and raising them formally if needed

• Providing emotional support throughout the process

Who can act as an appropriate adult?

An appropriate adult may be a trained social worker not involved in the assessment, a community professional, an independent advocate, or someone provided by a specialist organisation. The key requirement is independence — the appropriate adult must have no vested interest in the outcome.

Why does the appropriate adult role matter?

The outcome of an age assessment determines whether a young person is treated as a child under the Children Act 1989 — with access to children's services, appropriate accommodation, education, and safeguarding protections — or as an adult, with significantly reduced support. A well-prepared appropriate adult helps ensure the process is fair, transparent, and in the young person's best interests.

Free resource: video guide to the appropriate adult role

Independent Migrant Services has produced a free short video — The Role of the Appropriate Adult in Age Assessments — designed for social workers, community professionals, and independent advocates. The video covers what the role involves, its limits, and the difference it makes to outcomes.

Access the free video at www.independentmigrantservices.com