Police Scotland staff need ‘more specific training’ to deal with complaints

A police watchdog has found police staff require more training and clearer guidance when dealing with complaints.

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (Pirc) and Police Scotland oversight body the SPA held a joint audit of a six-month sample of Police Scotland complaints.

It spanned from February to July 2021 and covered the introduction of a new complaints handling model in May that year.

The Pirc report found there was an “inconsistent approach to training” and recommended Police Scotland standardise the training provided to complaint-handling staff, one of eight recommendations made to the force.

It also recommended that the force develops a training module which includes guidance on what constitutes a relevant complaint.

The report found more than a quarter of sampled files were incorrectly recorded or categorised.

To improve record keeping, it was recommended to revise current recording processes and develop guidance on the classification of complaints.

The report emphasises the importance of regular communication with the complainer, as well as the lack of consistency in offering reasonable adjustments for vulnerable individuals and those with protected characteristics.

Police Scotland were recommended to amend the complaint form used to include specific consideration of such issues.

Currently, Police Scotland handles around 6,500 complaints each year, dealt with by the National Complaints Assessment and Resolution Unit (NCARU).

The unit is responsible for receiving, recording and assessing complaints made by members of the public.

Police investigation and review commissioner Michelle Macleod said: “We found dedicated and committed staff within NCARU, who had to adapt to a new complaint-handling model within a short time scale and whose role has been challenging due to a lack of specific training and ambitious targets for making initial contact with complainers.

“We have made eight recommendations that are intended to support Police Scotland to improve the service and increase public confidence in their complaint-handling process.

“Key areas identified for improvement include more specific training, clearer guidance on the classification of complaints and more accurate and streamlined recording processes.”

She added: “Overall, the inaugural audit has shown a complaint-handling system that demonstrates areas of good practice and highlights opportunities for further improvements.

“We are pleased that Police Scotland has accepted the recommendations and acknowledge that an internal review they had undertaken had identified some of the issues raised in the report and that they have already taken steps to address some of the shortcomings we reflected in the report.”