Complaints Handling Performance reports

As a standing agenda item, the Committee receive quarterly and annual reports on complaints handling performance in respect of both the SPA and Police Scotland. The Committee also receives quarterly reports from the PIRC including updates on Complaint Handling Review (CHR) applications; CHR reports; and outcomes, including CHR disposals and recommendations.

A summary of annual complaints handling performance data, and resulting analysis and insights, is provided in section 3 below.

2023-24 saw Police Scotland receive the highest volume of complaints in recent years, following an earlier increasing trend. Whilst the number of allegations has reduced, Police Scotland advise that those being received are increasingly more complex. At the same time, and following a similar trend, the number of non-criminal (non-FLR) cases closed within 56 working days has reduced to 10.4%, with the average closure time having increased to 236 days. 2023-24 also saw a significant reduction in the number of Complaints Handling Reviews where PIRC considered that they had been reasonably handled by Police Scotland. Recent dip-sampling and audit exercises also highlight performance concerns.

Over the course of 2023-24, the Committee heard from Police Scotland that its Professional Standards Department was facing increasing demand across its various business areas, not just in relation to complaints matters, but also across a number of key areas (some of which are set out in this report), attributed to a wider societal shift towards reporting complaints, increased demand on Local Policing, increased media coverage of significant police misconduct cases and a greater focus on tackling violence against women and girls, racism, misogyny and discriminatory behaviours. At the same time, Police Scotland note that it has been subject to important ongoing scrutiny from HMICS, the PIRC and the SPA to ensure its processes and procedures are robust, fair and fit for purpose across an ever changing and demanding landscape.

The Committee previously heard how, in May 2021, Police Scotland had implemented a new national complaint handling operating model, which they were advised would result in improvements in the quality and timeliness of the complaint handling process. In addition, more robust assessment, triage and supervisory processes are in place and delivery of national joint training with PIRC continues to improve standards and promote efficiencies. Whilst Police Scotland have provided assurance that all cases are prioritised in accordance with assessment of threat, risk or harm, they advise that demand now outweighs resource. In response, Police Scotland are seeking to secure additional resources, and have also established a Gold Group which will seek to address current backlogs and enhance longer-term service delivery. They are also exploring options about how to be more publicly transparent regarding current complaint handling timescales. It is of note that the recent PIRC audit comments on the 56-day target to respond to all complaints as ‘not realistic’, recommending that Police Scotland undertake a review to establish an evidence-based proposal around new timescale KPIs for dealing with different types of complaints. In addition, Members have heard that planned system upgrades will further support process efficiency.