Preventions and Professionalism Programme

During 2022-23, Police Scotland introduced a Preventions and Professionalism programme, focussed on standards of professional behaviour, and which seeks to embed the desired organisational culture, and in turn prevent complaints arising in this regard. It sought to identify and drive prevention and awareness activities intended to influence positive cultures, whilst empowering the workforce to appropriately challenge and report harmful behaviours. It also highlighted the key role that leaders and bystanders play in robustly and proportionately addressing concerns at the earliest opportunity, and the support available to do this. The programme, which was informed using organisational learning identified from complaints, was embedded across all stages of training within the organisation. Whilst Police Scotland advise that it will be difficult to quantify how many complaints are prevented as a result of this work, measures were identified for different parts of the programme which they hope will demonstrate impact in terms of improvements going forward.

Essential to this programme was the Standards of Professional Behaviour campaign, a focussed year-long initiative which launched in November 2022, involving a monthly spotlight on each of the 10 standards, providing relatable context of the behaviours expected of officers alongside examples of actions that do not align with policing values, as well as increased Code of Conduct awareness for police staff colleagues. Following the campaign, the Committee have heard that Police Scotland are planning an evaluation, focussed on learning and outcomes.

In May 2023, Police Scotland launched a quarterly internal newsletter (The Standard), as part of its Preventions & Professionalism Programme, providing information about common themes from complaints and conduct investigations, aiming to raise awareness, improve standards and conduct, and prevent officers and staff from becoming the subject of a complaint or conduct investigation. The newsletter, informed by learning points from complaints and conduct investigations, PIRC learning and recommendations, as well as emerging trends, highlights articles and learning documents and, using case studies, focusses on current themes to help individuals understand the types of behaviours or incidents which feature in PSD investigations. From November 2023, Police Scotland have provided copies of The Standard within its public reports to Committee. During 2023-24, key themes have focussed on use of social media; data protection; road traffic matters; integrity issues; and lived experiences of people from marginalised backgrounds. Additionally, from April 2023, Police Scotland have internally published the outcome of gross misconduct hearings which have resulted in officers leaving Police Scotland, with the intention of enhancing confidence in reporting matters or concern internally, whilst driving values and standards across the service. From November 2023, a copy has also been included in public reports to the Committee. Police Scotland report significant internal interest in these products, with line managers also being encouraged to use them to generate discussions at team briefings to further reinforce preventions messaging and learning.