Further Detail

The HMICS report notes that call handling is the primary means for the public and partner organisations to engage with Police Scotland, and as such, is a critically important aspect of policing. No other operational area
of policing has received such sustained levels of scrutiny from HMICS, with five reports published since 2015.

During this time, it is noted that Police Scotland has made considerable progress in the area of contact, command and control. The findings of the review are positive, endorsing both the concept and ambition of CAM. The assurance review found there has been a significant change to the manner in which Police Scotland responds to calls from the public and partner agencies, moving from a model based on policy driven responses to an individual assessment of threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and
engagement for each caller.

The report notes that potential benefits hoped to be delivered through CAM were adversely affected by the pandemic. The recommendations contained in the report, along with areas for improvement, will assist Police Scotland as it looks to build on what has been accomplished to date by CAM, and to provide a wider range of options for members of the public and partner organisations to contact and engage with the service.

The report makes eight specific recommendations, three of which relate to the Authority as well as Police Scotland. Police Scotland and SPA officers will now develop a suite of improvement actions and associated timescales which will deliver against the recommendations made by HMICS. The improvement plan will be presented to December committee