Progress within Reporting Period

Progress with addressing recommendations is displayed in the graphs below at figures 1 and 2 along with a summary of the key themes within figure 3.

Figure 1 - TABLE IN PAPER

Figure 2 - TABLE IN PAPER

Figure 3 - TABLE IN PAPER

Closures Within Reporting Period

A summary of the closures and outcomes achieved follows:

Custody Lanarkshire – 5 recommendations proposed for closure, 2 Areas for Development proposed for closure

Recommendation What we did and the impact

R4 - Police Scotland should ensure that custody staff receive regular custody update training / awareness raising relating to substance abuse issues, mental health, trauma informed care and undertaking detainee observations.

Resources We have enhanced our training and awareness raising to keep custody staff more regularly updated on key learning activities. We have introduced quarterly Custody Operations Engagement Forums, providing officers and staff an opportunity to meet with senior management, provide suggestions on improvement and developments for the division and for important divisional messaging to be passed on ongoing learning.

R2 - Police Scotland should ensure that a full evacuation of custody centres is undertaken in accordance with fire safety regulations.

Compliance Following benchmarking with the Scottish Prison Service, we now have revised guidance in place for fire evacuations of custody centres. Full evacuations take place using Actors to minimise the risk to those in custody through unnecessary movement, whilst allowing robust testing through simulated scenarios, including those with reduced mobility or hearing impairments. This ensures full compliance with Fire Safety Regulations.

R3 - Police Scotland should ensure that processes for recording cell checks are carried out consistently and recorded on the national custody system timeously.

Compliance We continue our efforts to improve the recording of information within the custody environment. We have achieved this via introducing quarterly Custody Operations Engagement Forums. This focuses on key learning and improvement opportunities.

R15 - Police Scotland should ensure that Naloxone is available within custody centres and that it can be administered during times when healthcare professionals are not available.

Resources All police officers within Custody have now completed the Naloxone training and have been issued with kits. Naloxone has been administered by staff within custody on 8 occasions, with a successful outcome on all occasions. Work is ongoing with the trade unions in an effort to also have Naloxone issued to CJPCSOs.

AFDs
The custody centres should ensure

- that property management procedures are followed and implemented effectively.

- a clear rationale is recorded on the national custody system in support of risk assessments and changes in observation levels. 1. Property Management - briefings used to communicate responsibilities and checks undertaken to review compliance.
2. Risk Assessment recording has been communicated through various briefings.

Custody Tayside – 1 recommendation proposed for closure, 3 Areas for Development proposed for closure

Recommendation What we did and the impact

Police Scotland should ensure that clear lines of accountability are defined and stipulated for custody supervisors in the event of an adverse incident resulting in serious harm to a detainee.

Guidelines We have provided clarity to officers/staff on lines of accountability for custody supervisors in the event of an adverse incident resulting in serious harm to a detainee. We have achieved this through developing and publishing protocols outlining responsibilities and SMARTEU facilitated an exercise on our behalf to simulate a death in custody. This allowed officers and staff to practice and further embed their understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
AFDs
The custody centre should ensure that

- property handling guidance and practice is followed to avoid property challenges.

- all decisions to issue a detainee with anti-harm clothing are well-evidenced and reflective of risks as well as detainee needs and rights.

- staff use other facilities within the station to maintain the integrity of the food preparation area for people in custody. Briefing circulated to all staff via the CJSD weekly electronic briefing and reminders provided at the Custody Operations Engagement Forum.
Monitoring via Cluster Inspector audits takes place to ensure continued compliance.

2.2 Ongoing Within Reporting Period


Demand Analysis Management – 1 recommendation remains ongoing

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?
R7 - Police Scotland should set out a transparent process for the provision of organisational design
support including how demand analysis is used to inform decision making concerning officer and
staff numbers and calculate the demand and capacity imbalance at an organisational level.

Guidelines Although ongoing, there has been significant progress since our last update. Our Strategic Workforce Plan outlines our commitments to an organisation which is designed to reflect our target operating model and that Services and workforce reflect our design principles & which are affordable and efficient.

We established an Organisation Design Board in December 2023, chaired by Chief Digital Information Officer to finalise the current Target Operating Model with ongoing review against organisational context & policy/service decisions.

Implementing the SWP will provide a review of Corporate Service Function (DCO) and establish and maintain a baseline establishment for Officer and Staff structures.

The P&D People Partner team have undertaken Service Design training and our design principles (Service & Organisational) will be embedded in organisational change approach going forward. This has required both strategic and structural changes to take effect before full implementation.

We have improved the use of demand analysis in making decisions about staff numbers but one thing that remains outstanding is professional support to division to support organisational development. This has been a repeat recommendations in other publications.

Once in place we we will be able to articulate an OD process, show our commitment to equip our staff with the training to support change in the workplace and wider organisational development. This will be evidenced through our work to transform the service.

Custody Lanarkshire

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?
R13 - Police Scotland should ensure that safe and lockable storage is available and used consistently for controlled drugs brought in by detainees.

Resources There are some recommendations within the Custody report that require additional storage to be put in place which has been factored into budget considerations for the year ahead. Once the storage lockers are delivered and in use this will be considered complete. A review across the estate is ongoing to confirm arrangements are sufficient.
R8 - Police Scotland should ensure that environmental cleaning standards are maintained within medical rooms in line with clinical standards.

Compliance

R9 - The custody centres should ensure that suitable cleaning products are available within the centres which meet the required health and safety standards for the task.

Resources Cleaning standards and ensuring the right cleaning products were available for the tasks was recommended within the Coatbridge Custody Centre. Reminders to cleaning and janitorial staff have been issued and Cluster Inspectors have this on their list of duties to check and the situation is being monitored to understand if this is an isolated case. Engagement with the cleaning provider is ongoing to establish the correct materials are available for the tasks. This remains ongoing.
Standards continue to be monitored through local checks to confirm this is not a widespread issue. Consultation is underway in relation to the availability of products.

Originally scheduled for completion in March 2024 these recommendations will require more time to monitor and negotiate with third party providers re any training implications.
R1 NHS Lanarkshire, COMS and Police Scotland should record and monitor patient transfers from custody to hospital and produce management reports on the impact of this to inform service planning and delivery.

Better Practice Shifting Demand - Recording patient transfers to better understand demand for appropriate healthcare provision within Lanarkshire has been collated and is presented within the Custody performance dashboard. The model for Healthcare provision in Lanarkshire is unique and there is currently no support to amend the model. Work is ongoing to liaise with partners and we now have an evidence base that can support ongoing discussions. The means of capturing data was achieved by March 2024 but analysis of this and action by partners will mean this recommendation needs to stay open longer. We have set a revised date of September 2024 and Police Scotland will consider this work complete when all avenues to escalate and influence a change of practice have been explored.
AFDs
The custody centres should improve the display and availability of information regarding services available in the community to support detainees on release.

NHS Lanarkshire and Police Scotland should work together to ensure that detainees know how to provide feedback or raise a complaint regarding the healthcare service they received while in custody. We are reviewing the information available on display within the Custody facilities to determine a standardised approach that provides the maximum benefit to both staff and detainees. Some considerations include, stencilling within cells to communicate key messages/reminder. This is progressing but a final proposal is not yet available.

We are reviewing our approach regarding complaints but we do not proactively provide this information. It is still under consideration.

Custody Tayside

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?

R3 - Police Scotland should ensure that the recording of strip searches at Dundee custody centre provides an accurate reflection of practice. A theme through the inspections to date has been in relation to recording information. This is an ongoing area of focus within the division with regular reminders issued and checks being undertaken. We are reviewing our Quality Assurance Framework to identify the priority areas for improvement and our messaging .

R11 - Police Scotland should review and amend booking-in processes and facilities at Dundee custody centre to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.

Guidelines Work is ongoing with ICT to remove unused applications from the booking in computers in order to speed up processing.

An end-to-end review of booking in processes will be conducted at Dundee to establish any other opportunities for improving the efficiency, taking account of the limitations caused by the layout of the facility. Due June 2024 and ongoing. The wider issues of design of the facilities is outwith the scope of this work.
AFDs
The custody centre should ensure that all solicitor consultations and interviews with detainees are recorded accurately on the national custody system.

The custody centre should ensure that detainee healthcare interventions are undertaken confidentially unless a risk assessment indicates otherwise. This forms part of our key messaging around improving record keeping and remains ongoing.

Ongoing Within Reporting Period


Demand Analysis Management – 1 recommendation remains ongoing

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?

R7 - Police Scotland should set out a transparent process for the provision of organisational design
support including how demand analysis is used to inform decision making concerning officer and
staff numbers and calculate the demand and capacity imbalance at an organisational level.

Guidelines Although ongoing, there has been significant progress since our last update. Our Strategic Workforce Plan outlines our commitments to an organisation which is designed to reflect our target operating model and that Services and workforce reflect our design principles & which are affordable and efficient.

We established an Organisation Design Board in December 2023, chaired by Chief Digital Information Officer to finalise the current Target Operating Model with ongoing review against organisational context & policy/service decisions.

Implementing the SWP will provide a review of Corporate Service Function (DCO) and establish and maintain a baseline establishment for Officer and Staff structures.

The P&D People Partner team have undertaken Service Design training and our design principles (Service & Organisational) will be embedded in organisational change approach going forward. This has required both strategic and structural changes to take effect before full implementation.

We have improved the use of demand analysis in making decisions about staff numbers but one thing that remains outstanding is professional support to division to support organisational development. This has been a repeat recommendations in other publications.

Once in place we we will be able to articulate an OD process, show our commitment to equip our staff with the training to support change in the workplace and wider organisational development. This will be evidenced through our work to transform the service.

Custody Lanarkshire

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?

R13 - Police Scotland should ensure that safe and lockable storage is available and used consistently for controlled drugs brought in by detainees.

Resources There are some recommendations within the Custody report that require additional storage to be put in place which has been factored into budget considerations for the year ahead. Once the storage lockers are delivered and in use this will be considered complete. A review across the estate is ongoing to confirm arrangements are sufficient.
R8 - Police Scotland should ensure that environmental cleaning standards are maintained within medical rooms in line with clinical standards.

Compliance

R9 - The custody centres should ensure that suitable cleaning products are available within the centres which meet the required health and safety standards for the task.

Resources Cleaning standards and ensuring the right cleaning products were available for the tasks was recommended within the Coatbridge Custody Centre. Reminders to cleaning and janitorial staff have been issued and Cluster Inspectors have this on their list of duties to check and the situation is being monitored to understand if this is an isolated case. Engagement with the cleaning provider is ongoing to establish the correct materials are available for the tasks. This remains ongoing.
Standards continue to be monitored through local checks to confirm this is not a widespread issue. Consultation is underway in relation to the availability of products.

Originally scheduled for completion in March 2024 these recommendations will require more time to monitor and negotiate with third party providers re any training implications.

R1 NHS Lanarkshire, COMS and Police Scotland should record and monitor patient transfers from custody to hospital and produce management reports on the impact of this to inform service planning and delivery.

Better Practice Shifting Demand - Recording patient transfers to better understand demand for appropriate healthcare provision within Lanarkshire has been collated and is presented within the Custody performance dashboard. The model for Healthcare provision in Lanarkshire is unique and there is currently no support to amend the model. Work is ongoing to liaise with partners and we now have an evidence base that can support ongoing discussions. The means of capturing data was achieved by March 2024 but analysis of this and action by partners will mean this recommendation needs to stay open longer. We have set a revised date of September 2024 and Police Scotland will consider this work complete when all avenues to escalate and influence a change of practice have been explored.

AFDs
The custody centres should improve the display and availability of information regarding services available in the community to support detainees on release.

NHS Lanarkshire and Police Scotland should work together to ensure that detainees know how to provide feedback or raise a complaint regarding the healthcare service they received while in custody. We are reviewing the information available on display within the Custody facilities to determine a standardised approach that provides the maximum benefit to both staff and detainees. Some considerations include, stencilling within cells to communicate key messages/reminder. This is progressing but a final proposal is not yet available.

We are reviewing our approach regarding complaints but we do not proactively provide this information. It is still under consideration.

Custody Tayside

Recommendation What we are doing What will it take to complete / what are the challenges?

R3 - Police Scotland should ensure that the recording of strip searches at Dundee custody centre provides an accurate reflection of practice. A theme through the inspections to date has been in relation to recording information. This is an ongoing area of focus within the division with regular reminders issued and checks being undertaken. We are reviewing our Quality Assurance Framework to identify the priority areas for improvement and our messaging .

R11 - Police Scotland should review and amend booking-in processes and facilities at Dundee custody centre to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.

Guidelines Work is ongoing with ICT to remove unused applications from the booking in computers in order to speed up processing.

An end-to-end review of booking in processes will be conducted at Dundee to establish any other opportunities for improving the efficiency, taking account of the limitations caused by the layout of the facility. Due June 2024 and ongoing. The wider issues of design of the facilities is outwith the scope of this work.

AFDs
The custody centre should ensure that all solicitor consultations and interviews with detainees are recorded accurately on the national custody system.

The custody centre should ensure that detainee healthcare interventions are undertaken confidentially unless a risk assessment indicates otherwise.

This forms part of our key messaging around improving record keeping and remains ongoing.