Report Summary
This report provides members of the Complaints & Conduct Committee with an overview of Police Scotland - Professional Boundaries Report – Biannual Update.
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Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Complaints & Conduct Committee - 27 February 2025
Date : 27 February 2025
Location : Online
Progress / Preventions - Update
- Of the 19 recommendations from SM Case Review 1, 16 are complete, 2 are currently in progress, and 1 is being considered under another PSD work stream. Of the 2 matters in progress, introduction of a Preventions Support & Interventions Programme is ongoing and ACU are involved in a working group led by Scottish Government Criminal Justice Division on the introduction of Misconduct in Public Office legislation. Introduction of Annual Integrity Checks is now being led by the Force Vetting Unit as an annual ‘Employee Safeguarding Discussion’ following a recommendation included in the HMICS assurance review of vetting.
- Work continues to promote Our Standards of Professional Behaviour Programme through the PSD Preventions and Professionalism Tactical Group and the “Standards” campaign with the 7th standard “Orders and Instructions” being published in May 2023.
- Historical Data Wash (HDW) Exercise - In January 2023, Deputy Chief Constable Professionalism, Strategy and Engagement announced that Police Scotland would check all officers and staff against the Police National Database (PND), in line with work being taken forward in England and Wales at the request of the Home Secretary. This work is now complete with no matters of any significance established as a result.
- A Police Scotland preventative quarterly internal publication of misconduct outcomes scheme was published on the 1st of November 2024.
- PSD has also launched a quarterly internal newsletter “The Standard” to provide preventions messaging to officers and staff enhance standards, communicating key themes and trends arising from complaints and conduct investigations to prevent a recurrence and to enhance service delivery to the public.
- As reported at the SPA CCC on 5th of September 2024, PSD Domestic Abuse Case Review was completed covering instances between 01/01/20 and 31/01/23 with 206 cases reviewed for the period. The review established 10 key findings and 14 recommendations. All recommendations are on course to be discharged under the governance of the internal PSD Violence Against Women and Girls Tactical Group, by April 2025.
- Police Scotland continues to have visible representation across relevant groups led by National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to ensure it remains abreast of trends as well as current in respect of broader organisational good practice and learning.
- Police Scotland continues to actively encourage and support the reporting and challenging of inappropriate behaviour through facilitation of internal, external and anonymous reporting mechanisms.
