A thriving workforce

Pay offers

On Thursday, 31 July, the official side of the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, comprising the Scottish ministers; the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland made a multi-year pay offer for 2025-26 and 2026-26.

The offer includes a 4% increase to pay and relevant allowances from 1 April 2025 and a 3.5% increase from 1 April 2026 as well as enhanced maternity and adoption pay arrangements.

Also on 31 July, the Scottish Police Authority made an aligned offer to police staff, which also continues our commitment to no compulsory redundancies for the period.

Formal processes are ongoing and we await the response of our staff associations and trade unions. I wish to thank everyone involved in the work to reach this stage in what I know is an important consideration for our officers and staff.

Workforce survey

From Monday, 4 August, we are running our 2025-26 workforce survey to capture meaningful insight into the day-to-day experiences of officers and staff.

The survey continues on from our 2024 workforce survey, which more than 11,000 officers and staff engaged with.

Last year's findings underlined the commitment and teamwork of officers and staff, while also highlighted areas for improvement which have informed action by the Service and the Chief Officer Team, including:
• Co-ordinated work which to reduce the impact of mental health incidents, court citations, and event abstractions on the frontline.
• Improved Employee Assistance Programme and new occupational health services.
• Driving necessary change to ensure policing supports all communities, inside and outside the Service under our Policing Together programme.
• Our grievance procedures have been revised to include a mediation service to support with early resolution of workplace issues.

Along with the Chief Officer Team, I have been sharing updates on these subjects and others through a series of face to face, online and in person, engagement sessions, as well as regular Chief Constable updates and blogs to improve communication and visibility.

The question set of this year's survey is similar to that used in 2024 to help build understanding of what progress has been made and, crucially, if it is being felt by our officers and staff. We expect the survey to be open until the end of September and we're encouraging all officers and staff to take part.

We will again, share the findings and outline the action we take.

Officer recruitment

On Thursday, 10 July, 100 new probationary constables took their oath of office at six ceremonies across the country, maintaining our officer establishment at 16,520.

The cohort was the first to make a new declaration of a constable which includes a duty of candour following the first commencement regulations of the Police (Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny) Scotland Act 2025 which came into force on 25 June.

The first commencement regulations includes the creation of a new legislative Standard of Professional Behaviour for officers, that of duty of candour, taking the total number of standards to eleven.

Duty of candour means officers have a duty to be open and truthful in their dealings, without favour to their own interests or the interests of the police service subject to the reasonable assertion of the privilege against self-incrimination.

It means officers have a duty attend interviews and assist and participate in proceedings - including all investigations - openly, promptly, and professionally, in line with the expectations of a Police Constable. It is an organisational requirement for all officers and members of police staff.

Our implementation of the Police (Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny) Scotland Act 2025 is being supported by an internal programme of communication, engagement and training, managed by our Professional Standards Department.

Police Unity Tour

Between Thursday, 31 July and Sunday, 3 August serving and retired members of Police Scotland joined colleagues from forces across the UK for a gruelling 200-mile cycle in memory of those who died while on duty.

The Police Unity Tour is an annual event to raise money for the Care of Police Survivors (COPS) charity and sees participants bike from Gretna to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

It was a privilege to be in Gretna as the Police Scotland contingent started their journey and then to attend the memorial service on Sunday.

To date, the 2025 Police Unity Tour has raised £240,000 for COPS which is a terrific achievement and demonstrates our ongoing support for the families and loved ones of officers and staff who have died on duty.

I want to congratulate everyone who took part in this year’s tour and pay tribute to the work of the Care of Police Survivors and the charity's co-founder, Christine Fulton MBE.

Interim guidance on use of workplace facilities

Further to my update around interim search guidance, we continue to consider where further guidance is most urgently required following the UK Supreme Court judgment that the terms 'man', 'woman', and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010, refer to biological sex.

The judgment directly impacts who is allowed to use single-sex facilities, and to provide clarity to our officers and staff, we have issued interim guidance on access and use of workplace toilets, changing facilities and shower rooms.

This guidance has been developed following extensive advice from our legal team and independent Human Rights Advisor, Jane Gordon, as well as engagement with relevant business areas and staff associations.

Single sex facilities designed and designated for the sole use of females or the sole use of males across Police Scotland workplaces must be accessed and used on the basis of a person’s biological sex.

Facilities designed and designated as mixed-sex and single occupant spaces, that is a self-contained facility, secured by a lockable door, may be used by anyone.

I know a small number of colleagues will be directly impacted by these new arrangements and we are progressing with a review of our estate to ensure suitable and sufficient facilities are available in all workplaces.

We’re working to encourage those affected to access support from colleagues, line managers, our staff associations and our Employee Assistance Programme.

Our wider review into sex and gender remains ongoing which will consider the full implications of the UK Supreme Court judgment, along with revised national guidance.

Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line

Police Scotland is now part of Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line, joining 28 other police forces around the UK that are currently benefiting from the service. It provides an anonymous and confidential route for officers and staff to report crimes committed within the Service.

The Police Integrity Line will act as a supporting mechanism in addition to the current systems and procedures in place, to demonstrate total transparency. There are clear benefits to providing a variety of routes for officers and staff to raise their concerns.