Policing Together Oversight Group

MAIN ITEMS OF BUSINESS

- Policing Together Progress Report
- Update on Review & Inspection Recommendations
- Policing Together Oversight Group Annual Report
KEY ISSUES RAISED
Members of the Oversight Group considered an update from ACC Paton on the Policing Together programme. Members were encouraged by an assurance that understanding and evidencing impact of activity is a key focus for Police Scotland.

The programme has been further strengthened with the addition of 2 new pillars of activity: Learning and Communities. The Learning pillar builds on the IRG recommendations and includes two training packages addressing both senior leaders and the wider organisation. The Communities pillar continues to develop the new Independent Advisory Council, consolidating legacy reference and review groups, in addition to building out and diversifying the cohort of Community Advisors.

It was explained that the cultural dashboard has moved from testing to now being used by relevant colleagues in the Policing Together, People & Development and Analytics teams. This holistic overview will enable oversight and understanding of how our people are feeling using data and insights. Members heard that the dashboard will be used not only to identify priority areas for improvement and measure impacts of activity but will support evaluation of impact.

The Authority will be represented, along with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, at an upcoming event on 29 May at which Policing Together colleagues will provide information regarding the review of policies in relation to sex and gender. Details will be provided on the scope of the review and the recommendations which are currently being considered. There will be an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss these recommendations and to ask questions of Police Scotland colleagues.

The Group welcomed assurance that the effort made to simplify, manage and identify themes across the multiple cultural and EDI recommendations, identified across multiple audits and inspections, has now resulted in Police Scotland having appropriate mechanisms in place to deliver on these recommendations.

The Group considered a detailed Annual Report of the work of the Oversight Group. Prepared by the Authority’s Head of Workforce Governance. The significant progress made was recognised and commended by members of the Group and Members share Police Scotland’s desire to build on the good work that has been delivered. The following is a summary of areas of good progress made by the Oversight Group – covering achievements to date, work currently underway and developing work - along with next steps/look ahead for the coming year.

• Reiteration of commitment to being an inclusive, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory organisation
• Refresh of Policing Together Strategy to include service-delivery focus
• Development of revised joint Equality Outcomes, aligned with Policing Together Strategy
• Work to develop a single, prioritised delivery plan
• Work to develop a ‘culture dashboard’
• Development of a ‘maturity continuum on becoming an anti-racist organisation’
• Plan to establish a single Independent Policing Advisory Council
• Introduction of training focussed on institutional discrimination and what it means to be anti-discriminatory
• Process in place to ensure policies are free of unconscious bias or discriminatory language in design and implementation
• Introduction of a non-residential probationer course, widening access to a policing career
• Commissioning of independent research on approaches by policing bodies to embed a culture of anti-racism

Look Ahead

• Introduce formal reporting against Policing Together delivery plan
• Improve data and insight to enable greater understanding of need, inform targeted action and enable improved measurement of impact
• Ensure meaningful, consistent use of Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments (EqHRIAs)

CONCLUSIONS/ACTIONS REACHED

• Members continue to recognise and commend Police Scotland’s commitment to being an inclusive, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory organisation and recognise the continued effort to achieve this.