Request

Your request for information dated 21 July 2026 is copied below.

Please treat this correspondence as a request for recorded information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

This request concerns any oversight by the Scottish Police Authority of Police Scotland’s handling of, and response to, the investigation and subsequent Learning Review concerning the children referred to as Family C.

I seek recorded information held by the Scottish Police Authority, or held on its behalf, between 1 November 2023 and the date of this request.

A. Notification and awareness

1. Any briefing, report, notification, correspondence, submission or meeting paper received by the Authority concerning:
the Family C criminal investigation;
the criminal trial or convictions;
the Glasgow Family C Learning Review;
findings or criticism relating to Police Scotland;
the children’s experience of repeated or intensive investigative interviews;
the joint COPFS–Police Scotland debrief;
remedial action taken by Police Scotland.

2. Any record showing:
when the Authority was first informed about Family C;
which organisation informed it;
which Authority officer, committee or Board member received the information;
what action or assurance was requested.

3. Any briefing or notification provided to the:
SPA Chair;
Authority Board;
Policing Performance Committee;
Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee;
Complaints and Conduct Committee;
SPA Chief Executive;
another Authority committee or oversight group.

4. Any record showing whether Family C was considered unsuitable for formal SPA scrutiny, together with the recorded reason.

B. Joint COPFS–Police Scotland debrief

5. Any request by the Authority for the:
terms of reference;
methodology;
final report;
learning summary;
recommendations;
action plan;
implementation tracker,
arising from the joint COPFS–Police Scotland debrief or post-case review.

6. Any of those documents received by the Authority.

7. Any briefing, correspondence or recorded assessment concerning:
the independence and adequacy of the debrief;
why the debrief was not available to the Family C Learning Review before completion;
whether the debrief findings differed from the published Learning Review;
whether an addendum or supplementary report was required;
whether actions arising from the debrief were completed.

8. Any record showing whether the Authority asked Police Scotland to explain:
the number and frequency of child interviews;
the operational necessity for further interviews;
the cumulative impact on the children;
the role of Gold command;
the division of responsibility between Police Scotland and COPFS;
concerns raised by social work, health, carers or other professionals;
the escalation of professional disagreement.

9. Any record showing whether COPFS supplied information or assurance directly to the Authority concerning the debrief.

C. Police Scotland assurance

10. Any final assurance statement, management report, action plan or progress report provided by Police Scotland concerning Family C.

11. Any record showing what changes Police Scotland said it introduced concerning:
strategic command of complex child-abuse investigations;
authorisation and review of repeated interviews;
welfare and cumulative-impact assessments;
the Scottish Child Interview Model;
recording and escalating professional disagreement;
communication with social work, health, carers and COPFS;
advocacy and support for children;
support for police officers and staff.

12. Any evidence submitted to demonstrate that those changes had been implemented in operational practice.

13. Any SPA assessment, challenge or response concerning whether the changes were:
adequate;
completed;
effective;
independently verified;
national or restricted to Greater Glasgow Division.

14. Any record identifying actions that remained:
incomplete;
delayed;
disputed;
unverified;
dependent on COPFS or another organisation.

15. Any record showing whether the Authority requested case-file audit, dip-sampling, performance information or another form of objective verification.

D. Committee and Board scrutiny

16. Any public or private SPA committee or Board paper referring to Family C.

17. Any minute, decision, action note or correspondence arising from its consideration.

18. Any record showing whether Family C was discussed:
in public;
in private;
through a confidential briefing;
informally with members;
through correspondence rather than a committee paper.

19. Any decision to withhold a Family C paper, report or discussion from a public meeting, together with the recorded legal or governance basis.

20. Any question, concern or challenge raised by an SPA member concerning:
the adequacy of the investigation;
the welfare of the children;
Police Scotland’s relationship with COPFS;
the completeness of the Learning Review;
the absence of the joint debrief;
the adequacy of Police Scotland’s response.

21. Police Scotland’s response to any such concern.

E. HMICS and other scrutiny bodies

22. Any correspondence concerning Family C exchanged between the Authority and:
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland;
the Care Inspectorate;
Healthcare Improvement Scotland;
the Scottish Government;
COPFS;
Glasgow public-protection bodies.

23. Any HMICS assessment, recommendation or assurance concerning Police Scotland’s response to Family C.

24. Any record showing whether the Authority asked HMICS to conduct:
an inspection;
a case-specific assurance review;
a thematic inspection;
follow-up scrutiny.

25. Any recorded reason for deciding not to seek independent HMICS scrutiny.