Progress

As captured above, the deep dive into SETM & VAWG was one of many pieces of work carried out as part of our continued and ongoing focus on listening and understanding diverse viewpoints and perspectives. It provided a further, but different opportunity to hear the experiences of our officers and staff. The insights reported in the deep dive into SETM & VAWG aligned with the insights gained from our ‘Understanding Sexism and Misogyny Colleague Survey’ which was presented to the SPA People Committee in May 2023.

It is important to acknowledge that the SETM & VAWG deep dive report and its 30 recommendations has, together with other feedback, shaped the work we have already delivered and have ongoing. In light of the changes in governance to incorporate SETM within Policing Together reporting, we have again reviewed all 30 recommendations against our mapped and aligned Policing Together Implementation Plan.

Whilst there is absolute recognition more requires to be done to improve inclusion across the services and improve the lived experience of our workforce, we must also capture and reflect on positive progress being made. Our work extends across many areas, some of which have been drawn out in our Performance Report at Appendix A. Examples include:

• Our commitment to supporting the HeForShe global initiative, we now have 121 HeForShe Ambassadors.

• The successful pilot of non-residential probationer training courses, which will be valued by and support female applicants.

• Our membership of the Carers Positive scheme through which we have achieved ‘Established Employers’ status.

As captured in the Policing Together Strategy our vision is to have a workforce where people know they belong, and which is representative of the communities we serve. Female representation within the workforce continues to trend upwards, as does the percentage of females being promoted.

Our annual workforce survey is carried out as part of our sustained efforts to provide opportunities to listen to our workforce and enable them to raise issues which are affecting them. A range of insights from the 2024 survey are presented in Appendix A. Of the 16 questions chosen as indicators of progress towards our Policing Together vision and our organisational culture, females scored more positively in 16 of 18 questions. The insights below highlights:

• Females have a higher sense of belonging than the overall workforce at 56% compared with 52%.

• Females feel our culture expresses behaviours consistent with our values at a score of 77% compared with the overall workforce at 74%.

• Females feel the organisation values diversity and different ways of thinking at a higher rate, 76% compared with 71%.

• Females feel more valued for the work they do than the overall workforce at 44% compared with 38%.

• Females feel the organisation ensures there is equal access to opportunities at 36% compared with the workforce overall at 32% and fell they have a choice of a clear development path, supported by their line manager at 47% compared with the workforce at 45%.

The Policing Together Performance Report (Appendix A) provides a fuller update on progress being made. Section 5 has focused on information and evidence relating to the felt experience of our female colleagues, which shows signs of positive progress.

VAWG is reported separately through our Public Protection structures. It is understood that VAWG and SETM are intrinsically linked, as such in developing our 2023 VAWG’s strategy a significant period of self-assessment and reflection took place to recognise issues within the organisation relating to culture which require to be addressed to meet the needs of the people we serve and build trust and confidence. The VAWG strategy aligns with Equality Outcome 4 and the Policing Together Strategy, updates can be found within the Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Progress Report 2025. A new approach to delivering the VAWG Strategy was presented to the SPA Policing Performance Committee on 16 September 2025.

Reflecting on what has emerged in recent media reporting, earlier publication of the deep dive into SETM & VAWG report may have prevented an inference that Police Scotland was seeking to hide challenges, especially given the contextual reality (as laid out above) that Police Scotland remain committed to approaching this critical work in a way that is both engaging and transparent.