Further Detail on the Report Topic

SPA Complaints Performance

Appendix A provides an overview of the complaint handling responsibilities of the SPA with explanatory text on reporting terminology.

The SPA Complaints Quarterly Performance Report, including key statistics reflecting the position at the end of Q2 2025/26, is attached as Appendix B to this report and provides comparison to the previous 7 quarters.

Workload Management

Detail on ongoing workload is presented as a separate agenda item at the private session of this meeting.

Dip-Sampling of Police Scotland Complaints

Appendix C provides a report on SPA dip-sampling of complaints closed by Police Scotland during Q1, 2025/26. This marks resumption of this quarterly exercise (paused following last report in September 2024, pending recruitment to the team).

A summary of key findings and recommendations is outlined below.

Key findings:

• The PIRC Statutory Guidance provides an expectation that policing bodies should respond to non-criminal complaints requiring investigation within 56 days (40 working days) of receipt. The aim of frontline resolution (FLR) is to provide a quick, informed response within a much shorter timescale.

• Findings from this dip-sampling exercise are consistent with those of earlier exercises, demonstrating that, where cases are concluded by FLR at Division or via PSD (NCARU), this is consistently achieved within a very short timeframe, although where FLR is achieved via PSD (Non-Criminal Investigations) or Specialist Division, this continues to take in excess of 40 working days. In respect of those cases requiring formal investigation and determination, however, closure timescales continue to significantly exceed 40 working days, it being recognised that these are impacted by initial delays in allocation.

• As with previous dip-sampling exercises, timescales area assessed as being a key contributing factor in cases subsequently abandoned. However, unlike previous exercises, this exercise identified instances where reasonable efforts did not appear to have been made to secure the complainer’s cooperation before the case was abandoned.

• As was identified in each of the earlier samples, there continue to be issues surrounding effective record-keeping practice (including, but not limited to, ensuring that equality and diversity information has been sought and recorded).

• With the exception of the above points, all cases have otherwise been deemed to have been handled appropriately in terms of the CAPSOP (and, in turn, the PIRC Statutory Guidance).

Recommendations:

• As identified from earlier samples (and the findings of the

SPA/PIRC Joint Audit of Police Scotland’s initial triage of complaints and PIRC Audit Report on the Six-Stage Complaint Handling Process), Police Scotland should continue:

o Monitor timescales following the initial assessment of the complaint and contact with the complainer

o Monitor record keeping practice to ensure consistent practice in line with excepted standards

• Opportunities to capture equality and diversity information could be enhanced by providing, in the first instance, the opportunity for complainers to provide this when completing the online complaint capture form.

Stakeholder Meetings

The National Complaint Handling Development Group (NCHDG) met on 20 August 2025, chaired by T/Superintendent James Mann.

The Group received input from West Midlands Police complaints lead on actions taken to successfully reduce their won complaints backlog, as well as from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman on complaint handling best practice. Other key areas of discussion included updates to the online complaint capture form

following the NCARU audit and an update on Operation Glade (including progression of the linked internal audit).

The Group is scheduled to meet again on 27 November 2025.

In addition to the above, the SPA Complaints team also attended the Police Scotland Professional Standards Department Induction Course in October 2025.

Organisational Learning

The SPA is committed to promoting a culture of organisational learning. Opportunities are identified through a variety of sources including the handling of complaints within the remit of the SPA and PIRC Complaint Handling Reviews (CHRs) if applicable.

During the quarter, the PIRC reported back on its review of a complaint handled by the SPA. The report made a number of recommendations, as well as identifying a number of specific organisational learning opportunities. Further details in this regard will be reported following implementation of the above, and confirmation from the PIRC that they are satisfied that matters identified have been addressed.