Report Detail

Background

This is a regular agenda item, containing updates on complaints and conduct matters within the SPA.

Further detail

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 Q3 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 Q2, 2025/26. Please note that the report provided at the last Committee wrongly identified that the dip-sample related to cases closed during Q1, 2025/26, the sample instead relating to Q4 2025/26. Appendix C has been updated to reflect this error.

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 are assessed as being a key contributing factor in cases subsequently abandoned. However, as with the Q4 2024/25 sample, 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. Of particular note, this exercise identified an absence of evidence across all cases of supervisory sign-off of completed Complaint Handling Forms.

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 to:

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

Monitor record keeping to ensure consistent practice in line with accepted standards.

Stakeholder Meetings

The National Complaint Handling Development Group (NCHDG) met on 27 November 2025 and on 4 February 2026, chaired by Superintendent James Mann. The November meeting was attended by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and British Transport Police, offering opportunity for learning around respective complaint handling models, including insights around proportionality and use of allocation to local districts (in the case of GMP) to support resolution. At the most recent meeting, Police Scotland provided a substantive update on Operation Glade and the initiation of a Local Allocation Project. In addition, the group discussed the updated 6-stage complaint capture form implemented following the prior joint SPA/PIRC NCARU audit, outstanding recommendations from the more recent PIRC 6-stage audit, and recommendations arising from the recent Internal Audit. The next meeting is planed for May 2026.

A further governance cycle has been underway in respect of outstanding non-legislative recommendations from the 2020 Angiolini Review. All outstanding recommendations for which the Authority was either singly or jointly responsible (having been subject to previous Committee approval) have since been submitted for formal consideration that they have been satisfactorily discharged.

In addition to the above, SPA officials will be attending the Public Sector Complaints Scotland Conference in February 2026.

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. No specific organisational learning opportunities have been identified during this reporting period.