Our Organisation

Leadership and Governance

Craig Naylor is the current HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland (HMCICS). He was appointed by Royal Warrant for a term of three years and is completely independent of government and policing bodies. He is responsible for the strategic leadership of HMICS and accountable for our activities. Our Corporate Strategy 2014-17 was reframed with reference to our new statutory duties and informed through stakeholder engagement and research to reflect best practice.

We have recently published our Corporate Strategy 2017-20 which clearly sets out our strategic direction and our approach to scrutiny for the next three years.

Planning and Processes

We seek to have effective processes for key areas of our activity. These include our Scrutiny Risk Assessments, Scrutiny Framework and the introduction of an Inspection Framework. Through various methods for organisational continual improvement we will seek to enhance our effectiveness, efficiency and economy. We intensively debrief our activities, seek feedback from those we scrutinise, partners and others and use this to enhance our processes and approach. This has resulted in a refreshed Complaints Handling Process and a revitalised communications and engagement plan.

Our People

The current HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary has a background working in the police service.  HM Chief Inspector is supported by an Assistant Inspector of Constabulary (AIC) who is responsible for the day to day operation of HMICS. The AIC and two Support Inspectors are currently seconded from Police Scotland. There are four Lead Inspectors who are civil servants. Lead inspectors have a wide range of professional experience gained from backgrounds in relevant fields including policing and the public sector. Our Associate Inspectors have been recruited from a range of professional experience. 

Our Partnerships

We engage with over 100 differing stakeholder groups in the course of our activities. Our principal partners include Scottish Government, the Police Investigations & Review Commissioner, the Scottish Institute for Policing Research and a range of other audit and inspection/improvement bodies. We engage at varying levels with many stakeholders nationally, regionally and locally and also seek feedback through a wide range of channels, including social media.

Our Resources

The budget for HMICS was £1,060,000 for 2020-21 and is set at £1,060,000 for 2021-22. 

Outcomes

We will add value through the work we do, highlighting good practice and making recommendations that drive improvement in policing for the communities of Scotland. We will do this in a proportionate manner and work collaboratively to minimise our scrutiny footprint. We will monitor our work to ensure it is adding value and will continually improve to ensure what we do it is relevant, up to date and timely. We will work to our values and inspect using the principles of our framework to ensure transparency.