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The aim of this assurance review was to assess the state, efficiency, and effectiveness of officer and staff conduct and discipline processes within Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
To deliver this assurance review, we adopted a comprehensive, evidence-based approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods.
We conducted interviews from across a broad range of stakeholders and with those involved in or with experience of conduct or discipline processes, as well as representatives from staff associations and trade unions.
We also examined concluded police officer conduct case files and concluded police staff disciplinary cases.
The resultant review report highlights strengths, identifies areas requiring improvement and proposes 24 recommendations aimed at strengthening professional standards, organisational learning, leadership behaviours, wellbeing support and accountability across policing in Scotland.
We had been set to publish the findings of our review in March 2026, but temporarily paused publication after requests from both the Chief Constable of Police Scotland and the Chief Executive of the Scottish Police Authority – who had asked for time to consider any potential implications for proceedings that were currently ongoing.
No changes were made to the review during this period while publication was paused.
Additional
Key findings
- Police Scotland maintains a clearly defined purpose, vision and strategy that promotes a positive organisational culture, aims to prevent misconduct and supports compliance with its Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Behaviour.
- Feedback from officers and staff stated that there were occasions where Police Scotland senior leaders did not consistently exemplify the expected standards of professional behaviour.
- Training on Police Scotland’s Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct and Standards of Professional Behaviour for new officers and staff requires improvement to ensure quality and consistency.
- Professional Standards Department (PSD) National Gateway Assessment Unit (NGAU) maintains accurate records on initial assessment of wrongdoing and provides strong supervisory oversight.
- The NGAU database lacks formal policies governing record creation, retention and deletion.
- Police Scotland’s existing performance and appraisal process is widely regarded as ineffective and not fit for purpose.
- Performance regulations are overly complex and under-utilised, and should be reviewed.
- Staff in the NGAU responsible for assessing potential protected disclosures, have received little or inadequate whistleblowing training.
- Police Scotland’s record keeping on whistleblowing assessments requires improvement.
- There is a general lack of awareness of whistleblowing within Police Scotland.
- Current whistleblowing policies do not clearly outline processes for officers and staff to raise matters which may be protected disclosures concerning senior officers.
- There is no appropriate independent police oversight body prescribed under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing within policing in Scotland.
- Police staff disciplinary investigations lack consistency in record keeping, frequently exceed prescribed timescales, and are conducted without adequate training for managers and hearing chairs.
- The appointment of dedicated police staff investigators for police staff discipline cases is a positive development.
- The suspension of with-cause drug testing for police staff has introduced organisational risk.
- Oversight of police staff discipline exists at operational and tactical levels but is absent at an organisational level, with no evidence of public reporting or scrutiny.
- PSD conduct investigators undertake thorough and proportionate investigations but carry high caseloads, which can affect timescales.
- Delays in concluding conduct and disciplinary processes are due to complex, multifactorial causes. These delays negatively affect staff wellbeing.
- Police Scotland is actively addressing issues with its use of The Police Service of Scotland Regulations 2013 Regulation 9 in relation to the dismissal of probationary constables and has increased management focus in this area.
- Wellbeing support for individuals who are subject to conduct and discipline processes is inconsistent and perceived as inadequate.
- Between 2013 and 2024, 20% of those Police Scotland officers and staff who died by suicide were subject to live complaints or discipline processes.
- We were not satisfied that the SPA’s arrangements for the initial assessment of senior officer wrongdoing provide adequate assurance.
- Improvements have been made to the capability of the SPA complaints team.
- We found that the SPA complaints team was being bypassed when reports were received by the SPA about senior officer potential wrongdoing.
- Police Scotland has failed to report all allegations of senior officer wrongdoing to the SPA.