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114. As noted, we have published ten joint custody inspection reports and two progress reports since April 2023. At the time of our review, a total of 25 recommendations for Police Scotland have been closed, and 20 remained open. This marks good progress by Police Scotland and the custody division.
115. We have outlined several areas in this report that require further action and ongoing attention from the custody division to meet the standards expected of an efficient and effective custody service.
116. Implementation of custody recommendations is progressing incrementally, with some short-term improvements being delivered, but the pace of more substantial and sustained change remains constrained by structural, financial and resource related limitations, as well as the absence of an alternative operating model. Improvements relating to significant factors such as the custody estate, ICT development, and a revised staff training programme are recognised as being a longer-term goal.
117. An organisational learning tracker is maintained by the division, capturing recommendations within a central spreadsheet and enabling monitoring of progress, including following formal closure. Procedural reviews are also undertaken following instances of death, injury, or adverse incidents to identify and address poor practice, determine whether these reflect wider systemic issues, and capture and disseminate organisational learning.
118. Performance related information is shared through a range of channels, however, there is little evidence to illustrate whether performance reporting is timely, accessible, consistently understood, and tailored to the needs of different stakeholder groups.
119. Custody staff and managers spoke of considerable engagement with partners across a range of workstreams, including bail and remand, warrants, custody transport, and arrest referrals. This demonstrates sound collaboration and a proactive approach to improving end to end processes and outcomes for individuals. It also reinforces that criminal justice outcomes are often dependent on multi agency approaches, not solely on the role of policing.
120. There is limited evidence that the custody division systematically analyses or reports on the experiences and perceptions of service users and staff, and therefore more could be done to reflect the perspectives of those most directly involved.
121. The refreshed vision and strategic plan for custody transformation, supported by new governance structures, a dedicated project team, and an enhanced audit framework, has the potential to make the changes needed to progress recommendations and drive improvements in custody services.