Status of all recommendations

Police Scotland should develop a role profile and operational guidance for divisional coordinators, and ensure that the role is supported and enabled to fulfil tasks and responsibilities effectively.

Police Scotland should develop a version of the national missing persons application that has full functionality on mobile devices, and respond swiftly to any technical problems and potential improvements identified by users.

Police Scotland should continue to engage with partners and service providers at a national and local level to encourage greater adherence to the collective commitments of the national missing persons framework. This should include engagement on the implementation of early intervention and prevention approaches, and the use of national and local protocols.

Police Scotland should ensure consistent and effective communication and engagement takes place with families, carers and key contacts throughout investigations.

Police Scotland should work with partners to ensure that clear and co-ordinated arrangements are in place to conduct return discussions across divisions. These should align effectively with safe and well checks, and all relevant information gathered from such discussions should be shared between partners.

Police Scotland should routinely evaluate the quality of its missing persons operations to pinpoint areas for improvement, using that knowledge to drive improvement, reduce demand and improve outcomes.

The SPA should put in place measures to monitor progress against the areas for development outlined in this review, ensuring regular public reporting to allow assessment of progress.

Police Scotland should review compliance with policy relating to the delay of release following a disposal decision being made and ensure that staff adhere to this.