Scottish Government investigation training: FOI release

Information requested

Information on investigation training given to government employees including senior staff.

Response

In your request, you have asked for information about government employees. Our response therefore covers permanent staff employed in the core directorates within the Scottish Government, see Annex A. We do not hold information about other government departments/organisations and you would need to contact them directly should you wish to obtain information about their arrangements.

You have asked for information about investigation training given to employees including senior staff. You subsequently confirmed that your request relates to staff involved in investigating complaints against Ministers or other staff within the last 5 years. This response therefore covers training for investigating officers who may be involved in investigating complaints of this nature under Scottish Government HR policies.

In August 2018, we published an internal staff notice inviting staff to volunteer to become Investigating, Deciding and Appeal Officers. Those staff who were selected completed an internal training session that was jointly delivered by the HR People Advice and Wellbeing Team and the Scottish Government Legal Department.

Attendees were provided with reading materials in advance of the session which included the relevant HR policies and also specific guidance for Investigating Officers.

A copy of the Investigating Officer guidance, a Power Point provided by the Scottish Government Legal Department and a case study used during the training is attached.

In addition to an established pool of trained investigating officers, on occasion investigating officers are appointed who have either had prior training and / or have appropriate experience. Where relevant and required, training is provided.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI202100176844 - Annex A

File type

33 page PDF

File size

2.2 MB