Complaints handling, investigations and misconduct issues in relation to policing - final report: joint Scottish Government and Crown Office response

Reporting Framework

We recognise the importance of transparency, the need to be open about our plans and provide clear updates on their delivery. We are committed to sharing information on progress but to do so in a way that is meaningful and accessible to a range of audiences. As the Cabinet Secretary mentioned in the Parliamentary debate on the Review, he will commit to publishing progress being made by Government and partners is relation to the recommendations.

However, a simple list of all 111 recommendations with a box to be ticked on completion will not give an accurate picture of the work underway; progress is more nuanced than a binary tick box can convey. Our individual and collective reporting mechanisms will be designed to monitor developments effectively and provide assurance. Equally, we will seek to ensure that any process for providing updates is efficient and does not deter progress on implementation.

The aim of the overarching reporting framework is to provide a coherent picture of progress across the areas Dame Elish identified for improvement. To achieve this, we propose to adopt a thematic approach to reporting, grouping recommendations under the following headings:

• Rights & ethics
• Jurisdiction & powers
• Governance & accountability
• Transparency & accessibility
• Equality, diversity & inclusion
• Conduct & standards
• Training & HR
• Efficiency & effectiveness
• Audit & review

The report will be published by the Scottish Government triannually, having been signed off by partners at the Ministerial Group. It will focus on high level progress under these themes, aligning to recommendations where relevant, with the aim of providing clarity on delivery. As to be expected, some recommendations could fit under a number of these headings but we are pleased to note that partners agree with the selection of themes and allocation of recommendations to each. Tables for each theme, listing the relevant recommendations grouped within it are included at Annex A.

In that vein, we have opted to set out our joint response to recommendations from both Dame Elish's Preliminary and Final Reports, as well as the Justice Committee's Post Legislative Review, under the themes listed above. While our approach is thematic, we will reference specific recommendations throughout the narrative and detail developments, where relevant, progress towards delivery or set out planning underway.

Some recommendations that stretch beyond policing, such as those relating to NHS mental health provision, will not be incorporated into the governance structures and reporting framework, which are of necessity tied to the policing landscape. Later in this response we provide updates on work underway to highlight our commitments in those areas, which sit within different governance structures.