Complaint Handling Reviews

The Complaints

The complaint in this case arose after the applicant requested that the police carry out a welfare check on her children. 

We have reviewed the handling of a single complaint, namely that: 

• Police Scotland failed to conduct a welfare check on the applicant’s children, after she reported concerns for their safety. 

Police Scotland’s Decision

Police Scotland did not uphold the applicant’s complaint.

Our Findings

We have found that Police Scotland did not handle the applicant’s complaint to a reasonable standard. 

We have identified three learning points, one of which highlights good complaint handling practice. 

Our learning points should be implemented by Police Scotland within two months of the date of this report.

Outcome

Police Scotland accepted all three learning points identified in this case, one of which reflected positively on good complaint handling practices identified during our review. The two LPs offering complaint handling advice for specific officers were disseminated and accepted appropriately, while all three were cascaded more widely across Police Scotland’s Professional Standard’s Department.

Police Bodies: Police Scotland