Report into police call handling welcomed amid criticism of SNP’s ‘botched centralisation’

Liam McArthur

The report, published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, follows an independent review of call handling systems directed by Mr Matheson in 2015 in the wake of the M9 tragedy, in which police failed to act timeously on a call that there had been a serious car crash.

The review resulted in 30 recommendations, all of which have been discharged. Mr Matheson has updated Parliament that the work to improve the system has delivered:

• A revised staffing model for police call handling, ensuring the service has the right number of people at the right time
• An improved approach to training, ensuring staff have the skills needed to support the public, often in the most critical of circumstances
• Improved stability of key IT systems
• Controls to ensure Police Scotland maintains the highest standards, including the implementation of a “notable incidents” process which allows the service to learn from the few calls that haven’t been handled as they should have been.
• The final report contains eight more recommendations, which aim to guide further improvements.

Mr Matheson said: “Every minute of every day police staff make vital decisions that safeguard the vulnerable. Following HM Inspectorate’s detailed review and recommendations, Police Scotland has undertaken far-reaching work to ensure call handling is effective and robust.

“As a result, Scotland now has an approach that will allow the public to experience the full benefits that come with a single, unified police service.

“There is no room for complacency – and the reality is that call handling is a human activity and on rare occasions mistakes can and will occur. What is essential is that the risks are minimised and the impact of any such events is mitigated.

“Based on this independent assessment we can be confident police call handlers are well placed to support communities. I look forward to seeing how the service will continue to improve, and that is what we expect of Police Scotland going forward.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said: “I recognise the work carried out by those in C3 division in response to the serious concerns surrounding call handling within Police Scotland. Despite his talk of the need for ‘continuous learning’, however, the Cabinet Secretary fails to recognise the part played by the SNP government’s botched centralisation in creating these problems in the first place.

“What finally forced the government to act on the concerns being raised about control rooms was the fatal crash on the M9 that killed John Yuill and Lamara Bell. Yet, three years on and we are still no closer to knowing the timeframe for a Fatal Accident Inquiry into this tragic incident.

“Without that FAI, neither the public nor, more importantly the families involved, will have the answers they need”.