Publication of the Child Friendly Complaint Handling Guidance coincides with the second anniversary of the commencement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, which incorporates the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law, putting children’s rights at the heart of decision making in Scotland. It gives children and their representatives new legal routes to challenge when their rights are not upheld. 

Drawing on the UNCRC, the guidance requires policing bodies to ensure that complaints processes are suitably accessible, that the child’s views and best interests are taken into consideration. 

Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, Laura Paton, said: “It is imperative that policing bodies uphold children’s rights when dealing with complaints made by children or by adults acting on their behalf. 

“We want to make sure that police complaints processes are accessible to anyone under 18, and are informative, empowering, compassionate and confidential. Children’s rights should be at the heart of decisions taken when handling complaints.” 

The new guidance now forms part of the statutory guidance that PIRC issues to policing bodies on how complaints from members of the public should be handled. 

As well as guidance for policing bodies, PIRC has also developed child friendly complaint handling guidance for its own staff – this will be followed when carrying out a CHR involving a child, or when dealing with any complaints received about PIRC itself.

Ms Paton added: “The guidance we’re publishing for policing bodies and for our own staff is just part of the work we’re doing to ensure PIRC fulfils our duties to implement the UNCRC. 

“We’ve undertaken a range of other activities to consider how we can safeguard children’s rights across all our functions. That work remains ongoing as we continue to develop the service provided by PIRC.”