Thematic inspection of police response to missing persons in Scotland

Purpose, vision and strategy

53. We found Police Scotland to be appropriately aligned to the framework for missing persons. As indicated, partners to the framework include Scottish Government, Police Scotland, local authorities, NHS Scotland and a number of third sector organisations. This particular approach is not replicated elsewhere in the UK.

54. The framework clearly outlines the intended purpose and expected approach that should be taken by partners working collaboratively to respond to and resolve missing person incidents. It also sets out strategic objectives (referred to as commitments in the document) and highlights a vision for a collaborative partnership approach that embraces the principles of early intervention and prevention.

55. The framework aims to share good practice that has been developed locally, recognising that by doing so through a framework with a shared aim, partners will achieve better outcomes for people and their families across Scotland.

56. Police Scotland has been a driving force behind the implementation of the framework. However, more recently, there have been gaps in clear and visible leadership at senior level, as well as in the oversight and governance of operations. This is partly down to previous gaps in senior posts in the Policing Together division (which has oversight of missing persons), but can also be attributed to missing persons sitting within an overly broad and diverse portfolio with potentially competing demands.

57. This has meant the NMPU has lacked the level of oversight that it once had. Nor has it had the benefits of senior manager cover to enable it to influence system improvements and changes that can be required from time to time. For example, where the NMPA has required system changes, the unit lacked the influence senior managers can bring to this type of issue.

58. Police Scotland does not have an internal strategy for missing persons in place to outline organisational purpose and vision across police divisions. Several officers and staff we spoke with during interviews were unclear on the police strategy for missing persons, and were unable to identify the organisation's aims and objectives they were expected to deliver.

59. While we do not consider it essential for Police Scotland to develop a separate strategy, given the aforementioned alignment to the framework, it is important that officers and staff are aware that Police Scotland’s strategic position and approach are contained within the framework.

Implementation of the framework

60. The framework provides a sound basis for partnership working in order to plan for and address missing person incidents. However, if it is to be fully effective, it must be implemented as intended. Police Scotland has shown commitment to the implementation of the framework, but there is a lack of collaboration with partners from health and local authorities at a national planning level. There is no national multi-agency forum in place to collaboratively monitor the effectiveness of policy and delivery of the response to missing persons.

61. Although the framework has been in place for several years, it does not have a widely-recognised profile within some key organisations and across police divisions. Because it is non-statutory guidance, this can result in some partners and local authority areas giving it less attention and emphasis than it requires.

62. There is limited awareness of the collective aims and objectives of the framework across divisions and among operational officers and staff. As such, the importance and relevance of the framework should be shared more widely across relevant personnel within Police Scotland. The framework should be seen as more of a priority by officers and staff with involvement in missing persons work.

63. The implementation group provides valuable oversight of the development and implementation of the framework. It is principally made up of representatives from Scottish Government, police, third sector and academia. However, the group has no representation from senior personnel from local authorities or health services, which limits its influence as there is no direct route to communicate developments to senior leaders outwith policing. The implementation group should invite representation from these bodies.

64. Several partners and partnership areas have made considerable progress in adopting the framework and have worked effectively with Police Scotland on its implementation at a divisional level. However, this is not consistent across the country.

65. We are aware that the framework is being revised and updated by members of the implementation group. This has included considerable work by the group to incorporate learning from what has worked well since its initial publication. The revised version will, no doubt, provide very useful guidance on partnership working at a strategic and operational level, to achieve the best possible outcomes for missing people and their families.

66. We outline the extent to which the current framework has been implemented effectively at a divisional/local authority level in the delivery section of this report.

Leadership, governance and oversight

67. Police Scotland demonstrates effective divisional level leadership in the oversight of missing person investigations, but there are gaps at the national level. It is important that national and local divisions are connected through clear policy and strategic leadership. This has been hindered by a lack of clear governance structures at national level, which would help to progress its aims and objectives for missing persons.

68. There is a disconnect between local policing and the Policing Together division at a senior level. Police Scotland’s missing person strategic governance forum aimed to provide scrutiny oversight and strategic leadership and governance for matters relating to the policing response to missing persons, but this has not operated in recent years.

69. Although Policing Together hosts a regular partnership superintendents forum, it does not provide strategic oversight of missing persons to ensure local initiatives and activities across Scotland are effective, aligned to the framework, and implemented nationally. There is inconsistency in the resourcing and remit of divisional partnership superintendents. For example, where governance and oversight of missing persons is given to an operational superintendent, they would not ordinarily be invited to attend this forum.

70. Police Scotland highlighted its intention to revive the missing person strategic governance forum that had previously been in place. We would support its reintroduction to oversee the strategy and direction for missing persons work. This has the potential to fill the gaps identified and to promote improvements in governance.

71. There was little evidence of regular strategic multi-agency missing person meetings taking place within divisions. The topic of missing persons is discussed in some local authority areas at their chief officers’ group, as well as at child and adult protection committees. However, as this is part of a much wider agenda, we could not be confident that all relevant issues relating to missing persons were being addressed within these structures.

72. There was no indication that Police Scotland had identified and introduced specific outcome targets for missing persons work and was monitoring progress against these. This appears to be a missed opportunity, as we have identified several areas where police were performing well. More importantly, the introduction of outcome targets and measures would enable the service to understand more fully what aspects of missing person response are working well and why, so that learning can be shared and embedded across the service.

Performance management and reporting

73. Police Scotland provides quarterly performance reports to the SPA. These reports are used to highlight trends and changes in the number and type of incidents that are investigated each quarter and, subsequently, each year. Reports are made available to the public on the SPA website.

74. Current performance management data outlined in performance reports includes a range of demand-related information relevant to demographics and geographical differences. This provides a helpful picture of the potential increase or decrease in incidents that have taken place for specific groups, including adults, children and young people, and those missing from settings including NHS facilities and children’s services.

75. However, there is no overarching internal mechanism in place to evaluate the quality of the police response for missing persons. Police are able to provide valuable quantitative data, but performance reports make little reference to the quality and effectiveness of service provision and the outcomes achieved.