This report provides an assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the leadership, governance, management and delivery of forensic services provided by the Scottish Police Authority (SPA). It scrutinises how the SPA is meeting its statutory obligations under Section 31 of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 by providing forensic services to Police Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Lord Advocate and Procurators Fiscal.
The background to this inspection, the objectives and methodology are outlined within the Terms of Reference, which were published on 1 December 2016. Our methodology is detailed in Appendix 1 of this report.
Forensic Services is a single national service which plays a key role in supporting the justice system in Scotland in the investigation, detection and prosecution of crime. Whilst it is a relatively small service when compared with Police Scotland, Forensic Services is widely recognised as a scientific leader in employing the latest technologies and in obtaining quality accreditation for its services.
Number | Recommendation |
|---|---|
1 | The Scottish Police Authority and Scottish Government should engage in the implementation of the Home Office Forensic Science Strategy to inform the approach in Scotland, explore common standards and support future interoperability. |
2 | The Scottish Police Authority should deliver a forensic strategy, aligned with those of Police Scotland and COPFS and their strategic planning cycles, with a supporting investment plan. |
3 | The Scottish Police Authority should deliver a forensic strategy, aligned with those of Police Scotland and COPFS and their strategic planning cycles, with a supporting investment plan. |
4 | The Scottish Police Authority should review its partnership governance structures for Forensic Services and undertake a fundamental review of the Memorandum of Understanding ensuring that this process is thereafter undertaken on a regular basis with appropriate consultation with Police Scotland, COPFS and the PIRC. |
5 | The Scottish Police Authority should review the senior management structure for Forensic Services |
6 | The Scottish Police Authority should develop capability and capacity within Forensic Services to deliver change and improvement. This should complement the creation of the specialist Programme Management Office within Police Scotland and provide dedicated programme and project management expertise to Forensic Services. |
7 | The Scottish Police Authority should work with Police Scotland and COPFS to design and implement a new performance management framework for the demand and delivery of forensic services. |
8 | The Scottish Police Authority should implement a systematic approach to the gathering and reporting of feedback and complaints on Forensic Services delivery. |
9 | Police Scotland should consider quality accreditation for digital forensics in line with Forensic Science Regulator recommendations, UK Forensic Strategy and wider good practice in order to support effective public performance reporting and assurance. |
10 | Police Scotland should review the role and capacity of portal gateway managers to improve local liaison around investigative priorities and ensure greater involvement in tasking and co-ordination processes linked to national processes. |
11 | The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland should implement a new decision making framework and appropriate guidance to support the prioritisation of forensic examinations. The implementation of this should be formally evaluated. |
12 | The Scottish Police Authority should work with Police Scotland and COPFS to develop capability and capacity within Forensic Services to systematically address failure demand. |
13 | The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland should review and implement the new Crime Scene Attendance Policy to support a national approach with a focus on maintaining quality of service to the public and assuring operational competence of officers undertaking scene examination. |
14 | Police Scotland should work with the Scottish Police Authority to develop a national approach to productions management, storage and transportation of items seized for forensic examination. |
15 | The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland should implement the recommendations of the previous Police Scotland led Lean Six Sigma review. |
16 | Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority should introduce processes to dynamically monitor and report on the caseload including backlogs within Forensic Services at both a national and local level. |
17 | The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland should implement an improvement planning process aligned with its strategic planning cycle and develop capability and capacity in applying the best practice tools and techniques for continuous improvement. |
18 | The Scottish Police Authority should develop a transparent workforce and demand planning model for Forensic Services. |
19 | The Scottish Police Authority should develop an enhanced staff and Union engagement approach within Forensic Services which includes the introduction of Personal Development Conversations across all Forensic Services staff groups with immediate effect. |
10 | The Scottish Police Authority should develop a forensic services costing model with appropriate support and expertise to support demand management and future income generation. |
21 | The Scottish Police Authority should commission a review of Evidence Management System functionality and investment profile against business requirements and link process efficiency work into future EMS development and refinement. |
22 | The Scottish Police Authority should commission a review of Evidence Management System functionality and investment profile against business requirements and link process efficiency work into future EMS development and refinement. |
23 | Police Scotland should develop formal Service Level Agreements for the delivery of corporate support services to Forensic Services, reflecting agreed service levels, performance measures, regular monitoring and Customer Relationship arrangements. |