Police Scotland officers too 'scunnered' to raise grievances

MSPs have been told that many Scottish police officers are too “scunnered” with working conditions to raise grievances.

General secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, Calum Steele, said officers believe nothing will change and were too used to their opinions on working conditions being “disregarded and ignored".

On Thursday, Holyrood's Justice Sub-Committee on Policing will take evidence regarding Police Scotland's procedures for internal complaints.

This includes grievances and whistleblowing.

Mr Steele – in a written submission to the committee – highlighted a recent staff survey in which just 8% of officers said they believed the service was actually interested in their well-being.

He said: “Against this it is telling that so very few police officers raise grievances and rather than be considered as a sign of positivity, this suggests a fundamental lack of confidence in the processes that are there.

“At this time many police officers are simply 'scunnered'. They experience their working conditions being regularly disregarded and ignored.

“They are pulled from pillar to post and have so little confidence that things will improve that they often ask themselves 'what is the point as nothing will change'.

“These are matters that should be of the gravest concerns for anyone who has an interest in policing.”

Mr Steele said the SPF was also concerned about misconduct being invoked in circumstances when performance processes would be more appropriate.

“It is regrettable that a continued adversarial approach is adopted and this in turn breeds a lack of confidence in internal processes,” he said.

In a separate submission, Unison, the main union for police staff, said it believed there were still gaps in the provisions for internal complaints.

Dave Watson, head of policy and public affairs, said: “We remain concerned about how policies and procedures are interpreted and applied in workplaces which have become increasingly centralised with diminishing supervisory ratios.”

He added: “In the early stages of grievances, we have found that those hearing grievances are in the position at the early outset of defining what a grievance is and indeed whether it is applicable to the situation.

“This can contribute to the aggrieved feeling 'fobbed off' or deterred from pursuing the matter further resulting in under reporting and a distorted organisational view.”

The union said it was “vital that those who raise concerns have the confidence in process to do so without fear of reprisal or no action being taken.”

MSPs are due to take evidence from Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Designate Iain Livingstone, who announced on Monday he would postpone his plans to retire while allegations of gross misconduct against Chief Constable Phil Gormley are investigated.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) confirmed on Friday it was investigating a new allegation of gross misconduct by Mr Gormley, in addition to one announced in July.

Mr Gormley has been granted ''special leave'' while the two allegations, which he denies, are investigated.