Summary of Strengths
The following areas were identified as strengths in 2023 and 2024 and continue to be recognised with Compliance Plus, due to ongoing developments. Reference to the elements is made in brackets.
IOPC continues to promote itself as an inclusive organisation, with a key aim of ensuring the services are available and accessible to everybody irrespective of background, gender, age, race, etc. The Organisation is constantly seeking new ways to raise awareness of the services available to the public. The changes to research and service user engagement are a positive step towards involving different service users, listening to their experiences, and using the feedback to drive change. Whilst consideration has always been made to service users who are disadvantaged / hard-to-reach, the new approaches, for example, Survey-opt-Out and Involvement Panels, will further strengthen the Organisation’s ability to identify and work with these groups.
Since the three-year recertification in 2023, a new Director General has been appointed, a restructuring has been undertaken, and the Transformation programme has been and continues to be providing a clear direction. The service user has been a key priority as IOPC has embarked on its journey to Customer Service Excellence; however, over the past two years, there has been a renewed focus on putting the service user at the heart. Members of the senior leadership team advocate for the service user and actively seek feedback from all stakeholders, including staff. At the time of the annual review, senior leaders were meeting with staff across the Country, reporting on phase two of the Transformation programme and gathering feedback (ideas and suggestions) from staff, with a focus on the service user. A substantial amount of work has been undertaken to refocus staff on the values. A behavioural framework has been designed, and subsequently, performance against the values and behavioural framework is to be measured through DRIVE (the performance review process), with the aim of influencing cultural change.
Consultation with, and involvement of service users (and other stakeholders) are integral across the IOPC. Opportunities are taken to gather feedback from all service users to gain insight, which informs strategies, policies, and service delivery. The restructuring is already having an impact on the Organisation, as the QSI and Research teams work collaboratively to identify different approaches to gaining feedback from all stakeholders and influencing change.
IOPC did not experience any reportable data breaches in 2023/24 and only one reportable data breach (to Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)) in 2024/25, which required no further action. It continues to undertake internal and external audits and inspections, and responds positively to feedback, including that received from the ICO. Robust policies and procedures are in place to ensure the privacy of service users, both in face-to-face discussions and during the transfer and storage of personal information. All staff are required to complete data protection, freedom of information, record management, and counter-fraud training to ensure a thorough understanding of the systems and processes that must be upheld.
Over the past year, staff have been actively involved in reviewing the values and aligning them with their practical implications. They have contributed to a review of several strategy documents and policies, including how the Organisation can work with different service users. Staff are working on a range of projects under the Transformation programme, and many actively contribute to network forums, which influence change /improvement, as does their feedback in the staff surveys. Staff confirmed that they feel trusted and empowered to make decisions.
Recruitment and selection processes focus on individuals who have a strong bias towards prioritising the service user's needs. The induction has been reviewed and updated, resulting in a greater focus on the external and internal service users. The Bridge (learning platform) provides access to IOPC and civil service topics. Leadership and management programmes have been reviewed and updated once again to focus on both external and internal service users.
Historically, IOPC has used a range of strategies to recognise staff's contributions to the service user focused ethos. These have included ongoing support from leaders and managers to balance staff’s work and personal lives, as well as support their health and wellbeing. Cheers for Peers and senior leaders’ shout-outs, a monthly flash card for internal and external compliments and feedback, informal thanks, and praise. In the early stages. of implementation, the values-based award is used to further embed the focus on providing the service user with a positive experience.
Learning the Lessons remains a valuable resource and effective method for sharing best practices and learning from investigations and reviews across the industry. Learning recommendations are documented and contribute to improving policing country-wide, including changes to policy, guidance, and training. In addition, learning sessions are planned and delivered for staff, along with Subject Matter Experts, who share best practices. Staff also explained that the quarterly complaints and feedback meeting, as well as the quality improvement cycle, further contribute to sharing lessons learnt.
The following strengths were identified throughout this annual review and awarded Compliance Plus. Reference to the element is made in brackets. The Communications and Engagement Strategy 2023 - 27 indicates the aim 'To use effective communication, engagement and advocacy activities to build awareness, understanding and confidence in the police complaints system and our work'. It also outlines seven objectives to be achieved, focusing on Awareness, Promotion, Involvement, Influence, and Impact. There are numerous approaches to engagement and involvement, whereby IOPC works with different groups, for example, Sistah Space, Youth Panels, Community Outreach, schools, and others. The new Service User Strategy outlines the focus the Organisation is giving to listening to service users' voices, how it will be delivered, and those involved. The 2025-26 priorities are to ‘develop feedback surveys and increase their reach, design, and implement an involvement panel, develop processes to support involvement and experience, learn from other organisations and functions who do this well’.
Whilst IOPC has consistently prioritised service user engagement and involvement, and had a clear Communications and Engagement Strategy, the new Service User Strategy certainly indicates that the service user’s voice is paramount to improving services going forward. There is a real drive to listen to their experiences, including what went well / not so well, and how things could be done differently or better. The new approaches will provide real-time information, and subsequently result in changes / improvements being made at a quicker pace. Several methods are used to inform service users of the action taken as a result of their feedback, recognising that service users need to feel that they have been heard and that their feedback has made a difference.
IOPC continue to improve the range, content, and quality of verbal, published and web-based information to ensure it is easy to understand and meets the needs of service users. The Organisation is constantly challenged to ensure service users understand what the service can and cannot do for them. As a result, a new information sheet has been designed, which is also available digitally on the website, along with a video to support individuals with different learning styles. The Review Form has been updated to provide greater clarity to service users. Additionally, a comprehensive review of the Operations Manual is underway, and the rewrite incorporates service user experiences and the way processes and procedures can impact experience positively. This is resulting in staff understanding what is expected of them to contribute to the ethos of providing excellent services to service users.