When handled appropriately, complaints can lead to better police practice and services. This benefits local communities and police forces. 

On this page you can find all the tools and guidance you need about the complaints system. This is split out into information that is primarily for professional standards departments, and more general information for all police officers and staff. 

Information for professional standards departments

Information for police officers and staff

Information for other bodies under our jurisdiction

Learning the Lessons

Our Learning the Lessons magazine helps to improve police policy and practice. It supports the police service to learn lessons from investigations into complaints and conduct matters.

Oversight

We work with our external policing stakeholders to identify issues, improvement action and effective, shareable practice.

Focus

Focus gives police force professional standards departments practical guidance on dealing with complaints, conduct matters, and death or serious injury cases. It supports police complaint handling and improves standards.

Investigations

Each year our investigators carry out hundreds of independent investigations into the most serious and sensitive incidents involving the police.

Silent Solution

Find out more about our Make Yourself Heard campaign to raise awareness of the Silent Solution system.

Key areas of work

Learn more about our thematic work, and the different types of investigations we carry out.