Information for police
When handled appropriately, complaints can lead to better police practice and services. This benefits local communities and police forces.
On this page you will find all the tools and guidance you need about the complaints system. Information is split into general guidance for all police officers and staff, and information that is primarily for professional standards departments.
Information for police officers and staff
We are the police complaints watchdog. We are not the police and are completely independent of them. We set the standards for the police complaints system. We make sure the police are investigating complaints about them properly. We also investigate the most serious and sensitive incidents involving the police ourselves.
Police forces deal directly with the majority of complaints and conduct matters involving their officers, staff, contractors and volunteers. These matters are handled by police force professional standards departments, or human resources departments. However, forces are required to refer any death or serious injury that follows direct or indirect contact with police officers, staff, contractors and volunteers to us.
Through our work, we hold the police to account when things go wrong, recommend changes to prevent the same mistakes happening again and promote high standards of policing. We use our evidence to drive improvements in police practices for the benefit of the public and the police. This will help achieve our vision for everyone to be able to have trust and confidence in policing.
We also monitor the way that police forces handle complaints to make sure that the lessons learned from complaints and investigations help to improve policing. Read more about the complaints process, and about how and when we carry out independent investigations.
We will act quickly, impartially and fairly when an allegation is referred to us. A complaint about a member of police staff or contractor will often be investigated by local management – this may be by your immediate supervisor or manager. The matter may be dealt with by your force’s human resources and/or PSD if a complaint needs to be investigated.
You will be told by your force if you are going to be interviewed about an investigation into a complaint. For example, you may receive a letter from the PSD about the complaint and the decision to investigate it. You are strongly advised to contact your trade union if this happens. They will arrange to represent you as necessary.
Investigations into serious issues, such as deaths in custody, are run by our own investigators. In certain circumstances, our investigators have full police powers and rights of access to premises, documents and other evidence.
Our detailed guide, outlines what police officers and staff can expect if they are involved with an IOPC investigation.
We believe that making the investigator’s report available is the most transparent way to show what the investigation has found. When the investigation is complete, the report may be disclosed to complainants, police officers, police staff, contractors and volunteers (subject to a harm test). A harm test is used to decide if there is information that would cause adverse effects if disclosed, such as risks to national security.
You may be asked to write an account about what happened – an interview is not always necessary. You have the right to consult a trade union representative before sending your response. You have the right to a solicitor if you are going to be interviewed under caution. Contact your trade union immediately to arrange this before the interview.
Our detailed guidance for officers contains more information about what officers can expect when asked to provide a witness account; the information that we will provide to them; and how we will reach decisions on the most appropriate way of engaging with the officer.
Following the conclusion of an investigation there could be a number of different outcomes for the individuals involved, these are outlined in detail in our detailed guide.
If no further action is agreed the matter cannot be referred to in personal development plans or staff appraisals. However, you may receive training, advice or other support as a result of a complaint.
A small number of complaints result in disciplinary, or misconduct action. Police staff can get support from their trade union, who can provide representation and advice on all disciplinary and misconduct-related matters.
Police officers, special constables and staff will be put on a barred list if they are found guilty of gross misconduct and are dismissed or would have been if they had not retired or resigned. Police forces and other policing bodies, including the IOPC, refer to this list before making appointments and are prohibited by law from employing anyone on the barred list.
Police officers, special constables and staff who have resigned or retired during an investigation that could lead to dismissal, or who leave before such an allegation comes to light are included in the advisory list. When carrying out pre-employment checks, if an applicant is on the advisory list, the hiring organisation must consider the information regarding the reasons why as part of the vetting process.
When disciplinary procedures are finalised, details will either be added to the barred list if the officer would have been dismissed, or removed if the case is not proven. The advisory list also includes designated volunteers who have had their designated status withdrawn because of conduct or performance matters.
The College of Policing is responsible for maintaining the barred and advisory lists.
Our report line exists for police officers and staff to report concerns of wrongdoing that a criminal offence has been committed, or where there is evidence of conduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings. The Home Office provides useful information on reporting concerns (chapter two), while GOV.UK has more general information about whistleblowing.
The report line can be used to make public interest disclosures to the IOPC. Disclosures which are made in the public interest are protected under the Employment Rights Act 1996. The IOPC is a prescribed person under that legislation for the purposes of matters relating to the conduct of a person serving with the police or another law enforcement body under the IOPC’s jurisdiction.
We record reports made to us which meet the criteria of a Public Interest Disclosure using the criteria in the legislation and the Home Office Guidance (Chapter 2).
Our powers to act on public interest disclosures / whistleblowing reports made to us are set by the Police Reform Act 2002 (PRA). Whistleblowing matters are handled differently to complaints made by members of the public. Under the PRA, a person serving with the police who wishes to make a complaint would only have the rights of a complainant if they were off duty at the time of the alleged conduct and if the complaint is against a person who, at the time of the alleged conduct, was under the direction and control of a different chief officer.
In addition, matters relating to the direction and control of a police force remain outside of the IOPC’s remit. This generally includes grievance matters such as pensions, promotion and discipline. However, where those issues arise, police officers and staff members have access to an internal grievance scheme which has routes of appeal to more senior staff.
We encourage officers and staff to pursue these avenues, where appropriate, and seek legal advice or speak to the Police Federation, or their union, for further advice in such circumstances. The IOPC cannot provide expert advice to individuals on their rights and we cannot enter into litigation on behalf of an individual.
Further information regarding the report line process is available in our report line FAQs. The IOPC report line is operated and managed by our customer contact centre. Email us or call us on 08458 770061 (lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm - please leave a voicemail after hours).
Reporting data on Report Line matters
Our Youth Panel created this handy poster based on their research with 800 young people to help police officers when coming into contact with young people.
Information for professional standards departments
We have created detailed guidance and an accompanying toolkit to help complaint handlers and investigators within professional standards departments deal with complaints about police officers.
The documents guide complaint handlers through the police complaints process and are designed to achieve best practice and greater consistency across all police forces.
Our statutory guidance helps police forces and local policing bodies comply with their legal obligations when handling complaints about police officers and staff. It outlines how to achieve high standards in the handling of complaints, conduct matters and death and serious injury (DSI) matters.
Our guidance sets out the principles underpinning the complaints system, when complaints should be recorded and different ways of handling complaints, including referral to the IOPC and local investigation by the police force. It also covers potential outcomes and how the outcome of a complaint can be reviewed.
This guidance applies to matters that come to the attention of police forces, police and crime commissioners or the IOPC on or after 1 February 2020.
Note: this guidance does not apply to other organisations under our jurisdiction which are governed by different legislation. Where appropriate, these organisations follow the spirit of the guidance when dealing with complaints.
For matters that came to the attention of police forces, police and crime commissioners or the IOPC before 1 February 2020, please refer to our previous statutory guidance and operational advice note.
Information about our statutory guidance prior to 2015 can be found via the National Archive. The documents dated 2012 relate to complaints and appeals received by appropriate authorities between 22 November 2012 to May 2015. The documents dated 2010 relate to complaints and appeals received by appropriate authorities between 1 April 2010 and 22 November 2012.
Our statutory guidance on achieving best evidence in death or serious injury matters helps the police to comply with their duties and responsibilities from the moment a death or serious injury (DSI) matter comes to their attention.
The guidance aims to help us secure best evidence to inform our investigations, to promote public confidence in the integrity of the process and protect the officers involved from accusations of collusion.
For more information, the College of Policing has published guidance on post incident procedures, management, welfare and legal issues.
Guidance on dealing with allegations of discrimination – includes a summary guide with links to more detailed guidance and case examples
This guide outlines the information that should be provided when making a referral to the IOPC - Minimum standards for referrals
This guidance supports the police service to capture accurate and consistent information about complaints which can be used to identify issues and trends, This information can be used to inform development of future policy and practice at local and national levels. It applies to complaints received from 1 February 2020 - Guidance on capturing data about police complaints
This guidance provides complaint handlers with a fair and consistent approach to managing unacceptable or unreasonable behaviour by complainants. It also ensures that we give access to the police complaints system to all - Guidance on managing unacceptable and unreasonable complainant behaviour
This advice note helps police forces to comply with the statutory requirement to provide a report when a local investigation is open for longer than 12 months - Operational advice note on 12 month timeliness reports
For complaints received before 1 February 2020, please see our Guidance on the recording of complaints under the Police Reform Act 2002 (updated December 2017).
If your force are looking to order hard copies of the A guide to the police complaints system leaflet, please complete and send us a Publication order form.
Information for other bodies under our jurisdiction
Guidance for police and crime panels and the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee to make them aware of their responsibilities in handling complaints and conduct matters (updated November 2022)
