The IOPC's work includes helping to deliver a consistent approach to complaints handling by police forces across England and Wales. This work is led by the Oversight Team.
Through analysis of police complaints data, IOPC case information and engagement with a range of stakeholders, the team identify trends, offers support and promotes good practice.
The team meet regularly with police force professional standards departments and local policing bodies. They also organise a regular programme of projects and improvement activities such as workshops, briefings for complaints handlers or thematic dip sampling of cases.
An Oversight Newsletter is also produced for complaints handlers at polices forces and offices of police and crime commissioners (OPCCs).
This work ensures that the standards and expectations set out in the IOPC’s Statutory Guidance are adhered to and that forces are held to account for how they handle complaints.
Please note the information provided in each of the newsletters was correct at the time of publishing. Please contact the IOPC if you have queries about their content.
In this issue you will find information on:
- 12-month letters for suspended investigations
- initiatives that improved complaint handling times
- chief officer complaints alleging corruption and nothing more
- applications for review when the complainant is not engaging
- relevant review body for complaints about excessive use of force
In this issue you will find information on:
- Focus 18 update
- background papers for reviews where the relevant review body has changed
- failure to investigate – the relevant review body test and Article 3
- paragraph 28ZA recommendations
- relevant review body test for linked complaints
In this issue you will find information on:
- new 12 month timeliness report operational advice note
- covert to overt referral process
- operational advice note for Police and Crime Panels
- provision of direct contact numbers with referrals
- IOPC reviews
- complaint handler workshops 2022
- initiative by Northamptonshire Police to embed knowledge of the standards of professional behaviour and share learning
In this issue you will find information on:
- complaints workshops for PSDs and model 2/3 LPBs
- logging and recording complaints
- 12-month letters
- egress switch and referrals
- themes and trends we have spotted this quarter
In this issue you will find information on:
- our race discrimination thematic work
- retaining and disposing of records
- our position on notifying interested parties on mode of investigation decisions
- guidance we will soon be issuing on 12-month letters
- referral of a criminal matter for a retired officer and accessibility where English is not the complainant’s first language
In this issue you will find information on:
- police perpetrated domestic abuse – recording and referring complaints and conduct matters
- amendments we have made to issues 13, 14, and 15 of Focus
- how West Mercia Police PSD have improved their efficiency in handling complaints
- three common questions from forces and local policing bodies
In this issue you will find information on:
- a request for updated contact details for all forces learning and development lead
- 12-month letter analysis
- future requests for further information on suspended cases, where the decision is being challenged by the complainant
- amendments we will be making to issues 13, 14, 15 and 18 of Focus
- two questions relating to the Reflective Practice Review Process
In this issue you will find information on:
- data capture guidance
- death and serious injury referrals involving post incident procedures and post mortems
- taking no further action
- the IOPC’s independent investigations outcomes reports
- review decision terminology
- IOPC independent investigation decisions
In this issue you will find information on:
- the relevant review body (RRB) test
- an update on our process for requesting background papers
- guidance on notifying us of investigations exceeding 12 months
- recent updates to Focus newsletter
- changes resulting from the Oversight survey
- upcoming workshops
In this issue you will find information on:
- deadline extended for review practitioner workshops
- deadline extended for responses to reflective practice project
- complaints handlers workshops
- chief officer complaints
- complaints with an allegation of perverting the course of justice
- che referral criteria where there has been a loss of consciousness
In this issue you will find information on:
- commissioning further work and when you will see it
- the duty to record a crime in independent investigations
- information about our review of guidance on police witnesses
- updated referral forms
- suspended complaints and 12 month letters
- the AA for complaints about conduct that occurred when the officer worked for another force
In this issue you will find information on:
- suspended complaint challenges
- death, Serious Injury (DSI) referrals where there is no body
- IOPC case study - working with a force on their handling of discrimination complaints and all referral types
- responsibility for informing the subject of the outcome of an independent investigation
In this issue you will find information on:
- applications for review
- oversight interventions
- oversight Survey
- 12 month letters
- chief constable complaint & suspended investigations
In this issue you will find information on:
- regulation 13 Notices and notifying the IOPC when closed
- the IOPC Digital Evidence Management System
- quarter three 2020/21 Police Complaint Information bulletin
- complaints that predate an officer’s service
- reporting on cases that are not subject to local investigation but the 12mths+ delay is due to court or other investigation matters
- sub judice conduct investigations when a local criminal investigation is underway
In this issue you will find information on:
- the new 7.1 referral form for chief officer referrals
- delaying misconduct proceedings for criminal cases
- requests for updates on complaints received before 1 Feb 2020
- which force(s) should provide a 12-month notification letter, when another is investigating