Community Advisors. Standard Operation Procedure

Transcription

1 Community Advisors Standard Operation Procedure Notice: This document has been made available through the Police Service of Scotland Freedom of Information Publication Scheme. It should not be utilised as guidance or instruction by any police officer or employee as it may have been redacted due to legal exemptions (Publication Scheme)

2 Owning Department: Version Number: Specialist Crime Division Safer Communities V3.00 (Publication Scheme) Date Published: 23/11/2017 (Publication Scheme) 2

3 Compliance Record Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment (EqHRIA): Date Completed / Reviewed: Information Management Compliant: Health and Safety Compliant: Publication Scheme Compliant: 14/11/2017 Yes Yes Yes Version Control Table Version History of Amendments Approval Date 1.00 Initial Approved Version 10/04/ New titles added regarding Community Lay Advisors, National Independent Strategic Advisory Group; minor amendment to role of Lay/Community Adviser and instruction added regarding guidance 10/07/2014 surrounding sensitive issues that may arise during the course of an investigation Full Review of SOP Change of Title from Lay-Community Advisors to Community Advisors 29/06/2017 (Publication Scheme) 3

4 Contents 1. Purpose 2. Community Advisors 3. Roles and Responsibilities 4. Procedures for Activation of Community Advisors 5. Administration Appendices Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E List of Associated Legislation List of Associated Reference Documents List of Associated Forms Community Advisory Deployment Flowchart National Independent Strategic Advisory Group (NISAG) Please Note: of the Community Advisors SOP contains changes so significant from that published as v2.00 dated 07/08/2014 that it should be regarded as having been Completely Revised. Consequently, changes from Version 2.00 are not highlighted in yellow and reader should therefore take care to read all sections when referring to this document (Publication Scheme) 4

5 1. Purpose 1.1 This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) supports the following Police Service of Scotland (hereafter referred to as Police Scotland) Policies: Police Scotland Crime Investigation Policy Police Scotland Criminal Justice Policy Police Scotland Care and Welfare of Persons in Police Custody Policy Police Scotland Equality, Diversity and Dignity Policy 1.2 The aim of this SOP is to provide instruction for Police Officers and staff on the structure, use and availability of Police Scotland Community Advisors. 1.3 A critical part of the enquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence in London in 1993 as detailed in the MacPherson Report, and the subsequent Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, highlighted the need for police authorities to create an independent body that would scrutinise the effectiveness of police work and activity in the field of race crime and associated liaison with minority communities. This role has since been developed to incorporate other minority communities and is undertaken in Scotland by Community Advisors and members of the National Independent Strategic Advisory Group (NISAG). 2. Community Advisors 2.1 Community Advisors are independent individuals who through their background, work or life experience have knowledge of a particular community or group and the issues that affect them. 2.3 Community Advisors are volunteers and are not employees of Police Scotland. They provide advice relative to their area of knowledge. This knowledge may be diversity related e.g. race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity, or they may feel they can advise on general equality and diversity matters. Advisors may be asked to be involved at a tactical and operational level, where their advice may have a bearing on an incident, investigation or event. 2.4 Where advice and guidance is required on a strategic level the NISAG has been formed from a small number of existing Community Advisors who have an in-depth knowledge of a specific diversity area, or a number of areas, and who have the ability to provide advice and guidance on those areas at a strategic level (see Appendix E). 3. Roles and Responsibilities 3.1 Police Scotland Community Advisors can: (Publication Scheme) 5

6 advise on issues relating to their particular area of knowledge or experience; advise on the possible impact, significance, and consequences of a particular incident and the opportunities for actions to minimise negative impact; identify sensitive issues that may arise during an investigation; identify community leaders or representatives where appropriate; and highlight, any concerns or issues within a particular community or group which may come to their attention. 3.2 The role of Police Scotland Community Advisors does not include (unless specifically tasked and agreed by the Safer Communities Team): undertaking enquiries on behalf of Police Scotland; scrutiny of Police Scotland; involvement in any proactive phase of enquiries; providing advice that is not relevant to their area of knowledge i.e. advising how to conduct an investigation or a topic they have no knowledge of; meetings with victims/witnesses/families involved in incidents, providing an interpreting or translating service; speaking on behalf of Police Scotland to any person, including media and communities; speaking on behalf of communities or groups; attending the scene of an incident; or self-deployment 4. Procedures for the Activation of Community Advisors 4.1 Responsibility for the activation of Police Scotland Community Advisors rests solely with Police Scotland s Safer Communities Team who will identify the most suitable Community Advisor for deployment. 4.2 In every instance where the need for the services of a Community Advisor is deemed necessary contact should be made via the following: During office hours ( hours, including weekends) contact should be made with the Safer Communities Team on / or or by to SCDEdinburghDiversityUnit@scotland.pnn.police.uk Or DIVERSITYUNIT@scotland.pnn.police.uk (Publication Scheme) 6

7 Outwith office hours; contact should be made by telephone with Service Overview on who hold contact details for all Community Advisors and their specific areas of expertise. 4.3 Full procedures for the deployment of a Community Advisor are detailed on the Community Advisor Deployment Flowchart (See Appendix D) 4.4 At the conclusion of the activation the person utilising the services of the Community Advisor e.g. Senior Investigating Officer etc. will provide the Community Advisor with the Police Scotland form Community Advisor - Record of Advice and the Community Advisor will record the nature of the incident, the name of the person seeking advice, the advice provided and the rationale behind the advice. This form will then be submitted and held by the Safer Communities Team as a record of the activation. This form will be retained in accordance with relevant record retention policy. 4.5 At the conclusion of the activation the person utilising the services of the Community Advisor will provide feedback regarding the advice provided by the Community Advisor on the Police Scotland form Community Advisor - Feedback Form. This form will then be submitted to the Safer Communities Team and will be retained in accordance with relevant record retention policy. 5. Administration 5.1 All Police Scotland Community Advisors are issued with a photographic identification card. This identification card will be displayed as proof of identity when engaged as a community advisor or when attending Police Scotland meetings. 5.2 All Police Scotland Community Advisors are vetted to Level 2 NPPV. 5.3 In order to ensure that the advice provided by Community Advisors is independent and unbiased, the Community Advisors are not employed by Police Scotland, but carry out their role on a voluntary basis, and are reimbursed with necessary travelling expenses only. 5.4 Where a Community Advisor has additional travelling needs in terms of disability requirements, relevant reasonable adjustments are made to the travelling expenses on a case-by-case basis. (Publication Scheme) 7

8 Appendix 'A' List of Associated Legislation Equality Act 2010 (replaces Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000) (Publication Scheme) 8

9 Appendix B List of Associated Reference Documents Policy Police Scotland Crime Investigation Policy Police Scotland Criminal Justice Policy Police Scotland Care and Welfare of Persons in Police Custody Policy Police Scotland Equality, Diversity and Dignity Policy Police Scotland Records Retention Policy Reference Documents MacPherson Report (Publication Scheme) 9

10 APPENDIX C List of Associated Forms Police Scotland Form Community Advisor - Record of Advice Police Scotland Form Community Advisor - Feedback Form (Publication Scheme) 10

11 Appendix D Community Advisory Deployment Flowchart START Enquiry Officer Identifies an Incident which Merits Activation of Community Advisor Deployment Enquiry Officer Contacts Safer Communities Team to Request Assistance of a Community Advisor * Office Hours - Seven Days a Week * Outwith Office Hours - Contact Force Overview Safer Communities Officer Identifies and Contacts Appropriate Community Advisor and Checks Availability Enquiry Officer Provided with Identity and Contact Details of Appropriate Community Advisor Enquiry Officer Also Provided with Feedback Form Enquiry Officer Contacts Appropriate Community Advisor ACTIVATION POST-ACTIVATION Enquiry Officer Completes Feedback Form and Submits to Safer Communities Team Enquiry Officer Reminds Community Advisor to Submit Feedback Form and Expenses Claim to Safer Communities Team END Community Advisor Deployment Completed Feedback Form and Expenses Claim Submitted (Publication Scheme) 11

12 Appendix E National Independent Strategic Advisory Group The National Independent Strategic Advisory Group (NISAG) advisors are independent individuals who through their background, work or life experience have knowledge of a particular community or group and the issues that affect them. NISAG members are volunteers, not employees of Police Scotland The role of the NISAG is to provide Police Scotland with advice and guidance on diversity issues at a strategic level. The NISAG Member will: advise, at a strategic level, on the impact of any incident on the policing of communities, both generally and specifically; provide guidance, at a strategic level, on communication with a suspect, victim or family, with witnesses and/or communities; critically appraise police practices and articulate views thereon; advise, at a strategic level, on appropriate media strategies; advise, at a strategic level, on policy and strategy; Responsibility for the deployment of Police Scotland NISAG advisors rests solely with the Inspector, Specialist Crime Division (SCD), and Safer Communities Team. At the conclusion of the activation the NISAG member will submit a record of the work undertaken, recording all advice/training/meetings or other business. (Publication Scheme) 12