HMICFRS updates PEEL inspection programme

All forces will now be inspected on their response to fraud and receive a graded judgment, as with all elements of PEEL. Inspectors will consider the effectiveness of the local response to fraud at the first point of contact, volume investigations and protecting the public from fraud.

Custody inspections have also been incorporated into PEEL, increasing the frequency of which forces are examined in this area. Inspectors will continue to look at the safety and wellbeing of detainees in accordance with PACE and OPCAT expectations.

The victims service assessment will now be referred to as the quality service review. The scope of this has been expanded to include fraud, safeguarding and problem-solving effectiveness.

Force performance against these areas is then graded as outstanding, good, adequate, requires improvement or inadequate.

The PEEL programme runs on a two-year cycle – the time it takes to inspect each of the 43 police forces. HMICFRS said it uses a continuous assessment model, gathering evidence throughout the inspection cycle. This helps make sure that the inspection programme reflects changes in policing, lessons learnt from previous inspections and adapts to examine evolving challenges facing the sector.

Lee Freeman, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary said: “Policing faces evolving challenges, and our inspection programme must keep pace. We continually review and update our approach to ensure we are assessing the areas that matter most to public safety.

“The changes we have made for this cycle reflect what we have learned from previous inspections and what we are hearing from forces, partners and the public. Our aim remains the same: to provide independent, evidence-based assessments that support improvements across policing.”

The first reports from the latest PEEL inspection programme will be published in April. This cycle of PEEL inspections will run from 2025 to 2028.