Unison claims Police Scotland attempting to ‘spin the results’ of staff survey

Police Scotland said results from its survey show officers and staff have “highly positive views” of their teams with 81 per cent saying they were “a positive and inclusive environment”.

Almost 90 per cent said their teams “can be relied on to help”, that they “work together effectively”, and they “support each other”.

However, only 27 per cent felt that teams have “sufficient people resource”, and one in five said they had personally experienced harassment, bullying or discrimination in the workplace in the past 12 months. More than half (52 per cent) said they had been assaulted or verbally abused by the public.

Unison says Police Scotland has “failed to be open and transparent” about the survey results by “focusing selectively on statistics showing improvements”.

It said the data exposes “widespread dissatisfaction, overwhelming workloads and serious concerns about the wellbeing of employees”.

Staff are feeling overburdened, undervalued and unsupported, says Unison. Chronic understaffing and mental health issues are cited repeatedly as major concerns, it added.

Unison Scotland police staff branch secretary David Malcolm said: “Police Scotland’s attempt to spin the results of this survey does a huge disservice to its hardworking staff.

“The truth is that morale is at an all-time low and many workers are at breaking point. Almost three in ten (29 per cent) staff have experienced bullying and discrimination.

“Police workers are the unsung heroes of the justice system, ensuring the smooth functioning of frontline services under immense pressure.

“Ignoring or glossing over their concerns only deepens the crisis. It’s time Police Scotland and the Scottish government stopped avoiding the hard truths and started delivering solutions.”

Police Scotland says it will be working to understand these results more fully and “take action at national and local levels” where needed.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “The chief constable has consistently highlighted the skill, commitment, goodwill and professionalism, our officers, staff, and volunteers demonstrate as they deliver a challenging and essential public service for our communities.

“The survey gave our people a voice and the results can help all police leaders to deliver positive change. There are areas of real positivity, including the strong ethos of teamwork and the commitment to making a difference in society, underlining the huge value our people provide for communities.

“We also recognise the challenges. The onus is on police leaders to advocate for appropriate resources for policing and deliver change that supports frontline policing to deliver for the public.

“We’ve set out our vision of safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce and our first business plan which outlines the steps we’re already taking to achieve these ambitions.

“In the coming weeks and months, we’ll work to understand these results more fully and take action at national and local levels. The chief constable has committed to yearly surveys, and it is important action leads to better experiences for our colleagues.”

The survey found police officers and staff agreed that “making a difference in society was more important” than their personal achievements (70 per cent) and that they “stand up for the rights of others even if it means they will be criticised” (85 per cent).

Officers and staff said Police Scotland is “clear on what is expected of me in terms of how I behave” (84 per cent), however, the force scored very low or low on statements including “acts on feedback from the workforce” (17 per cent) and “inspires me to do the best in my job” (36 per cent).

The survey, conducted by Progressive Partnership, opened on July 1 this year for a period of eight weeks. In total, 11,424 responses were received – an overall response rate of 51 per cent. This is an increase of 20 percentage points on the 2021 survey.

The survey results will be presented and discussed at a public meeting of the Scottish Police Authority Board in Glasgow on Thursday (November 28).