Press Release - The Independent Police Complaints
Commission
14 November 2008
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), the body
with responsibility for the police complaints system, has improved
its performance against targets, in spite of a significant increase
in its workload. In a report out today the National Audit Office
finds, however, that the IPCC needs to do more to get feedback from
complainants on how their complaints have been handled and to
improve its quality control procedures.
In 2007-08 the IPCC opened 100 new independent investigations
(investigating the most serious complaints made against the police)
compared to 31 in 2004-05. The increase has arisen in part because
of the impact of Human Rights case law, which has expanded the
range of investigations, and in part because the IPCC has improved
public access to the police complaints system.
Over the same period, funding for the IPCC increased by almost
£8 million to £32.2 million. Workload predictions suggest, however,
that it will have more work to do. The IPCC has a Business Change
programme designed to increase productivity and flexibility in its
use of staff and other resources.
Performance against key targets varies significantly between the
four IPCC regions. The North region is currently the only region to
meet the target of processing 80 per cent of appeals within 25
working days. The London and South East region dealt with only 27
per cent of appeals within the target time in 2007-08. The IPCC
recognises that its resource model did not match demand levels and
it has subsequently taken steps to allocate work more evenly across
regions.
The IPCC has not sought feedback from complainants, police
officers or appellants on how it has handled their case, although
it plans to conduct surveys of this nature in 2008-09. The IPCC’s
quality control procedures are underdeveloped and inconsistently
applied. The NAO found that many cases were not subject to an
internal review and there was no external scrutiny of the IPCC’s
investigative work. Reforming its quality control procedures is one
of the IPCC’s objectives for 2008-09.
In over 60 per cent of cases reviewed, we found recommendations
for police bodies to change or strengthen their practices. The IPCC
does not routinely monitor implementation of recommendations, which
it does not see as its role. The IPCC does have a remit, however,
to identify and disseminate the wider lessons arising from its
work. Since 2007, it has issued Learning the Lessons bulletins that
summarise recommendations for improving police practice. These
bulletins have been widely welcomed by the police and others. The
IPCC has also embarked on a stock-take of the police complaints
system and a Business Change Programme to improve its efficiency
and effectiveness further.
Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said
today:
"The IPCC has an important, high profile and sensitive
role. It has made significant improvements in performance in the
four years it has been in operation. But it faces challenges in
managing its increasing workload and in ensuring the quality of its
work. It needs to increase its productivity further, improve its
quality assurance procedures for investigations, and obtain regular
feedback from complainants, police officers and appellants about
how their cases have been handled."
Notes for Editors
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at www.nao.org.uk. Hard
copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702
3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Tim Burr, is the head of
the National Audit Office which employs some 850 staff. He and the
NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
- The IPCC was established in April 2004 and has overall
responsibility for the police complaints system. Since April 2006
it has also taken on responsibility for similar, serious complaints
against HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious Organised Crime
Agency in England and Wales. The IPCC's jurisdiction was extended
in 2008 to cover UK Border Agency staff exercising police-like
powers.
- The IPCC has the task of increasing public confidence in the
complaint systems and aims to make investigations more open,
timely, proportionate and fair. The 15 Commissioners who run the
IPCC guarantee its independence and by law can never have served as
police officers. They are supported by more than 100 independent
IPCC investigators plus casework managers and other specialists.
Its Commissioners and staff are based in IPCC regional offices in
Cardiff, Coalville, London and Sale plus a sub office in
Wakefield.
- The IPCC undertakes three main types of investigation. These
are independent investigations (for the most serious complaints),
managed investigations (undertaken by the local police force under
IPCC direction) and supervised investigations (undertaken, directed
and controlled by the local police force). Other IPCC activities
include processing appeals made by complainants about the outcome
of local resolution of a complaint or a local investigation by the
police force, or about the non-recording of a complaint by a police
force.
Press Notice 49/08
All enquiries to Mark Anderson,
NAO Press Office: Tel: 020 7798 7558
Mobile: 077796 937 119