The regulations have been laid in Parliament today.
Organisations who feel they can contribute to the
improvement of policing will have 6 weeks to apply from
3 April, and must demonstrate that they fulfil the 9
criteria set out in regulations. The new system will be
operational later this year.
Minister for Policing and the Fire Service, said:
It is vital that the public have confidence in
policing. While the current police complaints
procedure is robust in tackling individual complaints
about a particular police officer or incident, it is
sometimes too slow to capture major, cross-force
issues within policing.
We are looking for a select group of organisations to
become designated bodies who will be able to raise
super-complaints and ensure these systematic issues
are being properly addressed.
The criteria for becoming a ‘designated body’ were the
subject of a consultation last year with respondents
overwhelmingly supporting the 9 standards suggested.
These include a requirement that prospective
organisations:
- have considerable experience in representing the
interests of the public
- will work to improve policing
- are able to demonstrate the capability to carry out
their role effectively
The government’s response to this
consultation has now been published.
The Home Secretary will be responsible for designating
the successful bodies.
While super-complaints are already well established in
the commercial and financial sectors this will be the
first time they are used in the public sector.
The super-complaints system, set out in the Policing
and Crime Act 2017, will complement existing complaints
procedures. Once a policing super-complaint is
received, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary
and Fire and Rescue Services will work with the
Independent Office for Police Conduct, College of
Policing, and others as required, to review the
evidence provided by the designated body and agree an
appropriate response.
