Police Scotland chief constable Phil Gormley orders review into whistleblowing within single force

Scotland’s chief constable Phil Gormley has ordered a review into whether enough is being done to encourage whistleblowers within Police Scotland to come forward.

Gormley, who was appearing before Holyrood’s justice committee for the first time, told MSPs he wants to assess whether the current approach “develops a culture where staff are prepared to come forward” with concerns.

It comes as the chair of Police Scotland’s civilian oversight body suggested that use of the existing whistleblowing process is too low for the size of Police Scotland’s workforce.

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MSPs heard 133 referrals have been made through an internal confidential reporting system - known as Integrity Matters - in the last year, 29 of which centred on issues of potential criminality.

The former National Crime Agency deputy director general said he would not rule out the possibility of an ethics committee nor a third party reporting mechanism for staff who do not trust their concerns will be properly dealt with by Police Scotland internally.

Gormley, who was invited to appear at the Scottish Parliament amid the fallout from Police Scotland breaking rules on intercepting communications in an effort to identify journalists’ sources, said a “comprehensive piece of work” has been commissioned.

“We have a range of SOPs [standard operating procedures] that touch on or support staff and officers who have issues, either in terms of their own personal position or issues of cause of concern,” he told MSPs.

“Whilst those in themselves are perfectly respectable and I think fit for purpose in large part, what I have done in terms of looking at this is think through do they add up in totality to a position where we are developing a culture that enables staff to step forward with confidence.

“What I've asked [for] and commissioned is a review that really looks at and understands the culture within the service and the key issues and dilemmas faced by staff [plus] looks outside of our organisation at best practice, whether that is international, in the business world, law enforcement or third sector.”

Scottish Police Authority chair Andrew Flanagan described an increase in the number of referrals since the current whistleblowing system came into force last March as “encouraging”.

But he added: “I have to say, though, that out of a workforce of 22,000, I’m not sure 133 necessarily reflects success.”  

Flanagan told MSPs an alternative system sitting outwith the single force is needed for instances in which complaints relate to those working in units traditionally tasked with investigating them, namely Police Scotland’s professional standards department and its counter corruption unit.

It was one of three weaknesses the former NSPCC chief executive cited after an internal audit of whistleblowing arrangements within Police Scotland last June.

Flanagan suggested the scope of the current whistleblowing policy is too narrow while more work is needed to embed it.

“If you walk into any police office you will see the Integrity Matters posters up on the wall encouraging people to do it but they don’t have the phone number on it. That’s a simple thing that shouldn’t happen,” he added.

An invitation was issued to Gormley last month to give evidence on “internal communications at Police Scotland and on Police Scotland’s policies and procedures in relation to the protection of staff who report wrongdoing or malpractice within the organisation”.

The decision comes after three serving officers at the centre of breaches identified by the Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office (IOCCO) declined invitations to give evidence at Holyrood.

IOCCO confirmed in November that the single force breached the watchdog’s code of practice on five occasions while seeking communications data, labelling the breaches “reckless”.

MSPs were subsequently locked in a stand-off with Police Scotland after repeated attempts to call in serving officers at the centre of the breaches were turned down.