How do the Police Authority scrutinise?

Dip sampling is one of the ways in which the Authority holds the Chief Constable to account. Dip sampling refers to the audit of randomly selected files compiled by North Wales Police Force, by members of North Wales Police Authority together with representatives of relevant staff associations and staff groups.

Dip sampling has proved an effective way for the Authority to ensure that the Force is carrying out its duties appropriately, and that the quality of service and performance meets the expectations of the Authority, the Chief Constable, and most importantly you, the public we serve.

Currently the Authority conducts ‘dip sampling’ of files in the following areas:

Domestic Abuse Cases

Domestic abuse is a challenging and highly sensitive area of policing and the importance of appropriate investigations and interventions by the police is crucial to protect victims from potential serious harm. The Authority, on behalf of the people of North Wales, works with senior force detectives to assess the quality of the investigations and actions taken by the attending officers, by auditing the case files.  To assist in this work a form has been devised to ensure we ask the key questions to determine the quality of the investigation and that appropriate action has been taken.  Reports on each dip sample are provided to the Force Strategic Public Protection Board where they are reviewed.  Learning points and examples of good practice are shared to help improve and maintain future performance.

Serious Sexual Offences Cases

As with domestic abuse cases above, the importance of proper investigation and intervention by the police in serious sexual offences cases is crucial to protect victims and ensure offenders are properly brought to justice.  The Authority dip samples serious sexual offences cases in conjunction with the force in the same way as for domestic abuse cases.  The form used here is slightly different to ensure relevant questions relating the investigative procedure for sexual offences cases are asked.

Serious Sexual Offences Cases where the CPS have decided No Further Action to be taken

North Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have a protocol in place to ensure close and effective working practices operate between them in the investigation and prosecution of cases of rape and serious sexual assault.  A development of this protocol is to carry out joint dip sampling on cases where the CPS have decided the matter should not proceed any further.  This dip sampling reviews the investigation of the case, interaction between the Force and CPS and the information and rationale used to reach a No Further Action (NFA) decision.  This type of dip sampling offers the Force and CPS the opportunity to ensure their working practices are appropriate and effective and also allows each to learn and share good practice.  The Police Authority's role in this process is to give independent scrutiny on behalf of the public in relation to the Force's performance.

Staff and Officer Grievances

To ensure an effective and efficient policing service staff and officers must work in an environment which provides appropriate support, development and learning. As with any organisation both police staff and officers have a right to raise dissatisfaction with their working conditions or working environment in a formal way. The Authority values the work of the staff and officers of the force, and together with Unison and the Police Federation dip samples grievance files, to ensure that problems highlighted by individuals are treated appropriately and resolved in a timely and considerate manor.

Complaints from Members of the Public

Feedback from members of the public, whether it is positive or negative, is central to aiding improvement in the quality of policing service and ensuring that the public can be confident in policing. The Authority together with Unison and the Police Federation dip sample complaints from members of the public to look at the process and ensure that the force respond appropriately, attempt to resolve and if necessary take proportionate action against staff members or officers as a result of complaints.

Following each dip sampling exercise, the Authority provides feedback to the force, highlighting any areas for improvement or examples of good practice and the feedback is used to maintain or improve future activities in the relevant areas.

As the areas subject to dip sampling are highly sensitive, every lesson learnt is anonymised and the sensitivity of the information is respected at all times.

If you would like further information about the dip sampling work undertaken by the Authority please explore the work of the Performance Review Committee and the Professional Standards Committee (minutes of which can be found on the Police Authority website) or contact the Police Authority.