Engagement Hub

We asked

Between July and October 2022 we ran our ‘Violence against Women and Girls: Your Stories’ public engagement activities. This storytelling space was intended for survivors to share their stories about their own lived experiences which would help us shape our new strategy on Violence against Women and Girls. 

The purpose of the engagement was to understand survivor stories from people who have experienced or witnessed violence. Survivors could provide as little or as much information as they felt comfortable sharing, including their own journey, their interactions with the police, and the impact. It also aimed to help us identify user needs, barriers to reporting, and establish what women and girls need from Police Scotland; ensuring that our services are fit for purpose.

We also held a number of focus groups and interviews with a range of individuals and organisations, including women’s support organisations, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and Scottish Women’s Autism Network. We commissioned Dundee and Angus Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre to facilitate conversation cafés with men and boys.

A first for Police Scotland, we hosted an online ‘Ideas for Change’ space. This invited the public to share ideas about what Police Scotland can do within and with Scotland's communities to end violence against women and girls.

Taken together, all of our engagement activities aimed to ensure we had a good understanding of many experiences from different perspectives. 

All of this was done with the aim of developing a strategy that supports what we do, and how we do it, alongside our partners across sectors, to help improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities in Scotland. The strategy is informed by our values, ethics, and service standards, and also by the understanding of lived and living experiences.

You said

In total, we received 135 responses on our storytelling public engagement (95% were from women). All participants had experienced, witnessed, or provided support to people who had experienced violence against women and girls.

Responses cited a range of different experiences, demonstrated within our key findings:

• Experience of violence included sexual violence (34%), domestic abuse (26%), harassment (22%), physical violence (8%), stalking (4%), and cyber abuse (2%). Perpetrators included partners, family members, strangers and colleagues.
• For most participants, violence took place in their own home (35%), followed by in the street (15%) and at work (13%).
• Around 4 in 10 of the storytelling participants (43%) reported what happened to them to the police. 
• From storytelling response analysis, survivors were more likely to report a partner (54%) compared to a family member (37%) or stranger (34%). Emotional abuse was the highest unreported crime type among storytelling participants and was generally not reported until there was physical violence (did not report emotional abuse – 80%, did not report domestic abuse – 33%).
• Reasons for not reporting included the perception of the law, how they might be treated by police, the repercussions of reporting, and the involvement of and impact on children.
• How officers showed up when engaging with survivors was as important as the outcome in making survivors feel listened to, respected and safe. Interactions with police greatly impacted recovery and confidence to report and engage with police in future.
• For some people, the process of making a report to police and the experience of a court process has negative impacts on their mental health.
• Some storytelling participants shared that the reporting process and then journey through the criminal justice system can be difficult. For example, making a report to the police can be challenging having to re-live experiences.

We facilitated 12 interviews and four focus groups, with 30 participants in total; including Scottish Women’s Aid employees, Ethnic Minority women and women with Autism.

Participants highlighted different interactions with police and shared their experience of the reporting process and the impacts of violence against women and girls. The need for a more effective reporting process, training for trauma informed practice, and survivor focused support from the police was emphasised by both interview and focus group participants.

Our ‘Ideas for Change’ platform received 32 ideas with 16 additional comments in support of or providing feedback on ideas. Ideas included reporting crime, education, police training, support services, further research, and the use of technology to improve survivor experiences.

We did

What we heard from all of our engagement activities has enhanced our understanding of violence against women and girls, and has shaped the development of our strategy. Some things have already changed as a result of what we heard, such as the way we provide interpretation services for people who use British Sign Language.

Police Scotland will take on board the recommendations received in the engagement to improve the service we provide to the public. The following areas have been reviewed and have shaped what you will see in the final version of our Violence against Women and Girls Strategy.

Inclusion and Accessibility

• Accessibility of information and support, particularly for seldom-heard communities and non-English speakers.
• Accessibility of reporting processes, including the use of technology for safe and discreet reporting and evidence sharing.
• Improving ease of contact for reaching specific officers who are involved in cases.

Prevention

• Understanding and addressing the causes of violence against women and girls and misogyny.
• Perpetrator focused and evidence-led campaigns.
• Treating reports made once survivors have left situation just as seriously as an ongoing incident would be treated, due to the high levels of vulnerability and risk upon leaving.
• Working with partners and other support services to manage threat, risk and harm, and provide an appropriate response based on an individual's needs.

Learning and Development

• Refresh training and education resources for police officers and staff, enhancing reflective practice and on applying trauma-informed approaches.
• Diversity training to increase understanding of different communities and cultures, including how so called ‘honour-based’ violence and coercive control may present differently.
• Specific domestic abuse officers in response policing that are trained and can provide effective support.
• Build a greater understanding of how the LGBTI community in Scotland is affected by violence, such as domestic abuse within same sex relationships and impacts for transgender people.

Community Engagement

• Keeping public and communities engaged and involved in change through meaningful approaches.
• Public engagement to explain processes of reporting violence against women and girls, to raise awareness of the next steps should someone choose to report. Share examples of positive outcomes.
• School and youth engagement to raise awareness and understanding with young people about violence against women and girls.
• Improving communication and transparency on role and accessibility of police, and support services. Using different ways to improve reach to seldom-heard communities (e.g. information at medical centres, airports etc.)

Thank you

We are grateful to everyone who participated in our engagement activities during 2022.

What you shared was powerful and we are treating this subject very seriously. Our Research and Insight team worked closely with our Strategy and Planning team to collaborate and ensure that our public insights were reflected as the strategy was developed. We hope you can see where your participation has made a difference.

We are committed to a Scotland free from violence against women and girls and we are working hard to demonstrate that your police service is there when you need us.

Our officers and staff will act professionally at all times, treating you with integrity, fairness and respect and we will always respect and protect your human rights. We will take all concerns and complaints where this has not been the case seriously.

We are promoting a learning and improvement culture - supporting our people to provide the best possible policing responses within and for our diverse communities.  

• You can view the Strategy being discussed and approved at the Policing Performance Committee on the Scottish Police Authority's website at 1:36:13.
• The Strategy is contained within the committee papers for the Policing Performance Committee on 16 March 2023.

We asked

In April 2021, Police Scotland refreshed its local policing survey to gather views from Scotland’s diverse communities. Your Police 2021/2022 remained open throughout the year and helped us understand public opinion about local policing, as well as provide an opportunity for the public to tell us about any concerns regarding their area that are affecting their safety or wellbeing. Feedback via the survey has helped us ensure that our policing services in your community are the best they can be.

If you didn’t take part in Your Police last year, you can take part in our new Your Police 2022/23! Don’t miss out on your chance to have your say.

You said

In total, we received 20,024 responses over 12 months, including over 50,000 free-text responses. There were 6,341 responses received in March 2022 alone – highlighting the continued dedication of local policing divisions in listening to the communities they serve.

The average public confidence level for the period April 2021 – March 2022 was 39%. This includes people who either ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they have confidence in local police. Confidence levels among organisations who responded to Your Police (104 organisations) averaged 40%. 

We learned that things which affect public confidence include police visibility and accessibility, community engagement and the values and behaviours of our officers and staff. We also know that events taking place in local areas that attracted a large police presence had an impact on public confidence. Public confidence exists across all of our 13 local policing divisions.

Policing in your local area

A majority of people feel safe in their local areas – an average of 82% said they felt safe and this has remained the high over the past year. However, we know that there are people who feel less safe for a variety of reasons and the Service is now working to take action based on your feedback.

• 63% said police are friendly and approachable;
• 30% said police listen to the concerns of local people;
• 23% said the police deal with local issues.

A large number of respondents said they ‘don’t know’ when asked about these measures. We are now working with our Public Confidence Governance Board to enhance and expand our engagement within Scotland’s diverse communities. This board is chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond.

Concern about crime

42% said their concern about crime had remained the same while 54% said their concern had increased. 3% said it had decreased. We know that people with disabilities and those who live in areas most affected by poverty have more concern about crime.

Generally, people’s concerns have included: antisocial behaviour (including at local beauty spots and public parks/greenspace), speeding and dangerous driving, house break-ins, drug taking and dealing and wider vulnerability concerns about relatives and neighbours. Greater engagement being required with children and young people, including those who support them - such as youth workers, teachers, and sports clubs - was also highlighted.

On what matters most to the public (from open-ended responses), constant themes included: visibility and accessibility of police (a local presence), communicating and engaging with the public, and understanding the needs of diverse communities.

We did

Your Police continues to be the largest of its kind in the UK and involves the public in a conversation about policing and their local community. Responses have been reviewed regularly by senior police officers and have helped us act quickly in relation to emerging issues; helping shape our approaches to operational policing across Scotland.

We have compared our data with other national public surveys to ensure that Your Police continues to provide robust insights which support effective and high quality policing in communities throughout Scotland.

Five things we have done with your feedback

1. Enhance local police presence at identified key locations (including scenic areas, parks, urban areas), with a focus on patrolling during the evenings and after dark. People told us a visible police presence was important in making them feel safe.
2. Update our local community partners on a regular basis, through local police scrutiny boards in each local authority area – using the data to design an appropriate policing response for local needs.
3. Shape our communications and advice in local areas in response to concerns and feedback from the public – helping people to stay safe.
4. Provide information and advice on issues like hate crime, housebreaking and responsibly use of vehicles (including off-road bikes and scooters) to reassure all communities.
5. Developed the ways that we share your feedback internally so that your local policing teams are aware of what matters to you. We have developed data dashboards and local area commanders are using your feedback to understand how to deploy police officers to keep your area safe.

Your feedback also shaped the Annual Police Plan 2022-23.

Thank you

We are grateful to all who participated in Your Police during 2021/22. Our Research and Insight team continue to review every response in detail and provide detailed reporting to senior management and the Scottish Police Authority (which is the organisation that helps ensure an effective and high-quality service).

The survey has been launched again for 2022/23; so make sure you fill it in! Responses to Your Police will continue to feed into decision-making structures within Police Scotland on a regular basis. Our Public Confidence Governance Board will build on the actions taken from the survey and continue to shape our approaches to improving public contact and engagement.

We are enhancing our local and national approaches to community engagement, and involving more people in more decisions about their police service in new ways. We will keep our Citizen Space platform and public information channels up to date regularly.

Further information: Any clarifications or questions about this update can be made by contacting the Research and Insight team:

InsightEngagement@scotland.police.uk

We asked

In April 2021, Police Scotland refreshed its local policing survey to gather views from Scotland’s diverse communities. The British Sign Language (BSL) version of Your Police 2021/2022 remained open throughout the year (it closed on 31 March 2022) and helped us understand people’s opinions of policing in their local area, as well as tell us about any concerns regarding their area which was affecting their safety or wellbeing.

Your feedback via the survey has helped us ensure that our policing services in your community were high quality by supporting the communities we serve.

If you didn’t take part in Your Police last year, you can take part in our new BSL Your Police 2022/23! Don’t miss out on your chance to have your say and let us know how we’re doing in your community.

You said

In total, we received 398 responses over 12 months, including nearly 1000 free-text responses. There were 174 responses received in February 2022 alone– highlighting the continued dedication of local policing divisions in listening to the communities they serve.

The average public confidence level for the period April 2021 – March 2022 was 41%. This includes people who either ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they have confidence in local police. This confidence figure includes responses from the 4 organisations who responded to BSL Your Police such as Women’s Aid and the COP 26 Youth Project.

We learned that things which effect public confidence include police visibility and accessibility, community engagement and the values and behaviours of our officers and staff. We also know that events taking place in local areas that attracted a large police presence had an impact on public confidence. Public confidence exists across all of our 13 local policing divisions.

Policing in your local area

The majority of the people who responded to BSL Your Police told us that they feel safe in their local areas – an average of 77% of people said they felt safe and this has remained the high over the past year. However, we know that there are people who feel less safe for a variety of reasons and the Service is now working to take action based on your feedback.

• 58% of those who took part in Your Police told us that police are friendly and approachable;
• 30% of people said that the police listen to the concerns of local people.
• 27% said the police deal with local issues.

A large number of respondents said they ‘don’t know’ when asked about these measures. We are now working with our Public Confidence Governance Board to enhance and expand our engagement within Scotland’s diverse communities. This board is chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond.

Concern about crime

38% of people told us their concern about crime had remained the same while 58% said their concern had increased. 4% said it had decreased. We know that people with disabilities and those who live in areas most affected by poverty have more concern about crime.

Generally, people’s concerns have included: antisocial behaviour (including at local beauty spots and public parks/greenspace), speeding and dangerous driving, house break-ins, drug taking and dealing and wider vulnerability concerns about relatives and neighbours. Greater engagement being required with children and young people, including those who support them - such as youth workers, teachers, and sports clubs - was also highlighted.

On what matters most to the public (from open-ended responses), constant themes included: visibility (a local presence), communicating and engaging with the public, and understanding the needs of diverse communities.

We did

Your Police continues to be the largest of its kind in the UK to involve the public in a conversation about policing and their local community. Responses have been reviewed regularly by senior police officers and have helped us act quickly in relation to emerging issues; helping shape our approaches to operational policing across Scotland.

We have compared our data with other national public surveys to ensure that Your Police continues to provide robust insights to support effective and high quality policing in communities throughout Scotland.

Five things we have done with your feedback

1. Enhance local police presence at identified key locations (including scenic areas, parks, urban areas), with a focus on patrolling during the evenings and after dark. People told us a visible police presence was important in making them feel safe.
2. Update our local community partners on a regular basis, through local police scrutiny boards in each local authority area – using the data to design an appropriate policing response for local needs.
3. Shape our communications and advice in local areas in response to concerns and feedback from the public – helping people to stay safe.
4. Provide information and advice on issues like hate crime, housebreaking and responsibly use of vehicles (including off-road bikes and scooters) to reassure all communities.
5. Developed the ways that we share your feedback internally so that your local policing teams are aware of what matters to you. We have developed data dashboards and local area commanders are using your feedback to understand how to deploy police officers to keep your area safe.

Your feedback also shaped the Annual Police Plan 2022-23.

Thank you

We are grateful to all who participated in our BSL version of Your Police during 2021/22. Our Research and Insight team continue to review every response in detail and provide detailed reporting to senior management and the Scottish Police Authority (which is the body that helps ensure an effective and high-quality service).

The survey has been launched again for 2022/23; make sure you fill it in! Responses to Your Police will continue to feed into decision-making structures within Police Scotland on a regular basis. Police Scotland’s ‘Public Confidence Governance Board’ will build on the actions taken from the survey and continue to shape our approaches to improving public contact and engagement.

We are enhancing our local and national approaches to community engagement, and involving more people in more decisions about their police service in new ways.  Keep an eye on our Citizen Space platform and public information channels for more information in the coming months.

Further information: Any clarifications or questions about this update can be made by contacting the Research and Insight Team:

InsightEngagement@scotland.police.uk