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The complaints process

The diagram below explains the complaints process – follow the arrows to see how your complaint could be dealt with.

Hover over the blue wording for more information.

This diagram and the additional information is also available as a pdf – click here.

By law your complaint has to be passed to the ‘appropriate authority’ for consideration. In most cases this is usually the Professional Standards Department of the police force you are complaining about.

The department of the police force set up internally to investigate complaints made against the police force. The PSD is an internal department and will investigate the complaints made by the public against that force. More information can be found by clicking here.

The appropriate authority, which in a majority of cases is the Professional Standards Department will decide whether to record your complaint under the Police Reform Act 2002. They have fourteen days after receiving the complaint to make this decision and they will inform you in writing the recording decision they have reached.

An appeal is an application by a complainant for the IPCC to review a police decision. Your appeal will either be upheld or not upheld by the IPCC. If your appeal is not upheld the IPCC decision is considered final and if you are unhappy you would need to seek legal advice. For more information and the relevant appeal form for appealing against non-recording click here.

An appeal is an application by a complainant for the IPCC to review a police decision. Your appeal will either be upheld or not upheld by the IPCC. If your appeal is not upheld the IPCC decision is considered final and if you are unhappy you would need to seek legal advice. For more information and the relevant appeal form for appealing against local resolution click here.

An investigation carried out by the relevant police force without any IPCC guidance. Someone will be appointed to investigate your complaint in the following situations:

if your complaint is not suitable for Local Resolution
if you do not agree to have your complaint resolved through Local Resolution

The investigator will tell you how your complaint will be investigated, what co-operation they require from you, how a decision will be reached and what action will be taken at the end of the investigation. The complainant has a right of appeal to the IPCC.

When a force or police authority considers that no action should be taken about a complaint, they have to apply to the IPCC to dispense with the complaint. They have to ask permission of the IPCC to no longer look into the complaint.

The police must refer to the IPCC specific complaints or incidents that could damage public confidence in policing.

The IPCC assesses the seriousness of the case and the probable public interest and determines the form of investigation. The forms of investigation are local, supervised, managed and independent.

Local: An investigation carried out by the relevant police force without any IPCC guidance. The complainant has a right of appeal to the IPCC
Supervised: An investigation conducted by the police force under the guardianship of the IPCC. There is a right of appeal for a supervised investigation.
Managed: An investigation carried out by the police under the direction and control of the IPCC. There is no right of appeal in a managed investigation.
Independent: An investigation carried out by IPCC staff. There is no right of appeal in an independent investigation.

A police force can apply to the IPCC for discontinuance when it considers it is no longer practical to continue with an investigation and is unable to conclude the investigation.

An appeal is an application by a complainant for the IPCC to review a police decision. Your appeal will either be upheld or not upheld by the IPCC If your appeal is not upheld the IPCC decision is considered final and if you are unhappy you would need to seek legal advice. For more information and the relevant appeal form for appealing against the police investigation click here

Many complaints can be dealt with locally by managers in the police service using this approach. It means solving, explaining, clearing up or settling your complaint directly with you. The Local Resolution process is subject to the following:

your complaint can only be dealt with by Local Resolution if you agree to it
if you decide to have your complaint dealt with by Local Resolution, a process to resolve your complaint will be agreed between you and the police
Local Resolution of your complaint cannot lead to disciplinary proceedings against an individual police officer or member or staff

A complaint about the “conduct” of a person serving with the police. It may be about for example behaviour, inappropriate language, actions or omissions.

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