The Local Resolution process

• Step 1: Agreeing to Local Resolution
• Step 2: Settling my complaint through Local Resolution
• Step 3: What might happen as a result of my complaint?
• Step 4: What should I do if the police have not followed the agreed process?

Step 1: Agreeing to Local Resolution

Your complaint an only be dealt with by Local Resolution if you agree. You cannot be forced to use Local Resolution and you should not feel under pressure to agree to have your complaint dealt with in this way.

If you do not agree with the proposal to deal with your complaint using Local Resolution, someone will be appointed to look into your complaint in a different way. However, most complaints that are suitable for Local Resolution are not likely to involve extensive or lengthy enquiries. You should expect an approach that is appropriate to the complaint you have made.

Before agreeing to have your complaint resolved in this way you should understand fully what will and will not happen in response to your complaint. You should also have been told about your right to appeal against the Local Resolution process.

If you decide to have your complaint dealt with by Local Resolution, you and the police will agree what will happen - this may be in the form of an action plan. You will need to sign a declaration to show that you are happy with the agreed process.

You will not be able to change your mind once you have signed the agreement and the process for Local Resolution has begun. If the police decide that Local Resolution has failed or is unsuitable, an investigation will be considered.

When looking into your complaint, the police must follow the process that they agreed with you. If they don’t, you can appeal to the IPCC. See Step 4 for more information.

The Local Resolution of your complaint cannot lead to misconduct proceedings against a police officer or member of police staff. However, the officer or member of police staff might receive training, advice or other support as a result of the Local Resolution.

Step 2: Settling my complaint through Local Resolution

There are different ways of dealing with your complaint using Local Resolution. These include:

• immediate resolution by providing information face-to-face or by telephone
• a letter from the police concluding the Local Resolution and explaining what has been done
• individual communication between you and the person your complaint was about. This is organised through the person dealing with the Local Resolution
• a face-to-face meeting with the person working on your complaint and/or the person your complaint was about. The person your complaint was about will need to agree to a face-to-face meeting taking place.

Step 3: What might happen as a result of my complaint?

The police could take the following actions to resolve your complaint locally:

• give you information or an explanation to clear up a misunderstanding
• apologise on behalf of the police force
• learn from the complaint, accepting that something could have been handled better and explaining what has been done to stop the same thing happening again
• arrange action by a manager to change the way a police officer or member of staff behaves
• apologise on behalf of the person your complaint was about, but only if they agree to this.

Step 4: What should I do if the police have not followed the agreed process?

The police must follow the Local Resolution process you agreed with them. If they do not, you can appeal to the IPCC.

The IPCC must receive your appeal within 28 days of the date on which you think the police did not follow the process agreed with them. For example, within 28 days of receiving any communication telling you about the result of the Local Resolution or within 28 days of any communication setting out a timescale to appeal.

For more information see our Appealing against the Local Resolution process information leaflet.

You can appeal if:

• the police did not follow the process they agreed with you
• the police did not explain to you properly that your complaint can only be dealt with by Local Resolution with your agreement
• you did not agree to Local Resolution, but your complaint is still being dealt with in this way.

You cannot appeal against Local Resolution if you disagree with the end result.

The information in this section is also available to download as a leaflet: Dealing with your complaint by Local Resolution.