Rising number of Police Scotland officers placed on 'modified duties'
A new report warns the situation is ‘not sustainable’
The number of police officers put on restricted duties due to illness or injury in Scotland has risen by 60 per cent in just three years.
A joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) found 2,373 officers - or 14 per cent of the workforce - were on "modified duties" as of March last year.
Police Scotland says mental health issues remain the most common cause of long-term absence for officers and staff.
An officer is placed on modified duties when they are unable to carry out their full range of responsibilities due to “illness, injury or other personal circumstances”.
The new report says the current situation is “not sustainable”, adding: “Police Scotland has not made enough progress in managing the growing number of officers on modified duties, which was first identified as an issue in 2021.
“Many are placed in roles that don’t require warranted powers or specialist police skills, which is affecting frontline service delivery and could harm staff wellbeing.”
It said the number of officers on modified duties has risen by 60 per cent since 2022/23.
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, called for greater psychological support for officers.
Elsewhere, the audit found confidence in local policing has declined and modernisation of the force has been slow.
It found policing is well managed and led, but more needs to be done to reform the service and make the best use of its resources. It said policing in Scotland benefits from senior leaders who work well together and strong financial management.
Craig Naylor, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, said: “Policing must constantly adapt to new forms of crime, evolving societal demands and expectations. The nature of threat, harm and risk has been changing and becoming more complex, moving from communities into homes and online.
“Much has been achieved since the reform of policing services in 2013. That’s included more equal access to specialist resources, better use of technology, and an increased focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion.”
Workforce planning remains underdeveloped, the report said, as the audit found there is no evidence 16,500 police officers and around 5,900 police staff are the right numbers to deliver an effective service for the future.
And while public trust in the police remains high, confidence in local policing has declined.
Statistics in the audit show 45 per cent of the public thought police in their local area were doing an “excellent” or “good” job in 2023/24, compared with 61 per cent in 2012/13.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said policing needs to “put clear measures of success” in place to show if goals are being achieved.
He said: “Policing in Scotland has a clear vision and senior leaders who work well together. But there’s more to do, especially around workforce planning and managing absence and officers on modified duties.
“Crucially, to deliver its vision and the next stage of reform, policing needs to put clear measures of success in place to ensure it can report on whether its goals are being achieved.”
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: "I welcome this report which reflects Police Scotland's successful reform, clear vision, and effective teamwork to provide a valuable public service and good partnership working.
"As part of our detailed self-assessment work, we recognise the challenges highlighted by the audit, including building a consensus about the workforce policing needs to deliver for the communities of Scotland.
"We've fully assisted the audit and we'll continue to work to address areas for improvement as we further enhance our culture of providing best value for the public."
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