NATIONAL GUIDANCE

7.1 The Scottish Office Police (CC) Circular number 3/90 reflected and contributed significantly to a sea change in the treatment of domestic violence by Scottish police forces. This Inspection found that the guidance in the Circular was reflected in every printed force instruction examined. However, the Inspection also found that informed thinking within and outwith the police service has moved on since 1990 and that, in some respects, the Circular is now out-dated.

7.2 Publication of this Report should help forces to move on from the 1990 Circular, indeed most have to greater or lesser degrees, but revision or cancellation of that Circular would also assist. Revision has the advantage of allowing ACPOS and relevant non-police agencies the opportunity to contribute to contemporary government guidance. Other agencies and their national bodies could particularly assist in:

• promoting the information needs of victims of domestic violence through the Scottish Office Victim Steering Group and the project for the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems (see para.1.12 and para.5.35)
• the formation of standard practice for information-sharing between social work services, Reporters to Children's Panels and the police on domestic violence in households with children (see paras. 5.37 - 5.43 and Recommendation 10).

Recommendation 13

That The Scottish Office review Police (CC) Circular 3/1990 to take account of the findings and recommendations of this Report.