PEEL assessment framework (PAF) 2025–2027

In our 2025–27 round of PEEL inspections, we will assess the following core questions, topic areas and characteristics of good.

1. How good is the force at leadership and force management?

Senior leaders design strategic plans based on the needs of the community and the workforce. The force appoints leaders who set and model high standards of behaviour. The force has skilled people in the right place at the right time to keep communities safe. It uses high-quality data and technology solutions to make sure it operates efficiently and effectively. The force aligns its funding to community and force priorities, which provides a high-quality, value–for–money service to the public. 

The force’s senior leaders use all available information to develop strategic plans that will help provide a quality service to the public.

• The force uses its force management statement to inform its strategic planning and performance objectives.
• The needs of the community and the workforce inform the force’s strategic plans.
• The force has robust governance arrangements that hold its leaders to account.

The force’s senior leaders make sure there is a clear performance framework aligned to the force’s strategic plans.

• The force has access to and uses high-quality data and analysis to make sure it operates efficiently and effectively.
• Officers and staff understand the force performance framework and it is aligned to force priorities.
• The force understands what good performance is and holds its leaders to account against these performance measures to improve the service it provides to the public.

The force’s senior leaders make sure there is the right culture and capable leadership at all levels to oversee how the force’s strategic plans are implemented, and its performance objectives are achieved.

• The force’s strategic priorities and performance objectives are clearly communicated and the workforce understands them.
• The force has the right people with the right leadership skills in the right place to develop and implement its strategic plans.
• The force is continuously improving its leadership standards, behaviour and culture.

The force’s senior leaders make sure it has an effective, efficient and productive workforce to achieve the force’s strategic plans and priorities, including better use of technology, continuous improvement and collaboration.

• The force’s operating model makes sure the force can address current and future demand.
• The force can show how it continues to improve productivity through digital, data and technology solutions.
• Leaders can show the benefits of collaborations and partnership working.

The force’s senior leaders make the best use of available funding to implement the force’s strategic plans and achieve its performance objectives.

• The force’s financial plans make sure spending is aligned to its priorities.
• The force appropriately targets its funding to make sure it can achieve its priorities.
• The force’s future financial plans are affordable and sustainable.

2. How good is the force at attracting, developing and retaining its workforce and creating a diverse and inclusive workplace?

The force should recruit a diverse workforce that represents the communities it serves. This will allow it to better understand different needs in its communities and provide a better service. The force should make sure the workforce has the right skills, abilities and capability to meet community and force needs. The force should invest in its people, develop their skills and prioritise their well-being. This will encourage officers and staff to stay in the workforce.

The force has a diverse workforce and recruits the right people to meet the needs of its communities.

• The force has a fair, open and inclusive recruitment process to make sure it recruits the right people with the right skills.
• The force promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. Leaders at all levels create an inclusive workforce culture.
• The force takes positive action to better represent the communities it serves.

The force develops its workforce to make sure it has the skills and capabilities to meet the needs of its communities.

• The force creates opportunities for all members of the workforce to progress, including under-represented groups. Leaders support their teams to access development opportunities.
• The force makes sure it gives officers and staff the right training to carry out specialist work.
• The force prioritises and progresses the development of its workforce through continuing professional development.
• Leaders identify and manage talent well. The workforce understands, uses and values the professional development review process.

The force supports its workforce by making good efforts to retain officers and staff, while meeting the needs of the individual, force and community.

• The force understands the well-being challenges of its workforce. Leaders at all levels prioritise and promote the physical and mental health of all officers and staff.
• The force has processes to encourage officers and staff to stay in its workforce where appropriate.
• Leaders at all levels monitor and review information about why officers and staff may want to leave or have left the workforce.

3. How good is the force at using its powers fairly, appropriately and with justification?

The public expect to be treated fairly and respectfully during their interactions with the police. The public should feel assured that officers only use powers such as stop and search and use of force when they are proportionate and justified. When a force uses stop and search appropriately, it can help to detect and prevent crime to make communities safer. But when the force uses this power inappropriately, it can reduce public trust and confidence. The force should follow the correct processes and be accountable for its decision to use these powers. It should address any safeguarding concerns identified during these encounters.

The force’s training and feedback systems improve how it uses stop and search and use of force powers.

• Officers have the knowledge and confidence to interact with the public fairly and appropriately during stop and search and use of force encounters. And supervisors effectively review these interactions and give feedback to officers to improve performance.
• The force uses body-worn video in all appropriate use of force and stop and search encounters in line with its own policy and guidance from the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Interactions between officers and the public are improved as a result.
• The force supports independent external scrutiny processes and responds to scrutiny and challenge it receives to improve how officers use stop and search and use of force powers.

The force’s use of stop and search powers is fair and appropriate and supports its force priorities.

• The force only uses stop and search powers when there are reasonable grounds to do so. And it follows correct and fair processes.
• The force uses safeguarding interventions when children are stopped and searched.
• The force has management structures that make sure quality assurance processes lead to improved interactions during stop and search. The force accurately records all data and uses the analysis to make sure its use of the power is fair.
• The force shows that the fair use of intelligence-led stop and search supports a problem-solving approach, which helps prevent and detect crime and keep people safe.

The force’s use of force is fair and appropriate.

• When officers use force, it is recorded, justified, proportionate and fair.
• The force uses safeguarding interventions for children involved in use of force encounters.
• The force has management structures that make sure quality assurance processes lead to appropriate, fair and proportionate use of force. The force accurately records all data and uses the analysis to make sure its use of the power is fair.

4. How good is the force at preventing and deterring crime, antisocial behaviour and vulnerability?

The public should see a regular and familiar neighbourhood police presence to help make them feel safe. The force should have a sufficiently resourced neighbourhood policing team to prevent crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour. The force should use evidence-based policing techniques, such as problem-solving, to protect vulnerable people and reduce repeat demand. All communities, especially those who are seldom heard, should be able to easily communicate with the police in a variety of ways to suit their needs.

The force works with partner organisations to identify and prioritise its approach to prevent vulnerability, antisocial behaviour and crime.

• The force has an effective management structure that allows it to identify vulnerability, repeat volume crime, neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour.
• The force, where required, accurately records crime within incidents of antisocial behaviour.

The force uses primary, secondary and tertiary prevention activity to prevent, deter and tackle crime and antisocial behaviour and keep its communities safe.

• The force uses appropriate antisocial behaviour legislation and interventions where needed.
• The force widely encourages a problem-solving culture and has effective governance, support and systems in place to monitor and evaluate problem-solving activity.
• The force works with partner organisations to prevent crime and divert young people away from committing crime through early intervention programmes.
• The force works with partner organisations to reduce the risk of persistent and problem offenders reoffending (including integrated offender management).

The force’s neighbourhood policing teams interact with, listen to and respond to its communities to help make them feel safe.

• Neighbourhood policing teams have the capacity and capability to provide a regular, accessible and targeted presence within local communities. The force closely monitors officers and staff who are taken away from their main neighbourhood duties of deterring crime and antisocial behaviour.
• The force demonstrates ongoing two-way communication tailored to meet the needs and preferences of different communities. It monitors and evaluates how it works with its communities to develop a better understanding of their needs and how to address them.

5. How good is the force at responding to the public?

The force should answer calls from the public promptly and it should assess risk and vulnerability at the first point of contact and throughout the interaction. The force should attend incidents within appropriate timescales and secure available evidence. It should maximise opportunities to prevent victims from further harm or offending. When the force provides a good service to the public, it helps keep them safe.

The force meets the needs of the public who make contact using a range of communication methods.

• The force has an effective management structure that makes sure it understands its performance and can make sure the public receives a quality service.
• The force answers 999 calls in line with the national standards for contact management to keep the public safe.
• The force answers 101 calls promptly, keeps waiting times to a minimum and makes sure low numbers of callers end the call.
• The force has processes in place to make sure the public who contact the force using digital platforms receive a high-quality service.
• The force should make sure it has processes in place to supervise and manage all demand to minimise delays when the public has contacted them using any of the available communication methods.

The force understands risk and vulnerability at the first point of contact and makes sure it gives appropriate advice and guidance to the public.

• The force identifies vulnerability at the first point of contact. It records an initial structured triage that determines how it will prioritise the call.
• The force should make sure it gives appropriate and proportionate advice on safeguarding, evidence preservation and crime prevention at the first point of contact.

The force provides an appropriate response to calls for service and manages and prioritises ongoing risk to keep the public safe.

• The force attends calls for service quickly which keeps the public safe, and secures and preserves evidence.
• Responding officers receive information and intelligence to understand the risk and vulnerability of the calls for service they attend, which helps them make appropriate recording and investigative decisions.
• The force understands ongoing risk using a structured risk assessment process to help the public receive an appropriate response.

6. How good is the force at investigating crime?

The force should have a good understanding of crime demand, including how crimes affect the public. Investigators should have the skills and capabilities to carry out victim-centred investigations that achieve appropriate outcomes. The force should record crimes accurately so victims can access support services, and investigations start without delay. This will help victims receive a high-quality service, increase public confidence, improve public trust in recorded crime data and help bring offenders to justice to keep communities safe.

The force secures justice for victims.

• The force has an effective management structure that provides appropriate governance and oversight of investigations. It understands the importance of maintaining high investigative standards.
• The force makes sure crimes are allocated to appropriately skilled officers and staff to achieve an appropriate outcome for victims.
• The force consistently achieves appropriate outcomes for victims, which includes bringing offenders to justice.
• The force records crime accurately to make sure it meets the national crime recording standard and victims receive appropriate support.

The force carries out high-quality investigations to achieve appropriate outcomes for victims.

• The force consistently carries out thorough and timely investigations that lead to appropriate outcomes for victims.
• The force supervises and reviews investigations to make sure they are of a high quality and result in appropriate outcomes for victims.
• The force has processes to make sure it promptly deals with outstanding suspects and wanted people, to progress investigations and reduce the risk of harm to the public.
• The force monitors use of voluntary attendance, released under investigation and pre-charge bail to make sure they are always used appropriately to safeguard victims and protect the public from harm.

The force provides a quality service to victims of crime.

• The force maintains victim confidence by making sure victims receive their entitlements as set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime.

7. How good is the force at safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm?

The force should have public protection and safeguarding processes that accurately and appropriately recognise and reduce the risk of harm to vulnerable adults and children. The force’s governance structure should promote working and sharing information with multi-agency partners to keep the public safe. The force must make sure officers and staff have the right training and skills to understand and carry out their role. Officers should understand and proactively use police powers, prevention orders and disclosure schemes to reduce risk from offenders.

The force understands and addresses the vulnerability and safeguarding concerns it identifies.

• The force has an effective governance structure that allows it to understand and address vulnerability and protect children and adults at risk of harm.
• The force’s compliance with statutory safeguarding processes improves its response to children and adults at risk of harm.
• The training that the force provides to personnel involved in safeguarding activity helps them to reduce harm to children and adults at risk of harm.
• The force records crimes when it receives reports from partner agencies and victims of domestic abuse, and reports of incidents of rape (N100s), and cancels recorded crimes of rape appropriately.

The force reduces and prevents harm by safeguarding and supporting vulnerable people.

• The force safeguards children and adults at risk of harm through high-quality assessment, appropriate safeguarding interventions and referrals to support services or processes.
• The force works with multi-agency partners to safeguard and reduce the risk of harm to vulnerable people through prompt information-sharing and effective joint working arrangements (through the multi-agency safeguarding hub or equivalent processes).
• The force applies for and monitors prevention orders and schemes to safeguard vulnerable people and manage the risk that offenders pose.
• The force considers all appropriate tactics when working with partner organisations to safeguard vulnerable people and challenge offenders. This includes during multi-agency risk assessment conference and multi-agency tasking and co-ordination.

8. How good is the force at managing fraud?

The force understands the scale and impact that fraud has in its communities, and it has the capability and capacity to manage it. The force makes sure victims of fraud receive an appropriate response. It works with partner organisations to safeguard or reduce the risk of further harm to victims. The force appropriately allocates fraud crimes and carries out high-quality investigations that achieve appropriate outcomes.

The force understands the scale and impact of fraud in its communities.

• The force has an effective management structure that creates accountability for understanding and managing the threat of fraud in its communities.
• The force has enough capacity and capability to manage fraud in its communities and provide support to victims.

The force provides a quality service to victims of fraud and achieves appropriate outcomes for victims.

• The force has processes that make sure victims of fraud who contact the force receive an appropriate response.
• The force appropriately allocates investigations it receives from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. Its investigations achieve appropriate outcomes for victims.
• The force works with multi-agency partners to safeguard and reduce the risk of harm to victims of fraud that the National Fraud Investigation Bureau and other sources identify.

9. How good is the force at providing a safe and lawful custody environment?

The force should keep detainees in police custody safe and treat them fairly and with dignity. Detainees should be able to exercise their legal rights promptly. The force should pay particular attention to the needs of children and vulnerable adults. Any use of force in custody must be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and subject to scrutiny by the force’s leadership team. Detainees should be able to access healthcare services for any substance misuse needs and mental or physical health needs.

The force protects the safety and well-being of detainees.

• The force’s leadership structure and approach to performance management provides robust oversight of custody.
• The force promotes fair outcomes for all detainees and is open to effective external scrutiny.

The force protects detainees from neglect and harm by recognising and meeting their needs.

• The force maintains a safe custody environment and promotes the security, privacy and dignity of detainees.
• The force makes sure detention before and after charge is appropriate for children and vulnerable adults and prioritises their needs, well-being and safety.

The force follows the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codes of practice and College of Policing authorised professional practice and makes sure detainees can exercise their legal rights.

• Trained custody officers appropriately authorise detention and make sure detainees understand and can exercise their legal rights.
• The force carries out reviews of detention as required by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and in the best interests of the detainee to make sure continued detention is necessary.

The force makes sure it assesses, manages and regularly reviews any risk detainees pose to themselves and/or others throughout detention and on release.

• Custody officers assess, manage and review risk throughout detention.
• The force makes sure detainees are released or transferred from custody safely and appear at court promptly in person or through video conferencing.

The force makes sure any use of force in custody is lawful, necessary and proportionate, and is subject to robust scrutiny.

• The force makes sure only appropriately trained staff use force in custody.
• The force makes sure it only uses strip searching when necessary and its use is appropriately authorised and recorded.

The force makes sure detainees have access to a range of appropriately staffed and well-managed healthcare services.

• Senior leaders oversee healthcare services to make sure there are enough trained staff to provide appropriate healthcare support in custody.
• The force makes sure detainees receive timely assessment and treatment for physical, mental health and substance misuse needs in an environment that promotes dignity and maintains privacy.

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PEEL assessment framework (PAF) 2025–27