MPA committee annual reports 2004/05

Report: 11
Date: 29 September 2005
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report presents the annual report of the Authority’s committees for 2004/05.

A. Recommendation

That the committee annual reports be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. Each year the Authority’s committees produce annual reports which gives the committees the opportunity to look back over their activities during the year and to demonstrate how they have taken forward the work of the MPA. They also provide a general indication of members’ performance through their work on those committees.

2. These are attached as an appendix to this report, with the exception of the Standards Committee which reports to the Authority after every meeting rather than at year end.

C. Race and equality impact

Any implications are addressed in the annual reports themselves.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: Community Engagement Committee - Annual report

Approved 16 July 2005

1. The Community Engagement Committee has a number of responsibilities. These include:

developing a community engagement strategy and policies for the MPA and monitoring arrangements by which the MPS engages with local communities in the delivery of local policing services and building safer neighbourhoods.
considering all matters relating to MPA and MPS Community Engagement strategies and ensuring that such processes engage with and reflect the views of London’s diverse communities;
reviewing the results of community engagement undertaken to inform the policing plan;
considering all matters relating to Community and Police Consultative Groups and Independent Custody Visiting Panels, including approval of their annual funding; and
advising the Authority of ways of raising the profile of the MPA and making the community and partner organisations aware of its role and work.

2. The Committee has met five times during the year. There are eight members of the Committee. Abdal Ullah has been Chair for the year and Aneeta Prem Deputy Chair. Other members have been Kirsten Hearn, Peter Herbert, John Roberts, Nicky Gavron, Damien Hockney and Jenny Jones. Some of the major issues considered and reviewed by the Committee over the last year are described below.

Community Engagement Strategy

3. During the last year, the Committee has overseen the development of the MPA’s Community Development Strategy. In order to achieve its mission the MPA has adopted a Corporate Strategy with five strategic goals. The corporate strategy sets out the priorities that the MPA intends to achieve over the next three years. The MPA’S Community Engagement Strategy is centred on one of the five strategic goals, to:

Transform community engagement to help Londoners secure more responsive policing at local level.

A second strategic goal is to:

Work with the MPS to achieve cultural change throughout the service to ensure that everyone in London, including black and minority ethnic communities, can gain and retain confidence in policing.

4. The second of the strategic goals is a crucial aspect of the first. In order to transform community engagement, gaining and retaining community confidence in policing is essential.

5. This strategy sets the framework for the MPA to focus, direct and monitor the performance of the MPS in regard to community engagement and communities gaining confidence in the MPS.

6. Strengthening communities’ engagement and giving them greater influence over policing is at the heart of the MPA’s Community Engagement Strategy. Effective community engagement is central to good practice and good governance of policing.

7. One of the most important challenges for the MPS is how the policing needs of London’s diverse population can be met in partnership with, and in a manner, which their differences can be taken into account effectively. The agenda for citizen-focused policing calls for a much sharper focus on connecting the delivery of policing with the real involvement and requirements of Londoners. The process through which this will be achieved is through community engagement.

8. The MPA’s Community Engagement Strategy recognises a variety of approaches at the strategic level (service-wide, pan-London), the operational level (borough level), and community level (neighbourhood and ward level) need to be developed and implemented that empower residents to express their views and influence how their particular policing needs are met.

9. The Community Engagement Strategy also recognises and supports two distinct strands to successful community-police engagement:

Residents willing and able to get involved (i.e. supply side).
A police service willing and able to involve and be influenced by the viewpoints of Londoners (i.e. demand side).

On the one hand, the MPA will consider and ensure effective ways are in place to increase Londoners awareness and understanding of policing issues. It will also support the capacity and willingness of individuals and communities to work collectively to shape and strengthen the civic governance of policing in London.

10. It is also important that the MPA ensures that the MPS engages with Londoners in an open and constructive way as possible. In mainstreaming community engagement through all levels and facets of the Service, the MET must be able to demonstrate that it is engaging all Londoners in delivering policing services. A prime governance responsibility of the MPA, as reflected in this Strategy is to hold the MPS to account to ensure that community engagement is fully integrated and mainstreamed throughout the MPS. Through its responsibilities for monitoring, for scrutiny, for developing and testing exemplary projects, and promoting best practice, the MPA will seek to improve the MPS approach to community engagement.

Annual Police Priority Setting

11. An important component of informing its decision making process is the MPA’s statutory duty to ‘obtain the views of the public about policing.’ This is particularly critical in the annual police priority and planning process.

12. In complementing the community intelligence gathered by the MPS, particular attention over the last year was paid to obtaining the viewpoints of Londoners from as many different sources as possible. This included drawing on the results of consultation undertaken by other agencies and institutions such as the GLA, ALG, local authorities as well as Community Police Consultative Groups. It also draw on the findings of other relevant recent studies and reports and included consultation feedback from the first event with the MPA’s newly established Safer London Panel, a 3,000 member citizens’ panel that is demographically representative of London’s population.

13. Key themes emerging from all these discussions-and that are recurring and persistent themes from previous years-is that Londoners continue to demand greater police visibility, more efforts on preventative approaches to crime, better communication and information, and more effective partnerships and working with other agencies. Another overarching theme emerging from these consultations that the Community Engagement Committee considered particularly important is the demand for greater local community-police interaction and accountability. Londoners want a much greater emphasis on a more accountable, ‘diversified’ and ‘localised’ planning process.

Supporting Local Community Police engagement

14. Over the last year, the Community Engagement Committee received a number of reports, and discussed on a number of occasions, how the partnership framework between the MPA and Community Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs) can be improved and strengthened. The total amount allocated by the Committee to CPCGs for 2005/06 is just under £900,000.

15. An ongoing concern to the Committee has been to look into ways in which it can work with CPCGs to enhance their accountability for the funding they receive annually. In response to this concern, following an extensive process of consultation with the CPCGs themselves, including two bookshops in November 2004; with Borough Commanders; with officers of the GLA, as well as with staff and Members of the MPA, The Community Engagement Committee updated and revised the Guidelines, Criteria and Application Form for 2005/06 funding of the CPCGs. This process has resulted in the MPA gaining a much fuller picture of the organisation of each of the CPCGs, their accomplishments and their planned activities over the coming year. In addition, the establishment of the Appeals Panel comprised of Committee Members has further reinforced the principles of an open, transparent and accountable process.

16. The process also highlighted for the Committee the considerable variation in the nature of the organisations, the levels of participation and the activities undertaken by CPCGs across London. The Committee continues to be concerned with the large discrepancies in funding levels between the CPCGs, with the variable costs in administrative support, with the number of groups with the lack of measurable achievements, but notes the considerable efforts being made to involve ‘hard to reach’ groups.

17. In pursuing one of the five strategic goals of the MPA’s Corporate Strategy to transform community Engagement to help Londoners secure more responsive policing at the local level - the Community Engagement Committee has been concerned that current arrangements for funding community engagement has simply been adopted from an inherited system from the period before London had a police authority. The Committee has also recognised that it is based on a highly static approach where the pre-eminence of CPCGs as the preferred means of engagement is taken for granted and the incorrect assumption that the MPA’s primary interests and responsibility is at the local level rather than strategic and PAN-London level. The Committee also reiterates its concern that it is based on the false assumption that the MPA is sufficiently resourced to be able to carry out a local community development, a community engagement, an organisational development as well as a grant management role across 32 boroughs. In the light of all these factors, the Committee has directed that a complete review of the MPA’s role and function in funding community engagement at the borough level be undertaken. An options paper, as a necessary first stage, is the subject of a separate report elsewhere on the agenda.

Community Safety Boards

18. With respect to developing and testing different approaches to community police engagement at the borough level, in the two boroughs where CPCGs do not exist, Hammersmith and Fulham and in Islington, the Committee would like to highlight the establishment of Community Safety Boards.

19. In wishing to add value to existing local consultative arrangements, and to complement and build on current initiatives such as Safer Neighbourhoods, the MPA has been developing and testing a borough-based model of Community Safety Board (CSB). Community Safety Boards are inclusive and representative of the local population, particularly those groups that interact with police in disproportionate numbers. The intent is to increase the capacity of community members not only to be informed of local crime and disorder activity, but also, in a more proactive way, to monitor and actively influence local police decision making, plans and priorities. That is why the Community Safety Boards have a seat at the table of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. A number of other boroughs have already expressed interest in this approach and some of London’s existing Community Police Consultative Groups are looking to adapt and restructure themselves along the lines of a Community Safety Board.

Independent Custody Visiting Panels

20. Each year the Community Engagement allocates a budget to Independent Custody Visiting Panels (ICVPs), to enable community volunteers to visit those in custody in local police stations. The purpose of the ICVPs is to strengthen public confidence in procedures at police stations.

21. The total amount allocated by the Committee for ICVPs for 2005/06 is approximately £300,000. In recognising the MPA’s statutory responsibilities for organising and overseeing the delivery of Independent Custody Visiting as delineated in Section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002, the Committee also found it timely to undertake a review of the current support provided to ICVPs that included the level of training provided, the collection and monitoring of statistics, the relationship of the work of the Panels to the MPA’s responsibility for overall policing priorities, as well as an examination of the relationship between the number of custody suites and the number of Independent Custody Visitors. This review, which was submitted to the Committee in February 2005, enables the MPA’s support to ICVs to be based on a much more effective and sounder footing.

22. To ensure a careful and thorough implementation of the reform programme the Committee has established a Programme Review Board. It is chaired by the Vice Chair of the Committee and Lead Member for ICVPs, Aneeta Prem, together with representatives from the Custody Directorate of the MPS, from Independent Custody Visitors, as well as from the MPA.

23. A conference was held in February 2005 for all London Independent Custody Visitors and as a result of its success it has been agreed that this will be an annual event.

Community Engagement at the Pan-London level

24. As previously noted, the MPA’s support of community engagement has largely been expended at the local level. Over the last year, the Committee has begun to enlarge and strengthen its pan-London initiatives in gathering Londoners views on overall strategic policing issues. Key actions have included:

Ensuring that the newly established 3,000 member Safer London Panel is fully operational and its collective viewpoint is disseminated. This has already been achieved through the MPA’s decision-making process on the annual police priority setting, and is the subject of a separate report on this committee’s agenda from the MPS. A Safer London Panel newsletter has also been developed and is widely distributed.
Officers have developed and strengthened over the last year, working partnerships with appropriate institutions such as with the GLA family, with GOL, APA, ALG, the Home Office and others, as well as with experts and scholars in the field.
Of particular note over the last year in developing partnerships with community based organisations to undertake community engagement with specific target groups has been the work with the disability communities. The Committee has worked with the Greater London Action on Disability (GLAD) in developing a background paper and held a one-day conference on 7 October 2004 to identify the policing priorities for disabled people in London. The results of this process have led to establishment of an MPA oversight working group and an MPS implementation group to drive forward the disabled peoples policing agenda.

Other Community Engagement Initiatives

25. In addition to the above, the Committee has also dealt with a number of other significant community engagement matters including:

Home Office White Paper on police reform ‘building communities, beating crime’.
Safer neighbourhoods initiative and the development of effective systems for community engagement.
Citizen focused policing programme.
Findings of the public attitude survey
MPS community engagement website
Distribution of partnership funds at borough level.
MPS measuring community consultation survey
Immigration detainees
E-policing
MPS youth strategy
MPS consultation training
Home Office report ’Involving the Public: the Role of Police Authorities

Challenges for the Coming Year

26. The Community Engagement Committee faces a number of challenges in the coming year.

First is the need to translate Community Engagement Strategy into action. This requires the MPA to consider its own organisational arrangements, its local funding arrangements and resources necessary to move the agenda from not just consultation and passive consent to a proactive, involved partnership.
Secondly it requires the MPA to consider how best to support and strengthen the level of community interest, skills, engagement and influence upon policing in London, including the development and provision of appropriate volunteer training.
Thirdly, it requires a more rigorous and robust assessment of existing methods and structures of community engagement and the development of outcome measures to enhance the effectiveness of the MPA’s scrutiny responsibility.
Fourthly, it requires the developments of performance indicators and standards by which the MPA can better support and enhance partnership work and community engagement at the borough level.
Fifth, it requires of the Community Engagement Committee to more purposively recognise, support and disseminate ‘best practice’.

27. Over the next year the resourcing, organisational structure, staffing and implementation of the reform programme of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme will be at a critical juncture in ensuring the MPA can effectively manage and administer its statutory responsibilities. The Committee will expect to receive regular reports not only for the implementation of the reform programme but also of emerging issues and concerns that have been identified by Independent Custody Visitors.

Race and equality impact

1. Both the content and process of the Community Engagement Committee’s work over the last year and for the future has been purposively designed to ensure that this work is more inclusive and representative of all sectors of London’s’ population. London’s diversity include characteristics not only of race, ethnicity, language, immigrant and refugee status, it also includes huge differences in crime and safety experience - and thereby different policing needs - based on age, gender, sexual orientation and mental and physical ability. Further layers of ever increasing diversity that impacts upon policing - and thereby methods of community engagement - include the complex and overlapping differences and divisions that exists in terms of people’s value and beliefs, lifestyles, life chances and levels of disadvantage and deprivation.

2. An integral part of the MPA’s community engagement activities has been, and will continue to take full cognisance of these dramatically changing demographics of London’s population. The complex nature of this diversity continues to require greater urgency for more purposeful community engagement processes that are accessible and equitable for all sectors of the population.

Author: Tim Rees

Appendix 2: Corporate Governance - Annual Report

(as amended following the Committee meeting on 11 July 2005)

Meetings and membership

1. The Committee has met on four occasions during the year at appropriate points in the annual audit cycle.

2. The Panel comprises four members. Jennette Arnold has been Chair of the Committee for the year. Other members have been Rachel Whittaker (Deputy Chair), Toby Harris and Elizabeth Howlett. Richard Stephenson, Group Director of HSE for TfL is a co-opted member.

Responsibilities

3. The Authority at its annual meeting on 8 July 2004 established the Corporate Governance Committee as a new committee. The Committee fulfils the Authority’s duties in relation to internal and external audit and scrutinises the draft accounts on behalf of the Authority. In both cases, the Committee approves the annual audit programme. It has general oversight of the effectiveness of the control systems in operation. The Committee has a remit to keep the MPA risk management strategy under review and endorse an annual programme of risk management activity for the MPS, receiving progress reports and an assessment of achievement after the end of the year. The Committee also satisfies itself on an annual basis, that the MPA and MPS health and safety plans are sufficient to discharge the Authority’s Health and Safety responsibilities, that the plans are being implemented, that targets in relation to health and safety performance are being achieved and any topical issues are brought to notice.

Accounts

4. The Committee reviewed the draft final accounts for 2003/04 and agreed drafting amendments. The Committee recommended their approval by the full Authority.

External audit

5. The Committee received the external auditor’s annual audit letter on conclusion of the 2003/04 audits. The external auditor was again able to provide an unqualified audit opinion on the accounts. He stated that ‘overall, the quality and timeliness of the draft accounts improved again this year’. Whilst warning against complacency, the auditor’s letter pointed to improvements in the MPA’s financial health, the systems of internal financial control, arrangements for maintaining standards of financial conduct and for preventing and detecting fraud and corruption, and did not identify any major weakness in the Authority’s arrangements for ensuring the legality of its significant financial transactions.

6. Under the general heading of ‘Performance’, the auditor noted that the Authority had been assessed as ‘fair’ following their initial performance assessment (IPA) of the Authority. The auditor noted that the creation of the MPA represented a major challenge in policing in London, presenting new and more robust opportunities to hold the MPS to account for policing the capital. The auditor noted that the Authority has risen to this challenge and is putting appropriate building blocks in place, including overseeing a stronger financial infrastructure, a substantial increase in police numbers and has increased diversity in the MPS workforce. The auditor did identify that further development work was required and this is being addressed.

7. The auditor noted that the HMIC, as part of his baseline assessment of the operational effectiveness of the MPS, has concluded that its performance was good in most areas. Other performance reviews by the auditor have identified good practice but also a need to:

Strengthen performance information systems. While the Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) was compliant with legislative requirements, some performance indicators were unavailable and the auditor had to issue an ‘except for’ qualification on the BVPP. Their review of crime records also identified weaknesses in compliance with the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) and Home Office Counting Rules;
Improve the process made in implementing activity based costing arrangements. Further work was necessary to meet National Policing Plan requirements; and
Improve the consistency with which agreed recommendations arising from the work of external review agencies, including audit and inspections, are implemented. Reviews over a range of areas assessing use of resources identified good practice as well as opportunities for improvement.

8. External audit reports on specific subjects are generally considered by the committee with the appropriate responsibility. The Corporate Governance Committee has received regular reports on the progress of the external audit programme.

Internal audit

9. The Committee has received progress reports on the Internal Audit programme for 2004/05 and has considered the Director of Internal Audit’s annual report. The annual report showed continuing improvement in the overall control assessment with significant progress in areas, which have previously been the subject of internal audit review. In particular, high-risk audit recommendations are generally being implemented in a timely manner. The report also reflects maintenance in the improvement in the performance of internal audit with 90% of the systems audit programme completed within the year.

10. The Committee has approved the Internal Audit plan for 2005/06 based on an updated audit needs assessment and risk analysis for five years ahead. The plan envisages increased internal audit time spent on BOCU/OCU reviews consistent with the extension of devolved management. There will also be increased emphasis on audit’s advisory role assisting the MPS in a range of developments and the aim to provide further risk and control awareness training to the MPS.

Risk Management

11. The Committee received reports from the MPS confirming the process for reporting risk within the Metropolitan Police Service and the involvement of the Committee in exercising oversight of MPS risk management and corporate risks. External Audit reviewed risk management in the MPS and their report set out findings as part of the 2003/04 audits. The report is essentially interim recognising the work currently in progress to develop risk management and will be revisited in twelve months time. The main outcomes are that the MPS has appointed a dedicated Director of Risk Management, developed a strategy and policy for risk management within the Service and formed a Corporate Risk Management Group. Currently the Service is working toward implementation of this strategic approach to risk management on the basis of a programme of activity overseen by the MPS Corporate Governance Strategic Committee.

12. The Committee received a report on the application of the requirement for a sound system of internal control and risk management. It was agreed that the Commissioner would sign an annual Statement on Internal Control setting out details of the system of internal control and risk management, the key controls, and how effectively they are being deployed. This necessitated the deployment of an assurance gathering process within the Service led by the Corporate Risk Management Group (and a parallel process for the Authority).

Health and Safety

13. The Committee has been working to specific focussed objectives:

Agreeing the priorities for health and safety. The Committee approved the revised joint policy on health and safety in the MPS, and added a foreword by the Chair by the Authority and by the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee. The Committee has approved the MPA policy on health and safety within the Authority and the plans to implement it.
Ensuring the discharge of legal duties in relation to health and safety matters with particular regard to the safety, health and welfare of police officers and police staff, people in the care and custody of the MPS, and all members of the public on police premises or property. The Committee is informed of any contact the MPS has with the Health and Safety Executive. Accordingly, a report was received informing members of the result of the Health and Safety Executive’s inspection of the MPS in relation to fast roads policing and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).
Ensuring appropriate health and safety, management systems, arrangements and procedures both to meet legal requirements and to assess and control risks are in place. The Committee has received regular reports updating members on MPS performance against plans and targets in relation to health and safety matters including:
- Major incidents
- Near miss
- Fatalities (staff, contractors, public, detainees)
- Other specific KPIs

14. The number of reported injuries had remained constant and there was a marked downward trend in major injuries, both set in the context of an increasing workforce.

15. The Authority is represented on the MPS Strategic Health and Safety Committee and to help members further assess the control of risks, all are provided with copies of the minutes.

Ensuring the audit of health and safety management systems, policies, arrangements and procedures, as necessary, and to review progress with the implementation of recommendations arising from such audits. The review of health and safety management systems and the Audit Plan is not yet complete, however the Committee will approve a list of audits planned for year and monitor the audits conducted.
To provide a conduit for the expression of health and safety concerns. All staff associations have been invited to, and attend, meetings of the Committee so that any issues can, if necessary, be raised direct.

Next year

16. In the forthcoming year, the Committee will continue to oversee the internal and external audit programmes. The Committee will be looking for continuing improvement in the Director of Internal Audit’s rating of the adequacy of internal control in the MPS. In reviewing the accounts, the Committee will consider particularly the statement of internal control, which was a new requirement for 2003/04, ensuring that the letter of assurance from the Commissioner on internal control and risk management meets the requirements of the statement on the system of internal control that the Authority now has to provide with the annual accounts. The Committee will continue to take a lead on behalf of the Authority in overseeing risk management arrangements in the corporate governance structures of both the MPA and the MPS and in particular monitoring the progress of the MPS risk management programme and the internal control actions detailed in the Annual Statement. The Director of Risk Management will be presenting his annual report on Risk Management to the Committee. It is anticipated that further progress will be made in the assurance that MPS and MPA Health and Safety plans are satisfactory to discharge the Authority’s responsibilities and in particular that the plans are being implemented.

Appendix 3: Finance Committee – Annual Report

Approved 23 June 2005

Introduction

1. The Authority requires each committee to produce an annual report on its activities. The reports are intended to give a general indication of member performance. They will also provide material for incorporation into the Authority’s published annual report.

Meetings and membership

2. The Committee has met nine times during the year. There are nine members of the Committee. Graham Tope has been Chair for the year and Richard Sumray Deputy Chair. Other members have been Reshard Auladin, Richard Barnes, Elizabeth Howlett, Bob Neill, Murad Qureshi and Rachel Whittaker.

Responsibilities

3. The Finance Committee oversees the preparation and management of the revenue and capital forward plans and annual budget, making recommendations to the Authority as appropriate. The Committee also discharges the Authority’s responsibilities in relation to treasury management, insurances, the efficiency and effectiveness review programme and any other significant non-audit financial matters. In addition, the Committee considers strategic issues in respect of the estate and other resource functions, financial and strategic issues relating to the provision of information systems and technology, and major contract matters as required by the Authority’s contract regulations.

Budgets

4. The Committee has considered financial plans, budgets, expenditure and outturn as appropriate in the annual cycle as follows:

2003/04. The final revenue and capital outturns were reviewed and final adjustments agreed. The resulting final accounts again received an unqualified opinion from the external auditor for the second time since the Authority’s inception.
2004/05. The Committee has received regular monitoring reports on both revenue and capital budgets and has considered provisional outturns.
2005/06. The Committee has considered the draft budget, including at a special meeting in October, and made recommendations to the Authority with regard to the submission to the Mayor. The 2005/06 revenue budget was approved as submitted and allows for implementation of the second phase of the Step Change programme with the further introduction of 160 neighbourhood-based policing teams. Medium term financial projections to 2007/08 and a five-year capital programme have also been approved.

Other financial matters

5. The Committee has dealt with a number of significant financial matters in addition to budgets, including:

Efficiency plan. The Committee has monitored the successful delivery of the efficiency plan for 2004/05 and approved the 2005/06 plan.
Police overtime. The Committee has raised issues around the management of police overtime as part of the monitoring of expenditure against budget. A member-led review (under the auspice of the Budget and Overtime Group) into the subject has been made with an agreed MPS Action Plan. This is being carefully monitored.
Treasury management. The Committee has received monitoring reports and a strategy report for 2005/06.
Prudential Code for capital finance. The Authority has approved prudential indicators for 2005/06 in accordance with the requirements of the Code. The Committee has agreed arrangements for monitoring the indicators during the year.
Insurances. Revised insurance arrangements were agreed during the year, which provide substantially improved catastrophe cover.
Annual Review of Fees and Charges. The Committee has kept under review the arrangements for special service agreements including agreeing updated rates.
Activity based costing. The Committee has received an update on progress in implementing activity based costing in the MPS.
Funding of the Resource Allocation Formula. The Committee received a report setting out the financial aspects of the Resource Allocation Formula for 2005/06 and agreed changes to the 2005/06 budget to fund its implementation.
Cost Implications of Public Order Events. The Committee has kept under review the policing costs associated with major public order events that occurred during 2004.
Police Property Act Fund. The Committee considered the PPAF 2003-04 annual accounts, grants made in 2004-05 (to March 2005) and considered arrangements for the disbursements from the fund in accordance with agreed criteria in 2005-06.
Financial Management Strategic Programme (FMSP). The Committee endorsed the new FMSP, which was designed to secure continual improvement in the financial management in the MPS.
Personal Insurance Indemnity Policy. The Committee agreed MPS personnel being indemnified by the Authority in certain tightly defined situations where their own personal life and accident insurances do not provide an indemnity. This included situations where life and accident insurances are invalidated through non disclosure of material information relating to high-risk duties that cannot be disclosed to their insurers for operational security reasons.
Capital Strategy. The Committee approved the first capital strategy which will become an integral part of the strategic financial and service planning that will in turn become part of the annual budget setting process and support decisions on the Authority’s capital investment under the prudential system.

Estate

6. The Committee has received regular update reports from the MPS Director of Property Services on a range of current estate issues. It has also considered reports relating to specific property transactions and proposals, approving action as appropriate. The Committee has approved proposals for siting mobile telecoms aerials on police property, all subject to local planning approval. Accessibility to police station front offices by disabled members of the community has also been considered. The Committee has agreed revised rents and charges for residential accommodation. During the year the Committee received regular updates on the progress of the Central London Estate, in particular the acquisition of Empress state Building and the associated office moves.

IT/IS

7. The Committee has approved various contracts in pursuance of the MPS information strategy.

Procurement

8. The Committee has approved a procurement transformation programme update. It has monitored progress on the outsourced contracts retendering programme and has approved contract action in support of that programme. It has approved action in relation to the C3i programme. It has also received information on the routine forward contracts programme.

9. Transport. The Committee has approved a Transport Services’ Strategy. This strategy set out the key principles against which the various services are provided and highlighted specific changes designed to improve service delivery.

10. Environmental Strategy. The Committee has approved an Environmental Strategy. Achievement of the strategic objectives will be achieved through the development of an Environmental Management Programme to include targets, responsibilities and performance indicators.

Next year

11. In the forthcoming year the Finance Committee will review the final outturn for 2004/05, monitor expenditure against budget in 2005/06 and develop the budget submission for 2006/07 together with the medium term financial plan. Consultation with stakeholders on the 2006/07 budget will be undertaken. Revenue and capital plans will both need to take account of the continuing implications of public expenditure plans under SR2004 and Mayoral priorities. The government’s review of the formula grant arrangements are expected in the late summer 2005. Work will be needed to implement the likely proposed changes following the Police Pensions Finance Reform from April 2006. Work will be progressed on reviewing the capital strategy and asset management planning in order to provide a strategic framework for decisions about capital investment, in accordance with good practice endorsed by the Prudential Code. The Efficiency Plan will continue to be monitored carefully.

12. The output from the current service review will need to be carefully considered. Key decisions will need to be taken to enable a balanced budget to be presented to the Mayor in the extremely tight timescale required.

13. The Committee will be asked to consider progress on the new financial improvement programme. Specific areas of development in which the Committee will continue to take an active interest include budget devolution and activity based costing.

14. Proposals relating to property will be assessed in the context of the estate strategy and the residential estate strategy. The Committee will continue to monitor and facilitate the MPS information strategy. The implementation of the procurement strategy should see continuing improvement in the quality of the procurement process and improved value for money in contracts the Committee is asked to approve. Major decisions will be required in the next year on the retendering of outsourced contracts.

Race and equality impact

The Committee addresses equalities aspects if and when they arise in relation to its business.

Financial implications

The cost of the Committee’s activities is met within the MPA’s directly managed budget.

Appendix 4: Human Resources Committee

Background

1. The Human Resources Committee (HRC) has continued to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with both its terms of reference, attached at Appendix 1, and incorporating its statutory responsibilities. The Committee met six times during the year and has overseen the work of both the Remuneration Sub-Committee (RSC), which met five times, and the Police Pensions-Sub Committee, which met nine times, and the Business Interests Appeals panel met once.

Recruitment and retention

2. Members received reports at five meetings on ‘Recruitment and Retention’ within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), covering police officers, police staff, traffic wardens and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The report informed the Committee of:

3. Overall, the Authority’s police officer target for 2004/05 was comfortably met, with 1,887 recruits joining training school and 464 trained officers taking up posts across the MPS. The creation of the diverse recruitment pool, with black and minority ethnic candidates now accounting for half of all police enquirers, has increased the strength of both black and minority ethnic and female officers in line with planned growth. Consequently, police officers from black and minority ethnic communities comprise 7% against the budgeted workforce target (BWT), compared to 6.6% last year, and female officers representing 19.4% compared with 18.4% of BWT last year. Females have represented a larger proportion of joiners than ever before, filling a third of all Training School places.

4. In addition, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are critical to the success of the Safer Neighbourhoods scheme and as such there has been a rapid increase in borough demand. The MPS now has a strength of 2,144 PCSOs, which is a 47% increase on last year. 972 PCSOs were recruited in 2004/5.

5. Members were particularly pleased that the application and enquiry diversity targets were exceeded. 44% of PCSO enquiries and 43% of applications came from black and minority ethnic candidates; 33% of PCSO enquiries and 32% of applications were from female candidates. Such high levels of interest at the initial stages of application have been reflected in the recruitment levels where 26% of PCSOs were from black and minority ethnic communities and 32% were female. With the active encouragement of members of this Committee, the selection process was revamped, tailoring it around job-specific needs. The new process, aimed at further improving the quality of candidates, now includes job related fitness and substance misuse tests.

6. Another innovation the Authority were keen to promote were Designated Detention Officers (DDOs) to release police officers from custody duties. 2,000 were deployed throughout boroughs across London this year.

7. Of the 2,219 police staff recruited this year, 21.7% were from black and minority ethnic communities, whilst 40% of enquiries and applications came from black and minority ethnic candidates, and as such the 2004/5 recruitment target was considerably exceeded. Females represent 59% of both the strength and recruitment totals for last year. However, the Committee expressed concern at the low level of representation of black and minority ethnic staff and females at senior levels. The year end figures were:

	BWT	Overall strength	BME strength	BME %	Female strength	Female %
Police Officers	30,768	31,175	2,168	6.96%	5,978	19.18%
Police Staff	13,442	13,451	2,754	20.47%	7,971	59.26%
PCSO	2,252	2,144	702	32.74%	643.7	30.02%
Traffic Wardens	584	426	72	16.79%	230	54.06%
MSC	1,000	697	145	20.80%	201	28.84%
Total (excl. MSC)		46,770	5,624	12.02%	14,823	31.69%

8. Amongst the other recruitment and retention issues where the Committee was able to give direction was:

The means by which the MPS could meet its targets both in terms of the budgeted workforce and for black and minority ethnic and women police officers
The MPS’s Recruitment Strategy, which outlined the difficulties the MPS would face in meeting the Home Office targets for black and minority ethnic and women police officers by 2009. Members agreed the Strategy that includes a number of ideas for improving the quality and diversity of intakes including giving priority to Londoners, the government’s “Breaking Through” report, graduate schemes, customer focus and other positive action initiatives.
The work undertaken to improve the speed and efficiency of the security vetting procedure.
The High Potential Development Scheme and the way in which the MPS is looking to build upon this.
The recruitment, use and plans for specials and voluntary cadets.
The role of the Career Management and Retention Unit (CMRU)
The disproportionality problems with the National Recruitment Standards, giving rise to concerns about future disproportionality in levels of representation in the years ahead. There are continuing discussions between the Authority, the MPS and the Home Office to tackle this.
The review of the exit management process and recommendations dealing with how this could be improved.
The various projects designed to enhance the career management and retention of police officers and police staff as part of a revitalised Retention Strategy
Progress against budgeted workforce targets for London and for boroughs
Progress against targets for numbers of women and black and minority ethnic groups
National and MPS recruitment campaigns
Police community support officer recruitment

Career Pathways

9. The Committee were particularly keen to see the development of career pathways for police officers and police staff. During the year, a report was commissioned which set out how the HR Directorate was working with business groups to develop Career Pathways to support the professional development of police officers and staff. Currently, the most advanced of the pathways were for:

investigation (with a link to the Professionalising Investigation Project);
intelligence (with the link to the National Intelligence Model);
either performance or intelligence analysis.

10. Members were encouraged by the development of further pathways including Finance and Resources, Human Resources, Safer Neighbourhoods, Procurement and Territorial Support Group. More pathways that will be developed include Information Technology, Marketing and Communications, Forensic Science, Legal Services and Performance/Policy. Each pathway set out the skills, accreditation and qualifications that individuals will need to obtain as they progress and will be integrated into key HR processes such as Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) and promotion assessments in order to minimise bureaucracy and burdens on managers.

Police Negotiating Board and Police Reform issues

11. Members were able to discuss the initiatives arising out of the Police Reform Act which aim to:

Provide police officers with better work-life balance with greater flexibility in working arrangements and shift patterns;
Rationalise the system of regulations and determinations;
Improve the management of ill health and providing incentives for officers to stay on after 30 years of service;
Provide incentives for better performance or particular roles.

The Committee also approved the list of special priority payments (SPPs) that are targeted at front line/operational officers and approved the payment of Post Related Allowances (PRAs) to Chief Superintendents in the most demanding posts that have exceptionally difficult policing conditions, high public profile, and particularly complex community relationships. (This includes those posts dealing with high volumes of serious crime, high levels of deprivation and difficult conflict in community and partnership working). The Committee also received reports on competency related threshold payments, bonus payments, the 30+ scheme, more flexible use of police officers and the rationalising of police allowances.

Training

12. At one meeting, the theme of training was discussed around several reports. These included the Committee agreeing the Training Strategy 2004/5 that incorporated a costed training plan including proposals, priorities and outputs. The Committee also discussed the role of the Training Standards Unit in developing, maintaining and improving all training throughout the MPS, including new methods of learning, e.g. e-learning, accreditation of courses, more consultation with users and stakeholders.

13. The Crime Academy was also discussed, with members giving direction as to how this was being developed. The Academy is dedicated to ensuring that all investigative training is focused on working towards meeting the five key aims of ‘Towards the Safest City’. As a training facility, the Crime Academy will be the world leader for training investigators with the knowledge, skills and related specialist techniques to reduce crime and pursue and bring to justice those who break the law.

14. The Crime Academy consists of the amalgamation of several of the previous MPS investigative skills schools or colleges and the development of capacity to deliver new courses to meet business need. The Crime Academy include an Investigative Faculty – core training for trainee investigators and detectives; Specialist Faculty – specialist training for officers, for example community safety, family liaison officer and financial investigator training; Forensic Faculty – fingerprint, photography, crime scene management, and exhibit officer training; Intelligence Faculty – RIPA, National Intelligence Model and analyst training; Senior Investigating Officers Faculty – training for detective sergeants, detective inspectors and senior investigating officers, this faculty also provides the MPS training for officers and support staff who make use of the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES); and Criminal Justice Faculty – investigative interviewing, advocacy, case paper preparation and disclosure of unused material training. The Crime Academy is in the process of introducing an Anti Terrorism training capacity with a view to providing awareness training for all MPS staff. In addition, the current Intelligence Faculty will be expanding to include Covert Policing Training.

15. There are similar discussions taking place on the issue of ‘Leadership’ and a possible Leadership Academy. This will develop some key aims and work programmes under the direction of Deputy Assistant Commissioner Bill Griffiths, within the MPS HR Directorate.

Occupational Health

16. Members of the HRC recognised that people are the MPS’s most valuable resource and that their health, safety and well-being are critical to the MPS’s ability to deliver the services that London needs and expects and to become the London employer of choice. HRC endorsed the Occupational Health Strategy and received updates during the year. Issues of particular interest include:

national and Service initiatives and strategies.
information on health and safety, OH, welfare activities
information on attendance, recuperative and restricted duties
information on the OH campaigns, action plans and targets
the continuing fall in the levels of sickness absence

HR Business and Performance Plan 2004/5 and 2005/6 and HR Strategy 2005-2007.

17. There were several reports throughout the year on the current developments within the various strands of the HR business and performance plan 2004/5, and how this would be developed alongside policing objectives and the APA framework for human resource plans. For 2005/6 Members raised a number of issues around consistency with other work that was being developed, notably the Morris Inquiry recommendations, and – following changes to the initial draft, approved the 2005/6 plan. There was also a significant level of Member involvement in the development of the new HR high-level strategy, which has four main themes:

Becoming an employer of choice
This reflected Members views last year about the need to attract and retain a workforce that better reflects the diversity of London, and to access the skills and experience needed by the business.
Releasing potential.
This dealt with another priority for the Authority, the need to further improve MPS management of learning and development for all staff, to ensure the abilities of our people keep pace with business needs. This related not only to formal training and succession planning, but also particularly to the role of line managers in supporting and facilitating individuals’ learning and development.
Developing leaders and managers for the future.
There was broad agreement about the need for better, more consistent people management practice across the MPS. The aim will be to raise the status of people management as an activity, to create more able and confident managers empowered by a supportive HR function.
Using people effectively.
Central to the Committee’s view that HR should be a significant ‘driver’ within the Service, the Strategy covered the aspiration to play a more strategic and transformational role in supporting the Service with modernisation, change programmes and finding more efficient and effective ways of using people’s skills. This in turn required the HR function itself to become leaner, nimbler and better skilled to engage with the Service to best effect.

The HR and Diversity Directorate’s Strategic Assessments

18. The Committee wished to consider the respective Directorate’s Strategic Assessment, which is one aspect of the National Intelligence Model (NIM) that was developed as a national model for intelligence-led operational policing. For HR, the main issues on which Members provided advice were:

The Leadership Academy and development of management capability.
The need to anticipate likely recommendations of the Morris Inquiry, by promoting flexible working and relocating the Employment Tribunals Unit to HR Directorate.
The risk that 2009 minority ethnic workforce targets will not be achieved, most notably in relation to black and minority police officers.
The joint work required between HR and Territorial Policing to address patterns of PCSO sickness, with a particular focus of issue relating to Security PCSOs, which are thought to be related to job design and local line management arrangements.
The accuracy and completeness of data recorded by local units on MetHR, and local adoption of appropriate supporting business processes.

19. For the Diversity Directorate, the main issues on which Members provided advice were the various strategies for the six equality strands. There were a significant number of recommendations where, it was agreed, further development was needed.

MetHR

20. Because of the importance of MetHR data at corporate and business group level to support strategic decision making, performance management and the evaluation of relevant policy impacts, Members sought assurances about a number of current issues. MetHR provides key reporting data for all statutory and corporate HR reports and returns.

21. In particular, Members were concerned about the real quality of the data on MetHR that was perceived as poor throughout the MPS, although the data quality issue was not confined to the MetHR system.

22. Members determined that a strategic, co-ordinated approach to development of accurate, up to date HR data across the organisation was necessary. They were particularly supportive of the development of a compliance strategy, the further development of and further funding to address the problems that had been highlighted.

Morris Inquiry/MPA thematic review of race and diversity

23. The Authority set up the Morris Inquiry to investigate the handling of internal investigations, complaints and grievances involving staff following a number of high-profile cases within the Metropolitan Police Service. Members of the Human Resources Committee supported the proposal to manage the work by using a themed approach and provided an opportunity to drive forward cultural change across the MPS, particularly focusing on how staff are treated. It was further agreed that the management of the themes would work within the bounds of the Service Review – to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the long term. For the Human Resources Committee there were three explicit themes, namely recruitment and progression, training and development and support for staff led by Martin Tiplady, Director of Human Resources. In addition, there was a fourth theme dealing with national issues many of which are HR related. David Riddle, Deputy Chief Executive of the MPA, is leading this strand.

Workforce modernisation (the pilot project in Bexley Borough)

25. The Workforce Modernisation Programme is a programme of work that progresses the Police Reform agenda. The programme aims to reconfigure the workforce through a review of systems of organising work and the introduction of approximately 43 new police staff posts. These new police staff roles will be funded through the reduction of about 25 police officer posts and will be largely customer-facing, leading to an overall increase in service capacity. This will address the strategic aims of the programme:

To improve service delivery to the communities served by Bexley borough
To provide evidence of increased performance across all areas of activity to inform service delivery locally and nationally.
To increase the visibility and accessibility of policing services within the community.

Members were very supportive of the workforce modernisation agenda and agreed the approach being taken, but expressed some reservations about how easily the lessons learnt could be ‘rolled out’ across the MPS.

Protocols for the appointment of Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) ranks and senior police staff

26. Members agreed a new process for identifying vacancies, the relationship between the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) in such appointments and the respective roles of the MPS and MPA in the related decision-making processes. They were particularly concerned to ensure that the approach was one of collaboration and transparency.

Nationality rules for police staff

27. Members agreed changes to the nationality rules applicable to the employment of police staff in the MPS to bring them into line with police officers and to remove an unnecessary barrier for recruitment. Candidates are still required to evidence that they can live and work in the UK legally, i.e. they have ‘indefinite leave to remain in the UK without restriction’.

Police Pensions Forfeiture and Business Interest Appeals

27. Human Resources Committee members take very seriously their ‘judicial’ responsibilities in respect of the potential forfeiture of police officers pensions and in dealing with appeals when police officers requests to pursue business interests have been declared 'incompatible' with role as a police officer by the MPS.

28. Following a number of appeals to the Crown Court and the subsequent Crown Court decision, the Committee reviewed the procedure to be adopted by the Police Pension Sub-Committee to comply with human rights legislation and take into account the recommendations made by HHJ Wilkinson – the Crown Court judge presiding on the appeal cases - to improve the procedure followed by the MPA in forfeiture matters.

Other issues

29. The Committee also received Committee and briefing reports on:

The police staff discipline process and the proportionality of the use of the discipline process, particularly suspensions
The HR evaluation process dealing with how HR activities are evaluated at Operational Command Unit and Borough Operational Command Unit level
The implementation of the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 dealing with recruitment, training, development etc
The HR communication process with staff and HR professionals throughout the Service and with the public providing the opportunity for discussion and debate
The strategy for implementing a flexible working culture within the MPS
The support and development programme for Black and Minority Ethnic police officers in their first five years of service to improve retention and progression
The pay agreements for Federated, Superintending and Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) ranks at police Negotiating Board (PNB)
The provision of childcare support for all staff within the MPS
The Best Value review of Training
The move of the central HR Directorate to Empress State Building
The trials for the new non residential probationer training programme at Orpington, Sunbury and Camden
The use of employment testing for substance misuse
The re-development of the Keep In Touch Scheme (KITS)
Employment Tribunals and fairness at Work Procedure, containing management information and performance analysis.

Regulatory responsibilities

30 Members of HRC:

As a business interests appeals panel considered a business interest appeal by a police officer against a decision by the Commissioner that the interest is not compatible with his or her role as a police officer.
As the Police Pensions Sub-Committee, considered a number of police pension forfeiture cases, many of which were referred to the Home Secretary for the issue of a certificate of forfeiture;
As the Remuneration Sub Committee considered reports on a range of issues, including ACPO appointments for Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Commander, ACPO terms and conditions, including car and non-car benefits, personal development reviews and acting and temporary promotion policy, senior police staff pay and related HR issues.

The way forward

31. Members of HRC are committed to seeing London as the safest capital city in the world by having an appropriately paid, better trained, more diverse and flexible workforce, capable of providing the sort of career opportunities and challenges that will attract the best staff. The MPS is becoming the employer of choice for all who want to see benefit from an open, honest and professional police service.

Race and equality impact

This is intended as a factual report on the work of the Human Resources Committee, although it does reflect some of the equality and diversity aspects of the work of this Committee.

Financial implications

None

Report author: Alan Johnson

Human Resources Committee

MPS issues

1. To monitor activity in the MPS on all Human Resources (HR) issues and issues with HR implications, including:

recruitment and retention of officers and civil staff
equal opportunities issues, with particular reference to achieving a workforce that is more representative of London’s communities
Employment Tribunals and grievances
HR services
training and development
occupational health
national HR issues
HR department budgets

2. To consider current, future and potential initiatives and developments in HR thinking and best practice.

3. To arrange for the selection of ACPO ranks, subject to police regulations and/or Home Office determinations. N.B. see also the terms of reference of the Remuneration Sub-Committee.

4. To determine whether forfeiture of a police officer’s pension should be considered because he or she has been convicted of an offence committed in connection with his/her service as a member of the police force which the Home Secretary may certify as either having been gravely injurious to the interests of the State or liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service.

In the event of the Home Secretary issuing a certificate of forfeiture, to determine the proportion, if any, of the pension which may be forfeited permanently or temporarily.

MPA issues

5. To arrange for the appointment of the Clerk and Treasurer and the designation of the Authority’s Monitoring Officer. NB see also the terms of reference of the Remuneration Sub-Committee.

6. To consider matters relating to the Authority’s support organisation including structure and terms and conditions.

General

7. To have due regard, in exercising the committee’s responsibilities, to equal opportunities generally, the general duty of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the requirements of any other equalities legislation.

Appendix 5: Professional Standards and Complaints Committee – Annual Report

Approved 9 June 2005

The Morris Inquiry

1. Much of our attention this year has been focussed on the Report of the Morris Inquiry. Prior to its publication, we began our consideration of the need for the MPA to strengthen its oversight role, and additional staff resources were created in the MPA Secretariat to support this work. We were pleased to find, when the Inquiry published its Report in December 2004, that many of the recommendations and proposals made by the MPA in its evidence to the Inquiry were supported by the Inquiry. Since December 2004, our focus has been to work jointly with other Committees, through the Member Steering Group, to devise a cohesive programme of work to secure the implementation of Morris’ recommendations by the MPS and other agencies. The more recently published Reports of the CRE Inquiry into Policing and of the Taylor Review of Police Discipline Procedures include many recommendations that overlap with Morris and so the MPA work programme now incorporates all relevant recommendations as a major programme of transformational change.

2. In relation to the Professional Standards function, one of Morris’ key recommendations was that the Commissioner should carry out a fundamental review of DPS. We have now approved the terms of reference for that review, and will take an active part in its governance. Bringing this review to an effective conclusion is perhaps the single largest challenge facing the Directorate and the committee in the year ahead.

3. We will also put in place in the year ahead new arrangements for Members to scrutinise cases dealt with by the DPS, in line with the recommendations made by Morris. This will increase the demands on Member’s time, but is absolutely necessary if we are to discharge our oversight obligations fully. The new senior managers in the Directorate of Professional Standards are committed to principles of openness and transparency, and are working closely with us to build on the foundations that Morris has given us for reform.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission

4. The IPCC came into existence on 1 April 2004. We have established sound working relationships with the Commission, recognising our shared interest in an effective complaints process and a readiness to learn from each other’s experience. We have agreed to meet the Commission three times a year for an exchange of information and views, and to work together on areas of common interest. In addition, we have invited a London commissioner to attend each of our Committee meetings, and we have valued the advice that each of them have given and the constructive part they have played in our discussions.

Oversight of police complaints and discipline

5. The PSCC considers a report at every meeting outlining the performance of the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) against an agreed set of performance measures including trends covering all areas of activity.

6. In the year to April 2005, there was an increase of about 14% in the number of public complaints recorded, reversing the previous downward trend in complaints. We view this increase positively, in that it may well reflect increased public confidence in the complaints process following the creation of the IPCC. It may also be proof that efforts within the MPS are succeeding in ensuring that more complaints are properly recorded and actioned (although mystery shopper exercises this year confirm that there is still a lot to do in that area).

7. The timeliness of investigations into complaints continues to improve and the average last year was 102 days – comfortably within the target of 120 days. The time to arrange disciplinary hearings is also reducing satisfactorily. The timeliness of internal investigation of conduct matters is improving but we look forward to continuing reductions.

8. The quality assurance of investigations will be improved as a result of DPS setting up a Review Unit in October 2004, with the overall aim of increasing confidence in the integrity and ability of DPS Investigations, and of securing proportionate and timely, as well as thorough, investigations.

9. We considered a Review of Suspensions policy carried out by the Commissioner, with the aim of making more appropriate use of suspension in them most serious cases. We support the principles of the Review, but are mindful that this is an area of proper and acute public interest. We are aware that the IPCC have expressed major reservations about some aspects of the policy. We will keep the working of the policy under close monitoring and will liaise with the IPCC on cases and principles.

10. We have been greatly concerned at discovering the number of instances where the finding or sanction of discipline boards has been overturned by an Assistant Commissioner on the internal appeal stage, particularly in cases involving drink driving where it appears to us that reductions in sanction have been, in many cases, inappropriate and contrary to MPS and Home Office policy. We have drawn these concerns to the Commissioner’s attention, and have stated that we will look carefully at the impact of Assistant Commissioner's decisions from now on to secure the integrity of the discipline process as a whole.

Local Resolution and the use of restorative justice

11. The Committee has continued to encourage the MPS to make greater use of local resolution approaches to secure the speedy resolution of complaints. It is pleasing to report that over the year the proportion of cases finalised by local resolution has steadily increased to a level of around 43%. This trend is welcome, in that it ought to lead to increased public satisfaction as well as significant cost saving over a period of time.

12. To give further momentum to Local Resolution, we also gave our support to a proposal that Borough Commanders should have discretion to spend up to £100 in immediate reparation. This will be used in circumstances where financial recompense is considered appropriate as a gesture of goodwill to resolve a complaint or dissatisfaction.

13. The MPS reported to us on the conclusion of a pilot scheme in the use of restorative conferencing in complaint resolution. Although the number of cases dealt with had been small, the results were promising and the Committee agreed that this should be part of the local resolution toolkit across the MPS for use in appropriate cases.

14. We have noted that, within the general upward trend, there are significant variations borough by borough in the use of local resolutions. We intend to receive reports on local resolution every six months, including the use of cash reparation, to enable us to monitor how well this approach is being used across the MPS, and we will co-ordinate out monitoring with the IPCC.

Professional Standards Strategy

15. Through this year we continued to receive informative and encouraging briefings on the actions being pursued to implement the MPS Professional Standards Strategy, under its five strands of activity:

Leadership and supervision
Security of information and intelligence
Recognition of the diversity of our communities and staff
Identifying and reacting to organisational and individual learning
Maintaining the threat of detection, prevention and management of risk

16. In the year ahead, the Strategy will itself be revised, alongside the fundamental review of DPS. We look forward to engaging with DPS in that work, and we are very supportive of the emerging new emphasis on prevention.

17. We remain aware that the vast majority of police officers and police staff are honest, professional and brave, and dedicated to public service. The service must remain vigilant and skilful in identifying those few exceptions, officers and staff who are corrupt, dishonest or unethical in their behaviour. There is also a continuing threat from those who seek to corrupt our officers.

Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee

18. In the last 12 months, members of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee attended seven meetings of the Authority’s Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee (‘SOCSC’) and dealt with a wide range of complaints, allegations and investigations concerning the conduct of senior officers of the MPS.

19. In April 2005, Members also agreed to give delegated authority to the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive to take decisions as to whether to record a complaint. It was agreed that such decisions would be taken in consultation with the Chair of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee and would be reported at subsequent meetings of the SOCSC.

20. The revised procedure was implemented to accord with the provisions of the Police Reform Act 2002 and recommendations made by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in respect of timescales for the handling of complaints and conduct matters.

Race and equality impact

21. The fairness, responsiveness and proportionality of the Service are core to the work of this Committee. We intend to develop our monitoring methods, and the level of stakeholder consultation, in the year ahead to ensure that the MPA’s commitments in relation to equality and diversity are taken forward in all the work that we do.

Financial implications

None

Report author: David Riddle

Background Papers: None

Appendix 6: Planning Performance and Review Committee – Annual Report

Approved 14 July 2005

Introduction

1. The Planning, Performance and Review Committee (PPRC) responsibilities include: monitoring performance against targets; overseeing the development of annual and corporate plans, including the setting of targets; advising the Authority on targets to be set in annual and corporate plans; scrutinising areas of performance; discharging the Authority’s responsibilities as a best value authority (including the overseeing of best value or service improvement projects) and monitoring MPS performance in the context of the criminal justice system as a whole.

2. These duties are carried out in accordance with equal opportunities and equalities legislation. The PPRC positively promotes the Authority’s commitment to equalities and diversity.

3. Detailed below are the main achievements and areas of work for the PPRC from July 2003 to March 2004. These are detailed in four main sections: planning, performance, review and criminal justice issues.

Review and scrutiny

4. During 2004/05, the committee continued its role in respect of service improvement reviews (best value).

5. The committee approved the final report and implementation plan from the service improvement review of custody capacity. This review recommended the development of a long-term strategy aimed at transforming custody in the MPS and meet long-term demand for custody facilities by providing some 600 additional and replacement cells in units benefiting from modern design standards. The recommendations also included:

The establishment of a custody command within Territorial Policing (TP) HQ to provide corporate management of MPS custody capacity, including development of strategic partnerships with other agencies.
A variety of service improvement proposals for this command to take forward in the short and medium-term. These recognise the need to make best use of existing facilities during the lead times required to develop new facilities.

6. During 2004/05, the committee approved the scope of a review of security clearance processes. The subsequent final report and its implementation plan were also approved. The review was promoted by concerns that the time taken to vet potential employees was affecting the effectiveness of the organisation. The review found a number of problems with the service being delivered including:

a lack of customer focus in the service delivered
poor communication
duplication of activities
lengthy checks on people who have backgrounds outside the UK.

7. An implementation plan has been drawn up to address the problems identified in the report. It is envisaged that implementation of this plan will enable the MPS to:

adopt a more flexible approach to vetting where practical and more rigorous where prudent
gain benefits from a more streamlined vetting structure
ensure that equality for all is mainstreamed into the vetting process.

8. The committee also approved the scope of a further service improvement reviews: providing security guarding of MPS premises.

9. The committee continued to monitor the implementation of service improvement and best value reviews of Operational Support Policing and Managing Demand. It also received confirmation that the implementation of the recommendations of the Crime Management and Records Management best value reviews is complete.

10. The committee received reports on the findings of two Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) best value inspections, Managing Demand and Bringing Offenders to Justice. The inspectors judged that both services were fair. However, they felt that both services had uncertain prospects for improvement as the implementation plans had failed to provide a driver for substantial change. Since the inspections were completed, the MPA and MPS have put systems in place aimed at addressing the concerns raised by HMIC.

11. PPRC has continued to monitor the implementation of the recommendations made to the MPA and the MPS by its CDRP scrutiny. Progress has been good, for instance:

training given to police officers on partnership working has improved
a central team has been established in TPHQ to provide support and guidance to BOCUs on CDRPs
corporate monitoring functions have been developed as has corporate oversight of partnership allocated funding, through this central team

12. The committee has also received reports at each meeting summarising the findings of HMIC ‘Going Local’ inspections of the BOCUs in the MPS. The inspection findings have been generally positive particularly about the BOCUs’ ability to work in partnership with other agencies. However, there have been concerns about performance management and demand management in most of the reports. During 2005/06, the committee has stated that it wishes to look at the overall benefits that have been delivered by the ‘Going Local’ programme.

13. Due to the announcement of the Service Review instigated by the new Commissioner in February 2005, the committee has deferred the approval of a programme of reviews for 2005/06.

Performance

14. The MPS met 15 of the 22 targets for 2004/2005. Significant improvements were achieved against detection targets, specifically detection rates for TNOs, Rape, Robbery and Domestic Violence. Gun crime also showed a significant reduction in crime of 8% against a reduction target of 4%.

15. Other targets achieved include

Drug trafficking organisations disrupted 12 per annum, 25 achieved
Organised criminal networks disrupted: 2 per month target - 3.4 per month achieved
Arrests of subjects identified by Child Protection teams: target 3.3 per month, 3.4 per month achieved
Terrorist scenes managed to a good/very good standard - 97% performance achieved against 90% target.
Assets recovered from criminal networks: £21.5 million, against £8 million target (£14m seizure in July 2004)
Detection rate for Gun enabled crime: 24% against 20% target
Homophobic crime detection rate: 32.3% against 26% target
Detection rate for racist crime 26% target exceeded at 34.5%

16. Targets not achieved include

Satisfaction with neighbourhood policing: 48.7% against 55% target
Police Visibility: 3.1% increase against 5% target
Racist crime victims satisfied with police performance: 58.7% against 70% target
Arrest warrants outstanding: 13,745 against 13,124 target
Robbery reduction: 4% reduction against 11% target
Response to terror scenes: 78% against 100% target
Detections in child murder cases: 67% against 85% target

17. At the end of March 2005, the MPS recorded a number of reductions in crime. These included

Total notifiable offences are down overall by 4.3%
TNO (excluding police reported offences) have fallen by 5.3%
Residential burglary is falling, down 7.2%
Robbery has declined overall by 4.0%
Motor vehicle crime is falling; down 15.8%
Gun enabled crime has decreased by 7.9%
Homicides are down by 7.6%
Fatalities on the road have dropped; down by 16.6%

18. However:

Violent Crime is rising; up by 6.2%

19 The MPA policing plan targets for 2005-06 will continue to challenge the MPS performance throughout the coming financial year, with particular emphasis on detection and sanction detection rates.

Improvements to Performance Reporting

20. Following consultation between the MPS and MPA, the performance report now includes all statutory indicators as well as those indicators deemed important by TP, SO and SCD. The report uses a traffic light system to highlight good and poor performance against the previous period. The readability of the report has significantly improved leading to better understanding of the information at hand.

Planning Cycle

21. The improvement to the planning cycle has continued through work undertaken to ensure a better fit with the financial cycle and stronger links with the MPA through PPRC and the Planning Panel.

22. The MPA worked closely with the MPS to ensure that the priorities and targets set at a local Borough and Business Group level met the needs of the MPA corporate priorities and targets. The lead officer ensured that the PPRC views were continuously promoted throughout the planning process through the MPS Planning Process Board, Planning Groups. The lead officer also attended the TP Star Chamber, providing guidance and advice in the demanding process of agreeing and setting the borough level policing plan targets for 2005-06. This was the first year of involvement at this level with all parties agreeing that process would continue for the next cycle.

23. The PPRC provided further guidance though the Planning Panel, allowing members to meet with MPS officers and staff outside of the two-monthly PPRC meetings.

24. The Policing Plan document was reviewed to make it easier to read and to remove duplication. The earlier and continuous engagement between the MPA and the MPS enabled the Policing Plan to be completed ahead of schedule.

Reporting and Monitoring

25. PPRC continued to closely monitor child protection issues throughout the year, including those raised by the Child Protection Act 2004. Additional reports were received on a wide range of issues including:

Child Trafficking
Drug testing on charge
Alcohol related violent crime
Knife enabled crime
Detections

Safer School Partnership

26. The MPA recommended an evaluation of the Safer School Partnership programme, which was completed by KPMG on 29 November 2004. The KPMG report recognised the work that needed to be achieved to progress the Safer School Partnerships to a stage where performance can be measured. The MPS are in the process of formulating a performance framework, in partnership with KPMG/Crime Concern, which will address the effectiveness of SSP.

Criminal Justice

27. The committee continued to receive reports on criminal justice at each of its meetings. This included information from the London Criminal Justice Board, tasked by the National Criminal Justice Board to improve performance of the whole system in London. The MPA through the PPRC Chair became a member of the London Criminal Justice Board during the year.

Among other things, the committee monitored the rollout of statutory charging and witness care units. It assessed performance especially in respect of offenders brought to justice and ineffective trials. It addressed other issues including the work of Operation Emerald and the Effective Trial Management Programme.

Race and equality impact

This is intended as a factual report on the work of the Planning, Performance and Review Committee.

Financial implications

None

Report author: Siobhan Coldwell and Jane Owen