MPS professional standards strategy progress on strand 4

Report: 6
Date: 10 February 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

The MPS Professional Standards Strategy is a re-launched and re-focused MPS Corruption and Dishonesty Strategy. It was produced following consultation within the MPS and with Members of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (PSCC) of the MPA.

The new Strategy was launched in August 2002.

This is a report on the progress relating to Strand 4 – Organisational and Individual Learning.

A. Recommendations

That Members note the content of the report describing the progress on Strand 4 of the MPS Professional Standards Strategy – Organisational and Individual Learning.

B. Supporting information

1. In 1998 the Metropolitan Police Service launched the Corruption and Dishonesty Prevention Strategy, which aimed to ‘engender pride and trust in the integrity of the Metropolitan Police Service by preventing and detecting corruption, dishonesty and unethical behaviour'.

2. The Professional Standards Strategy is the five-year strategy, which will see a significant shift of emphasis. The MPS will direct greater effort towards prevention and reducing the risks to our staff and the community. In short there will be a greater balance between prevention and detection, whilst at the same time maintaining the threat or fear of detection.

3. The work is organised under five strands of activity:

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

4. Each strand has its own prioritised work plan and timescale.

5. Context of the Strategy:

• This re-launched and re-focused Strategy is a high level statement of intention, which supports the MPS Mission, Vision and Values; and the MPS Corporate Plan - ' Safest City- The Strategy’.
• The MPS acknowledge that the vast majority of our staff is honest, professional and brave.
• The Professional Standards Strategy will focus activity over the next five years.
• It will be underpinned by more detailed specific work plans developed by the strand leads and their working groups. MPS priorities will be reflected therein.
• It is a dynamic document, the progress of which will be reported quarterly to the MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee, and onward to the MPA Professional Standards and Complaints Committee.
• The priorities are set in line with the MPS Strategic Intelligence Assessment on Professional Standards issues.

6. It has been agreed that the progress on individual stands will be presented to the Committee at separate meetings throughout the year.

7. This report relates to Strand 4.

The overarching purpose of the Strand is:

‘To identify and disseminate learning which will lead a continuous improvement in standards.’

The expected Outcome is:

‘The MPS is recognised as a learning organisation that is dynamic and forward thinking. Our staff are focused on achieving excellent results in delivering our services to the people of London.

The work within this strand will provide MPS staff with a better understanding of Professional Standards issues whilst developing them as individuals’.

8. The committee will be aware that Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Steve Roberts was appointed as Director of Directorate for Professional Standards (DPS) and he assumed the Chair of the MPS Professional Standard Strategic Committee. A key responsibility of this committee is to drive the implementation of the MPS Professional Standards Strategy.

9. Following his appointment, DAC Roberts undertook a review of all five strands, which make up the strategy. He undertook the review with a view to:

• Gaining and understanding of the work within the separate strands of work;
• To identify any gaps; and
• To provide any necessary strategic development.

10. The results of the review in respect of strand 4 were as follows:

• There remains a need to ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the ethical and behavioural requirements that membership of the MPS brings with it.
• There is a need to integrate and coordinate the various pieces of work currently in train in order to bring clarity and avoid duplication of effort.
• There remains a need to ensure that learning and its dissemination throughout the MPS is achieved in a more effective way.

11. This review was discussed at the MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee meeting on the 13 November 2004. The committee agreed with the reviews findings and made the following decisions:

• That the Director of Human Resources be approached with a view to Human Resources Directorate taking responsibility for future work within Strand 4;
• The priorities for work during 2004/5 will focus on:
  • The development of a code of ethics for the Metropolitan Police Service; and
  • The implementation of Substance Misuse Testing within the MPS.

12. The Director of Human Resources has appointed Claire Appleby, Director of HR Support Services, to lead on Strand 4. Ms Appleby will report on progress under Strand 4 at this meeting.

13. Progress on the priorities is summarised below.

Code of Ethics

• The original Draft (based on the Police Service of Northern Ireland model) was presented to the new lead in November 2004.
• Significant changes to this draft were recommended by a Steering Group set up to drive this work. Additional changes are envisaged as a result of the Taylor Report and Morris Inquiry.
• A revised Draft Code is being prepared for presentation to MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee on 8 February 2005.
• Wide consultation within the MPS to commence in March 2005.
• Results of consultation to be presented to MPS Management Board June/July 2005.
• Implementation is envisaged in Autumn 2005.
• The way in which the revised Code of Ethics will be used can be compared to how the Highway Code is currently used for drivers. Failure to meet the expected standards of behaviour set out in the Code of Ethics could be taken into account during disciplinary or misconduct proceedings.

Substance of misuse testing

• The Substance Misuse Testing Policy was agreed by the MPS Human Resources (HR) Board on 11 May 2004. Implementation agreed by MPS Management Board Senior Management Team (SMT) on 12 May 2004.
• After a period of consultation, pre-employment testing for Police Officers began in June 2004.
• In July 2004, MPS Management Board agreed not to proceed with Substance Misuse Testing beyond pre-employment before the introduction of compulsory powers.
• The Home Secretary informed PAB in October 2004 of his agreement to all Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) proposals for testing, including testing for alcohol misuse.
• The PAB Working Party is to be reconvened in February 2005 to begin work on detailed proposals.
• Time Scale for implementation of testing ‘with cause’, ‘probationary period’ and ‘safety critical posts’ will be determined by the PAB Working Party process and the Home Office progress on making changes to police regulations. The Home Office have indicated that compulsory powers for testing may be available by the end of 2005.
• Implementation of Police Staff pre-employment will commence March 2005, beginning with Police and Community Support Officers (PCSOs). Other categories of Police Staff will follow (Dedicated Detection Officers will follow PCSOs).
• Continue MPS involvement and influence at PABEW. The MPS will be represented on the PAB working party by Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Garratt, HR, and David Martin, DPS.
• Preparation for implementation continues.
• Consideration of how alcohol testing will be implemented has commenced.

Corporate approach to learning

14. The final element of work within Strand 4 is aimed at the development of a corporate approach that will enable the MPS to access lessons learned and risks posed across the MPS.

15. At the time the previous report on Strand 4 was submitted to the MPA (January 2004), this element of work was accorded a low priority status. In the interim, the MPS has continued to develop the Leadership Academy, and responsibility for corporate learning within the MPS moved to the Diversity Directorate, DCC4.

16. In light of the Morris Inquiry recommendations and the Commission for Racial Equality report (due to be published in Spring 2005), a new MPS Diversity Strategy is being developed. It is now appropriate to review the priority status of this element of Strand 4. Accordingly, arrangements are in place to meet with key stakeholders to decide on who will lead on this element of work

C. Race and equality impact

Proposals emanating from this work will seek to have a positive impact on equality and diversity issues within the Metropolitan Police Service. The diversity requirements will be specifically set out in the Code of Ethics, the substance misuse testing and the monitoring arrangements. The enforcement of behavioural and ethical standards will be complimentary to and supportive of the new MPS Diversity Strategy.

D. Financial implications

It is expected that costs will be met within existing MPS Budgets directed by the MPS Professional Standards Strategic Committee, which is chaired by the Director of the Directorate of Professional Standards. However, the cost implications relating to Substance Misuse Testing have not been fully scoped at this stage.

E. Background papers

• PSPM Report of 19 December 2002. Professional Standards Strategy.
• PSPM Report of 12 January 2004. Progress on Strand 4 Professional Standards and Complaints Committee

F. Contact details

Report author(s):Claire Appleby, Director HR Services

For more information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback