The MPS update on confidence in policing

Report: 6
Date: 13 December 2010
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

The MPS recognises the decision by the Home Secretary to remove the performance target from the partnership public confidence measure. The MPS however retains an ongoing commitment to developing and improving community trust and confidence in policing and this report provides an update on activity.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

Background to Public Confidence

1. The level of Public Confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is measured through two main sources of data, the British Crime Survey (BCS) and the MPS Public Attitude Survey (PAS).

2. The BCS is an independent survey, which has been carried out in all Police Forces of England and Wales since 1982. The data is published quarterly and comments on the individual performance of each force and in addition demonstrates their achievements relative to their most comparable forces within England and Wales placing them in a category of Most Similar Family Groups (MSFG). The BCS conducts interviews with over 51,000 people per annum with around 3000 surveys carried out within the MPS area.

3. The MPS PAS has been in place since 1983 and in its current format since 2005. The PAS consults 20,480 people annually (640 people per BOCU) and the details are published both internally and publicly on the MPS website. The data is published quarterly and relates only to MPS Boroughs and makes no comparison with other force areas. The extent of the PAS provides sufficient rigour for the data to be statistically valid at Borough level.

4. The BCS and PAS use similar methodology and they both ask the same ‘partnership question’ i.e. ‘to what extent do you agree that the police and local authority are dealing with the crime and antisocial behaviour that matters in this area.’ Prior to Home Secretary’s decision to remove this target, this joint measure was the single performance indicator for the MPS.

5. In addition to the above ‘partnership question’ The BCS and PAS survey also ask some further questions of the respondents that are relevant to this report. The BCS reports on the percentage of people interviewed who agree that ‘the police are doing a good/excellent job’ whilst the PAS asks a similar question ‘Taking everything into account how good a job do you think the police IN THIS AREA are doing?’

6. It is of note that the public attitudes as reflected in the PAS reports generally indicate significantly higher levels of confidence when answering the police specific questions. This PAS question together with others in the survey, allows public confidence in the MPS to be judged in isolation from any link or political context to local authorities.

Current levels of performance and how the MPS compares nationally

7. The Home Office and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary hold the MPS to account for public confidence issues and make use of data obtained from the BCS. Data for the 12 month period ending March 2010 indicates that London-wide levels of confidence, as measured through the ‘partnership question,’ have increased steadily from a baseline of 47.4% in 08/09 to a current position of 54.7%. This places the MPS as the highest performing force compared to its most similar forces (West Yorkshire 51.8%, Greater Manchester 51.7% and West Midlands 49.6%) and 8th when compared against all forces in England and Wales.

8. In relation to the ‘good job’ question asked in the BCS survey the MPS is again the highest performing force compared to its most similar forces with 59.5% of people agreeing that the police are doing a good or excellent job. The other forces achieved the following results West Yorkshire 57.3%, West Midlands 55.8% and Greater Manchester 50.5%.

Issues that impact on public confidence

Strategic Awareness
9. In September 2008 the MPS Performance Board adopted a Confidence Model that had been developed by the Strategy, Research and Analysis Unit (SRAU). This model is derived from comprehensive analysis of PAS data and identifies four crucial drivers that impact on levels of public confidence in the police;

• Effective engagement
• Fair Treatment
• Police Effectiveness
• Alleviating crime and anti social behaviour (ASB)

10. The first two of these, effective engagement and fair treatment, have been found to offer the greatest influence on improving community confidence. Underpinning these four drivers is an expectation that high quality, local information will be made available to inform the public about what the police are doing to address local issues.

11. At a national level, the Confidence Route Map suggests that tackling crime and ASB, driving effective partnerships, delivering a high quality service, working with the public, and developing an empowered, engaged and confident workforce are also likely to have significant impact on raising confidence. These elements are reflected in the strategic focus of Met Forward, the MPS Values, the MPS Priorities, and in the Commissioner’s 5 Ps policing style.
12. In particular, the MPS Values provide the very basis for the development of an empowered, engaged, confident workforce, viz.

“We will be proud to deliver quality policing. There is no greater priority.
We will build trust by listening and responding.
We will respect and support each other and work as part of a team.
We will learn from experience and find ways to be even better.”

13. The MPS ‘Your Views Count’ staff survey, commissioned by HR Directorate, includes questions which are aligned to the 5 Ps to gauge staff attitudes and levels of awareness. Following results analysis, action plans have been developed in and HR Directorate continues to work in partnership with all business groups, DCFD and the Professionalism Team to implement the findings and thus drive further improvements to service delivery.

14. The MPS community engagement model was developed directly from the original national reassurance policing programme (Safer Neighbourhoods in London) and remains a robust and credible seven stage method of effective community engagement leading to sustained problem-solving. The model accurately mirrors the activities advocated in the national route map, with emphasis on problem orientated partnership, bespoke local policing services, understanding and dealing the crime and ASB issues that matter to local communities, and providing information on local policing issues to local people.

These themes are further addressed in an additional paper ‘Measures of Confidence and Satisfaction’ that was presented to Management Board as recently as this week (24 November 2010) and will be available to the Authority in due course.

15. The PAS, which surveys more Londoners than the BCS, has only included the partnership question since 2008. Results indicate that public confidence for this measure peaked at 52% in the final quarter of 2008 and has since fallen steadily to a position of 46% at the end of the last performance year. The most recent results however suggest that some ground has been recovered and current performance is 49%.
It should be noted that the company that was contracted to produce the PAS has recently ceased trading and so revised arrangements are being developed to improve the frequency and relevance of the PAS. The intention is to deliver more frequent, local results so that data is available on a monthly basis and therefore adjustments to any local policing are likely to be more timely and relevant to current community concerns.

Training, awareness and governance

16. All Safer Neighbourhood staff (inspectors, sergeants, PCSOs and most recently SNT chief inspectors) have received awareness training to ensure that they are familiar with the Confidence Model and the critical drivers that contribute to improving public confidence. In particular the training has focused on how Safer Neighbourhood teams should identify and recognise the diverse mix of communities within their wards and from this develop effective community engagement and problem-solving strategies based on these profiles.

17. Governance is provided through the Confidence and Satisfaction Board chaired by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens. The board meets monthly and departments from all business groups are represented. The Confidence and Satisfaction Board assesses current performance levels, provides a forum for strategic coordination of activity and identifies useful practices within the MPS and from elsewhere for adoption as appropriate.

18. Whilst there is significant emphasis on the effectiveness of SNTs, it is clear that all business groups have a responsibility to understand the effect of the services they provide to London’s communities and how the quality of contact can influence public confidence. The key to success will be for the MPS to develop and deliver excellent customer service principles developed from understanding the feedback provided in the public attitude surveys. This work is being managed through a new Customer Service Strategy team as proposed by the TP Development programme.

Managing Borough variations in confidence levels

19. To gain a better understanding of the police only contribution to confidence, the MPS has historically used the PAS ‘good job’ measure… ‘Taking everything into account how good a job do you think the police IN THIS AREA are doing?’ Londoners’ views as measured by this question have shown an overall increase over the previous three years from 59% in 2006/07 to the current position of 63%.

20. Individual borough performance does however vary considerably. Most recent data when filtered into the three broad categories (those performing consistently below the MPS average, those consistently above the MPS average, or those at or around the MPS average) indicates that Merton, Waltham Forrest and Barnet are experiencing high levels of public confidence whilst Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich are three of the more challenged boroughs. A table of most recent performance is attached at appendix A (Quarter 2 2010/11)

21. Evaluation of local confidence is managed through the TP Key Performance and Review Meetings (KPRMs) chaired by DAC Owens and Area Commanders with each TP BOCU represented by their Borough Commander. Every borough has a bespoke confidence improvement plan put together to address the emerging needs and concerns of the local community. TPHQ Safer Neighbourhoods OCU directly supports boroughs through professional peer reviews with onsite training, attendance at community and partnership meetings and assistance in developing practical engagement activities.

22. The weekly performance scorecard provides an overview of borough performance relative to individual crime types but also includes commentary on confidence rates to identify trends and improvements over time.

Public Confidence Differentials

23. Levels of public confidence between diverse communities are monitored in the performance report that is presented to the quarterly MPS Diversity Executive Board.

24. The most recent results show that there are a number of differences across diversity themes. Respondents aged 15-34 are less likely to feel the police treat people fairly and with respect. Respondents aged 25-54 are less likely to feel the police in their area are doing a good job whilst respondents from black and minority ethnicity backgrounds also tend to report lower levels of confidence in the police.

25. A wide range of factors can affect public perceptions and differences in levels of public confidence between communities. As described earlier, community engagement is the most important driver of public confidence and the recently published MPA MPS Community Engagement Commitment has been developed to ensure that community engagement activity is as inclusive as possible, reflects the needs of hard to reach communities and ensures that the needs of all groups are reflected in police priority setting.

26. Results from the Equality Standard for the Police Service workbooks recently completed by boroughs and OCUs across business groups are currently being assessed and issues identified through this process will be reflected in local action plans.

MPS activities to improve public confidence

27. The Confidence and Satisfaction board has overarching responsibility to improve on the levels of public confidence in policing as well as individual levels of satisfaction with service received.

28. As outlined earlier, the TPHQ Safer Neighbourhood OCU has to date conducted around ten peer reviews and onsite training for borough command teams, officers and staff to promote greater understanding of how to improve public confidence.

29. The peer review process has been developed in collaboration with the Improvement and Development Agency and with the support of the National Policing Improvement Agency. The purpose is to act as a ‘critical friend’ and challenge boroughs against a national hallmark for partnership working. The peer review process examines a range of issues in relation to how Safer Neighbourhood Teams in particular deliver outcomes for local communities. BOCU Commanders are encouraged to commission the peer review team to examine all aspects of neighbourhood policing and offer recommendations for more effective engagement and problem solving opportunities. The inspection team focuses on:

• Achievements and measures (at ward level)
• Leadership
• Responsiveness
• Intelligence-led processes
• How engaged do communities feel
• Visible scrutiny and accountability
• Skills levels and capability
• Supervision (with emphasis on intrusive supervision and quality of engagement)

30. In addition the MPS has published a confidence toolkit to assist staff in developing strategic and tactical plans to address local concerns. This toolkit offers practical guidance to enable borough command teams to identify the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in its confidence in policing profile and includes:-

• Best Practice Profile - ten key activities and processes for improving confidence
• Diagnostic questions for improving confidence

The toolkit complements the Safer Neighbourhood seven stage problem-solving model and is structured around the four key drivers of the MPS Confidence Model.

31. Along with Directorate for Public Affairs (DPA), the TPHQ Safer Neighbourhoods OCU has recently developed a bespoke recovery plan to address the low levels of confidence in communities in the four south-east boroughs mentioned in section 15 above namely Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

32. Furthermore TP Performance Unit has been working with a number of boroughs displaying downward trends in either confidence or satisfaction over one or more quarters. This work has resulted in a thorough and systematic assessment of the borough’s PAS (in collaboration with the SMT) to ensure better understanding of the diagnostic results of the quarterly PAS and USS surveys and what options may be available to address the results.

33. This process also examines local priorities, the borough communication strategy, including partnership contributions, and key messages (both internally for staff as well as those intended to reassure the public). Additional work focuses on awareness levels and effectiveness of Telephone Investigation Bureaux (TIB), initial response teams and secondary investigation teams (CID). This is an ongoing programme of work and connects TPHQ strategic teams to those front line staff working directly with the public.

Further research into confidence factors

34. A two-year MPS Research Plan has been approved in order to drive sustainable improvement across the MPS and was endorsed by Management Board on 27 January 2010. The two agreed priorities of that plan are to deliver improvements in

• Public Confidence in policing
• Criminal Justice processes and outcomes.

Led by the Strategy, Research and Analysis Unit the programme examines a wide-ranging set of data and initiatives to refine the MPS approach to improving public confidence

• Evaluation of quarterly PAS performance reports at both a borough and corporate level to assess trends and emerging themes. Reports are published both internally for performance information and externally on the MPS website
• The three-borough project was an extensive academic research project that examined processes and public engagement activity in Brent, Camden and Islington to help inform organisational learning
• Following the publication of the London Landscape earlier this year SRAU will shortly publish a further evaluation study the Citizen Landscape summarising Londoners’ perceptions of policing and police services
• Hotspot maps based upon assessment of PAS data have been developed to identify areas experiencing low levels of confidence and influence local plans to deliver improvements

35. To further the advance the MPS’ understanding of confidence, the Research Plan will also explore confidence in the context of specialist policing. This work is being overseen by Confidence and Satisfaction Board.

36. The annual Safer Neighbourhoods survey conducted since 2005 concluded that local perceptions of problems are not static and that local police teams should understand ward profiles and respond to changing demographics to help influence priorities and feedback information about what the police and partners are doing about them. The final report is in progress.

37. Instrumental and Expressive Driver of Public Confidence in Policing: 2005/6 MPS Public Attitude Survey (May 2007) - this paper considers the drivers of public confidence outlining the proportions of the public who lack confidence in the police.

38. Examining the impact of local newsletters identified that there is a positive impact on people’s confidence with the receipt of locally focused information. The research contributed to informed development of good practice guidelines and templates for newsletters. This research was also published in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice Vol. 3, No. 4, 2009.

39. Seen and Not Heard (2008) Young Peoples' Perceptions of the Police; this research explored young peoples’ views of the police and found they became wary of the police as a result of the contact they experienced through the use of police tactics. This research was also published in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice Vol. 3, No. 4, 2009.

40. Segmentation analysis of the PAS helps the MPS to understand the differences between how Londoners use policing services and how this may inform confidence improvements.

41. The evaluation of the 24-hour Hammersmith and Fulham Safer Neighbourhood policing model identified the importance of matching policing to community priorities and how saturated policing can improve confidence.

Partnership issues carried out or planned in order to improve confidence

42. The Basic Command Unit (BCU) Fund is Home Office funding distributed to each local police commander which, in London, means each borough operational command unit (BOCU). The fund is made available for the police to support local partnership activity providing additional opportunities for problem solving. It is a requirement of the fund that local allocation be approved by the local partnership. To this end all boroughs must demonstrate that they are using the BCU fund to address the corporate priorities of confidence, safety and added value. It is considered unlikely that this funding will continue from 2011.

43. Two specific examples of projects from BCU funding stand out. The London Week of Peace is an initiative that has been active for the last ten years. It has been built into a series of local events (over 450 each year) supported by several central events. This year the annual Peace Awards evening was held at City Hall. Nominees in 12 categories of awards relating to different aspects of community service and other guests gathered for the ceremony hosted by the Mayor. In addition, across the boroughs a variety of local events took place. These included community peace breakfasts, peace walks, concerts and fun days.

44. Street Pastors are now operating in 28 boroughs, these volunteers patrol areas between 10pm and 4am providing low level, pastoral care, advice and assistance to anyone who asks for or needs it. The street pastors have no enforcement function and are independent of the police although they operate with the support of the police often receiving a briefing before undertaking patrols. The areas they work tend to be around pubs and night clubs where there are a number of people who are vulnerable through alcohol or drug use. The street pastors assist individuals to get home safely, will wait with victims of crime until police arrive or offer advice and referral to other services.

45. Safer Neighbourhood (SN) teams work in partnership with local people to improve public confidence and provide long-term and sustainable reductions to crime and anti-social behaviour. Training and development for all SN staff encompasses a comprehensive range of partnership best practice and know-how, including the importance of having a shared set of priorities across the whole partnership, ensuring that local priorities are relevant to the whole community, neighbourhood agreements, shared information, feedback and communication processes, setting a joint communications plan for all agencies in the neighbourhood and how joint communication can demonstrate a unity of purpose and increase confidence. These key subjects mirror the evidence based activity in the national route map.

46. A specific improvement project within the new TP Crime and Customer Strategy command (Safer Neighbourhoods portfolio) is researching and identifying improvements to problem orientated partnership working. The project is examining joint problem solving training across agencies, effective problem solving case management, and linking problem solving to confidence and priority setting for the long term

47. A new partnership working guide for borough-based staff is also nearing completion within the Safer Neighbourhoods portfolio. This easy to use document is intended to harness the energy of local partnerships for the purpose of improving confidence in police and partners working together on issues that matter to local communities. It guides practitioners through statutory partnerships, evidence based deployment and information sharing.

The Public Attitude Survey (PAS)

48. Whilst the scrapped national single confidence measure was a feature of the BCS, the MPS continues to conduct its three monthly Public Attitude Survey (PAS) that more relevantly provides for public opinion and performance to be assessed at BOCU level. This greater understanding of public perceptions allows opportunities for targeted activity and key support for boroughs experiencing reduced public confidence, as well as identifying the best practice from those boroughs with higher levels of confidence. The PAS is considered essential to monitoring and determining levels of public confidence.

49. From the wealth of data now available and the significant research conducted into factors that affect levels of public confidence, the MPS has developed a significant body of research from the PAS on how policing activity within TP can drive improvements in public confidence and this now underpins much of operational delivery. Although a complex area relating to individual attitudes and personal impressions, effective policing activity that can influence public opinion be can be summarised as:

• Visibility of police within our communities
• Meaningful engagement with all communities to allow the service to understand and then act upon local priorities.
• Effective police activity to reduce levels of crime and ASB, based on the model of addressing issues from the perspective of supporting victims, targeting offenders and tackling persistent problem locations
• The provision of high quality information to the public on local and pan-London policing services including results of promised activity
• Excellent service that is tailored to the needs and expectations of the customer coupled with high levels of professionalism from all staff.
• Effective systems to proportionately manage the risks to people living in and visiting London.

C. Other organisational and community implications

Equality and Diversity Impact

1. This report seeks to signpost the vital importance of listening to the views of different communities and capturing the concerns of a local neighbourhoods as well as providing a range of inclusive community engagement opportunities.
The MPS and the MPA have recently endorsed Community Engagement Commitment 2010-2013 and the impact of this will be monitored to determine any increased public confidence, particularly in respect of diverse communities.

2. The MPS intends to define and assert its policing promises to the public to reflect the qualitative focus of its customer service principles within its corporate priorities through MET Forward: to constantly strive for improved public confidence by demonstrating we are ‘on their side’; to fight crime and reduce criminality to make our communities safer; and to deliver the best possible value for money by involving people in priority setting and active citizenship.

3. Examination of performance data and strategic research has highlighted a number of differences across the equality strands as outlined above under ‘Public Confidence Differentials’. As there are a wide range of matters which may affect public perceptions and influence confidence between groups of people, individual borough performance varies considerably. Individual equality impact assessments are therefore conducted against borough confidence action plans and are monitored locally.

Consideration of MET Forward

4. Increasing public confidence in policing is one of the key delivery themes outlined in Met Forward. The MPS recognises central government’s decision to abolish the single confidence indicator, however this report clearly outlines that the MPS remains committed to improving Londoners confidence in policing. The abolition of the single confidence target has given the MPS an opportunity to refocus the way it works with reference to the drivers of public confidence.
Borough and Operation Command Unit performance is regularly reviewed. Where the MPS have identified areas for improvement in BOCU / OCU performance additional support has been provided to improve service delivery.

Financial Implications

5. The costs associated with this activity are part of the core business of the Safer Neighbourhoods Unit and are therefore met by existing budgets. There are no additional financial implications arising from the recommendation or supporting information in this report.

Legal Implications

6. There are no direct legal implications arising from this report which is presented for information only.

Environmental Implications

7. There are no environmental implications in the content of the report.

Risk Implications

8. There is a risk that the abolition of the joint partnership confidence target could imply less relevance for partnership working. The strong multi-agency relationships that flourish in London together with the strategic lead from the Commissioner in focussing MPS activity to improve confidence, safety, and deliver efficiency (as articulated in the Corporate Strategic Assessment 2011-14 and contained within Met Forward) should help mitigate this.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report author(s): Chief Superintendent Adrian Hanstock, Chief Inspector Kevin Hobson and Inspector Joe McGlone, MPS

For information contact:

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

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