Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Communities, Equalities and People Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 6 November 2008 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, Westminster, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Cindy Butts (Chairman)
• Chris Boothman
• Victoria Borwick
• Valerie Brasse
• Kirsten Hearn
• Clive Lawton

MPA officers

• Siobhan Coldwell (Overview & Oversight)
• Hamera Asfa Davey (Overview & Oversight)
• Alan Johnson (Oversight & Review)
• Doug Lewins (Equality & Diversity)
• Martin Davis (Engagement & Partnerships)
• Chris Benson (Committee Services).

MPS officers

• Steve Bloomfield (Chief Superintendant)
• Rose Fitzpatrick (Deputy Assistant Commissioner)
• Denise Milani (Deputy Director Diversity and Equality)
• Martin Tiplady (Director of Human Resources)

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Steve O’Connell.

The Chairman welcomed the members to the first meeting of the Committee.

2. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

There were none.

3. Terms of reference, establishment of sub-committees and memberships, and the appointment of Chairmen, Vice Chairman

(Agenda item 3)

Doug Lewins introduced a revised version of the Sub Committee’s Terms of Reference. The Committee noted the terms of reference had been amended to reflect current legislation and to more accurately reflect the current MPS work programmes and initiatives.

The Committee was advised that further amendments may be required to the terms of reference to ensure consistency; the terms of reference would also be revisited as part of the six monthly review of the Committees performance.

It was noted that any such amendments will be reported to the meeting of the authority for endorsement.

The Committee agreed to defer the election of its Vice Chairman until after the meeting.

It was agreed the Committee would meet on a two monthly cycle a revised list of dates would be circulated.

Election of Chairmen of the Sub-committees.

The following members were appointed as Chairmen of the following Sub-committees:

• Community Engagement and Citizen Focus Sub Committee – Clive Lawton.
• Equalities and Diversity Sub Committee – Kirsten Hearn.
• Human Resource and Remuneration Sub Committee - Faith Boardman.

Resolved

1. to note the Terms of Reference for the Committee and its Sub Committee.
2. that the Committee will meet on a two monthly cycle.
3. to appoint the following members as Chairmen of the following Sub Committees:
   1. Community Engagement and Citizen Focus Sub Committee – Clive Lawton.
   2. Equalities and Diversity Sub Committee – Kirsten Hearn.
   3. Human Resource and Remuneration Sub Committee - Faith Boardman.

4. MPS response to the Talent Management and Succession Planning Scrutiny 2007 – October update

(Agenda item 4)

Martin Tiplady introduced the report that set out the progress to date against each recommendation from the MPA Talent Management and Succession Planning Scrutiny report.

It provided details of how the new MPS strategy for talent management, positive action and succession planning was being developed, implemented and embedded within the MPS. It was noted that this was first and only programme of its type in the UK. The MPS was confident that the strategy was supported by the majority of its officers. It was noted that the strategy may be extended to the other equality strands after it had been fully evaluated.

The Committee welcomed the report and was pleased to note that the early indicators demonstrated that the MPS was already deriving measurable success from the strategy.

In was noted that at present the targets were implicit and had not been formalised. It was agreed that the MPS will model the progression through the ranks to provide accurate benchmarks against which the strategy could be assessed. The model would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee. An evaluation of the strategy including value for money would be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.

The Committee was advised that following the Lawrence inquiry the MPS had introduced a number of programmes/interventions designed to promote underrepresented groups, with some success. This was the first strategy to address the issue across the whole MPS structure and if successful could provide the blueprint for a national scheme.

Resolved - That

1. the report be noted
2. a report to be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee that set benchmarks against which the strategy will be evaluated.
3. an evaluation of the strategy including value for money to be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.

5. Youth Scrutiny update

(Agenda item 5)

Hamera Asfa Davey introduced the report that outlined the progress that had been made since the completion of the MPA Youth Scrutiny in June 2008. It provided an update on the work that the MPS had carried out in the four months and how the report’s recommendations were in the process of being implemented or considered by the MPS and partner organisations.

The Committee noted that

• MPS officers from a range of ranks and directorates had worked closely with the MPA throughout the youth scrutiny and had welcomed and endorsed the report findings.
• The MPA welcomed the comprehensive MPS response to the youth scrutiny. It highlighted a number of innovative approaches and projects and these had been welcomed by the MPA.
• The MPA also recognised that tackling youth crime is not the sole domain of the MPS and that sustainable solutions to youth crime can only be found through sustained and robust partnership activity.
• Finally, whilst the MPA welcomed and supported the varied and innovative police activity, it was also aware that one of the barriers that the MPS still faced is the tension between reactive contact and proactive contact between officers and young people. Whilst positive contact via activities such as Kickz can help to develop positive relationships, it is reactive contact, such as stop and search that is often remembered by young people and which influences young people’s perceptions of the service as a whole. Getting all contact/encounters right required a cultural shift.

Resolved

1. to note the report.
2. that a further update report from the MPS be presented to the meeting of the Committee on 12 March 2009.

6. MPS response to the recommendations contained within the MPA Youth Scrutiny 2007/2008

(Agenda item 6)

Rose Fitzpatrick introduced the report that provided an update on how the MPS is responding to the recommendations of the MPA Youth Scrutiny 2007/08 and documents both current activity and developmental work across the MPS under the MPS Youth Strategy.

The report only referred to the recommendations directed towards the MPS and did not deal with those recommendations referred to other agencies and partners.

The Committee welcomed the report and the initiatives undertaken. It was recognised that MPS could not resolve the issues in isolation and questioned how supportive the other agencies had been.

The message had to be consistent – the youths themselves recognised and accepted the need for stop and search, however a number resented the attitude of some officers conducting the searches for their lack of individual respect.

The Committee was advised that the members of the response team may be relatively inexperienced and may not have the confidence to conduct stop & searches with the competence and authority of more experienced officers. As a result individual officers recognised as being good at stop and search had been indentified in order to learn from their experience.

It was noted that the MPS had maintained flexibility in its approach to its activities to meet evolving and changing demands

The Committee asked how the outcomes or success of the recommendations would be assessed, which initiative had shown the most success and how much time and money had been spent.

The Committee was advised that whilst the amount of money spent on the initiative was relatively easy to calculate, the amount of time devoted to it was considerable more difficult. However work was about to start in this regard.

The degree of support forthcoming from other agencies was questioned. It was noted that following the introduction of the new Merlin format the MPS had increased investment in IT and training to support the initiative. As a result a lot of reports were generated and sent to partner agencies. Some partners were not in the position to receive or act upon the reports received, however the MPS was not in the position to reduce the volume of reports but now sent them in order of priority.

The Committee sought an assurance that the MPA/MPS would be able to evaluate the success of the scheme in 2 - 5 years time and to evaluate over the longer term especially the activities shared with other agencies.

The Committee was advised that as a result of the strategy, youths may have the confidence to report crimes that would previously remained unreported. This may result in an increase in reported crimes that should reduce in the long term.

The work being undertaken to identify and use alternatives to the criminal justice system was noted.

It was noted that the youth scrutiny recommendations had built upon the groundswell supporting initiatives to reduce youth violence. The results of this work would be most apparent in 5 to 10 years time.

The Mayor’s announcement that youth crime was a key priority for his administration had been most welcome and may assist with the pan London governance arrangements.

The MPS welcomed the full support of the MPA.

It was agreed that be submitted to the Committee in March detailing progress against the MPS Youth Strategy performance indicators. A further report updating MPS progress against the Scrutiny recommendations be submitted to the meeting of the Committee in May.

Resolved

1. to note the MPS response to the recommendation contained in the MPA Youth Scrutiny report.
2. that a report be submitted to the Committee in March detailing progress against the MPS Youth Strategy performance indicators. A further report updating MPS progress against the Scrutiny recommendations be submitted to the meeting of the Committee in May.

7. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 7)

Resolved - That under section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in paragraphs 3 and 7 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Summary of decisions made on exempt items

8. Chief Superintendent post related allowance

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee approved the payment of a post related award to the officers as set out in the report.

9. Police reform and special priority payments

(Agenda item 9)

The Committee endorsed the approach adopted for and the payment of the Special priority payment posts and payments for 2008.

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