Update on the revision of the MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy

Report: 7
Date: 14 January 2010
By: Chief Executive

Summary

The report provides an update on the work being undertaken by the MPA and MPS to revise the joint MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy 2006 – 2009. It outlines next steps and initial suggestions on actions which may be included in the accompanying action plans.

A. Recommendation

1. Members note progress made to date.

B. Supporting information

1 At the September 2009 meeting of the Communities, Equalities and People Committee, MPA Members approved the Project Initiation Document (PID) for the revision of the joint MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy 2006 - 2009. Since the approval of the PID considerable work has taken place to inform the new strategy. To date this work has included the following:

• A comprehensive literature review, including an analysis of relevant Green and White papers and an assessment of the consultation and strategy plans of the GLA family members;
• An identification of and interviews with key stakeholders. The questionnaire used for the interviews was informed by Community Police Engagement Group members who took part in workshops at the annual MPA community engagement conference – ‘MPA: Policing with Authority’;
• MPA funded Community Police Engagement Groups have been requested to undertake borough based consultations and Safer Neighbourhood Panels have been requested by the MPS to undertake ward based consultation sessions. Groups and Panels have been asked by the MPA and MPS to forward their consultation findings to the MPA by the end of January 2010; and finally,
• A joint MPA and MPS Community Engagement Board has been set up which is chaired by DAC Jarman and includes officers and staff from Territorial Policing; the Directorate of Public Affairs, the Directorate of Information and Safer Neighbourhoods.

2 The following actions have yet to take place but are in the process of being planned:

• Consultations with the three Police Authorities who are in the MPA’s Most Similar Group [1] – West Midlands; Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire Police Authorities; and finally,
• Consultations with young people.

3 The MPS has provided an additional resource to the internal working group. An acting inspector is currently undertaking interviews with MPS staff and officers.

4 An initial examination of the interviews that have taken place to date has highlighted that in revising the strategy the MPA and MPS must consider the following. The new strategy:

• Must be in plain English and should be accessible to a wide range of audiences;
• Must outline clearly what Londoners can expect of both the MPA and MPS in regards to communication, consultation and engagement;
• Should clarify to Londoners in an accessible and practical manner the different roles that the MPA and MPS have in regards to communication, consultation and engagement;
• Must have connectivity with the MPS Policing Pledge;
• Must be meaningful to Londoners, outlining clearly the positive outcomes of getting involved in consultation and engagement work being undertaken by the MPA and MPS; and finally,
• Must outline how the MPA and MPS will ensure that Londoners are kept informed of how information, arising from consultation and engagement activities, will be utilised by the MPA and MPS.

5 Interviewees were also asked to consider which key issues should be included in the action plans which will accompany the strategy. There will be two action plans, a MPS action plan whose implementation will be monitored via the Communities, Equalities and People Committee and a MPA action plan which will be produced by the Oversight and Review Unit in partnership with the Engagement and Partnerships Unit and which will also be monitored via the Communities, Equalities and People Committee. The interviewees have suggested the following actions should be considered by the MPA and MPS:

• the MPS develop a portfolio of consultation and engagement activities that are proven to work and which can be shared across the MPS;
• the MPS consider the consultation and engagement work undertaken by Safer Neighbourhood Teams and provides clear direction on how this work can be enhanced and improved;
• the roles of MPA funded Community Police Engagement Groups and the MPS corporate Independent Advisory Groups should be clearly defined by the MPS and MPA. The MPA and MPS should also outline what they require from these specific specialised mechanisms;
• in order to reduce repetition and consultation fatigue amongst those Londoners who are over consulted, the MPA and MPS will ensure that there is synergy between ward, borough and central consultation and engagement activities; and finally,
• how the MPA and MPS will consult and engage with priority groups, including newly arrived Londoners, victims, witnesses and those groups who are disproportionally impacted on by policing practice.

6 It is somewhat premature to outline what the revised MPA/MPS Community Engagement strategy might look like. However, MPA Members should be aware that the following suggestions have been made by interviewees which will be taken into consideration by the working group. It has been suggested:

• The strategy should be short – no more than four pages
• The strategy is not produced as a standalone document but is placed as an insert in an existing document that is produced and marketed by the MPA and MPS on an annual basis. The most likely vehicle would be the annual MPS and MPA policing plan which is distributed widely. This is a value for money approach and allows for the MPA and MPS to produce additional marketing materials.
• That an additional communication tool in the style of the new Policing Pledge card is also produced. This can be marketed in the same manner as the Pledge card;
• That new media is utilised. The MPA has an ICV Facebook page which will have information placed on it. Information will also be placed in the annual Local Policing Summaries adverts which appear in Local Authority publications. In addition, information will be placed on the MPA and MPS websites. The internal working group will consult with the MPA and MPS on how the strategy and action plans can be effectively marketed to Londoners.

7 A draft version of the community engagement strategy will be prepared for consultation in January/February 2010. Copies of the draft strategy will be circulated to all groups and individuals who were invited to and who were able to take part in the consultation sessions/interviews. A link to the draft strategy will also be placed on the MPA website. Alongside the development of the strategy, the MPA and MPS will produce action plans which will be bought to the Communities, Equalities and People Committee for agreement and sign off in March/April 2010.

C. Race and equality impact

1 In revising the strategy and producing the accompanying action plans the MPA and MPS can assess whether existing consultation and engagement mechanisms provide numerous opportunities for Londoners to take part. It is imperative that the MPA and MPS provide various and accessible opportunities to Londoners to ‘have their say’, in particular to those Londoners who are disproportionally impacted on by policing practice and policy and those who are particularly vulnerable to crime. However, having heard from Londoners, the MPA and MPS also need to be able to demonstrate how information gathered from Londoners is utilised - how it informs policy development and service provision. Finally, the MPA and MPS must also get better at feeding back to Londoners the results of consultation and engagement exercises.

2 The new strategy will take into consideration key documents; to ensure that there is an alignment in commitments and actions. This will include the recently launched MPS Diversity and Equality Strategy 2009 – 2013.

3 Finally, an EIA is being undertaken and the results will be used to inform the development of the strategy and the action plans.

D. Financial implications

1 The costs for the revision of the MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy 2006 – 2009 review will be met through existing budgets.

E. Legal implications

None given.

F. Background papers

• None

G. Contact details

Report author(s): Hamera Asfa Davey, Oversight and Review officer, MPA

For information contact:

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

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