Specialist Operations update – diversity report

Report: 4
Date: 26 November 2009
By: Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report is to update members on progress in the work undertaken by Specialist Operations in positively addressing the recruitment across the Business Group of under-represented groups. This is a significant issue for Specialist Operations and while significance progress has been made, notably in reducing barriers to diverse recruitment, a number of identified challenges remain and are the subject of ongoing work.

A. Recommendation

That the report be received.

B. Supporting information

1. As part of the MPS drive towards recruiting a more diverse workforce, central recruitment by Transforming Human Resources (THR), based at Hendon now leads on recruitment for SO6 (Diplomatic Protection Group), SO17 (Palace of Westminster) and SO18 (Aviation Security). The recruitment process for the remaining four SO OCUs is still completed within SO.

2. In general terms, the recruitment issues in relation to diversity within SO are similar to those in other specialist units. SO does not directly recruit probationary constables, officers are required to have completed their probationary period prior to specialising.

3. OCU commanders are responsible for managing their unit’s strengths of both police officers and police staff, and monitoring recruitment diversity and activities undertaken to encourage diversity is an integral part of this.

4. SO currently comprises seven OCUs responsible for counter terrorism, protection and security, three of which are armed as part of core business and demand additional Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) skills. The Counter Terrorism Command (CTC) requires its investigating officers to have completed the national Professionalising Investigation Programme. These are important points, they mean that SO has to compete with other specialist units to attract officers from a limited number of successful probationary officers.

5. This issue is particularly pertinent to recruiting female officers into firearms commands. This is a service-wide issue, not confined to SO.

6. In order to attract new recruits, SO has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at increasing our representation of London’s diverse population.

7. SO has held several ‘careers fairs’ for existing MPS officers and staff, and others aimed at recruiting officers from other forces. Details of some of these fairs have been submitted to the MPA in earlier reports along with the published SO Diversity Strategy, including the Race and Faith Inquiry.

8. In addition to this, SO has worked with Transport for London (TfL), to identify the factors behind their achievements working with the Stonewall Equalities Index. Further work is to be completed in this area, but overall the intention is to use this learning to benefit SO in relation to all diversity issues.

9. SO has an established careers consultancy specifically for the purpose of recruiting officers to reflect London’s diversity.

10. The tables in Appendices 1 to 4 show the SO strength for female and BME officers and police staff as of September 2009.

SO - Operational Command Units Review

SO1 - Specialist Protection

11. SO1 has undertaken initiatives to improve diversity but remains just below the MPS target for BME officer and female officer strength.

12. Female-only “insight” days were held at the firearms training centre at Milton. This provides female officers with the opportunity to handle firearms to inform their expectations of working as a protection officer. The OCU has reviewed its firearms to ensure carriage and handling is easier for all.

13. Through surveys and analysis SO1 has identified that long working hours is a reason given for not progressing applications. Considerations to improve work life balance are being promoted e.g. job share, flexible working.

14. Female officers who apply to join SO1 are offered mentors throughout the selection process, and this continues when they join the command.

15. SO1 has identified role models for female officers who give talks at insight days to promote the OCU. SO1 works with female inspectors with a view to increasing interest in the command. For example the OCU has one female officer who has passed the Hostile Environment Training course and carries out protection duties in HRLI countries.

16. The OCU has reviewed its intranet site and advertisements for jobs to ensure that all language is inclusive.

17. Changes have been made to certain roles so that officers can more easily accommodate their personal circumstances. The command has introduced more flexibility around internal moves. The establishment of ‘omni-competency’ has removed internal occupational barriers and enhanced career opportunities.

18. SO1 is working with an external partner, other protection agencies and firearms commands to introduce benchmarking of under-represented groups.

19. Analysis of the OCU’s demographic profile highlights an opportunity, through its management of risk, to improve its diversity recruitment through the replacement of existing officers reaching retirement age through a yearly recruitment process.

SO2 - Protective Security

20. SO2 is the MPS’ Protective Security Command, includes Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs), Security Co-ordinators (SecCOs), Police Specialist Search unit and diverse support functions.

21. The current representation of female and BME officers falls below the MPS targets. Women represent 14.1% of Police Officers within the command with 4.2% of all officers identifying themselves as being from a black or minority ethnic background.

22. Since 2007, the female staff percentage has increased from 8% to 14.1%. This was achieved by placing equalities at the forefront of all SMT meetings. The OCU has a higher-than-average ratio of female officers in middle management roles, including 20% of Chief Inspectors in the command.

23. The OCU supports a number of staff working reduced hours, representing 7% of the female workforce.

24. SO2 participates at SO careers events with the aim of encouraging officers from under-represented groups to apply to join the OCU.

25. The OCU commander and colleagues are mentors and advocates for officers and staff on the Equip to Achieve programme (a one-year intensive development programme designed for minority ethnic officers from constable to chief inspector). It is part of the High Potential Development Scheme a national scheme aimed at sergeants and inspectors - particularly from under represented groups - who display exceptional potential, and the Intensive Development Programme. NB the IDP, aimed at police staff, is currently under review.

26. The OCU has recently established a Diversity Forum with strand leads for each of the six key areas: age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity and faith. This Forum will examine all policies and procedures and how they may contribute to or perpetuate any cultural barriers to recruitment, retention and progression. The forum will report directly to the OCU commander with recommendations.

Diplomatic Protection Group - SO6

27. The number of female officers has increased in the last year, but still accounts for only 3.1 % of its officer strength, albeit two of whom are the OCU Commander and Superintendent. SO6 has commissioned research on the specific issues deterring female officers from applying for firearms commands. The report is scheduled for the end of December 2009, with a detailed action plan for the issues identified.

28. SO6 supports an active diversity forum through which diversity issues in the workplace are driven forward, including talent management and staff development.

29. In order to address its significant recruitment challenges SO6 has a dedicated recruitment, development and mentoring team. Within the SO6 diversity forum gender balance remains a top priority, and actions include:

30. All female officers in SO6 are involved in improving recruitment of female officers.

31. SO6 representation at marketing events tailored to attracting recruits from under represented groups to SO.

32. The DPG mentoring scheme has doubled the number of female mentor officers on the command. This allows prospective applicants the opportunity of support throughout the application process and throughout the firearms course itself;

33. A regular DPG recruitment team meeting with MPS lead from the Diversity Directorate to refine recruitment strategies and inclusion of the SO6 Recruitment team in the inaugural Diversity Directorate mentoring training package.

34. SO6 arrange firearms “insight days” in conjunction with SO14 for interested officers at the Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre Milton. Each day gives officers the chance to question and understand the work of each command.

35. Currently recruitment of officers from BME communities is comparable with the rest of the MPS. SO6 recognises the enduring need to ensure maximum opportunities for recruitment and retention of officers from a range of backgrounds and communities.

36. The percentage of BME officers has remained static throughout the year. During October 2009, the recruitment process resulted in 10% of applicants from this group.

37. Currently diversity does not present any key areas of risk for performance, intelligence and community engagement. However, the OCU is undergoing significant modernisation towards a geographic, community-engaged policing model. SO6 continues to monitor key areas of risk in this area by ensuring that the modernisation process includes comprehensive equality and community impact assessments.

Royalty Protection - SO14

38. Royalty Protection (SO14) has three distinct areas of business: residential protection, close protection and mobile protection.

39. The command operates in a unique environment with some high-profile roles. The OCU is working hard to attract officers from diverse backgrounds.

40. SO14 has identified a number of key themes: to ensure that the OCU is well marketed across the MPS, and a recruitment process which supports the full range of applicants.

41. Although under-represented with female and BME officers the OCU places great emphasis on addressing the under-representation. In the past 12 months the number of female and BME officers has doubled: there are now 7.4% female officers compared with 3.7% 12 months ago and 3.6% BME officers compared with 1.8%.

42. SO14 has a diversity forum owned by the workforce. Any issues may be brought to this forum, where they are openly discussed and taken forward by the Diversity Manager to be addressed. Through this forum the OCU is able to identify and deal with issues that may have been barriers to diverse recruitment.

43. SO14 holds Open Days with the assistance of SAMURAI (Staff Associations Meeting Up Regularly and Interacting) for female-only firearms awareness and motorcycle awareness days, and BME-specific motorcycle awareness days. A firearms awareness day for BME officers is planned.

44. SO14 has reviewed the residential protection command to enable it to address issues within close and mobile protection to improve diversity within these units. The OCU has also introduced a concept of lateral development within the command so that areas of business perceived to be more attractive can be accessed more easily by under-represented groups.

45. The SO14 total recruitment process is diversity impact-assessed to ensure that no stage of recruitment, selection or training, disadvantages candidates from divers backgrounds.

46. The OCU provides bespoke attachments to applicants from under-represented groups and mentors them through the selection and course processes.

Counter Terrorism Command - SO15

47. SO15, the Counter Terrorism Command, has a well-established diversity panel, comprising of six diversity strands each with its own lead. The action plans supporting each strand are being reviewed and refreshed, with an anticipated completion date of 3 December 2009.

48. Gender, race and faith work is under way in the form of workshops and one-to-one meetings. The workshop initiative is continuing with phase two, workshops focussed on activity to dispel myth and promote recruitment to the command. Results of a questionnaire to ascertain the faith profile in the command were circulated and are being analysed.

49. SO15 is arranging an Open Day to raise awareness about the opportunities available, the work and variety of roles within the OCU.

50. Another diversity initiative has been to contact British Telecom, which has similar recruitment issues in relation to certain engineering roles. This has resulted in a number of positive ideas to be taken forward as part of the review and refresh programme.

51. The OCU has absorbed the Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team and Prevent Engagement Officers, which widened its range of roles and thus recruitment opportunities.

52. The current breakdown of PEOs is 47% female and 32% BME. PEOs come from a variety of backgrounds including Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Somali, Sri Lankan, Turkish and Kurdish. SO15 will advertise for both police staff and police officers in this role.

53. SO15 operates a mentoring scheme for all officers and staff. It was originally intended to support female and BME officers, but has proved so successful it has been extended across the command.

Palace of Westminster - SO17

54. Traditionally SO17 was perceived as a role associated with officers manning fixed posts and has attracted officers with longer service. Officers from BME groups are proportionally fewer in the older police officer population. When recruiting SO17 draws from the MPS pool which at September 2009 had 22.84% female officers and 9.04% BME officers.

55. SO17 can have very unpredictable working hours when the House is in session and may end after midnight without notice. This has potential to present problems for primary carers. SO17 does accommodate requests for flexible working whenever possible.

56. SO17 participates in Business Group careers events to recruit from currently under-represented groups. The OCU offers mentoring for unsuccessful applicants from BME backgrounds.

57. SO17 does not have retention issues, and has unusually small numbers of staff leaving the unit. For the most part, those who leave are retiring. However recent recruitment for the new “Band T” security officer grade has given an opportunity to recruit more security officers from currently under-represented groups.

Aviation Security - SO18

58. SO18 is a command with a large number of armed officers responsible for policing both Heathrow and London City Airports.

59. The current representation of female and BME officers falls below the MPS targets. A variety of steps have been taken to address this.

60. The OCU has held a number of open days at Terminal 5 aimed at British Airways (BA) staff, the focus being on the recruitment of female and BME staff. As part of this ongoing piece of work, SO18 officers took part in a joint Diversity Day with BA at their headquarters at Waterside. The SO18 contribution centred on the services provided for the victims of hate crime and MSC recruitment.

61. SO18 acknowledge that scope to recruit female and BME officers is limited due to the current absence of vacancies and financial limitations affecting recruitment.

62. SO18 has approximately 30 officers selected to join (including female and BME officers). To give the earliest opportunity to join an armed command, it has been agreed these officers will be given the option to join the Diplomatic Protection Group in the interim with a view to fast-tracking them into SO18 when the vacancies arise.

63. During the summer the OCU undertook a Leadership Evaluation programme, this included a focus group specifically aimed at female and BME staff. The feedback from these groups support the view that once selected, officers view SO18 as their long-term career path of choice. While a welcome finding in terms of workforce satisfaction, it reinforced the earlier point that recruitment opportunities are relatively limited.

C. Race and equality impact

This report clearly has an impact on parts of the MPS community, notably female and BME officers, and also on wider communities interacted with by SO. The intention is for the impact to be positive. It is hoped that the current programme will also benefit other under-represented groups such as LGBT officers and under-represented faith groups.

D. Financial implications

There are no unbudgeted costs involved as a result of the level of ongoing recruitment activity across SO. Any costs are being managed within the envelope of individual OCU and HR budgets.

E. Legal implications

Not required for this report.

F. Background papers

None

G. Contact details

Report author(s): John Bunn QPM, MPS

For information contact:

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

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