Minutes

Notes of the inquorate meeting of the Equalities & Diversity Sub-committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 31 July 2009 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Kirsten Hearn (Chair)
• Clive Lawton

MPA officers

• Siobhan Coldwell (Head of Oversight and Review)
• Doug Lewins (Equality and Diversity Officer)
• Michael Wadham (Oversight and Review)
• James Bennett (Planning Performance)
• Chris Benson (Committee Services)

MPS Officers

• Rod Jarman
• Glen Allison
• Alan Horton

Others in attendance

• Linda Allchorne
• Brenda McHugh
• Ruth Davies
• Dr Marie Stewart
• Sue Sanders

1. Introductions

Kirsten Hearn, Chair of the Sub-committee introduced herself and invited all those present to introduce themselves.

2. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Cindy Butts. The Chair advised that as the meeting was inquorate any decisions it may make would require the endorsement of the Communities, Equalities and Peoples Committee.

3. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were made

4. Notes of the meeting held on 5 June 2009

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved to approve the notes of the meeting held on 5 June as a correct record.

5. Progress Report on the MPS Older People (Engagement) Strategy

(Agenda item 4)

5.1 Glen Allison introduced the report. The sub-committee was advised that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Older People’s Strategy has been formulated to cater for the needs of older people in line with the MPS Equalities Scheme key objectives, the Mayor of London’s older people’s strategy; Appreciating Our Seniors, the strategic outcomes and objectives of the Policing London Business Plan 2009/12 and delivering the MPS Policing Pledge.

5.2 The report set out the progress of the MPS Older People (Engagement) Strategy 2009 - 2012 with its focus on what the MPS intended to do over the next three years to reduce crime, the fear of crime and make London a safer place for older people.

5.3 The sub-committee was advised that the MPS strategy was designed to reflect the factors that were “real” to the older people living in London.

5.4 The strategy focused on the following areas:

• engaging with the community
• delivery of services
• how older people are dealt with within the organisation
• effective governance

5.5 At this point the Chair invited James Bennett to introduce his report, MPA Management Information Report that set out a summary of the MPA’s analysis into the crimes committed against and by people over the age of 50, and provided background information to inform discussion of the current agenda item. The sub-committee noted the current analysis of the trends on crime affecting older people, the results of MPS Public Attitude Survey, the MPS User Satisfaction Survey and some external research findings.

5.6 Before the Chair opened the discussion of the report she advised the sub-committee of her concerns that the police’s interpretation and concept of vulnerability stigmatised individuals and built upon their fears. Being vulnerable did not mean you required pity; vulnerability depended on individuals circumstances at a given time. It was the situation that individuals found themselves in that made them vulnerable rather than who they are.

5.7 A view was expressed that the MPS retained they view that if you were not white, heterosexual or able bodied you were somehow different. The social model of delivering a service equally to everyone had to be embedded within the MPS.

5.8 To reduce incidents of harassment and bullying it was suggested that safer neighbourhood teams should be more proactive by visiting nursing home to reassure and provide support to the residents.

5.9 The sub-committee was advised that the MPS was aware of the difficulties in using labels such as vulnerable. It was recognised that anyone could be vulnerable given the situation they found themselves in. This was reflected in the MPS response to a given situation, for example a lone individual reporting suspicious activity outside of their home was assessed to be more vulnerable than a group of people reporting the same activity.

5.10 The MPS welcomed the suggestion that the safer neighbour team should visit nursing homes. The ward profile listed nursing homes and could be used as a basis for an engagement strategy.

5.11 It was noted that as life expectancy lengthened the concept of old age had changed. The sub-committee agreed that the terminology had to be defined. Terms such as older people, elderly and extreme elderly had to be defined and used consistently.

5.12 There was a general view that some ethnic and faith groups traditionally valued and supported the elders of their communities. The MPS agreed to examine how it interacted with the elders of ethnic and faith groups.

5.13 The sub-committee noted that elderly victims of burglary decline in health faster than non victims of a similar age, with victims, two years after the burglary more likely to have died or be in residential cares than their non burgled counterparts. The sub-committee was advised that in the majority of cases burglary changed the victim’s relationship with their home, to the extent that they often have to leave it. This option may not be as readily available for the older person. It was agreed that the support given to the elderly victims of burglary should be revisited.

5.14 The sub-committee was advised of the current crime prevention initiatives relating to older people. A concern was raised that in some boroughs, older people were only made aware of the crime prevention advice available, after they had been burgled.

5.15 The sub-committee noted that crime prevention was a MPS priority. The Safer Neighbourhood Teams were being trained to undertake crime prevention surveys. Work was underway in partnership with local Authorities on initiatives to design out crime through the planning application process.

5.16 It was accepted that greater publicity had to be given to this initiative, perhaps with a focus on a particular community. It was recognised that any newsletters etc would have to be carefully crafted to promote the crime prevention initiatives without increasing the communities’ fears.

5.17 It was suggested that information could be circulated with circulars sent by local authorities etc. Information contained in a letter addressed to an individual was more likely to be read.

5.18 The sub-committee was pleased to note that crime prevention was not confined to advice about locks and bolts. In some boroughs officers had visited schools and engaged and interacted with the pupils on inter generational issues. Victims of anti social behaviour had been invited to describe to the pupils the affect that the anti social behaviour had had on their lives. In this respect the MPS was significantly ahead of other police services.

5.19 The sub-committee agreed that this initiative deserved greater publicity. Ruth Davies was keen to discuss this initiative further with the MPS with a view to developing it further as part of the citizenship curriculum within the schools.

5.20 The Chair commented that she was surprised that the report did not refer to the recommendations of the older people and crime conference hosted by the GLA as it was so pertinent to the subject. In addition the report did not contain much information on partnership working and multi agency issues.

5.21 The sub-committee was advised that the MPS was in attendance at the conference and that a series of meetings with older persons groups had been arranged. The strategy was still being developed and refined as the result of these meetings. The sub-committee was assured that the MPS was committed to partnership and multi agency working.

5.22 In response to a question regarding the retirement age of police officers and staff, the sub-committee was advised that police officer usually retire after 30 years service. It was not usually in the officer’s financial interest to remain in the service. A number of schemes such as 30+ had been introduced to try to retain officers with special knowledge or experience.
Civilian staff retired at the age of 65 years.

5.23 The Chair thanked all concerned for their contribution to the debate and summarised the following key points:

• Care had to be taken with the language used, and labelling individuals as vulnerable.
• the MPS adopt a social model of delivering service equally to all the community.
• the need for more engagement with older people was recognised.
• the intergenerational work within schools to be developed further and more publicised more widely
• the use of the terminology for describing older people to be defined and used consistently.
• the strategy should support the recommendations from the GLA hosted conference on older people and crime.

5.24 The sub-committee noted that the MPS Diversity Strategy would be approved in September 2009. The Older Peoples Strategy would be developed to reflect and support that strategy.

6. Specials and Volunteers

(Agenda item 7)

6.1 Alan Horton introduced the report. The sub-committee was advised that the Metropolitan Police Service had three significant groups of volunteers that support the delivery of policing services to Londoners. Those groups are the Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC), the Met Volunteer Programme (MVP) and the Volunteer Police Cadets (VPC). The sub-committee was asked to note the different status and profiles of the groups.

6.2 A comment was made that in comparison to the Special constables the Met volunteers and the Volunteer Police cadets were not that well publicised.

6.3 The sub-committee was advised that volunteer recruitment was managed by the MPS, using Volunteering England's Best Practice Guidelines. The recruitment of the cadets was potentially a capacity issue. Each cadet had to be trained and their welfare looked after.

6.4 It was noted that the MPS was working with other agencies including the Black Police Association and the Princes Trust to indentify more leaders. Although not classed as employees, best practice with regard to diversity was followed.

6.5 It was noted that the MPS usual diversity monitoring process was not applied to special or the volunteers and was not include in the MPS employment data base.

6.6 The sub-committee agreed that the diversity information should be collected. It was essential that when the data is collected that it was used effectively and that it is not reduced to a simple tick box exercise.

7. Equality Standard for the Police Service

(Agenda item 6)

7.1 Glen Allison introduced the report. The report provided an overview on work undertaken by the MPS to develop an equality performance framework, showing its transition from adoption of the Equality Standard for local government (ESlg) and genesis through to the MPS’s involvement in the development and trail of the Equality Standard for the Police Service (ESPS)

7.2 The sub-committee was advised that the National Police Improvement Agency had signed off the standard on Wednesday 29 July 2009.

7.3 It was noted that the standard would make people understand that what they have to do and why, in a consistent and sustainable manner. As a result the communities’ confidence in the service will improve.

7.4 The MPS faced a formidable task to embed the standards throughout the whole organisation. The standard had the support of the MPS senior staff.

7.5 The challenge was to ensure that the standard was not seen as additional work, but building on something that is already being done. It was noted that the language used throughout the standard was designed to support this aim.

7.6 A comment was made that some police officers were not aware of the most appropriate language to use when to describing or addressing individuals; this was not a matter of political correctness but one of professional conduct.

7.7 The sub-committee noted that guidance on the standard was being drafted for Police authorities

7.8 It was suggested that the progress made with the implementation of the standard should be part of the Commissioner's regular report to the full authority meeting.

The meeting closed at 11:55am

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback