Minutes

Minutes of the Human Resources and Remuneration Sub-committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 20 May 2010 at Room 2 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1.

Present

Members

• Faith Boardman (Chair)
• Tony Arbour
• Cindy Butts

MPA officers

• Jane Harwood (Deputy Chief Executive)
• Alan Johnson (Engagement and Equalities)

MPS officers

• Martin Tiplady (Director of Human Resources)
• Robert Crawley (Practice Manager, Occupational Health)
• Kevin Courtney (Head of Pay and Benefits)

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

1.1 Reshard Auladin

2. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

2.1 None were received.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 28 February 2010

(Agenda item 3)

3.1 The minutes of the meeting held on 28 February were agreed as a correct record.

4. Update on restricted duties review

(Agenda item 4)

4.1 Bob Crawley introduced the report and set out the main features of the process, including refocusing on returning restricted duties officers to operational duty to a greater degree than at present. This enabled individual officers to be better able to plan their careers, line managers better able to vary the work these officers could perform and provided Boroughs with greater presence in their communities. For the organisation, the intention was to broaden the list of activities that restricted officers could perform and make more informed decisions about deployment. He emphasised that officers on restricted duties worked their full hours in ‘real’ jobs.

Members expressed concern about the potential increase in ill health retirements and the ‘resource intensive’ nature of the review process. Martin Tiplady assured Members that, in accordance with their responsibilities as a good employer, every effort was made to retain police officers in operational roles and ensure that officers on restricted duties were regularly reviewed by their line managers. The HR Directorate were working with Territorial Policing Headquarters (TPHQ) to improve performance and increase the amount of ‘operational time’ provided by these officers.

Training was being provided to other medical staff in order to carry out these reviews and possibly widen the process to, for example, specialist units.

Resolved: That the content of the report be noted particularly the reduction in the rate of ill-health retirements (IHRs) within the latest phase of the review and a further report sought in 6-9 month’s time.

5. Section 26 (Police Act) – overseas travel

(Agenda item 5)

Martin Tiplady introduced the report and Alan Johnson set out the background it being reported to the Authority every six months as a result of an Internal Audit recommendation.

Members were concerned that there was a lack of financial information with the report including the overall cash cost and opportunity cost, e.g. of backfilling secondees, to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). It was also not clear on what criteria officers were identified for short-term visits, i.e. not secondments, if the number of these Section 26 cases was rising or falling and if any cost benefit analysis had been undertaken. It was agreed the list of Section 26 cases should be forwarded ahead of the report in order that Members could ‘dip sample’ some of those cases where MPA approval had not been sought.

Resolved

• to note the report;
• the list of Section 26 cases should be forwarded ahead of the report in order that Members could ‘dip sample’ some of those cases where MPA approval had not been sought; and
• the overall cash cost and estimated opportunity cost is included with the next report.

6. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 6)

A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during remaining items on the agenda as they were likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Resolved - That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining items on the agenda.

7. Exempt minutes of 28 February 2010

 (Agenda item 7)

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 February were agreed as a correct record.

8. Association of Chief Police Officers - terms and conditions)

(Agenda item 8)

Members agreed an approach to ACPO bonuses and noted the proposal in respect of vehicles.

9. Changes to civil service compensation scheme

(Agenda item 9)

The report was noted.

10. Human resources (HR) risk management log

(Agenda item 10)

The report was discussed and a further report sought to the next meeting on the ‘people issues’ of the Transforming HR programme.

11. Re-grading of a senior police staff post

(Agenda item 12)

The re-grading was agreed.

12. Issues raised by staff associations

(Agenda item 11)

A number of issues raised by staff associations in their meeting with the Chair of the Authority were discussed.

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