Disabled people and the police – a new relationship?

Report: 10
Date: 27 January 2005
By: Clerk

Summary

The MPA’s Community Engagement Unit commissioned Greater London Action on Disability (GLAD) to produce a report and hold a conference on policing issues affecting disabled people. The report is written from the viewpoint of disabled people in London (a summary is attached as Appendix 2). It presents ‘The Disability Agenda’ providing clear directions by which the MPA and MPS can provide a fair police service to and meet the requirements of London’s disabled people. Members of the Community Engagement Committee endorsed the findings of the report and also endorsed the recommended oversight and implementation groups to action the recommendations.

A. Recommendation

That the Authority

1. notes the attached summary of the report ‘Disabled people and the police – a new relationship?’ and the Community Engagement Committee’s decision to set up an MPA oversight group and MPS implementation group to implement the recommendations.
2. agrees the Terms of Reference and membership for the MPA oversight group.
3. agrees to ask MPA link members to take the attached briefing (appendix 2) to their CDRPs.

B. Supporting information

1. The Community Engagement Committee considered GLAD’s report at its meeting on 2 December 2004. The Clerk’s report to the Committee is attached as Appendix 1 and a summary of the GLAD report at Appendix 2. The Committee endorsed the GLAD report and recommendations. In doing so they recommended the setting up of an MPA oversight group and an MPS implementation group. Members also recommended that the report should be put to Full Authority to highlight the significance of the good practice, with the additional recommendations outlined above.

2. Update reports and a presentation were received by the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board. The Chair of that committee voiced an interest in membership of the MPA oversight group. It is suggested that the oversight group have a core of 3 to 4 members, from across the Human Resources and Community Engagement Committees and the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board. Therefore members are invited to express an interest in involvement with the oversight group.

3. The MPA oversight and MPS implementation groups will ensure an organised and accountable process by which the recommendations can be implemented. The MPA has clearly focussed its community engagement process on the citizen’s agenda. Recommendations for improvements in policing have come from the community affected. It will be important that when the recommendations are implemented, this is done in consultation with disabled people and the outcomes reported back to the community.

4. The MPA oversight and MPS implementation groups will ensure that the action plan and the recommendations are implemented at a strategic corporate level. It was suggested at Community Engagement Committee that the recommendations could and should also be taken forward at the local level. It was therefore suggested that MPA officers produce a summary paper to inform members, and that members in their link role, speak to the item at their borough CDRP.

5. Members are asked to note that the MPS has set up the Disability Independent Advisory Group. The recommendations in the GLAD report and the recommendations agreed by the Community Engagement Committee are intended to work alongside the established IAG, to enrich the service the MPS provides to disabled Londoners. The MPS has a Disability Programme Board and members agreed that the implementation group should either be configured around the current board or the current board could fulfil this function. The head of the strategic disability team chairs that meeting and this would appear to be the most suitable for the implementation of the recommendations with the MPA oversight group.

C. Equality and diversity implications

Once implemented, the recommendations will ensure that policing in London impacts fairly on disabled people. As disabled people are represented in all equality strands across London this will in turn result in the police service being better placed to provide a better service to all of London’s communities.

D. Financial implications

Financial implications are likely to arise with the implementation of the recommendations. Once in place and agreed with the MPA oversight group financial implications can be explored fully within agreed timelines.

E. Background papers

• Community Engagement Committee 2nd December 2004
• EODB update papers - 4th November 2004 and 2nd September 2004
• Disabled people and the police – a new relationship? report Ossie Stuart - October 2004

F. Contact details

Report author: Vicky Knight, Community Engagement Unit

For more information contact:

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

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