Update on the Morris steering group

Report: 15
Date: 28 July 2005
By: the Chief Executive & Clerk

Summary

This report provides an update on the work of the Morris Steering Group.

A. Recommendation

That this report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. The Morris Steering Group reports regularly to the full Authority to ensure that taking forward the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry Report is kept at the forefront of the Authority’s and the MPS’s agenda. The 37 recommendations in the report have been allocated to the relevant committees – the Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board, the Human Resources Committee and the Professional Standards & Complaints Committee; these committees are now responsible for ensuring the work is taken forward. The Morris Steering Group is responsible for taking the strategic overview to ensure that progress is being maintained and to address cross-committee / service issues.

2. As reported to the Authority in May, the MPS are adopting an approach that groups into strategic themes the recommendations of the Morris Report, the CRE investigation into the police service in England and Wales and the Taylor Report on police conduct and discipline matters. These strategic themes and the theme leaders are:

• Consultation and Communication – Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson
• Training and Development – Martin Tiplady, Director of Human Resources
• Support for Staff – Martin Tiplady
• Recruitment and Progression – Martin Tiplady
• Professional Standards – Assistant Commissioner Alan Brown
• Diversity - Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson
• Building Capability - Assistant Commissioner Alan Brown
• MPA issues – David Riddle, Deputy Chief Executive

The MPS Management Board has agreed that the Deputy Commissioner will have overall responsibility for the MPS response to the Morris Report until the appointment of the Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Citizen Focus remit.

3. The Steering Group has embarked on a programme of hearing from the theme leaders how they are leading the work on their particular themes. Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson attended the last meeting the Steering Group, on 18 July, to report on the Consultation and Communication theme. A fuller report will be made in due course so this current report gives an overview of the key issues of internal communications and the Independent Advisory Groups.

4. In relation to internal communications, the Deputy Commissioner pointed to the fundamental impact the Together programme is intended to have. The Service Review has also involved extensive promotion of internal communications and the results from the Service Review communications strategy will provide a learning platform for the wider internal communications strategy. In reviewing the current internal communications strategy, an emphasis is being placed on two-way communications, particularly ‘face to face’ communications as well as more effective ways of broadcasting information to larger, targeted audiences, with tight control over the use of ‘global’ emails. The MPS is anxious not to over-formalise the process but to produce a menu of options that reflects best practice within the MPS and from other organisations together with performance indicators for communications action plans. The Steering Group will receive a further report when the internal communications strategy has been completed.

5. With regards to the Independent Advisory Groups, the particular issues raised by the Morris report centred on the transparency and independence of the appointment process, with the recommendation that the ‘Nolan Principles’ for public appointments should apply for IAGs. The Diversity Directorate has been engaged with those groups administered by the Directorate in developing a set of protocols along these lines. When agreed, the MPS is looking to extend the adoption of these protocols across the range of IAGs that the MPS supports. The Steering Group will consider these protocols at an appropriate stage before they are finalised. It has also asked for further work on an audit of the various IAGs, in terms of, for instance, what areas they cover, how it is agreed that an IAG is needed for a particular area or issue, and the extent to which there is consistency in operating practices.

6. The Steering Group has agreed key elements of its forward work programme, as follows:

• 8 September, 10 a.m. – DAC Steve Roberts will present on the Training & Development Strategic Theme
• 3 October at 11.30 a.m. – Martin Tiplady will present on the Support for Staff and Recruitment & Progression Strategic Themes
• early November – presentations on MPA issues and the Professional Standards Strategic Theme
• early December – presentations on the Diversity and Building Capability Strategic Themes
• further meetings thereafter every two months with monthly officer meetings to coordinate work

These meetings are open to all members of the MPA and further attendance would be welcome.

The Steering Group recognises that an effective way needs to be found of engaging stakeholders in the process without unduly extending the timetable for the Steering Group’s oversight of the strategic themes.

C. Race and equality impact

Race and equality issues are integral both to the way in which the Morris Report recommendations are taken forward and in the way that the Steering group oversee this process.

D. Financial implications

None.

E. Background papers

• Steering Group agenda, 18 July

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

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