MPS race equality scheme 2005-08

Report: 10a
Date: 29 September 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report presents to members the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Race Equality Scheme (RES) 2005–2008. It has already been presented to the Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board. Because of its size, the RES has been enclosed for members and appropriate officers only. It can be viewed on the MPS website by following the link shown at the end of this report.

A. Recommendation

That

1. The Authority approves the MPS Race Equality Scheme (RES) 2005–2008; and
2. The MPS now progresses discussions concerning a single equality scheme to take all diversity issues forward.

B. Supporting information

1. All public authorities were required to review their list of functions and policies for relevance to the general duty of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (RR(A)A) by 31 May 2005. In addition, there was an expectation from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) that each police authority and force would publish a new RES by this date.

2. There were a number of key issues to be faced in preparing the RES 2005-2008. The RES 2002-2005 had been published on 31 May 2002 but was subsequently declared non-compliant by the CRE in June 2004 as part of its Formal Investigation into the Police Service. As a consequence, that particular scheme was rewritten and published on 30 September 2004. This was accepted as compliant by the CRE.

3. As part of the investigation, which examined the initial MPS RES, three areas were identified as non-compliant. The threat of compliance action was therefore a key issue. The three non-compliant areas have been addressed within the 2005-08 scheme, namely:

• The requirement to state those functions and policies that are relevant to the general duty of RR(A)A.
• The absence of specific training for all MPS staff on the requirements of the RR(A)A. This was included within separate reports on diversity training submitted to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB) on 10 January 2005 and 19 May 2005 respectively.
• The requirement to monitor all aspects of the employment duty. The MPS was already monitoring most aspects, but had not at that stage put in place arrangements for monitoring:
  • Applications for training
  • Benefit or detriment resulting from Performance Development Reviews.

Taking the RES Forward

4. The RES is a ‘living document’ continually being progressed and consulted upon. The MPA Race and Diversity Unit (RDU) submitted various comments concerning the RES as part of the consultation process by the MPS. The RDU on behalf of the MPA commented that the RES would benefit from a more outward focus and the provision of more detail around ownership by senior leaders and operational arms of the MPS, together with links to, for example, the newly drafted Race and Diversity (Confidence and Equality) Strategy. The points detailed below are included within the RES and the action plan to meet these issues.

External-Facing

5. The RES is clearly outward-focused in terms of impact assessment. The MPS is one of only a few police forces to have impact assessed all of its policies, consolidating some 2,700 instructions into 139 fully assessed policies, many of which have a direct external impact. This achieves far more than the narrower requirements of the RR(A)A. Priority will now be given to the further development of monitoring arrangements for all policies, but in particular for critical policies and those policies identified as having a high relevance to race equality. MPS Management Board has bi-monthly oversight of the most critical policies. It has to be satisfied that sufficient control measures are in place to ensure that each of these policies is delivering effectively against its stated benefits, that these benefits continue to be appropriate and that they are having a positive impact on, amongst other issues, race equality.

6. The RES will be further taken forward by broadening the impact assessment process, so that the promotion of the general duty will be included not only within policy, but also within external-facing operational policing plans, strategic planning and business risk assessments. Moreover, work to design a single corporate impact assessment model has been instigated. Its aim is to streamline existing methods of impact assessment to deliver a mainstreamed model, which can be broadly applied at tactical and strategic levels. Consultation has been undertaken and a redraft was completed in September 2005, prior to a further ongoing consultation process.

Ownership

7. The RES 2005-08 action plan consists of 60 separate actions, broadly grouped into the subject areas covered by the RR(A)A specific duties. Currently, the MPS RR(A)A Steering Committee, which includes MPA RDU involvement, monitors the implementation of the scheme, holding department managers to account for their unit’s progress. With the publication of the new scheme, this accountability will concentrate more on the monitoring of the individual actions.

8. The authority levels and terms of reference for all the supervisory bodies having oversight for race and diversity delivery are being reviewed. It is proposed to set up a Confidence and Equality Board and a Confidence and Equality Action Group, which will more actively and effectively monitor all aspects of diversity. This is to ensure that the ability to scrutinise other parts of the organisation is enhanced: for example, holding specific business groups to account for their contribution to race equality.

9. Delivering the ‘Together’ approach, citizen-focused policing and the Service Review will also take race equality and diversity forward. The new Race and Diversity (Confidence and Equality) Strategy, in accord with the corporate strategy, will have an accountability framework and a requirement for action plans from each directorate and Operational Command Unit. These will be monitored locally and the Diversity Directorate will also monitor them corporately. Under the new governance arrangements, it is proposed that this information will go to the relevant body for executive action, while Management Board will be accountable for strategic level programmes. This will have a significant impact on progressing race equality down to the individual service delivery level. A glossary of MPS approaches is included at Appendix 1.

10. The Race and Diversity (Confidence and Equality) Strategy’s accountability framework requires leaders at all levels to contribute to and implement the diversity agenda. Part of this is directed primarily at Borough Operational Command Unit (B)OCU) Commander level, but also at all other leaders of corporate directorates, where they, their team and all the people they manage foster an environment where Race and Diversity is at the heart of all activities. It must be emphasised that though (B)OCU Commanders and directorate leaders have particular responsibility for performance, all our people have a part to play in its delivery.

Single Equalities Scheme

11. To ensure that all strands, including race, are sufficiently outward-focused with clearly stated internal leadership and ownership responsibilities, the Diversity Directorate will work closely with the MPA Race and Diversity Unit in the development of a Single Equalities Scheme. The RES will be reviewed and progressed further within the discussions concerning the commissioning of this expanded scheme covering six diversity strands.

12. The Project Initiation Document for a single equalities scheme will be submitted in October 2005 in accordance with the governance structures in place.

Review of RES 2002-05 Action Plan

13. A review of the (September 2004) RES 2002-05 Action Plan reveals the following achievements:

• The development of a process and template for impact assessing policies, together with the required training.
• The implementation of employment duty monitoring on the new MetHR computerised system, enabling a consistent, comprehensive and easily published response, together with the required training.
• Publishing of a comprehensive Employment Duty Annual Report by October of each year, together with the monthly Human Resources (HR) Headline Scorecard and the monthly Workforce Data Report.
• Promoting race equality through the published procurement strategy.

Outstanding actions, dealing with for example training, are included within the RES 2005-08 action plan.

Ongoing Review of RES 2005-08

14. Under the current governance arrangements, the RR(A)A Steering Committee, in addition to monitoring the action plan, will determine the ongoing review processes for the RES as a whole and the publication of any resulting documentation. This will incorporate any decisions arising out of the discussions concerning a single equalities scheme.

C. Race and equality impact

There are significant diversity implications arising from this report. The progress made in promoting race equality can and does lead to positive outcomes within all areas of diversity. In providing a police service able to meet the needs of all Londoners, the MPS will, for example, be more accountable to all communities, generate greater staff satisfaction and broaden recruitment opportunities.

D. Financial implications

There are currently no financial implications arising form this report. However, the Service Review and the changing focus of the Diversity Directorate may lead to financial demands or realignments. The future financial implications are as yet unquantifiable. The implications of not delivering race equality could be financially significant in terms of, for example, employment tribunals, complaints, recruitment opportunities and staff satisfaction.

E. Background papers

• Race Equality Scheme 2005-08

F. Contact details

Report author: Colin White, Diversity Directorate, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Glossary of MPS Approaches

1. Together Approach

Together is an approach, a way of working which will enable us to be the most effective organisation we can possibly be. It is based around the following values:

Working together with all our citizens; all our partners; all our colleagues, we will

• Have pride in delivering quality policing – there is no greater priority
• Build trust by listening and responding
• Respect and support each other – work as a team
• Learn from experience and find ways to be even better

We are one Team Met, we all have a duty to play our part in making London safe.

2. Service Review

Is a comprehensive, structured review of the Metropolitan Police Service that will better organise the MPS to support front line Service delivery to colleagues and the public. It will examine the functions, activities and processes of the MPS and make recommendations to Management Board in the autumn. The review is necessary because the mission of the MPS is widening and this changing mission will directly affect all MPS staff. The Service must re-shape and re-invest in itself in order to support its people in delivering this widening mission. The Service Review is not about saving money; it is about reorganising the MPS so it can work smarter to effectively meet the challenges ahead.

The Commissioner has made it clear that the MPS needs to reshape through a Service Review in order to make it fit to meet the challenges of the future.

Challenges facing the MPS include:

• Widening mission: Organised crime, Terrorism, need to support reassurance policing.
• Delivering Citizen-Focused Policing: Accountability, Responsiveness and Media.
• Challenging targets: Increase in sanction detection rates of nearly 100% against current performance over three years; qualitative targets in addition to quantitative targets.
• Ensure and demonstrate efficiency: Need to build the case for additional resources, but cannot do so if we are viewed as inefficient. Avoid duplication, critical review of how we work.
• Internal environment: Need to create change within the internal environment to allow staff to work to their best effect; implementing Morris enquiry. Changing structure of the workforce, Police family/Safer neighbourhoods.

3. Citizen Focus Policing

This approach is currently the subject of wide consultation. Generally, those who have contributed thus far, all agreed that Citizen Focus Policing (CFP) must provide a service that meets the needs of all client bases and that its philosophy is the same as the ethos of the diversity directorate, i.e. "by taking resources and wrapping it around the needs of the citizen both internal and external of the organisation".

4. The Race and Diversity (Confidence and Equality) Strategy

The purpose of this strategy, which is currently in draft format, is to support the provision of a citizen-focused (see above) police service that responds to the needs of communities and individuals, especially victims and witnesses, and inspires public confidence in the police. In particular, it is intended the strategy will assist the MPS as it seeks to develop safer communities, securing the capital against terrorism, revitalise the Criminal Justice System, develop a professional and effective workforce and reform the delivery of policing services (the Service Review). Key to delivering what the strategy sets out to achieve will be: integration with the approaches listed above and locally owned and corporately monitored action plans, which detail progress and achievement.

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