MPS diversity strategy action plan

Report: 10
Date: 15 November 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

The work required to achieve the Diversity Strategy is undertaken by the seven Diversity Strategy Co-ordination Forum work groups. The Diversity Strategy Monitoring Unit has co-ordinated the work of each work group and identified key actions for the Diversity Strategy Action Plan. A final version of this action plan is due for publication very shortly.

The Diversity Strategy ‘Protect and Respect – everybody benefits’ goes beyond the issue of race alone and develops what the MPS has learnt from phase one into action to benefit everybody. The wider diversity agenda is fully reflected in the action plan.

The MPS has continued to monitor progress of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Recommendations since publication of the Report. A decision was taken to include the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report Recommendations within the action plan. This gives clear responsibility and accountability for the Diversity Strategy Monitoring Unit to regularly update and sustain this work.

Clearly, for the action plan to be truly effective, it needs to be rigorously monitored. The MPS will put systems into place to formalise the monitoring process and identify any ‘gaps’. Work group heads will be accountable for the completion of their respective key actions. The Monitoring Unit will guide the groups, ensuring direction towards the overall strategy.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

Current Status of the Diversity Strategy

1. The work required to achieve the Diversity Strategy ‘Protect and Respect – everybody benefits’ is undertaken by the 7 Diversity Strategy Co-ordination Forum work groups (please refer to previous report dated 20 September 2001).

2. The Diversity Strategy Monitoring Unit has co-ordinated the work of each work group and identified key actions for the Diversity Strategy Action Plan. These key actions are given appropriate time-scales for completion and each key action is attributed to an action plan Initiative. This is an overall strategic aim to which the key action or part, will contribute. Therefore, the expectation is that once all the key actions have been completed, the Diversity Strategy will have been achieved. The time-scale for this 2001 - 2003.

3. It is acknowledged that this approach needs to be flexible in order to maintain creativity, pro-activity and innovation. Thus, the process of monitoring the action plan is such that new actions can be included as and when the situation demands (please refer to paragraph 13 ).

4. The Diversity Strategy was formulated and adopted by the Diversity Strategy Board. It was decided that a comprehensive action plan was required in order to ensure the Diversity Strategy was delivered and commitment was sustained. The action plan was started in June 2001 and progress was presented to every subsequent Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum meeting. Comments and feedback was requested at each of these meetings and work on the action plan was conducted in close co-operation with the work group heads and representatives from the MPS Independent Advisory Group and Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Group (LGBT AG). In addition, the Diversity Directorate has been working with an independent consultant whom is conducting a critical path analysis of the Diversity Strategy and how it fits in with the action plan. This work is yet to be completed but any relevant findings will be duly incorporated into the action plan. The action plan has also been independently scrutinised by the Commission for Racial Equality. The Diversity Strategy Action Plan is a standing agenda item at the Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum meetings. Progress towards the action plan is also discussed at the respective work group meetings.

5. The final version of the action plan is due to be published very shortly and will initially be circulated to Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum members and work group heads. The Metropolitan Police Authority has representatives not only on both the Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum but also several of the work groups. Copies of the action plan will be submitted to the MPA upon completion. The document will also be published on the Diversity Directorate Intranet site. As the action plan is lengthy, the final version will become a foundation for future work. Thus, a quarterly narrative will be published detailing progress since the previous quarter. Copies of the full action plan will still be available upon request. It is intended that the action plan becomes a dynamic document: with actions being ‘completed’ and new work included.

Delivering the Diversity Agenda

6. The Deputy Commissioner has overall responsibility for the diversity agenda and as such chairs the Diversity Strategy Board. It is recognised that Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Grieve and the Diversity Directorate publicly champion the diversity agenda.

7. Each work group has a chair who effectively leads the diversity agenda around the responsibilities of their respective group. The chairs are currently as follows

• Investigation work group Detective Chief Inspector Dave Tucker
• Prevention work group Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Lovelock
  Sue Sanders LGBT Advisory Group
• Recruitment and Retention Denise Milani MPS
• Training Shaun Kennedy MPS
• Stop and Search Detective Chief Superintendent John Godsave
• Fair Practice (Internal) Commander Cressida Dick
• Fair Practice (External) Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Lovelock

8. Since the previous report dated 20 September 2001, Commander Cressida Dick has taken responsibility for the Fair Practice (Internal) work group. Commander Dick is in charge of the MPS Central Advisory Team, which was set up following recommendations in Lord Ouseley’s report on transforming the MPS. The Central Advisory Team is responsible for organisational cultural change, which is committed towards making the MPS a learning organisation. Thus, the work of this team is clearly involved with internal fairness issues which impact greatly on the Diversity Strategy. Hence, Commander Dick is ideally placed to progress the diversity agenda around internal fairness.

Stephen Lawrence Recommendations and the Wider Diversity Agenda

9. ‘Protect and Respect –everybody benefits’ goes beyond the issue of race alone and develops what we have learnt from phase one into action to benefit everybody. The wider diversity agenda is fully reflected in the action plan, stemming from the diversity strategy which aims to

• Work with Londoners to prevent and investigate crime
• Appreciate, understand and reflect London’s diversity
• Create a Metropolitan Police Service that people really want to work for
• Improve the way we work in partnership with the public

10. The action plan has clear focus around hate crime, family liaison, disproportionality, fairness, diversity training and the recruitment, retention and progression of minority staff. Where applicable, this addresses the wider diversity agenda as highlighted within the Diversity Strategy. The action plan also addresses the Disability Discrimination Act and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. In addition, the work of the Diversity Directorate encompasses this ethos with policy and practice of the MPS scrutinised to ensure that diversity becomes ‘mainstream’. If work is not directly attributed to the Diversity Directorate then it becomes a consultant to those whom conduct it. This is an effective method to sustain diversity throughout the organisation. Staff within the Directorate already have considerable influence on intelligence processes, critical incident management, family liaison, proactive operations, promotion processes, policy documents and training packages to ensure that diversity is reflected throughout. For instance, an MPS annual inspection programme will be launched in November 2001. Based upon HMIC ‘Going Local’ it will annually inspect units in key areas around Leadership, Performance, Communication and Diversity. The Diversity Directorate wrote the ‘diversity’ questions to ensure it was not compromised and ran through all aspects of core policing

11. The MPS has continued to monitor progress of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Recommendations since publication of the Report. A decision was taken, following consultation with the Commission for Racial Equality, to include the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report Recommendations within the action Plan. This gives clear responsibility and accountability for the Diversity Strategy Monitoring Unit to regularly update and sustain this work. The recommendations are updated on a quarterly basis for the Home Secretary’s Steering Group meeting ( last held on 22 October 2001). The progress to date is also placed on the Diversity Directorate’s Intranet site.

Monitoring Processes

12. Clearly, for the action plan to be truly effective, it needs to be rigorously monitored. The draft version is due to be finalised very soon and this will become a ‘living document’, which can be updated as required. A member of the (Diversity Strategy) Monitoring Unit has been invited onto every work group and is able to monitor the key actions directly. This system also prevents duplication across the work groups and conversely, promulgates successful initiatives that could equally apply to other work groups.

13. It is anticipated that systems will be put into place, which formalise the monitoring process. Work group heads will be accountable for the completion of their respective key actions. The Monitoring Unit will guide the groups, ensuring direction towards the overall strategy. Clearly, once key actions are completed, they will be deleted from the current version of the action plan. However, a record will be retained of all completed work so that progress can be charted (please refer to paragraph 15). Thus, on a quarterly basis, a current version of the action plan will be published, together with a progress chart detailing work completed by each work group for that period and its contribution to the Diversity Strategy (please refer to paragraph 4 – critical path analysis).

14. The work groups communicate their progress at the Diversity Strategy Co-ordination Forum where the Monitoring Unit also gives a composite presentation. This allows for a further level of monitoring and evaluation.

15. The action plan is an agenda item at the Diversity Strategy Board where a representative from the Monitoring Unit updates members as to progress. Again this mechanism allows for another level of scrutiny. In addition, the Monitoring Unit provides the Deputy Commissioner and Diversity Strategy Board members with a quarterly progress report charting the action plan to date.

Addressing ‘Gaps’

16. As previously mentioned, the systems recommended will be flexible enough to identify and address ‘gaps’. The continuity of having a member of the Monitoring Unit at each work group meeting will assist with maintaining direction towards the Diversity Strategy. Additionally, close liaison with representatives of the following bodies, either individually or through the Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum meetings, will constantly allow for regeneration and stimulation of the programme:

• Metropolitan Police Authority
• Commission for Racial Equality
• Independent Advisory Group
• Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Group
• Borough Operational Command Unit Staff
• Police Federation
• Staff Associations
• Victim Support Scheme
• Employers Forum on Disability
• Independent Consultants (one is currently employed to identify ‘gaps’ in the action plan)

17. If ‘gaps’ become apparent, the Monitoring Unit will assess what remedial measures need to be introduced in order to ‘plug’ them. This will be recommended to either the Diversity Strategy Board, Co-ordination Forum or relevant work group as appropriate. Clearly, the diverse experience contained within these fora enables a competent and measured response or recommendation. The main issue is to promote the confidence the MPS has in identifying ‘gaps’ and dealing with them effectively. The key to this is consultation, flexibility and continuity.

18. As mentioned in paragraph 5, the MPA has representatives on both the Diversity Strategy Board and Co-ordination Forum. In addition, two of the work groups benefit from MPA membership. The MPS would seek to encourage this representation as it allows the MPA to provide advice and direction in these for a. The MPS would also welcome further representation from the MPA in the other work groups.

C. Financial implications

The contents of this report present no additional financial implications beyond those previously budgeted.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Detective Inspector Jeremy Burton, Diversity Directorate.

For information contact:

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

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