Increasing accessibility to policing services

Report: 6b
Date: 5 October 2006
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing for the Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the background and proposed strategic development of front counter police services within the MPS with the intention of significantly increasing accessibility to and improving the qualify of front counter services.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members note the report and agree to the proposed strategy for the development of front counter services ;and
2. the Police Authority considers suitable oversight arrangements for the development of this area of service.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. MPS front counters represent the ‘shop window’ of our organisation and are key to our citizen-focus programme. It is here many victims of crime and members of the community make contact with the MPS and frequently we are judged solely on the quality of the service they receive. It is our intention to improve and increase the provision of such services and move many of them into community-based settings.

2. Accessibility to front counter services and the quality of service delivered are areas in which the community and the MPS/MPA seek improvement. The introduction of the National Quality of Service Agreement and two PPAF measures for victim satisfaction reinforce the need to make such improvements.

3. Historically the MPS has closed front offices on the grounds of needing to use resources more effectively; this has not met with support from communities and has left a void in the eyes of local communities, particularly around the perception of police visibility. We are now clear that provision of front office services is a key element to reassurance and therefore we intend to build on the experience of Safer Neighbourhoods.

4. The overall strategic intention is to modernise the current process of delivering front counter services to reflect a ‘citizen focused’ approach. Conflicts arise through the need to undertake reception, enforcement, and victim focus functions within one station office. This segregation will allow for an enhanced service to all categories of customer and a more appropriate approach to meeting their individual needs.

5. The programme to bring about these changes has the following specific strategic intentions:

1. All front counter functions will be reviewed to address capacity and demand through the analysis and redesign of existing business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in performance. This will produce a corporate framework for effectively meeting the demand on front counters through the development of efficient business processes to manage demand and better meet customer needs.
2. To modify and synchronise front counters with the MPS Estate Modernisation Programme and the Safer Neighbourhood roll out to provide a customer interface point on each ward. This will increase the accessibility and provision of police services to the community, through front counters and other types of contact points, thereby providing reassurance and a visible increase in the profile of policing in communities.
3. Front counter services to be delivered by extending the role of the Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) to the role of Station Reception Officer (SRO), thereby creating the new post of Station Community Support Officers (SCSO). This will:
   • release a substantial number of police officers from regularly undertaking front counter duty for redeployment to front line policing duties;
   • complement the principles of the role of the PCSO i.e. visibility and community reassurance;
   • support the aims of the SN initiative; and
   • improve and sustain the professionalisation of the role delivering front counter services.

6. The project aims to deliver an improved and highly visible service to local communities. The MPS estate modernisation programme will extend the number of front counter opportunities in keeping with the Safer Neighbourhoods programme. At the same time, the MPS will appoint SCSOs to give consistent, dedicated and trained professional front counter services. The cumulative effect would be to enhance the accessibility to and confidence in the provision of, police services.

7. The creation of patrol bases, administrative capacity and custody centres under the Estate Modernisation Programme will allow for the segregation of the many functions currently performed at front counters. Newly developed satellite station offices in locations of high visibility will provide an enhanced service for victims, enquirers and witnesses while services specifically related to the police enforcement role (Book 41, football banning orders etc) will be provided by Borough 24/7 station offices to be known as Principal sites. The model for most boroughs would be to have a number of satellite front counters sited in highly visible community locations delivering a victim based service surrounding one Principal site for enforcement activity.

8. This model will be further developed to achieve an infrastructure where the provision of police services can be accessed within the community through the use of IT and at community focus points such as community centres, mosques etc. The business processes conducted by front counters are complex, numerous and varied. The project will review and rationalise many of these processes and seek IT solutions to resolve the burden placed on front counters. The aim of this strand is to ensure the MPS meets the demands and needs of our customers more effectively. IT solutions will be exploited and research will be conducted to work towards utilising Metcall to provide 24/7 accessibility to policing services.

9. This will allow us to build on the network of volunteers that has been developed as well as a range of third party reporting initiatives with the intention of providing volunteer assisted sites in a range of venues and situations. These will be supported by PCSOs and SCSOs and will extend the accessibility of policing services considerably.

10. The conduit for the development of this model for accessibility to police services is embedded in the aims of the SN initiative. The vision therefore is for front counter services to be provided by Station Community Support Officers (SCSO), who are trained and designated in both the PCSO and the SRO role and therefore have the skills and competencies to undertake this wide ranging, customer focussed role. Moving towards this will provide excellent developmental opportunities for those who are a SRO or PCSO now. It will also provide a level of flexibility within our workforce to ensure that we release police officers from the need to cover front counter services and complement the structure of SN Teams.

Governance

11. The project is being led by Territorial Policing. The project’s director is Commander Rod Jarman and the project manager is Superintendent Nick Jupp. Membership of the programme board is drawn from Property Services (PS), Human Resources (HR), Territorial Policing (TP) Directorate of Information (DoI) and Citizen Focus. The programme Board includes the Metropolitan Police Authority. As yet formal reporting arrangements to the Police Authority have not been agreed. In addition there is a User Group made up of staff and community representatives to provide effective insight into the issues being raised. The project is proposed to be a 2-3 year development programme which started in June 2006. Exact timescales are yet to be confirmed, as they are dependant on a number of variable factors that have yet to resolved.

Progress to date

12. Management Board agreed the project aims in June 2006. There are three strands to the project - buildings, people and processes. A project manager heads each strand with a team drawn from specialist areas. The following commentary summarises the progress to date and the next steps:

1. Buildings - to design a blueprint for the vision for the location of front counters throughout the MPS work is currently being undertaken to consult with Boroughs and their communities. A request has been sent out to all Borough Commanders to identify the anticipated number and location of front counters for their Borough. This request has asked them to identify one Principal site open 24/7 to deliver the enforcement process and between 4 and 8 additional front counter sites working in tandem with the roll out of Safer Neighbourhood bases. The purpose of this activity is to ensure there is corporate agreement and accord with other MPS strategies. As a result of this request the project strand team will draw up a draft plan of the location of front counters for discussion and approval. This strand is being progressed in concert with Property Services and Safer Neighbourhoods.
2. People - a series of workshops has been organised to resolve the staffing issues. This strand is being led by TP with support from HR. Central to the proposal has been the concept of professionalising the role to ensure that a consistent and sustainable workforce is deployed to provide the delivery of police services. This will be provided through the recruitment of PCSOs. Consultation has taken place with existing Station Reception Officers, staff associations, and the Home Office.
3. Processes - the project team will seek to modernise the provision of police services through a process of identifying existing and future demands made of police services. The team is working with colleagues from boroughs to conduct research into creating a demand profile. It is anticipated that there will be a number of projects that will emanate from this piece of work to establish the services that will be provided by front offices and a move to make more services accessible through technology and reduce dependency on police services being delivered at front counters
4. Communication - a communications strategy has been developed. Contact has been progressed through a number of forums. In August existing Station Reception Officers and Staff Association representatives were invited to attend two seminars where the project team gave a presentation. Borough Commanders have been briefed through a number of meetings through Link Commanders. Community consultation has begun through Boroughs and membership of the user group.

Organisational risks

13. There are risks in the delivery of major changes to front office services. This initiative will take into account the views and perspectives of all communities and stakeholders through extensive consultation. The main risks are in the following areas:

1. Community Relations - This area of risk is of primary importance because of the nature of the business being conducted. Mention has been made of front counters being the ‘shop window’ of the MPS. It therefore follows that these proposed changes to service delivery will be under the microscope from the community. The overarching aim is to improve the quality of service of front office encounters through the separation of discrete areas of service delivery that will be complemented by an increase in the number of customer interface points for each Safer Neighbourhood Ward.
2. Human Resource Management - Similar to all significant change management programmes there will be a wide variance of response from our people. Steps are being taken to manage the welfare, transition and expectations of existing SROs. The change in the designation and contractual changes for PCSOs will receive sensitive and diplomatic attention.
3. Business Processes - The number and complexity of business processes conducted by front counters are numerous and varied. It is proposed to review and rationalise many of these processes and seek IT solutions to resolve the burden placed on front counters. Each one of the processes has many facets that would need co-ordination and this in its own right may give rise to challenges within the organisation that would present a risk.
4. Estate Strategy - The rollout for the Safer Neighbourhood (SN) initiative is well underway. The provision of SN bases affords an opportunity to give consideration to the location of front counters. Locating front counters in communities complements the strategic aim of SN by increasing the visibility of police and further improves the accessibility to police services. Combined, this will enhance community reassurance. However the SN building programme should not unduly influence the location of front counters, as community needs and consultation should be the driving force underpinning any decision around the location of front counters. Liaison between PS, SN and boroughs has been established with a mechanism for this to take place.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The implementation of the recommendations made in this report to make the role of the SRO a specialist role for PCSOs will enhance the career opportunities for police staff, SROs and PCSOs. As the role of SRO is particularly attractive to flexible workers, women and BEM individuals, this should have a positive impact on PCSO recruitment.

2. The expansion of the number of front counters in more communities allows for an enhanced service that will benefit those more vulnerable communities. With the growth in new communities the provision of a local front counter will provide opportunities for police support and reassurance to be given. The move towards assisted locations within the community provides opportunities for specific services to be tailored towards individuals. Specifically it would allow for tailor made front office services within facilities for the elderly, young people, those with disabilities, faith environments, etc. This should provide us with a significant opportunity to improve accessibility to a range of groups of people who may not have trust and confidence in current approaches.

D. Financial implications

1. The budget for the project has not yet been fully developed. However, the planned new SCSOs posts which will replace the existing SRO posts are funded through the neighbourhood policing fund – the income from which was included in the budget proposals considered by the joint Finance/PPR Committee on 21 September, though the proposal to use PCSOs in this way has not previously been presented to the MPA. The project costs will be met from within Territorial Policing business group budgets.

2. The requirements for the development of the estate are being identified currently in the project – it is anticipated that most, if not all, of the requirement will be met through the planned safer neighbourhood implementation.

3. A fuller assessment of the financial implications will be completed after the consultation phase with boroughs about the location of front offices. This will then inform the profile for the appropriate staffing levels required.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Nicholas Jupp, Front Office Project Manager; Commander Rod Jarman Territorial Policing, MPS

For information contact:

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

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