Disability Discrimination Act

Report: 09
Date: 28 November 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the approach the MPS is taking to ensure that it introduces measures to be fully compliant with the provisions under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995).

The report also indicates the initiatives already taken in respect of the European Year of the Disabled.

A. Recommendations

That members note the progress to date in respect of compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act and plans to focus greater activity in this important area of diversity to coincide with the European Year of the Disabled.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The purpose of this report is to provide members with an overview of the areas of work being undertaken to ensure that in addition to complying with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the MPS integrates disability issues into the broader diversity agenda.

2. The early work on preparing for the European Year of the Disabled is also described.

Background

3. Prior to early 2001 work on the separate aspects of the Act, employment and environmental issues, were being undertaken by respective departments with little or no co-ordination or awareness of what other work was being undertaken.

4. As a result of an internal seminar run by Personnel Department in October 2000 to inform personnel staff of the employment aspects of the Act, Management Board decided to set up a Disability Discrimination Act Programme Board under the Assistant Commissioner Policy, Review and Standards (ACPRS). Its main role was to identify across the MPS what work was being undertaken in support of the Act and where appropriate, direct and guide developments. It also provided a focus for communication on disability issues.

5. From 2004 the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will be extended to cover police officers. In practical terms this means that forces will have to ensure policies and practices do not discriminate against disabled applicants or police officers who become disabled in work. The Act already requires forces to do this for support staff. The Home Office is conducting a review of the disability criteria and recruitment standards including operational health and physical fitness standards

6. The Programme Board brings together representatives of all departments/directorates who have responsibilities covered by the Act. This includes Property Services, Directorate of Information, Training, Personnel policy, C3i, Occupational Health, Operational policy and the Diversity Directorate.

7. The MPS, together with the majority of police forces in England and Wales, are members of the police network co-ordinated by the Employers Forum on Disability (EFD) and has for the past two years seconded a chief inspector to this organisation. The network’s role is to promote disability awareness across police forces in England and Wales and to provide a link to external agencies that can support the police in ensuring compliance. The EFD provides a useful reference point for information and produces regular updates on disability issues. This secondment is very valued by the EFD and has been successful in raising the profile of disability issues within operational policing across the police service in England and Wales. The seconded officer also attends both the Programme Board and the MPS Diversity Co-ordination Forum.

8. The areas of work being undertaken have fallen under two main headings; employment and services. On the employment front, a range of work has been progressed including generally raising awareness amongst personnel managers of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act in that discrimination on the grounds of disability is unlawful; producing clear guidance for occupational health staff, ensuring recruitment practices for civil staff are non-discriminatory. A comprehensive Special Notice was issued in November 2001 which provided guidance on all aspects of employment.

9. Awareness training has also featured in the work undertaken. An awareness training pack was issued in January 2001 to all OCUs which was delivered locally during the regular training sessions. Given the many competing demands of these local training sessions, the training has not been universally delivered.

10. Training Directorate, as part of the on-going development of CRR training has sought to extend training into this area. Progress has been slow due to difficulties in identifying appropriate issues to include in the training. As disability covers such a wide range of issues, this work is continuing.

11. On the services front, Property Services has a well-developed programme of work to upgrade front offices in police stations to ensure they are compliant. This extends to providing parking areas where this is possible, as well as hearing induction loops and lower counters for easy access

12. There has also been work conducted into developing a cell that takes account of disability issues.

13. Technological developments to support disabled staff are a further area which has supported our compliance with the Act. This has tended to be delivered on an 'ad hoc' basis and frequently there is a lack of knowledge that support may be available to staff. Work is currently underway to set up a dedicated resource where staff can visit to try out different technological aids to assist in the workplace. This is being jointly developed by the Directorate of Information and Occupational Health, to ensure that health and safety aspects are fully taken into account.

14. The Programme Board has had no anchor into the main decision making bodies of the organisation. Only on an occasional basis did issues get taken forward to Management Board. These issues were normally property services matters where funding provision was required as part of the budget process. This omission has recently been rectified by the inclusion in the Diversity Co-ordination Forum of responses to the Diversity Action Plan and regular updates to the Forum.

15. In addition the Programme Board have recognised for some time that the MPS corporate response to our responsibilities under the Act have not had the benefit of the views of either the disabled community or overtly our own staff who may have a disability. That said, some local arrangements have developed although there is no central capture of such initiatives.

16. In recognising the need to engage with the community in respect of services, a seminar was held in June 2002 with representatives of the disabled community. It was aimed at exploring with them, their views as to the way we police this hard to reach community. A summary of the issues raised is attached at Appendix 1.

17. The Programme Board plan to hold a further external seminar early in the New Year to explore issues of employment. We would plan to hold an internal focus group with staff with disabilities as a pre-requisite.

18. The outcome of our external seminar has affirmed the need to develop a more proactive approach to disability issues both internally and externally. We need to refocus internal staff resources to embrace disability more directly in our diversity plans and ensure that it is integrated into local activities as well as being supported corporately.

19. The Programme Board has recently invited a member of the disabled community to join the Board to participate with us to develop our strategy for the future.

Future

20. The Programme Board has now begun to refocus its efforts and a new ‘Vision and Objectives’ is being finalised. There has been internal agreement that the Diversity Directorate will more actively support the work by redirecting resources to assist in areas of investigating hate crime as part of its on-going work, ensuring local diversity action plans have disability clearly identified as specific areas. This will include ensuring the learning from locally established advisory groups is fed into the co-ordinated action plans. On the training front, work to ensure disability is integral to diversity training will be developed.

21. As part of the refocusing exercise plans are being formulated to give greater emphasis to this work by appointing a senior resource to take the lead in ensuring that disability issues are given greater importance within the overall diversity action plans. This will cover both employment and service delivery aspects of the function. This is planned to occur early in the New Year. This work will be firmly rooted in the overall diversity strategy.

22. A bid for resources from the Department of Works and Pensions in support of the European Year of the Disabled has been submitted for developing schemes aimed at encouraging disabled groups to have a more direct role in participating with the police. This work should help identify local issues that are of concern, on a Borough, to the disabled community.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The report sets out the work that is underway to support full compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act. It contributes to the overall corporate Diversity Action Plan.

D. Financial implications

The work being undertaken by Property Services Department in respect of front offices and cell redesign has been fully factored into the budget and therefore no additional budgetary requirements arise. Should the bid to the Department of Works and Pensions be unsuccessful this will result in the pilot to encourage greater local participation between the MPS and disabled groups to be delayed. The Programme Board does not have an identified budget but uses existing resources to undertake project work.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Linda Van den Hende

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Task list extracted from DDA seminar report prepared July 2002

At the DDA Programme Board meeting on 5th November 2002, the list of tasks from the June Seminar was revisited and the following actions were agreed.

Interaction & communication

• Allowing, where possible, a scheme to be set up where police make themselves known by going into hospitals and interacting with patients)
• Sending out information leaflets to hospitals and care homes (e.g. stay safe leaflets)
• Looking at the prospects of the police and members of the disabled community working in schools. Could this link into the schemes where officers are already stationed as points of contact in schools?
• Organising police station open days
• The use of ‘jargon’ - to be able to reach people with the right information we must be careful and considerate in the way it is published
• Consider a local ‘Disability Champion’ on each Borough
• Liasing with Primary Care Authorities (or other relevant authorities) to ensure that local police are aware where those released from long stay care are living
• Ensuring police increase liaison with Health Authorities
• Transport, with the aim to reduce the volume of harassment and bullying that occurs on buses etc
• Liaising with other partners in the Criminal Justice System to address the court–related issues
• Making use of the offers of partnership. Who will be responsible for keeping all relevant parties informed as to the work of the MPS and co-ordinating future events
• Review of present appropriate adult scheme. This could be aided by a further seminar bringing together those who have acted as appropriate adults and the trainers of appropriate adults

Police station facilities

A number of suggestions were made for improving facilities at police stations:

• More privacy at the front desks
• More seating areas
• More sensitive handling of disabled customers at the front desk
• Alternatives to push button entry
• Providing more disabled parking spaces

Training

• Having more officers and station reception staff who are able to use sign language.
• The Met could benefit from using the services of disabled members of the community to help in training officers.
• How could the Met incorporate this into a very competitive and overly busy training schedule? Could this be part of the street duties training course or voluntary training?

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