Minutes

Minutes of the Equal Opportunity & Diversity Board held on 13 March 2003 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Cecile Wright (Chair)
• Toby Harris
• Peter Herbert
• Rachel Whittaker

 MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• David Riddle (Deputy Clerk)
• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)
• Julia Smith (Policy Officer, CDO)
• Claire Lambert (Analyst)
• Jude Sequeira (Policy Development Officer)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner)
• Commander Cressida Dick (Diversity Director)
• Chief Superintendent Bob Carr (HR Directorate)
• Linda Van den Hende (Disability Team - Diversity Directorate)
• Carl Bussey (Diversity Directorate)
• David Maguire (Head of Diversity Training Strategy Unit)
• PC Andy Hewlett (Community Liaison Officer, North Lambeth) attended for agenda item 5

Co-opted members - Lee Jasper, Martin Meredith and Rev. Stephen Penrose

Part 1

57. Introductions and apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Alison Fenney, Kirsten Hearn, Jason Lever, R.David Muir and Graham Tope.

The Clerk reported that Cindy Butts had notified her that with regret she had resigned from the Board due to her other Authority commitments. The Chair welcomed David Riddle, Deputy Clerk MPA to his first meeting of the Board.

58. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

59. Minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2003

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2003 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

60. Chair and Members’ update

(Agenda item 4)

The Chair reported that earlier in the week she had visited Hackney in connection with the Recommendation 61 pilot.

61. Presentation

(Agenda item 5)

The Rev Stephen Penrose made a presentation on his work as HIV Chaplain to London. This had included befriending people and putting them in touch with the appropriate support systems. He also referred to a new centre, which was being established to provide re-training for people who wished to return to work. He commended the MPS for its HIV policy but would welcome information on how it was working in practice.

PC Andy Hewlett spoke about his experience as an HIV positive police officer working in the MPS. PC Hewlett explained that he had been involved in the writing of the HIV policy. Whilst he had always been open about his HIV status there were other officers who also had a positive status who had chosen not to openly share this information. This raised the issue of whether the policy was being fully effective in all cases.

The Chair thanked PC Hewlett for attending to share his personal experience of this issue with the Board.

Resolved - That the presentation be noted.

62. HIV and policing

(Agenda item 6)

The Board received a brief report, which outlined the current MPS policy in respect of HIV and policing. Copies of the HIV policy referred to in the report were tabled.

Members asked for a more detailed report on this subject to include details of how relevant information is made available to officers who notify the Occupational Health service of their positive status and whether there is provision for third party reporting.

The Board also asked to be advised on how the policy was being implemented. Stephen Penrose said he would be willing to provide help with the monitoring process.

Resolved – That the report be noted and a further report be submitted to the next meeting.

63. Implementation of Recommendation 61 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received which set out progress in implementing Recommendation 61 since the last meeting of the Board.

The Chair reported that when she had met Commander Broadhurst (Chair of the Steering Group) at Hackney earlier in the week he had mentioned that difficulties were being reported with the use of the forms. There were also concerns that some key ethnic groups in Hackney were not included in the 16+1 classification. The Chair said that she has also been surprised to learn that the training for officers did not include talking to young people.

Lee Jasper reported that he had written to the Chair of the Authority on the 16+ 1 aspect in relation to the Turkish Cypriot community in Hackney.

Members pointed out that in addition to concerns expressed about the forms by MPA members at the design stage the Board had been on record as having had reservations about several aspects of the forms. Experience seemed to be showing that many of these concerns had been valid – for example the lack of a ‘Black British’ category in the 16+1 list and the inability to record details of communities which were heavily represented in particular boroughs but not London as a whole.

The Deputy Commissioner indicated that he understood member’s frustrations about the forms and the 16+1 classifications in particular and he reminded the Board that the information was currently required to be captured in a format acceptable to the Home Office.

A member referred to the considerable training cost in the event of the recording of all stops and stops and searches being introduced across the whole MPS if the training was at the same depth as Hackney.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

64. Progress report on MPS Disproportionality Sub-Group

(Agenda item 8)

The London Street Crime Management Board was established in June 2002 to tackle street crime by taking a multi agency approach. A Disproportionality Sub-Group has been set up to monitor any disproportionality issues relating to the activities of the agencies in achieving the street crime reduction targets and to identify any corrective actions required. A report was submitted which gave an overview of the aims of the Sub-Group and how they will be achieved.

Lee Jasper said that in his capacity is co-chair of the Sub-Group it had been noticeable that there were wide variances in the policies and practices between the agencies on such matters as ethnic monitoring. It was hoped that the other agencies would quickly be able to achieve the progress already in evidence within the MPS.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

65. Stop and Search Scrutiny

(Agenda item 9)

A report was considered which updated the Board on the progress of the scrutiny into the disproportionality aspects of stop and search.

Further to paragraph 3 it was noted that Sir Herman Ousley had notified that with regret he would no longer be able to sit on the scrutiny panel.

Resolved - That

1. the report be noted; and
2. Eric Ollerenshaw be appointed to the scrutiny panel.

66. MPS response to HMIC thematic inspection ‘diversity matters’

(Agenda item 10)

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has undertaken a thematic inspection of race and diversity training in the police services. The HMIC submitted feedback relating to issues arising from the inspection visits to the MPS and identified good practice, areas of noteworthy practice and perceived areas for improvement. A report was submitted which advised members of the work in progress to address the areas for improvement identified by HMIC.

Members requested that a follow up report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board and also to the Coordinating and Policing Committee. It was also felt that an action plan would be useful.

Resolved – That

1. the work in progress to address the areas for improvement identified by HMIC be noted; and
2. a further report be submitted to a future meeting of the Board and also to the Coordinating and Policing Committee.

67. MPA evaluation of the MPS CRR training

(Agenda item 11)

No report was submitted. Members were to receive a briefing paper.

68. Islamic community safety

(Agenda item 12)

A report was submitted which outlined the steps the MPS had taken with regard to assurance for the Islamic community especially in the context of the recent conflict in Iraq.

Commander Dick announced that ACPO was due to carry out some research into this subject.

Members asked for further information concerning the actual number of incidents referred to in paragraphs 15 to 17.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

69. MPA/MPS contract regulations - equalities statement

(Agenda item 13)

The Authority’s contract regulations are currently being reviewed. A report was submitted which sought members’ views on the proposed approach to incorporating equalities within the regulations.

It was noted that the equalities statement was part of the overall review of the contract regulations, which would be submitted to the Finance Committee for signing off.

A member questioned whether the Authority could insist on all the information referred to in item 2f of the appendix being supplied, as it seemed to go beyond the statutory requirement. The Clerk said that the wording would be looked at again.

Subject thereto it was

Resolved - That

1. the equalities and diversity statement attached in Appendix 1 for inclusion in the MPA’s contract regulations be agreed; and
2. a report be requested from the Commissioner on the cost implications arising from the approach set out in the statement.

70. Recruitment task force

(Agenda item 14)

A report was submitted which detailed progress on the work of the Recruitment Task force to examine way of increasing visible ethnic minority recruitment to the MPS.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

(see also discussion under minute 72)

71. Race Hate Crimes Forum

(Agenda item 15)

This report was withdrawn.

72. Performance management report

(Agenda item 16)

The equal opportunities and diversity management information up to February 2003 was submitted.

The Deputy Commissioner expressed concern about the way in which the information in the covering report had been selected and presented. He felt that the report highlighted the less satisfactory trends without reflecting the bigger picture, which was generally more encouraging.

Toby Harris pointed out that it remained the case that whilst that there had been an increase in the number of VEM recruits during the two years of rapid growth in officer numbers regrettably little progress had been made in meeting the Home Office target for the percentage of VEM officers.

The Deputy Commissioner stressed that every effort was being made to address the VEM recruitment issue on the basis of a common standard for all potential recruits.

Resolved - That the management information and emerging trends be noted.

73. Co-opted Members

(Agenda item 17)

A report was submitted which reviews the arrangements for appointing co-opted members to the Board. It invited the Board to submit the names of co-opted members to the Authority.

The Chair said that the present arrangements had not been in existence for very long and as they appeared to be working satisfactorily she would suggest that the existing organisation’s representatives and individual co-optees be reappointed for a further year. She would continue to seek ways of co-opting a young person to the Board.

Resolved - That

1. co-opted members continue to be appointed to the Board; and
2. the Authority at its Annual Meeting on 26 June be asked to approve the following co-opted members to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board for a period of one year after the Annual Meeting)
   • Lee Jasper - the Policy Director for Equalities and Policing in the Mayor’s Office (the Authority has earlier agreed that a named deputy, Rosemary Emodi, be identified for those occasions when he was not able to attend);
     Refugee Council – the successor to Alison Fenney who is leaving the organisation;
   • NSPCC - Jason Lever;
   • Commission for Racial Equality - Martin Meredith; and
   • Rev. Stephen Penrose - nominated in a personal capacity in view of his work with the LGBT community;
   • together with a young person, if one is identified.

74. Internal equal opportunities in the MPA Secretariat

(Agenda item 18)

A report was submitted which proposed that a small sub-group of the Board be set up to examine the effectiveness of the MPA’s internal grievance and complaints system with special reference to the requirements of equal opportunities policies and to make recommendations for future monitoring of its operation by the Board.

The Policy Officer, CDO explained that the role of the sub-group would be to supplement rather than replace any existing monitoring of the grievance and complaints schemes.

Resolved - That

1. a small sub-group be established to look into the process for addressing internal equal opportunities matters and to make recommendations; and
2. the sub-group be chaired by Cecile Wright and that Rachel Whittaker also be appointed to the sub-group with Kirsten Hearn (subject to her agreement) being the third member.

(note: Kirsten Hearn subsequently agreed to be a member of this sub-group)

75. Equality and diversity implications in reports considered at MPA Committees

(Agenda item 19)

A report was submitted which summarised some of the key equality and diversity issues identified in reports considered at recent meetings of the Authority’s Committees.

Resolved - That the information be noted.

The meeting closed at 4.30 p.m.

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