Gender and minority ethnic strength and progression

Report: 13
Date: 05 February 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report builds on information supplied to an earlier meeting of the Board and provides further information and analysis on areas requested by members.

A. Recommendations

That

1. this report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. The data relates to the last three financial years ending March 2001, March 2002 and March 2003, together with figures to 30 September 2003, and are contained in appendices as follows:

• Appendix 1: Data Analysis Report to which are attached the following for members only. Copies are available on the MPA website and from the Secretariat (020 7202 0182)
• Appendix 2: police officer strengths
• Appendix 3: police officer percentages
• Appendix 4: police staff strengths (excluding traffic wardens and PCSOs)
• Appendix 5: police staff percentages (excluding traffic wardens and PCSOs)
• Appendix 6: PCSO strengths and percentages
• Appendices 7 and 8 provide data on the spread of female and ethnic minority officers and staff through the ranks and pay bands, and by business group. Data is to 31 October 2003.
  Appendices 10 – 15 relate to retention by length of service:
• Appendix 9: police officer numbers
• Appendix 10: police officer as annual percentages of strength
• Appendix 11: police staff numbers (excluding traffic wardens and PCSOs)
• Appendix 12: police staff as annual percentages of strength (excluding traffic wardens and PCSOs)
• Appendix 13: PCSOs numbers and PCSOs as annual percentages of strength.

2. Appendix 14 contains progression data relating to police officers and police staff as at 31 March 2001 and 31 December 2002 respectively. The period of comparison for police staff is considerably shorter because progression data prior to December 2002 uses the pre-Hay grade categories, which are not directly comparable to the new Hay pay bands. For ease of comparison, this data is presented alongside data extracted from Appendices 7 and 8.

3. Additional wastage data relating to police officers and police staff (excluding traffic wardens and PCSOs), which gives wastage rates as a proportion of strength for women/men and minority ethnic/white staff, is additionally presented at Appendix 15.

4. This report focuses on:

1. Proportionality of police officer workforce with respect to minority ethnic and female police officers, including wastage issues and distribution among Operational Command Unit (OCUs); career progression of female and minority ethnic officers. The data in Appendix 14 and the analysis in Appendix 1 includes reference to Acting Sergeants, as requested by Members.
2. Ethnic proportionality of overall police staff workforce; career progression of female and minority ethnic police staff.

5. The gender proportionality of the police staff workforce is not, in itself, an issue of concern, and the PCSO workforce has always been, and continues to be, broadly proportionate in respect of women and minority ethnic groups. As at 30 September 2003, 29% of PCSOs were female and 35% were from minority ethnic groups, as compared with targets of 26% and 25% respectively.

6. Appendix 1 contains detailed analysis of the data relating to 4a) and 4b) above. The main themes to emerge are:

• Improved overall gender and ethnic workforce proportionality among police officers and police staff;
• Improved representation of women and minority ethnic police officers on boroughs.
• More female and minority ethnic police officers working in specialist units in the Specialist Operations and Specialist Crime directorates and in most Territorial Policing non-borough units.
• Progress on minority ethnic and female police officers’ progression through the rank structure.
• Better representation of minority ethnic police staff in pay bands B, C and D.
• Better representation of female police staff in pay bands B and C.

C. Equality and diversity implications

This report addresses workforce gender and ethnicity proportionality issues in relation to overall strength, turnover, distribution of female and minority ethnic police officers and police staff among units within the MPS, and the progression of female and minority ethnic officers and staff within the Service. Although retention and progression issues affect all staff within the MPS, the focus of this paper is specifically on female and minority ethnic groups. The diversity and equality implications are therefore wide-ranging, and throughout the paper specific areas have been identified where progress has been made, together with areas where continued focus will be required and is planned for the future.

D. Financial implications

Although this paper refers to various activities and initiatives in support of enhancing workforce proportionality, these are all funded from within existing budgets. There are, therefore, no financial implications arising directly from this report.

E. Background papers

• Gender and Minority Ethnic Presence in Operational Command Units, Briefing Paper submitted in January 2004

F. Contact details

Report author: Avril Cooper, HR Directorate, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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