MPS thematic report on race and diversity – update

Report: 06
Date: 4 November 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the present position of the MPS with regard to the progress being made in addressing the recommendations from the MPS ‘Thematic Review of Race and Diversity in the Metropolitan Police Service’ undertaken by AC Ghaffur.

A. Recommendations

1. Members are asked to note the progress achieved so far.
2. The progress continues to be monitored through the co-ordinating group comprising of MPA Members, the Independent Advisory Group and the MPS Diversity Directorate.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPS review, commissioned by Sir John Stevens in the wake of the October 2003 BBC ‘Secret Policeman’ documentary, sought to identify both existing and potential areas of concern across the MPS diversity agenda. Focussing primarily, though not exclusively on racial issues, the review was further driven by concerns aired by both the MPS Black Police Association and the Independent Advisory Group.

2. Research for the review was undertaken using the following methodology;

• A comprehensive desktop review of relevant documents relating to the areas under examination.
• Personal visits to relevant units and a ‘walk through’ of related processes conducted by Assistant Commissioner Ghaffur, Commander Ian Carter and members of the working group.
• Collection and critique of policy, procedures, systems, initiatives, issues raised by various staff and representative organisations.
• Examination of the ‘Secret Policeman’ programme, to look at the issues raised in the context of learning for the MPS.
• Debriefing of key managers and staff within the Human Resources, Diversity and Professional Standards Directorates.
• Focus groups with various representative groups and borough Commanders.
• Re-examination of all previous reports and their recommendations relating to race and diversity.

3. In addition to identifying a number of initial actions in immediate response to the documentary, the report went on to highlight further concerns in the following areas:

• Effectiveness of service delivery
• Appropriateness and inclusiveness of internal processes
• Complaints, grievance handling and discipline
• Leadership
• MPS approach to adoption of race and diversity legislation
• Progress by the MPS on internal and external reports on race and diversity

4. The final report, which identified 42 recommendations for change, was endorsed by MPS Management Board and published in March 2004.

5. In addressing the recommendations, responsibility for progression was allocated to nominated stakeholders within the business areas upon which particular recommendations specifically impacted. Overview of this process is maintained by the Directorate of Organisational Learning (DCC9) under Commander Carter, with progress being monitored by way of quarterly review. Progress updates are collated within DCC9 in the form of a matrix which provides a transparent and auditable record of progress.

6. Specific comment has been requested around the following themes with reference to the particular recommendations relating to them. The most recent available details of progress are recorded below those recommendations.

Victim care

7. Recommendation 2: ‘Consideration should be given by the DCC to the development of service standards to meet the needs and expectations of London’s diverse communities. Standards for call handling, crime management, counter services and victim care should be devised’.

8. Territorial Policing (TP) responses on call handling and counter services: Modernising Operations (also known as the Diamond Programme) under Commander Broadhurst’s portfolio leads on the C3i programme (Command, Control, Communication and Information).

9. The C3i progamme is working towards:

• Moving all control rooms into one operational command unit, dealing with phone calls received from the public and dispatching police where appropriate
• Freeing up police resources by moving towards civilianisation in the new MPS Metcall command, control and communications centres
• Introducing new communication technologies to front line policing

10. C3i will deliver:

• A more corporate and consistent response an efficient and effective call handling system with capacity to survive in the long-term the ability to resolve calls at the first point of contact with the caller, by providing more information and assistance
• Prioritised, informed and directed dispatch of response police
• Improved safety for operational police
• More police back on the streets once MPS Metcall is established

11. In addition Integrated Borough Operations (IBO) will provide 24-hour command support for Boroughs, together with the centralisation and standardisation of approaches to resource management, intelligence and incident supervision. The IBO function will manage all Borough resources, not just those associated with Metcall.

12. The Demand Management Best Value Review looked at the areas of accessibility, managing resources, managing incident and shaping public expectations. The key aim of the review being to transform the way the MPS deliver our services and adopting a philosophy about getting it right first time.

13. A project board has been established chaired by Commander Broadhurst, to ensure that achievable benefits of each recommendation are realised.

14. The recommendations relate to the following areas of policing:

• Improving customer satisfaction by matching front counter services to demand and identifying opportunities for joining up access with partners.
• Developing help desk functions and considering the introduction of a single non-emergency number.
• Improve the MPS website.
• Better matching resources to local demand and increasing the ratio of experienced staff to probationers on response teams.
• Developing MPS standards of patrol supervision.
• Optimising the availability of resources to meet demand though efficient BOCU shift patterns.
• Introducing new call grading deployment protocols.
• Improving the availability of resources to meet demand by introducing an MPS effective crewing policy that increases the number of single officers patrols.
• Increasing the skills available by providing by increasing training opportunities and seeking ways to keep those skills where best needed.
• Developing strategies to shape public expectations and reduce the inappropriate use of the 999 system.

15. TP response on victim care: The Criminal Justice Department (also known as Operational Emerald) under Commander Hitchcock’s portfolio leads on witness care units.

16. Witness Care Units (WCU) are set up to deliver excellent victim and witness care. They currently support victims and witnesses involved in the Criminal Justice process from the point where a defendant has been charged with an offence. Witness Care Units are now in place on each of the 32 Boroughs and Heathrow.

17. Each WCU offers:

• A single point of contact for victims and witnesses
• Individual Needs Assessments
• Individual Risk Assessments
• Tailored interventions
• Referral to relevant support agencies
• Regular contact with victims and witnesses
• Regular updates
• Court Warnings
• Collation and Dissemination of Dates To Avoid
• Notification of the Result

18. Customer satisfaction surveys have been sent to Internal Consultancy Group for evaluation. Initial results show over 80% of victims and witnesses were either satisfied or very satisfied with the level of service provided by Witness Care Units. A more detailed evaluation will be available in the next few weeks.

19. TP response on crime management: A number of portfolio’s lead on crime management policy; Op. Emerald, the Crime Directorate, under Commander Moore, and the Community and Partnership programme, lead by Commander Smith.

20. Operation Emerald for example leads on Case Progression Units and lawyers at the point of charge.

21. The Crime Directorate leads on projects such as ‘Sapphire’ to focus on improving MPS performance on rape investigation and significantly enhancing the care given to victims across London. Its Crime Policy Unit research and develop policy, tactics and best practice concerning Street Crime, Burglary and Vehicle Crime.

22. The Safer Neighbourhoods Unit embraces a diverse portfolio of responsibilities and includes the Anti-social Behaviour Team, the Extended Police Family (MSC, PCSOs, police cadets and volunteers), the Crime Prevention Team, the Problem Solving Team, and the Youth Policy Team.

Community engagement

23. Recommendation 4: ‘Corporate and local IAGs need to be more representatives of London’s new communities. The MPS should also create an IAG database’

• Strategic contacts have been made with representatives from the ten new countries joining the European union.
• The Diversity Directorate held a Pan London Independent advisors conference on the 19th of May 2004 at Hendon. It was attended by some 190 people, of which 150 were advisors. It was opened by the Deputy Commissioner, with inputs from John Azah and Bob Hodgson (Chair and Co. Chair of the IAG and LGBT AG respectively). Examples of practical good use of advisors were given.
• The Diversity Directorate has established a database covering the membership of the IAG, LGBT AG, Gypsy and Traveller AG and Met. Youth Advisory Group. (MYAG). This includes details of those Boroughs with local IAGs, but not of specific membership.
• Diversity Directorates Strategic Relationships Team has and is, liasing with a number of the ‘new’ communities in London with a view of inviting them to the corporate advisory groups. As the groups are independent, whilst the introductions can be made, it is up to the individual IAG’s to admit according to their respective recruitment criteria.
• Currently the IAG is reviewing its membership and have made an undertaking to ensure that it better reflects those communities that make up London.
• Diversity Directorates Strategic Relationships Team continue to make contact and liase with, new communities and boroughs, to ensure that as communities migrate there is appropriate representation both at a corporate and local level.

24. Recommendation 6: ‘The MPS should develop a coherent strategy on youth involvement including recruitment, placement schemes, crime prevention and volunteerism. This strategy should be developed through consultation with the Youth Advisory Group and London’s young people’.

• ‘Safer Neighbourhood’ teams across London continue to provide the MPS with the opportunity to engage at local level with the young people in our communities.
• The MPS have also agreed to further support the BPA initiative and this is being linked into safer neighbourhoods, focussing on Trident boroughs and engaging with youth at risk.
• TP are about to establish the Safer London Foundation, a charitable trust, which will provide funding for youth based projects across London. The patron of the charity is Prince Charles.
• The TP Safer Schools Partnership in secondary schools has approximately one hundred officers in the role now and the Commissioner is increasing this by another 30 officers in September, funded through Safer Streets money.

25. A meeting has been arranged for MPS Youth Strategic Co-Ordinators at GOL 9/11/04 focussing on:

• Borough activities to support the youth strategy
• The development of a borough youth check list.
• To agree and finalise a system for monitoring and evaluating diversion schemes
• To share good practice
• A final draft of borough activities will be sent to boroughs and placed on the TP safer Neighbourhoods website post meeting.
• Police officer to be seconded to RAINER a national youth diversion charity on their diversion and resettlement programme.
• Quarterly meetings are held with youth diversion organisations. Primary aims are to share good practice and to focus their work on boroughs.

26. The consultation process for the 2005 MPS Policing Plans continues. To date consultation has taken place in schools through the safer schools programme, Voluntary Cadets, special needs schools the MPS YAG and ‘Fairbridge’ who have recently opened a new centre in Hackney in addition to their Lambeth and Brent facilities.

27. Recommendation 8: ‘Minority press advertising should continue and appropriate funding should be provided to extend the campaigns to minority radio and television channels’.

• The organisation’s advertising is divided between Human Resources for recruitment and the Directorate of Public Affairs for all other advertising.
• HR Marketing & Advertising initiatives continue to support Premier Christian Radio activities.
• Media advertising focuses primarily on press and radio advertising due to the prohibitive costs and the inability to evaluate TV advertising. TV remains out of reach for individual forces.
• HR Marketing & Advertising advertise in a range of minority press including ‘Muslim News’, ‘Pride’, ‘Sikh Times’, ‘Jewish Chronicle’, ‘Works for Me’, ‘The Voice’, ‘Asian Voice’ and ‘Chinatown’. They also advertise MPS involvement in events including London Dragon Boat Festival, Asian Lifestyle Show, Anglo Thai Foundation Festival, London Mela, Faith Intromet and The Careers Show Case.
• Future campaigns include Diwali, Eid and Chinese New Year, which will use an extensive range of minority media.
• We also promote the coverage and advertising in the minority media of the so called “extended police family” such as PCSO’s, Special Constabulary and police staff. This also includes editorial in ‘Black History Month’ publications. Special Constabulary advertising will continue in ‘New Nation’ & ‘Caribbean Times’.
• HR Marketing & Advertising use pre & post campaign research analysing messages, media & creative executions which appeal in particular to minority groups by community and gender.

28. DPA commissioned a specialist minority research company to carry out qualitative research into attitudes of Muslim communities and separate research into attitudes of the African Caribbean communities to inform how we can better communicate with these audiences.

29. The current Trident campaign consultation included the Trident IAG and the London Mayor’s advisor on race. Placement of adverts were targeted to newspapers, magazines and radio that the target audience use, including ‘The Voice’, ‘New Nation’, ‘RWD’, ‘Touch’, ‘Tense’, ‘Invincible’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Hip Hop Connection’, ‘Young Voices’, Choice FM and Kiss 100. The campaign has sponsored the Respect Festival, Urban Music Seminar, RAVE, Hosana Sports basketball competition and used a specialist distribution company to distribute leaflets at nightclubs predominantly used by the ‘Trident’ audience.

Recruitment and progression of black and minority ethnic officers including to specialist units

30. Recommendation 7: ‘Consideration should be given to bring about changes in police regulations to allow police officers to be recruited from a wider range of communities through issuing immigration-approved work permits’.

• Completed – not implemented. The Home Office has recently been contacted and stated that there is currently no intention of extending the existing provisions under nationality in light of the opposition to the recent changes raised in the House of Commons.

31. Recommendation 9: ‘Consideration should be given to increasing pre-entry familiarisation visits to the MPS for applicants who do not have historical or current knowledge of the MPS. Consideration could also be given to designing a virtual tour available through the internet’.

• Completed. 23 black and minority ethnic recruits attended a pre-training school induction at Hendon on 26/4/04. The feedback and debrief, although positive, raised no specific concerns for black and minority ethnic recruits. This was run once, but following a debrief with attendees was not considered to add value to the Positive Action Central Team (PACT) support already provided. PAcT continues to offer bespoke support sessions and as such the success rate for applicants at the assessment centre is notably higher than the national average. They provide all potential applicants with holistic careers advice, referring applicants who have been unsuccessful in one aspect of joining the policing family to joining another i.e. Police officer applicant who narrowly fails the process supporting their entry at PCSO.
• The new Recruitment website www.metpolicecareers.co.uk was launched 28 June 2004. The next phase of the website focuses on developing the ‘Keep Warm’ micro site which will contain information targeted to selected police officer candidates waiting to start at Hendon, Sunbury and Orpington. The micro site is anticipated to be live by September 2004. A virtual tour has been highlighted as an essential element of this site. The concept is to be scoped out by our Internet company Empower, as to it’s feasibility, a target timescale for completion of this project (if technically feasible) is December 2004.

33. Recommendation 11: ‘The HR Directorate should design an additional section to insert into the application form to capture wider range of personal skills and experience’

• New general application form for police staff has been introduced, which is capable of being scanned onto MetHR. The form is able to be scanned after being redesigned by us and approved by Home Office (H.O)., but does not yet include languages/ life skills. We are in the process of preparing our approach to H.O. which will include re-design of the application form to reflect our strategy of focusing on Londoners, graduates and those applicants with 2nd languages.
• The contents of the police application, however, are determined by the National Recruiting Standards. In light of our agreed strategy, we are now preparing an approach to Home Office to address the issue of second languages. Our strategy appears to have wide support, including Minister for policing, Hazel Blears. More research is being undertaken to support our approach, including consultation with our partners and stakeholders both internally and externally.

34. Recommendation 12: ‘As requested by the MPA co-ordination and policing committee the HR Directorate and DOIT team should commission a research study, using sound, recognised methodologies, to investigate why candidates, particularly those from visible ethnic minorities, drop out during the recruitment process’

• 12-month project being undertaken by Metropolitan University to identify the barriers to recruitment. Interim report available. The project started Jan 04 and ends Jan 05. An initial report has been undertaken by Metropolitan University. Their findings highlight the need to undertake activity directed at specific groups and communities. As a result recruitment activities have been focused to community groups i.e. Tamil event in June, Farsi speaking one on the 27th October. The Barriers did not identify anything not already known, but emphasised where we should conduct activity.
• The next stage, currently underway, looks at reasons why applicants withdraw from the process. For example just over 1000 applications have been sent to internal staff seeking police officer roles and only 23% have been returned. The return rate for visible minority staff is 25%. The return rate for external applicants is around the same. The results will help PAT develop their support sessions and the way that support sessions are marketed to potential applicants. The results from the Metropolitan University research will be used to facilitate the recruiting process.
• With regard to the need to feed appropriate results into Home office to elicit necessary changes to national procedures. The MPS is represented on the Advisory Group National Recruiting Standards (AGNRS) so can provide information to this group, which in turn will influence the exercises etc.
• The MPS annually takes part in a validation exercises for the next series of exercises (to be introduced Nov 04) to be used within the police selection process. This is a consultation process that is built into the year and involves consultation by Centrex of all the stakeholders involved in the assessment process

35. Recommendation 13: ‘The new recruitment process must be closely monitored and levels of adverse impact analysed to inform a decision over the continued use of the National Recruit Selection Process’.

• The selection process is monitored on a monthly basis. The recommendations within the Breaking Through action plan have also been introduced. The analysis is carried out by way of chi-square analysis.
• Chi-square analysis is a technique used to provide evidence of an association between variables by comparing the observed values with those expected. Our data indicates that, by use of Chi-square analysis, there appears to be an adverse impact on black and minority ethnic candidates in certain exercises.
• We are presently constrained by the Home Office on the use of the NRS process. The present opinion at Centrex is that there is no significant adverse impact. We continue to be represented at AGNRS and keep them up to date with our data.

36. Recommendation 14: Consideration should be given to exploring alternative options for testing ability and to developing a suite of tests that could be used for the selection of both police officers and police staff. This could comprise measures of general and specific, job-related abilities or skills.

• The Directorate uses selection processes that are appropriate to the competences being tested; the processes take into account the needs of stakeholders. There are several processes e.g. analysts that use suitable tests with proven reliability and validity.
• The Directorate has also initiated a project to develop a robust selection process for the PCSO post. Results of the pilot will be available by end of October 2004. The process has been designed on similar lines to the assessment process used under the NRS for police recruits which has been in use since 30th September 2003.
• ICG have undertaken analysis of psychometric tests and this analysis has resulted in no suitable off the shelf tests being available. Meetings continue with relevant parties to explore the possibility of designing a test to differentiate between those candidates who display racist tendencies and those who are unable to provide evidence of diversity.

37. Recommendation 26: ‘The HR Directorate should collect corporate data on the lateral career development of MPS officers and introduce positive action initiatives to increase the representation of visible ethnic minority officers in specialist units’.

• The available data on black and minority ethnic proportionality in individual business groups and (B)OCUs is sufficient to inform the design and development of targeted measures to increase representation, where necessary.
• HR Recruitment, in its redraft of the selection policy, has written into the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that Business Groups must monitor each selection process for the proportion of black and minority ethnic applicants.
• DOIT should work with Business Groups where there is under-representation to draw up measures to increase representation.

38. Recommendation 28: The MPS needs to monitor and collate data on the timescales for progression through ranks and bands. Qualitative and quantitative research must also be undertaken to investigate the upwards and lateral career progression of visible ethnic minority officers and staff in the MPS and the reasons for any disparity.

• A need was identified to establish a systematic monitoring process for length of service for progression. We hold the relevant data. There is no evidence that black and minority ethnic officers are less likely to apply for promotion. And, where they do apply for promotion, all the statistical data shows that they fare at least as well as white candidates. Eventually, the greater numbers of black and minority ethnic officers in the constable rank will feed their way through to higher ranks but, within the current legal framework, there is no short-term fix.
• The findings from the above work will inform subsequent decisions as to the nature of the requirement for regular monitoring.

39. Recommendation 32: ‘The whole process of informal resolution should be structurally devolved to borough/command unit level with DPS maintaining an administrative overview. Local managers should be trained so that they are sufficiently knowledgeable and confident to apply the process’

• This recommendation has been overtaken with the instigation of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Informal resolution processes have changed and are now called local resolution. The IPCC Implementation Steering Group chaired by Directorate of Professional Standards ACPO has instigated training packages for Boroughs on this issue. The ethos of devolvement is entirely sound, but the new Regulations contain an expansion of the criteria for what can be dealt with under the local resolution process. In effect this means that DPS need to negotiate and consult with the IPCC to obtain approval for using the local resolution process in the more serious cases. It follows then that local resolution is not a matter that can be entirely devolved to Boroughs. Work continues through the IPCC Working Group. A suggestion will be put to the MPA to allow for immediate ex gratia payments by Boroughs of up to £100 to assist in achieving local resolution in cases where damage or loss is caused.

40. Recommendation 35: ‘All minor internal complaints should be managed at borough/command unit level. Appropriate advice and support should be given by DPS who would also maintain an administrative overview’.

• DPS strongly supports this recommendation that minor internal complaints (rather than public complaints which come within the purview of the IPCC) should ideally be dealt with locally. DPS have already encouraged this with the publication of the Written Warnings Manual which has been supplied to all OCUs and provides a simplified process for the administration of local discipline. Each OCU has a DPS Single Point of Contact (SPOC) so as to provide appropriate advice and support to the OCU Senior management Team (SMT).

41. Recommendation 37: ‘The MPS needs to make more effort effectively implement and disseminate the learning from grievances’.

• Learning points from the Fairness at Work (FAW) process are communicated to all MPS HR Managers via the e-mail system as and when necessary.
• To date, five sets of communications have been distributed covering various learning points. A sixth communication is to be sent out very shortly.
• ET Unit and Fairness at Work Co-ordinator are co-located and work closely in respect of any FAW cases which have an ET application lodged. The ET Unit returned to HR Directorate from October.
• In relation to the need to record lessons learnt from the informal FAW process, some matters in this respect are forwarded to the FAWC for record purposes. By the very nature of informal activity, comprehensive coverage is difficult to achieve.
• A focus group meeting was held on 5 August to identify options for improving the FAW process and dissemination of learning. The impending report of the Morris Inquiry is awaited before progressing this action further in order to produce a comprehensive approach.

42. Recommendation 38: ‘Subject to the success of current pilot projects the MPS should formally introduce restorative justice systems to resolve grievances’.

• A pilot scheme is to be introduced which has been sponsored by the Director of DOIT. Funding for the scheme has been approved by the Director of HR and a tendering process for the delivery of mediation training should commence in the near future. Also, an initiative involving the use of external mediators is currently under consideration. This will be for cases which are at an advanced stage in the FAWP but where the parties have been unable to agree upon a resolution.

43. Recommendation 39: ‘Support strategies should be put in place to provide appropriate assistance to officers and staff, including parties involved during a case and to help re-integrate them back into ‘working life’.

• The need to develop existing systems has already been identified. There are however already provision made in cases where welfare support etc. is considered necessary.
• Support systems for staff on suspension are covered in the revised police staff discipline policy that has been developed. Also staff and officers on suspension are included in the updated KITS (Keep In Touch Scheme)
• Proposals for an approach and a central team to support suspended officers and staff have been drafted and are currently being considered.

44. Recommendation 40: ‘The MPS should scope the feasibility of involving community representatives in the complaints and grievance process’.

• Work continues through the involvement of the IAG on the IPCC Working Group. The IPCC will have to accept the involvement suggested but early indications are that they are minded to allow for such a role to be played. The inclusion of IAG members on Gold Groups is still encouraged and where appropriate the use of ADR involving outside agencies are considered. However, the Fairness at Work policies that replaced the former Grievance Procedure comes within the remit of HR and not DPS. The recommendations by the Morris Inquiry will remain a future consideration. The development of recommendation 40 of the MPS review will also have to take into the recommendations of The Morris Inquiry. It is anticipated they will be published later this year. When they are known further consultation may be required with both the MPA and IPCC. Work continues.

45. In November 2003, the MPA Co-ordination and Policing Committee agreed that the recommendations of the review would be co-ordinated along with those arising from the Morris Inquiry and those emerging from the Commission for Racial Equality Inquiry. A group has been established that includes not only officers from the MPS Diversity Directorate and Directorate of Organisational Learning, but also Members of both the MPA and Independent Advisory Group with the purpose to ensure that the recommendations are implemented and inform the revised diversity strategy of the MPS.

C. Race and equality impact

The report, served as a timely reminder to the service that it cannot afford to be complacent in its commitment to the elimination of racial prejudice and the promotion of fairness, racial equality and opportunity within the organisation. The content, whilst challenging, affords the MPS with a welcome opportunity to further develop its policies and processes with regard to respect to race and diversity. The commitment of the service is clearly displayed by the early endorsement of the report by MPS Management Board allied to the high level of priority given to its subsequent progression.

D. Financial implications

All costs involved in the research, progression and overview of the reports recommendations will be met from within existing budgets and structures. No additional expenditure is envisaged.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Ian Carter, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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