MPS implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act

Report: 08a
Date: 4 November 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

The MPA has commissioned a report to review the application of the DDA within the MPS. The report focuses on work carried out to date and work which is planned for the next quarter to ensure compliance with the DDA and promotion of disability equality.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report and proposals for future work.

B. Supporting information

Training of staff

1. Disability awareness training remains a key issue for the MPS. The Head of the Strategic Disability Team made a bid to the Training Management Board to secure funds for the financial year 2004/05, in order to introduce mandatory disability awareness training throughout the MPS. Given the range of competing demands for operational training, the bid was unsuccessful. However a training package specifically tailored to the needs of front line staff was delivered by the MPS and local community trainers to staff as a pilot in Greenwich in January 2004. Evaluation of the training was undertaken internally by the Internal Consultancy Group and verified by Karis, an independent external organisation. Overall, there was a positive reaction to the training. Money from the Diversity Directorate has been secured to extend the awareness training throughout Greenwich borough.

National disability training resources - National Training package

2. The Head of the Strategic Disability team in her role as the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on disability has been engaged in the development of a national learning resource to support the changes to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 from 1 October 04. Centrex has been commissioned to develop material from its own resources, bringing in external consultancy from Disability Matters Ltd as subject matter experts and the link to the wider community.

3. The first product is a text-based module on employment issues and delivery to force training managers has now been completed and is with the MPS Director of Training and Development. A strategy for implementation/dissemination has not yet been formulated. The National Centre for Applied Learning Technology (NCALT) will be following up with an e-learning module based upon this first product by the end of October 2004. Development of ‘Service Delivery’ modules both in text and in e-learning format will follow after wider external consultation. A framework for this consultation is in the final stages of development.

Dealing with dyslexia

4. The Team has arranged dyslexia awareness training for managers of staff at any level with dyslexia and HR managers in a support role. The purpose of the training was to raise the profile of dyslexia within the organisation, but on a more practical level, to explore support mechanisms which can be used to assist police officers and police staff with dyslexia in the workplace.

5. The training was held in the Briefing Room at New Scotland Yard in June and July and was conducted by expert external trainers, from the Adult Dyslexia and Skills Institute. Both sessions were well attended, with approx.110 attendees and was well received. In the light of this, a further one-day seminar will be held at New Scotland Yard on January 17 2005.

6. The Team have arranged for students at Hendon to receive on-site input from an educational psychologist from the Adult Dyslexia and Skills Institute to support them with coping strategies for dyslexia. This has been in place since July 04 and will be evaluated by ICG.

Station guide

7. The Team is working closely with Sabre Employment to produce a station guide for use, in particular, by station reception officers. It is proposed that it will be a basic guide to the Disability Discrimination Act, with information about various disabilities and disability etiquette. Sabre are developing this through discussions with staff who would be most likely to use the guide on a number of the boroughs. Whilst the Guide is nearing completion and Sabre have consulted various groups outside the Service, we await the final draft and response to internal consultation before it is launched for front office use towards the end of the year. A short training package will form part of the launch.

Property Services Department

8. The following initiatives are being carried out by PSD:

• Consultant appointed to visit every MPS building with public access to carry out a “health check” and advise on future works; producing individual access statements (to be published on internet)
• Multi Phased Front Office DDA programme ongoing (19 fully compliant); works in hand at Croydon and Limehouse;
• 4 further contracts to commence on site shortly, 5 more in design stage;
• major works commenced at Dagenham and Acton. Funding problems with later phases.
• Territorial Policing has established a Committee to look into the implications of DDA on custody operation and design
• DDA Project at Charing Cross Custody Suite being designed
• programme continues to add ramps and lifts to buildings over and above the Front Office Programme
• programme for automation of front doors in progress
• programme for hearing loop installations ongoing
• Provision of adaptations for individual staff disability needs as and when requested

Alternative ways of reporting crime

9. It is essential as a police service that members of all our communities have equal access to the services that we offer. We know for a variety of reasons that within certain communities barriers exist that prevent such access. Our role as a service is to engage with those communities, identify these barriers and through partnership working seek to reduce of remove them. One key area where such barriers exist is in the reporting of crime, where within some communities there are identified issues of under reporting.

10. The desired outcome for the MPS is to give both victims of, and witnesses to crime a variety of options allowing them to report such incidents to the police. To this end a variety of initiatives have been launched in particular with respect to minority communities across London. The object of these initiatives is to encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes for investigation, or to provide information that will contribute to our intelligence research and analysis.

11. Individuals using third party reporting having two options:

• self-reporting, where they complete a written report and submit it direct to the police;
• assisted reporting, whereby a partner organisation will take the report and pass it onto the police on behalf of the victim/witness.

12. Currently the MPS have the 'Report It' Self reporting pack which is aimed specifically at the lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender community. This is being reissued as a generic pack to cover all diversity strands, including disability and is currently subject to consultation. In addition, there are numerous local third party reporting schemes such as the City of Westminster 'Tell a Friend' Scheme, and Lambeth Borough third party reporting scheme as examples. Greenwich Action on Disability have a disability accessible form available through their office

13. A new area we are currently considering is the use of text messaging through mobile phones to improve access to policing services for young people and possibly the those who have hearing difficulties.

Deaf issues

14. In preparation for the DDA, the MPS has worked on a number of initiatives for people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing.

15. In November 2003, a Consultation Day was held at New Scotland Yard, open to all members of the MPS with a hearing impairment. Some 50 people attended and as a result an action plan was drawn up. Much of the work undertaken by the SDT has been based on that action plan.

Deaf awareness training

16. Deaf awareness training was identified as an important issue. Research however showed that to introduce deaf awareness training for the entire MPS would involve considerable resources both in terms of abstractions and finance. The team therefore identified a need for line managers and colleagues of deaf staff to receive deaf awareness training. Working with the RNID ongoing training scheme has been under taken for line managers, colleagues and staff who work closely with deaf or hard of hearing members of staff. Currently 7 training sessions have been run, with 2 more planned. On completion of the courses about one hundred members of staff will have been trained.

Link Scheme

17. In the City of Westminster the link scheme is being piloted. The system, adopted from the Hampshire police scheme, involves a small number of uniformed officers who are trained to at least level 1 BSL to act as a link between deaf Londoners and the MPS. They are able to offer communication support to both BSL users and the public, for non-emergency calls. Their skill level does not allow them to act as interpreters. They have already been involved in a number of incidents, ranging from witness support, helping to deal with under age drinking, advising in the custody suites prior to the arrival of an authorised interpreter, and domestic incidents.

18. It is the intention of the team to hold a briefing at the end of February 2005 for other BOCUs to encourage the use of the scheme Met-wide.

Communication support

19. The need for communication support has been raised a number of times both at the consultation day and since. BSL users require a Communication Support Worker (CSW) at meetings, training, and briefings etc. The cost of this can be meet by Access to Work which is part of the Department of Employment, and offers funds to support disabled people both as they start work and during their employment. Many members of the MPS have received assistance, and we have been working with a number of deaf BSL users to offer support in their applications.

Hearing awareness courses

20. During this work it has become obvious that deaf BSL users do require further support, and to that end an organisation called Deafax has offered to run a Hearing awareness course. The course is run by deaf BSL users for deaf BSL users, and is designed to give them better communication skills; how to break down communication barriers; equal opportunities and their rights under the DDA. The MPS has been running a number of similar courses for years for hearing members of staff, this will be the first time a course has been designed by and for BSL users within the Met.

21. A Borough Textphone directory has been published on the MPS Internet site. A textphone has also been installed in the office of the Strategic Disability Team.

22. The deaf community have identified that there is a poor response to calls to police stations when using a textphone. Copies of the textphone directory were distributed at a deaf convention run by City Lit, which provided details of the Strategic Disability Team and a promise to follow up any problems that people may have in contacting their local station by textphone.

23. We have also assisted with a number of applications internally for the provision of textphones.

Police officers

24. Work has been carried out with the MPS Consultant Otolaryngologist, the MPS Health and Safety Branch, and the Police Federation to consider the possibility of allowing officers to return to operational duties with modern in-canal digital hearing aids. We are currently seeking to identify three volunteers to run a trial, which if successful, would not only assist serving officers, but also future officers. The pilot will be evaluated to check on Health & Safety considerations.

Publications in alternative formats.

25. To meet the MPS obligations under the DDA, a notice was issued in September on the need to be able to supply publications in alternative formats if requested. To support this document we have contacted a number of organisations and companies who supply this service and have a directory available on request from any OCU for details.

Consultation with the disabled community

26. In November 2003 the Strategic Disability Team hosted a conference concerning Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act. The audience was made up of Metropolitan Police Personnel and disabled members of the public. It was agreed that the Metropolitan Police Service would work with the disabled people who attended the conference to set up a Disability Independent Advisory Group (IAG). Other such advisory groups within the MPS provide advice on race, lesbian gay bisexual transgender and youth issues.

27. The disabled people within the group gave advice on the content of the application pack and provided information and advice on alternative formats, including ‘easy read’ and pictures with members of the group providing the pictures to include in the pack.

28. Advertisements were placed in the Evening Standard, Guardian and local free newspapers in each borough. Posters were designed and the group identified where they should be displayed to reach the widest audience. Some 470 requests for application packs with 115 returned. The selection process was carried out by disability consultants nominated by the group with no involvement by the MPS, to ensure an independent, open and transparent process. The two consultants selected 21 people for the IAG.

29. At the first meeting to be held in December, the group will undertake responsibility for electing a chair and agree a finance protocol for subsequent meetings. The group will devise the agenda with input from the MPS.

Disability standard

30. The Strategic Disability Team has worked with the Employers Forum on Disability Gold Card members to participate in the Disability Standard Benchmarking exercise. The exercise involved 10 leading organisations, primarily private sector. The MPS was the only police service to participate. The MPS are Gold Card members, although an event to celebrate this will take place in December.

31. The process also invites organisations to score activity in disability related matters. The outcome of the exercise enables companies to identify areas of good practice and areas for improvement.

32. The benchmarking exercise was also seen as a pilot to see whether such a process would be useful for all Forces. Completion of the questionnaire was problematical for the MPS, both in terms of the technology and the nature of some of the information required. The MPS made significant comment on the process.

33. A report on the process and suggestions for amendments, should the exercise be extended to other forces will be put to ACPO.

34. The report indicates that the MPS has made progress in starting work in a range of areas and identifies areas of good practice.

35. The Disability Project Board have also been involved in discussion on The Disability Standard. They will also be provided a copied of the report and asked to develop proposals to develop the priorities identified in their own areas, which the project Board would monitor.

36. HMIC and the MPA are aware of the exercise and have requested copies of the outcome.

Disabled staff association

37. We meet on a regular basis and the Team is working closely with the Disabled Staff Support Association to both support their own development and to ensure a cohesive approach to issues raised.

Mental health issues

38. The Team has run one conference for the Mental Health Liaison Officers to seek to provide a cohesive approach across the MPS and is organising a second conference in November. It is also reviewing and publishing a policy on mental health, with supporting standard operating procedures, drawing on internal and external consultation.

39. The team are also involved significantly in supporting the MPA /Health Service Review.

C. Race and equality impact

The various initiatives and consultations being undertaken address key issues for the disabled community and focus on particular needs of London’s disabled community. They will ensure that policing is more sensitive to the needs of that community.

D. Financial implications

Provision has been made within the various budgets for these proposed Initiatives.

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

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