Gender issues – external focus

Report: 12b
Date: 4 November 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report explains the work of the Women & Policing Group (W&PG) (External Focus). It outlines the initiatives being undertaken to improve the delivery of policing services to women as victims, offenders and witnesses and to enhance the quality of interaction between police and women in all London's communities.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. Representatives from City of London Police, MPS, Tayside, Thames Valley and West Mercia Police, University of East London, Fawcett Society, Association of London Government, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC), Prison Dialogue, Mayor's Office, Home Office Women's Policy Team, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Group (LGBT), Women's National Commission and Surrey University, make up the membership of the multi – agency steering group which is chaired by Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Carole Howlett and acts as a working party link to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Gender Portfolio. The W&PG are using the MPS as a pilot for all areas of work undertaken and upon conclusion of the review findings will then be presented back to ACPO.

2. The W&PG focuses on women as a customer group of the police irrespective of whether they are witnesses, victims or offenders or members of the public and is also seeking to improve relationships between the police and women generally by addressing their concerns. The group's aims and objectives are attached at Appendix 1.

3. To ensure that the focus of the group was correctly interpreted it was deemed essential that we communicated directly with the women of London's communities and ascertain their views, concerns and perceptions of the police service. In order to achieve this, four listening group exercises were held across London. An additional exercise was also held in a women's open prison in East Sutton. The exercises commenced in December 2003 and concluded in March 2004.

4. The events were open to local women's groups and females from within the Community. A list of pre-determined questions and discussion areas were formatted with the assistance of Professor Jennifer Brown from Surrey University and these were used for the basis of discussion. The concluding summaries from each event informed the W&PG's agenda and were also presented to Professor Brown for her team to conduct gender specific analysis. Initial findings have been disclosed to members of the W&PG but until final reports have been fully authorised, these documents are not yet available for public dissemination. Public release is anticipated for very early 2005.

Key themes identified

5. There were over 50 issues raised from the five listening groups, some of these being:

• Lack of visible presence
• More police involvement in school programmes
• Use of the 999 system and non emergency calls, police advice being given to women
• Media reporting
• General police communication
• Provision of a womens’ help line
• Access to the police for community members where English is not their first language
• Provision of hygiene products for use in custody suites, police buildings – front office areas etc.

6. These themes were converted into action areas and were presented to MPS departmental heads in April 2004. Following the presentations, heads of units were asked to report on how their business areas would address the concerns raised in the listening groups. Initial feedback was then provided to all of the women who had participated in the London group listening exercises. On 9 November 2004, a further feedback session will be given to the participants to provide them with a more detailed update of achievements so far.

Projects and action plans

7. Acting Chief Inspector Parm Sandhu, author of this report, is project manager for the action plan, which comprises of some nineteen improvement measures being reviewed. These are attached at Appendix 2.

C. Race and equality impact

The impact on the community will be to reach and serve effectively women in all communities in London irrespective of whether they are victims, witnesses, offenders or members of the public and to evaluate how women are treated as a customer group within the Criminal Justice System. This will improve the confidence of women and their families and in London and ensure they are treated fairly. The findings from the MPS will be fully presented to ACPO for considered view on national implementation.

D. Financial implications

There are no immediate financial implications that arise from this project. All funding to date has been met by existing Diversity Directorate funds. Future costs incurred by the project work are likely to be met within existing funding resources.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: A/Chief Inspector Parm Sandhu, MPS Diversity Directorate, DCC4, Member of the Women & Policing Group

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: W&PG Aims and objectives

• To reach and serve effectively women in the community;
• To evaluate the service to women in the criminal justice system;
• To identify women user groups of policing;
• To appreciate cultural or social context that affect women;
• To improve relationships between the police and women;
• To work in partnership with women’s group and organisations;
• To gain a better understanding of the people we serve, their expectations and concerns;
• To improve the confidence of women and their families in the police and ensure they are treated fairly;
• To develop and implement a national toolkit to improve service delivery to women as a customer group;
• To facilitate and improve multi-agency work;
• To ensure national data on women and their engagement with police;
• To raise officers’ awareness of gender issues through gender specific training;
• To utilise user satisfaction surveys;
• To facilitate HMIC to incorporate women issues in their expectations; and
• To make women’s particular concerns a key part of police forces’ service delivery programmes

Appendix 2: Improvement measures

Detainees

• Produce small giveaway Hygiene Pack
• Use Women Focus Group for designing police cells and facilities for detainees
• Introduce support for child care*

Station visitors

• Use focus group for front office design/facilities

Victims

• Identify risk factors in areas of offending and gender specific crimes
• Ensure adequate information available to aid understanding of the Criminal Justice process.
• Produce self help advice for victims

Informants

• Create environment when women will inform on areas of criminality

Women in crisis

• Ensure follow up care and provisions are made after hostage/crisis situation

Witnesses

• Ensure adequate information available to aid understanding of the Criminal Justice process.
• Introduce support for child care [1]

Raised by all

• Impact Assessment
• Design Customer Satisfaction Survey appealing to women
• Ensure guidelines for Interpreters consider women’s’ issues

Public

• Provide reassurance to minimise fear of safety through media representation
• Provide local crime statistics in an easy to understand format for women in the community.
• Provide register of seminars/conferences and speeches
• Provide re-assurance for the elderly.
• Provide register of projects and research papers

Multi Agency Groups

• Provide guidance to all women who represent organisations on police for a

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