Minutes (draft)

Minutes of the Equal Opportunity & Diversity Board held on 10 January 2005 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Kirsten Hearn (Chair)
• John Roberts (Deputy Chair)
• Cindy Butts
• Lynne Featherstone
• Aneeta Prem (up to agenda item 8)

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)
• Hamida Ali (Policy Officer, Race and Diversity Unit)
• Doug Lewins (Policy Officer, Race and Diversity Unit)
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Deputy Assistant Commissioner Carole Howlett
• Commissioner’s Chief of Staff, Commander Brian Moore (TP)
• Denise Milani, Deputy Director DCC4 (up to agenda item – representing the Diversity Director)
• Chris Haselden (Head of HR Strategic Management)
• Simon Marshall (Director of Recruitment)
• Anthony Doyle, A/Director of Procurement
• Chief Inspector Gary Lewis (TP)

The following attended for the discussion on gender based violence

• Anni Marjoram, Mayor’s Policy Adviser on Women’s Issues
• Beryl Foster, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
• Claudia da Silva, London Centre for Personal Safety
• Inspector Liz Owsley, British Association for Women in Policing
• Fiona Church, Door of Hope
• Richard Chipping, London Centre for Personal Safety and Chair of Project Sapphire IAG
• Linda Regan, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (London Metropolitan University)
• Holly Dustin, Fawcett Society

Part 1

33. Introductions and apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was received from Damian Hockney and Lee Jasper. Apologies were also submitted from Commander Allen

34. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations were made.

35. Minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2004

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2004 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

36. Chair and members’ update

(Agenda item 4)

No updates were given.

37. Gender based violence

(Agenda item 5)

A report was submitted on gender based violence with particular reference to Project Sapphire, domestic violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, hate crime and women’s safety in public spaces.

In introducing the report, Commander Moore spoke of the need for greater awareness of the issues amongst police officers and police staff and of the need for improved access to and sharing of data.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

38. Discussion on gender based violence

(Agenda item 6)

Standing Orders were suspended for the consideration of this item.

The Chair welcomed representatives of many community groups to the meeting to take part in the discussion. She added that Rosalind Hardie, the Deputy Chair of the Sapphire Independent Advisory Group , had written to say that she regretted she could not attend the meeting. A written submission, which contained three recommendations, had been tabled.

Anni Marjoram, Mayor’s Policy Adviser on Women’s Issues, spoke of the value of a London wide strategy on sexual violence and said that and she was sure the Mayor would be supportive of such an initiative. Women’s safety was a Mayoral priority and she felt there could be opportunities for joint working within the GLA family.

Several speakers also supported the idea of an awareness campaign and for the need for improvements in the arrangements for data sharing as this could help prevent attacks.

Beryl Foster from Standing Together Against Domestic Violence, a voluntary organisation which co-ordinates the specialist domestic violence court in West London, indicated that statutory charging has had a very positive effect on charging rates of domestic violence cases and warned against sanction detections being used as substitute for charging.

The discussion also highlighted the MPA's role in highlighting and prioritising gender based violence.

In summing up, the Chair said it had been a very useful discussion. There was clearly general support for the three recommendations in the document from the Vice-Chair of the Sapphire IAG. Accordingly ,it was -

Resolved – That:

1. the Race Hate Crime Forum be asked to consider reviewing how the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships respond to gender violence;
2. further consideration be given to a London wide public awareness campaign aimed at potential perpetrators of rape and sexual assault; and
3. the Mayor be recommended to develop a London wide strategy on sexual violence.

39. Diversity within procurement services

(Agenda item 7)

A report was submitted which advised of the actions taken by Procurement Services and those proposed to be taken to address equal opportunities and inclusion of all suppliers in MPA/MPS policies and procedures for tendering.

The Chair felt there more work to be done to demonstrate the ‘value for money’ considerations in connection with diversity and felt that this was a point that could be examined by the GLA Procurement Officers Network.

Resolved - That

1. the current status of this ongoing policy be noted;
2. the future actions outlined to ensure that our commitment to diversity is adequately reflected in the procurement process be endorsed; and
3. a report be submitted at the conclusion of phase 1 of the diversity programme plan setting out an evaluation of phase 1 and to help inform the content of phase 2.

40. Ethnicity monitoring and terminology

(Agenda item 8)

A report was submitted which provided details of how the MPS record and monitor ethnicity of people by asking for their self-defined ethnicity and visual assessment. The report also provided explanation of the use of ethnicity related terminology to describe the public and MPS staff.

Members commented that the report did not provide the clarity on this issue, which they had hoped the report would provide. There was a clear need for consistency and for the matter to be resolved sensitively. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) should be able to advise on current best practice.

The Clerk said that committee reports considered by the MPA would no longer be permitted to refer to VEMs in reports on workforce data although it was accepted that this terminology might be required in comparing historic data and this would need to be explained in the report. There was no clear indication as to an agreed alternative.

Resolved - That the report be noted and further consideration be given to addressing the points raised by members.

41. Implementation of recommendation 61

(Agenda item 9)

A report was submitted which provided an update on the formal launch of the implementation of Recommendation 61 and outlined the proposed community monitoring processes.

Members commented that it would be useful if the report had contained more information on the various possible ways in which the monitoring function could be arranged and it was difficult to come to an informed view without this guidance.

Resolved – That further consideration be given to the community monitoring process.

42. Consultation within the Safer Schools Programme - implementation of recommendation 61

(Agenda item 10)

A report was provided which explained how the MPS would build community consultation into their safer schools partnership with particular reference to the use of stop and search.

Resolved - that the report be noted.

43. Stop and Search Scrutiny Implementation Panel

(Agenda item 11)

A report was submitted which provided an update on the progress of panel leading on the oversight of the recommendations made by the MPS scrutiny on stop and search practice.

Lynne Featherstone, the Chair of the panel, reported that the panel had met earlier in the day. There were three unresolved points that she wished to bring to the attention of the Board: recording of disproportionality and production of a public document. Finally, there was a need for the Authority to consider the question of the possible recording of faith with the other data on those stopped.

DAC Howlett said she would take the first two points back to the MPS implementation group which she chairs.

The Chair said that the recording of faith was clearly an issue where there were many aspects to consider and she suggested that those members who were available should have a preliminary discussion after the meeting. The outcome of the discussion could then be fed back to a wider forum before being formalised.

Resolved – that the report be noted.

44. Future of race and diversity training in the MPS

(Agenda item 12)

This report details MPS diversity training activity following the completion of the Community and Race Relations Training Programme. The report highlights current work to support the new national race and diversity learning and development programme for the police service, the Performance Needs Analysis on gender issues and the Performance Needs Analysis (PNA) on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issues and proposals to support training on the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000).

In the absence of the report author it was agreed that the report be deferred to the next meeting. The Chair asked that a revised version of the report be considered at the next meeting which would contain more information on future plans.

45. Recruitment and retention

(Agenda item 13)

A report was considered which aimed to provide information on recruitment and retention activity in a new style.

Members indicated that they welcomed the new style of presentation.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. the proposal for holding a census day in the MPS to collect diversity-related data of staff be noted.

46. Morris Inquiry

(Agenda item 14)

A report which submitted which provided the Board with the executive summary of the report of the Inquiry which had been commissioned by the MPA chaired by Sir Bill Morris to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into professional standards and employment practice in the MPS.

The Clerk reported that since the report was written it had been agreed that there be a member workshop on 3 February. This would be in place of the joint meeting with the Human Resources Committee which had previously been arranged for that day.

Resolved – that the report be noted

47. Meeting with independent advisory groups

(Agenda item 15)

A meeting was held with members of MPS Independent Advisory Groups on 15 December.

The Chair said the meeting had been very useful and felt another should be held. It would be particularly useful if representatives of the Youth Advisory Group were able to attend the next meeting.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. further meetings be held with the IAGs.

48. Equalities standard for local government

(Agenda item 16)

A report was submitted which provided information on the Equality standard and an update on the progress of the MPA towards attaining level 5 of the Standard.

In noting the report, the Board felt it would be useful if they were to receive an update on the progress being made by the MPS in achieving level 5.

Resolved – That

1. the progress achieved and the continuing commitment to achieve Level 5 by December 2005 be noted;
2. the proposal for contracting external consultancy to assist with this project be approved; and
3. a report be submitted to a future meeting on the progress of the MPS in this field.

The meeting closed at 4.05 p.m.

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