Budget and equalities

Report: 12
Date: 6 October 2005
By: the Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report asks members to agree the draft equalities priorities to be included in the main draft Budget submission for 2006 – 2009 as requested by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The costs attached to these priorities will be considered at the joint Finance/Planning Performance and Review Committee meeting of 10 October 2005 and the Full Authority on 27 October.

A. Recommendations

That members agree:

1. To endorse the draft equalities priorities as outlined in paragraph 3 of the report to be included in the main draft Budget submission and agree to refer this to Full Authority for ratification.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The budget submission to the GLA is a key element of the planning framework which involves developing three-year business plans based on the Mayoral objectives and priorities alongside financial plans.

2. A separate budget and equalities submission is no longer required and equalities priorities are now to be covered in the main Budget submission. This will significantly reduce the volume of information presented through the Budget submission process as detailed performance indicator information will be covered in a separate process at the end of the financial year.

3. The equalities process is now divided into two separate parts:

Part 1: An outline of the key projects & priorities for 2006 – 2009, as well as an update on the objectives outlined in the previous year. This will form part of the overall budget submission which must be submitted to the GLA by 14 November 2005.

Part 2: A more detailed response with costings of the key priorities and projects for 2006 – 2009. This process ends in May/June 2006.

Submission process

4. The work on compiling the budget response has been led by Treasury and Race & Diversity Unit within the MPA and the Diversity Directorate (DCC4) in the MPS. Regular meetings during July and August 2005 were held to support officers who were leading on the process.

5. Regular contact was made with GLA officers and a meeting on the draft budget and equalities submission was held on Friday 9 September 2005 with one of the GLA’s Budget Development Managers and the Senior Policy & Project Manager (Race). On the basis of the feedback from this meeting, the MPA/MPS’ budget submission was developed.

Key priorities

6. A draft MPA & MPS equalities overview has been prepared as the basis for the identification of some of the key equalities priorities and is contained in Appendix 1. These include (but are not limited to):

• The development of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme
• The creation of the MPA Domestic Violence Forum
• Safer Neighbourhoods
• Recruitment of BME and women police officers

7. The Mayoral priorities are an important element of the Budget submission and the response to these priorities are also included in Appendix 1. The GLA also made a number of recommendations to the MPA as listed in the GLA’s Budget & Equalities 2005-2006: A Review of Progress Across the GLA Group. The response to the recommendations will form the basis of bi-lateral discussions with the GLA in October 2005.

8. Both the MPA and MPS are striving to ensure that equality and diversity is mainstreamed in the business of the organisation. One significant step towards this was the Equality Impact Assessment training delivered to staff and members in the MPA between 6 April and 16 June 2005. The Mayoral priorities are an important element of the budget submission and the response to these priorities are also included in Appendix 1.

9. However, in looking forward to 2006 – 2009, it is already clear that there are major challenges for both the MPA and the MPS to achieve a balanced budget, whilst supporting the MPS’ widening mission which will include continuing to integrate equality and diversity into the on-going business planning.

Race and Diversity Unit

10. The Race and Diversity Unit has four major objectives in 2006:

• Supporting Stop & Search activities
• Development of the MPA Domestic Violence Forum
• Advancement of the MPS London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum
• Creation of the Race & Diversity Unit External Partnership Group

11. One of the major developments is the creation of the [Stop & Search] Community Monitoring Network. This Network is made of community representatives who come together to assist MPS performance on stops and searches.

12. The Network’s aims include: developing qualitative performance indicators around stop and search encounters; examining the reasons for disproportionality in stops and searches by diversity strands, including ethnicity, gender and faith; seeing how stop and search as a police tool fits into other policing activities (e.g. street crime, burglary, hate crimes; and developing practical solutions to high volume stop and search encounters (e.g. football matches, royal events, etc.)

13. The Network had its first meeting on 21 September 2005 with over 50 community representatives in attendance. It is proposed that this Network will be supported in the first instance by the MPA for its first two years. Members will be kept informed of developments through EODB and the Stops and Searches Scrutiny Board.

14. Staffing will a major issue for the Race & Diversity Unit in the forthcoming year. The 2005-2006 Delivery Plan for the Race & Diversity Unit has been considered by the MPA SMT and is a challenging one. The Plan is, of course, predicated on continuing the current level of staffing; should that be reduced it will be necessary to re-visit the priorities listed in the Plan.

C. Race and equality impact

The Budget and equalities submission is a key part of ensuring that race, equality and diversity are an integral part of the business planning process. A more substantial report on the MPS’ progress towards equalities through the budget submission process entitled ‘Budget & Equalities 2005 – 2009: MPS’ is available on request.

D. Financial implications

As part of the budget and equalities process, the costs attached to these projects are still being worked upon at the time of publication of this report. The indicative costings will be submitted to the joint Finance/PPRC meeting of the 10 October 2005 and to Full Authority.

E. Background papers

• GLA Group Budget Guidance Notes for 2006 – 2007
• GLA Group Budget and Sustainable Development Guidance for 2006 – 2007
• Budget and Equalities 2005 – 06: A Review of Progress Across the GLA Group
• Policing and Performance Plan 2005/06
• Budget & Equalities 2006 – 2009: MPS

F. Contact details

Report author: Laurence Gouldbourne, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Listed below are some of the key projects and priorities as identified by the MPA and MPS, which will have a significant equality and diversity impact. This list is not intended to be exhaustive; however, it does provide a ‘snapshot’ of the major projects that both organisations will be engaged in over the next three years. At the time of writing, the indicative costs were still being worked upon and will be submitted to the joint Finance/PPRC meeting of 10 October 2005 and Full Authority. This appendix also shows who has the lead on a particular project; however, progress on all projects will be reported to members.

Project 1 (MPA)

Development of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (ICVS)

Purpose

The role of an Independent Custody Visitor is to observe, comment and report on the conditions persons are detained in a police station. It is also to ensure that detainees’ rights under the Police And Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act 1984 are maintained. The MPA has a statutory obligation to provide an ICVS across London.

Key target

• Ensuring equality and diversity will be a keynote in future recruitment programmes for the Scheme

Equality & diversity implications

Visitors should be representative of the communities to whom they provide reassurance regarding the treatment of detainees in police custody. Monitoring systems are being put in place to track the degree of diversity, but the present position is thought to be satisfactory.

Project 2 (MPA & MPS)

MPA Domestic Violence Board

Purpose

To examine MPS Borough and corporate performance around Domestic Violence and to provide support, innovation, challenge and to exchange good practice. The Forum will also support the development and implementation of an Employee Domestic Violence Policy.

Key target

• 16 boroughs to be assessed.

Equality and Diversity Implications

The MPA Domestic Violence Forum will also focus on the experience of BME Women, same-sex domestic violence, asylum-seekers and refugees. It will also learn from other ‘abuse of trust’ dynamics (see also project 8).

Project 3 (MPS)

Safer Neighbourhoods

Purpose

To ensure that each ‘neighbourhood’ in London has a dedicated team of police officers, who will work with local communities in deciding local priorities and develop local solutions together.

Key target

• Rollout of safer neighbourhoods teams is 624

Equality & diversity implications

There is a need to ensure that equality and diversity is successfully built into the planning and rollout of this initiative, so that the needs to Londoners are met. A major international conference on Safer Neighbourhoods is to be held in February 2006. The Race and Diversity unit is working with the MPS to ensure that equality and diversity is an integral part of the programme.

Project 4 (MPS)

Recruitment of BME & women Police officers

Purpose

To ensure a greater diversity in the staffing profile of police officers at all ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service, as well as signalling a continuing cultural change in ensuring the MPS is fair, efficient and effective employer.

Key target

• MPS Recruitment targets: 2005/06 total targets are 1,300 new recruits
• BME recruitments target = 29% of all new police recruits (current 17%)
• Female recruitments target = 41% of all new police recruits (current 35%)

Equality & diversity implications

There have been a number of studies carried out around the successfully diverse recruitment drives of Police Community Safety Officers (PCSOs). One of the aims of the next few years is to examine whether there are any key learning points, which could assist future recruitment.

Project 5 (MPA & MPS)

Progress in accepting and implementing the recommendations of the CRE investigation, the Taylor report and the Morris enquiry:

Purpose

To ensure that the recommendations from the three major reports listed above (as well as those contained in the Ghaffur Report) are embedded into the corporate business.

Key targets

• All relevant recommendations analysed and collated into themes
• The themes mapped in conjunction with the 70 recommendations contained in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report
• An action plan devised to identify individuals with responsibility for delivery of actions with regular updates

Equality & diversity implications

Progress on the recommendations has been steady. Five meetings of the Morris Steering Group have been held and members have spoken directly to three ‘strand owners’ (i.e. those to be held responsible for delivering on the strategic themes). Work on Morris has been progressed through EODB, HR and PSCC and focus groups will be developed around these committees in terms of stakeholder engagement. A joint EODB/PSCC meeting will be held on 6 October 2005 to discuss Morris. There will be a challenge to ensure the learning of Morris is integrated into the Service Review.

Project 6 (MPS & MPA)

Plans for reducing Hate Crime, including Hate Crime directed at disabled people:

Purpose

To reduce the levels of hate crime, whilst improving the citizen experience in their contacts with the Police

Key targets

• To meet the agreed sanction detection targets rates for hate crime.
• To widen of the scope of expertise in handling hate crime to include Disability

Equality & diversity implications

A comprehensive review and re-issue of the ACPO Hate Crime Manual within the MPS has been carried out; significant input was made by the London-wide Race Hate Crime Forum as part of this review, including interventions around the implementation of minimum standards of investigation and a more effective response to critical incidents.

Comprehensive policies on hate crime management have been developed in order to maximise service delivery. A central task force conducting proactive intelligence-led operations has been formed. A Disability IAG has been created and has made a number of interventions around community reassurance and resilience. There has also been an expansion of Third Party Reporting processes.

Project 7 (MPS)

Plans for monitoring children as victims, witnesses and offenders:

Purpose

To introduce key processes for the recording and monitoring of children as victims, witnesses and offenders.

Key targets

• To collate key evidence from users and other Criminal Justice System (CJS) partners to inform how best to support this process

Equality & diversity implications

The piloting of a community partnership initiative established to build productive relationships with children and families in debating key child protection issues. The publication of a new Youth Justice Policy Manual providing advice and guidance that is easy and practical to use has also assisted this process. The MPS are better informed in recognising the issues of intimidation facing child victims in court proceedings and considering options to reduce them. A review of policies to make legislation more effective and ‘child-focused’ will be carried out, together with the launch and police guidance on child abuse.

Project 8 (MPS & MPA)

Progress on implementing the recommendations in the Mayor’s London Domestic Violence Strategy:

Purpose

To establish a mechanism, through the proposed MPA Domestic Violence Board, to monitor and scrutinise Project Umbra, and borough performance of tackling domestic violence by holding more perpetrators to account, including those who work for the MPS.

Key targets

• To meet target sanction detection rate of 27%
• To ensure a recognition of the equality and diversity dimension of responding appropriately to gender-based violence within London’s diverse communities.

Equality & diversity implications

A service level agreement, between the MPS and Crown Prosecution Service, for improving the service to victims of domestic violence and bringing offenders to justice has been developed. The piloting of specialist domestic violence courts in Croydon and Hammersmith & Fulham has provided some successes. The development and implementation of multi-agency strategies to tackle issues arising from forced marriages has been a feature of both MPS and MPA activities. MPS co-ordinated ‘arrest days’ against perpetrators of domestic violence. The availability of specialist sexual assault referral centres for the provision of enhanced care for victims of domestic rape.

Project 9 (MPS)

Plans for developing different approaches to recruitment training:

Purpose

To develop a range of different approaches that will best equip new recruits to the challenge of policing London in the 21st century.

Key targets

• Implementation of the Initial Police Learning & Development Programme

Equality & diversity implications

In developing the new Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP), the MPS has actively involved the participation of members of the community. In addition, this training has been delivered in community locations - away from MPS sites. Diversity has been mainstreamed throughout the training syllabus. There has also been the creation of graduate recruitment products, which appeal to graduates from under-represented groups.

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