Update on achievements towards the integration of the equality standard for local government within the policing of London

Report: 14
Date: 7 February 2008
By: Acting Assistant Commissioner Operational Services on the behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

Section One

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has made extensive efforts to work with the developers of the Equality Standard for Local Government (ESlg) to tailor this equality framework to meet its needs. The ESlg was not designed for use by the Police Service and is now widely recognised by Local Authorities as overly bureaucratic, expensive and process driven and in need of revision.

In getting to a position where the MPS can evidence achievement to Level 3 of the Standard, it has come to realise that the ESlg is not an appropriate framework for measuring the delivery of equality and fairness across an organisation of its scale and complexity.

Work is now in progress to develop a performance management framework for the MPS that builds upon the principle of continuous improvement that will include many of the key component parts of the ESlg.

Within the national policing environment this new approach has wide support and interest.

Section Two (miscellaneous)

Updates members on the successes of; MetHR in capturing equalities data, the role of the Diversity and Citizen Focus Advisors and the Development of corporate governance for the MPS Equalities Scheme.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

Section One

1. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is committed to the adoption of an equalities performance management framework, which sets out the standard for the mainstreaming of equality and diversity across all of its Operational Command Units (OCU) as well as providing a vehicle for the delivery of the MPS Equalities Scheme.

2. In 2003, the MPS made a commitment, as part of the Greater London Authority family, to achieve Level 5 (the highest Level of the ESlg) by 2005. The delivery date was based on the understanding that the ESlg and associated software, the Electronic Self-Assessment Tool (Es@t), used by local authorities for the recording of equalities activity, would be compatible with the structures and processes within the police service. It was claimed that Es@t was in use by over 80% of local authorities. Subsequent research demonstrated that this was not the case.Initial project work to deliver this objective focused on the benefits that an Information Technology (IT) performance management framework would provide by recording and measuring diversity and equality activity at the OCU and corporate level.

4. The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) own both the ‘Standard’ and an electronic monitoring tool (Es@t). Through their agency, Diversity in Action in Local Government (DIALOG), IDeA worked with the Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate (DCFD) to determine whether Es@t could be made ‘fit for purpose’ for an organisation of the complexity and size of the MPS.

5. The initial programme of work relied upon a specific involvement level and included training for staff at six pilot sites across the MPS: Westminster Borough, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Palace of Westminster (SO17), Serious and Organised Crime Group (SCD7) and the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) with the DCFD monitoring this activity at a corporate level (acting as a de facto sixth site). The projected cost for this work was estimated at £12,000 - £15,000.

6. The pilot sites were due to ‘go live’ on 18 September 2006 on the understanding that the Es@t software would be available in an amended version suitable for the MPS, that contractual Terms and Conditions would be agreed and that there would be no additional cost. However on 15 September, the DCFD was informed that, due to the work required to make the Es@t fit for MPS user requirements, the cost of delivery would rise to between £45,000 - £55,000. In addition, MPS Procurement Services were experiencing difficulty in agreeing a binding contract with DIALOG.

7. DIALOG went on to say that they “considered the MPS was moving from being a subscriber to the scheme, being run by them, to the point where they were being perceived as a software provider to the MPS”. In this respect, they wished to make it clear that they were “not in the business of software development for commercial purposes” and, on 29 September, informed the DCFD that they no longer felt that going forward with the project, on the original terms, was a viable option.

8. Despite their reluctance to enter into a business relationship with the MPS, IDeA, who own the copyright and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the Equality Standard and Es@t, entered into negotiations for the MPS to purchase the 142 questions contained in the Equality Standard. This would enable the MPS to develop its own performance management framework. The granting of this licence took six months. (Signed and sealed on 27 April 2007).

9. A formal proposal to develop an in-house IT alternative to Es@t went before the MPS Department of Information (DoI) Tasking Board in February 2007. As a result, a bespoke solution is currently being developed which uses a single, and simple, Microsoft Word Document, currently entitled ‘My Diversity Form’, and Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server (a document management system). This provides a single, central, storage point where relevant data, in this case completed ‘My Diversity Forms’, can be filed. Such a solution speeds up, simplifies and streamlines the recording and retrieval of all documents relating to diversity, equality and fairness activity across all MPS business groups.

10. Working with the assistance of an accredited local government assessor, the MPS has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of IDeA, that it has achieved Level 3 of the ESlg. In identifying the evidence for this DCFD have been able to determine that there is no single MPS business area that has ‘achieved Level 4’, as defined in the ESlg. However, there are numerous, though isolated, examples of MPS business groups having engaged in activity associated with Level 5.

11. For example, as the result of activity within the Human Resources business area the MPS is becoming more representative of the communities it polices, especially in relation to the recruitment of Police Community Support Officers.

12. In addition, Westminster policing borough has developed a local Diversity Forum, which involves local communities in policing, and community based equality processes and activities. This idea is now in the process of being taken to other MPS business areas. The real benefit of this process is that it enables internal and external stakeholders to become involved in the MPS Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) process, although this is only one aspect of the activity that these forums engage in.

13. In completing the work, to achieve Level 3 of the Standard, the MPS came to a crossroads in terms of how to move forward. Having developed an appreciation that each succeeding Level, within the Standard, is significantly more challenging to achieve than the preceding one the decision of whether to progress further with the ESlg was considered against: -The reality that the Standard is widely criticised by current users, across the public sector, as being too bureaucratic, too process driven, too resource intensive and does not produce tangible outcomesThe experience and learning of the development team The best advice available from our ESlg consultantThe fact that the MPS, with over 132 discrete business areas, in order to be able to declare itself as Level 5 compliant, would have to demonstrate that this Level had been achieved by every single one of them and The fact that every external audit for accreditation at Level 3 and Level 5 will cost the MPS a minimum of £80,000.

14. Having considered these factors collectively and after consultation with key stakeholders in the MPA and GLA, it was the stated view of the MPS, that with in excess of 132 discrete business areas, the likelihood of success with the ESlg to Level 5 was highly unlikely.

15. The MPS has now embarked upon the development of an equalities performance management framework more relevant to its needs, entitled the ‘MPS Equality Framework’. This will integrate the most appropriate parts of the current ESlg with the MPS Equalities Scheme and key equality and diversity performance objectives already in existence within MPS Corporate Plans. Other component parts currently being included are outlined in the Local Government White Paper, October 2006, ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’. This new approach has generated great interest and support across all UK police services.

16. The creation of a performance management framework to drive diversity and equality within the MPS is essential. The risk to the organisation of not successfully achieving this work is substantial. The MPS works with many stakeholders, many of whom rely upon the fact that we can demonstrate that there is continual improvement in this area. More significantly, a failure would not enable the MPS to achieve the outcomes cited in Section C below. The difficulties associated with the gathering of relevant information from across the MPS cannot be underestimated. This may lead to the cost of this activity being exceeded by a significant margin.

Section Two (Miscellaneous)

17. MetHR: Is the MPS personnel data storage facility. It is able to record staff information in relation to the six strands of diversity (and more if necessary); age, disability, faith or religion, gender, race and sexual orientation. However, understandably for personal reasons, individuals do not always choose to divulge this information, either at the recruitment or selection, retention or progression stages of their careers. To improve this situation a self-service mechanism has been established whereby all MPS staff can access their own MetHR file and update their diversity profile at any time, in total confidence. This is purely voluntary on the part of staff, but there has been real evidence of an increase in staff confidence. This improvement is reflected in the fact that the personal data has become more comprehensive for an increasing number of staff records as time has progressed. This activity was given an additional boost in February 2007 when the facility was actively promoted during a ‘diversity capture week’.

18. Additional work is taking place in relation to the Age Strand. All current work is undertaken in partnership with relevant local agencies. In particular, making the MPS become more aware of the implications of the Employment Quality (Age) Regulation 2006 (Recruitment and Retirement) and promoting the multi-agency MPS three year Youth Engagement Strategy in relation to anti-knife and anti-gun issues. The MPS is also engaging with London’s Older communities in relation to; crime prevention, distraction burglary, the perceived widening of the ‘generation gap’ and generating a better understanding of the role of the Police and Community Support Officer.

19. Additional work is also taking place in relation to the Faith Strand. In particular, the four following categories of engagement: -

• Working with established interfaith groups, e.g. the Three Faiths Forum, to enable everyone to work together to promote good relations between the MPS and London’s diverse faith communities
• Working with and helping to establish pan London single faith groups
• Strategic engagement with the Association of Chief Police Officers and statutory bodies to share good practice in relation to community engagement and internal staffing issues, and
• Internal focus on partnership working with staff associations to make the MPS more reflective of London’s communities

20. Diversity and Citizen Focus Advisers: To co-ordinate and assist in this whole process six Diversity and Citizen Focus Advisors have recently been employed by the MPS. Each advisor has been allocated responsibility for specific areas of MPS business. They, in conjunction with local Diversity Leaders, will provide a network of people across the MPS whose aim is to ensure that the objectives contained within the MPS Equalities Scheme are achieved. In addition, the advisors act as a focal point within the MPS Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate by directing enquiries towards specific Strand activity, e.g. Diversity Learning and Development, Counter Terrorism - Strategic Engagement and other areas of business.

21. Diversity Equality Performance Governance: In terms of improvement in performance the MPS Equalities Scheme performance management framework will inform the governance structure and ensure that broad, inclusive and transparent, measures will drive improvement across the organisation. This structure will establish, for each Equalities Scheme objective, a regular review process to help monitor progress and capture learning, which in turn will result in the setting of new Action Plan objectives. The diversity report (paragraph 9 above), currently under development by DoI, is key in this process.

22. The development of a new and appropriate performance management framework for the MPS is at a critical stage. The Equalities Scheme is central to this new development. The other component parts are: -

• Relevant elements of the Equalities Standard
• Equality activity from Policing Plans
• Relevant Public Sector Agreements
• Local Area Agreements.
• An inaugural workshop in support of this development has been arranged for later this month with an external consultant

23. This activity is covered in greater detail within a separate report on the work of the Diversity Citizen Focus Directorate, which will go before the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board on the 7 February 2008.

24. Support to MPS activity: The MPS and MPA have been working and will continue to work together in developing a performance management framework that is relevant and meaningful to the Service. There is no increase in that support required at this stage.

Acronyms & abbreviations:

(B)OCU

Borough Operational Command Unit

DCFD

Diversity & Citizen Focus Directorate

DIALOG

Diversity in Action in Local Government

DoI

Directorate of Information

DPS

Directorate of Professional Standards

EIA

Equalities Impact Assessment

EODB

Equal Opportunities & Diversity Board

ES@T

Electronic Self-Assessment Tool

ESIg

Equality Standard for Local Government

GLA

Greater London Authority

IDeA

The Improvement & Development Agency

MetHR

the MPS personnel data Storage facility

MPA

Metropolitan Police Authority

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

C. Race and equality impact

1. This work will help to make the MPS more representative of the people it serves because people will have more confidence in joining an organisation that is seen to be fair and equal to all – internally and externally.

2. The MPS will recruit, retain and progress the best people by creating a working environment whereby everyone has a, transparently, equal chance of realising their own full potential.

3. The MPS will become an employer of choice because all of its policies, practices and procedures have created a workplace that people will actively seek employment in.

4. The MPS will improve trust and confidence across London because it has involved those people who are most directly affected by criminality in creating a policing style that better suits their needs.

5. The MPS will be seen to be compliant with the law. Indeed, the MPS often far exceeds the requirements in law.

6. All MPS working practices will be enhanced because there is a better understanding of the issues that are relevant to different people both internally and externally.

7. The MPS will become more effective in tackling crime because more people will be willing to assist in creating a useful flow of intelligence that can be used in criminal investigations.

8. MPS performance will be enhanced across all business areas because there is a more diverse range of skills and experiences that can be called upon to solve a particular problem.

D. Financial implications

The cost of this work is likely to be significant. There will be at least two staff involved at each of the 132 OCUs and a central monitoring and evaluation team. This coupled with the consultation expenses will generate an estimated cost of £700,000 per year – each year. However, much of this will be offset by the fact that many of these people are already in post and that this process will be seen as a best value initiative, which will increase overall police effectiveness.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Inspector Mark Weaver, Detective Chief Superintendent Glen Allison, MPS

For more information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback