Metropolitan Police staff survey

Report: 6
Date: 21 December 2000
By: Commissioner

Summary

The paper sets out the progress already made to deal with the issues raised by the MPS Staff Survey; work that is ‘in train’ but incomplete and proposed new action at both corporate and local level. The ‘London pay lead’, the withdrawal of ‘tenure’, a new staff appraisal system, simplified promotion systems and market related allowance for more civil staff have already addressed some areas of dissatisfaction. Existing corporate projects such as work on a new internal communication strategy, the reduction in unnecessary bureaucracy, the ‘People Strategy’, the next phase of the Diversity Strategy and the Leadership Project, are working towards addressing many of the other issues raised. Further analysis of the survey results to tease out other corporate issues may highlight the need for further action at corporate level. OCU commanders and Heads of Department will address local issues raised by focus groups that were held to discuss the results of the survey on Boroughs, OCUs and in Departments.

A. Supporting information

The staff survey process and analysis

1. In April 2000, all staff in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) were asked to complete a survey to inform the Commissioner how satisfied they were working in the MPS. More than 50% of staff returned their completed questionnaires, which is good for this type of ‘postal survey’. Consultants employed under an existing ‘call-off contract’ are currently undertaking further detailed analysis of these results. They are due to report in December 2000.

2. Initial analysis of the results of the survey was published both corporately and locally. Focus groups were then held on all Boroughs and in many other parts of the MPS. Facilitators and participants were provided with a local breakdown of the results of the survey. They were asked to concentrate on those issues that could be addressed locally rather than corporately. Consultants are carrying out further detailed analysis of these results to establish common themes arising out of these focus groups. The results are due in December 2000.

3. The consultants employed under a ‘one-off’ contract to design and deliver the survey are looking at the longer-term cultural change issues arising out of the staff survey. The results are due to be discussed by Management Board as part of their consideration of the Review of Diversity Strategy in January 2001.

Completed actions

4. Poor pay and lack of benefits was cited as a major issue from the survey. The London pay lead for police officers recruited after 1994 has addressed this issue to some extent, although police officers recruited before 1994 and civil staff remain unaffected by such changes. Staff were concerned that there were not enough of them to do the job properly. In particular, police constables felt that the quality of service they could provide to the public was being adversely affected, as was their own personal safety in that there were not enough colleagues to come to their assistance when faced with resistance or violence from the public. Civil staff analysts have received a ‘market related allowance’ to help stem the tide of trained and experienced analysts leaving the MPS for higher paid jobs in the private sector. This allowance only applies to around 280 civil staff across the MPS (about 2.5% of all civil staff in the Met.)

5. Personal development and promotion were cited as causes for concern. A feeling that there was little interest in staff’s personal development was thought to stem, in part, from the arbitrary and mechanical ‘tenure of post’ policy that automatically transferred officers after 10 years, no matter how skilled, experienced or productive they were in their current role. The Commissioner has announced the withdrawal of this policy. Staff also had little faith in the promotion system. As a result, the Commissioner has withdrawn the third part of the promotion process to Sergeant and Inspector, bringing the MPS process into line with most of the rest of England and Wales, and revised the processes for promotion above these ranks.

Actions in train

6. Internal communication was believed to be failing staff in that they did not generally understand the reasoning behind decisions or what was going on in the rest of the MPS outside their own unit. The Director of Public Affairs has been working for some time on a new internal communication strategy to address the issues raised in the survey. The new strategy is about to be published.

7. In addition to the human resource management issues mentioned in paragraph five above, staff also expressed concern that there was not enough training. As a result, the Commissioner has ordered a complete review of the MPS human resources function. A team of staff led by Assistant Commissioner Mike Todd is due to report by summer 2001.

8. Staff raised a number of issues around diversity. Although isolated instances, some staff felt that some racism, sexism and homophobia went unchallenged, and black staff felt particularly that they were not respected by the organisation. A review of the current MPS Diversity Strategy is about to be published and a revised strategy, ‘Protect and Respect II’, is being developed.

9. Police officers from Constable to Chief Inspector in particular felt that there was too much bureaucracy. Commander Dick Cullen is heading a small team to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in the MPS.

10. Many felt that Senior Management Teams were out of touch with those closer to the service delivery end of the business. They were concerned that senior managers were not visible enough, did not listen to staff views and did not act on their suggestions. The lack of respect felt particularly by black staff (see 8. above) was also experienced by white and Asian staff, but to a lesser extent. Civil staff in particular were unclear about their role in ‘making London safer’. The Leadership Project, currently being led by Assistant Commissioner Mike Todd, continues to work to address these issues.

11. On physical resources, the police vehicle fleet was creating difficulties for operational police officers. Commander Graham James, Interim Manager of Transport Services, is working to resolve the problems associated with the Venson’s contract for the maintenance of MPS vehicles. Poor accommodation such as overcrowding, lack of lockers to store uniform and poor air conditioning were matters to be addressed locally with support from local Business Managers and ultimately the Director of Resources. The Commissioner has allocated £0.5m to be spent in the current financial year on improving physical working conditions in police buildings.

Future Actions

12. In addition to those actions completed and ‘in train’, Borough commanders and Heads of Department have been tasked by the Commissioner to address the issues raised by their staff during the focus groups held across the MPS to discuss the staff survey. A copy of the focus group results and advice on how the issues might be taken forward are to be circulated, together with a letter from the Commissioner requiring action to be taken.

B. Recommendation

The Committee is asked to note the contents of the paper.

C. Financial implications

The cost of the consultants is being met in part from a budget originally set aside for the conduct of the staff survey and in part from a ‘call-off’ contract between the MPS internal Consultancy and Information Services and external consultants, MVA.

D. Review arrangements

The Committee may wish to call for a further report on progress in Spring 2001.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request either to the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

None.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Commander Brian Paddick, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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