Minutes

Minutes of the Human Resources Committee meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority held in the Press Room, Romney House, Westminster on 18 January 2001.

Present:

Members:

• Rachel Whittaker (Chair)
• Anthony Arbour
• Jennette Arnold
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Nicholas Long
• Angela Slaven
• Abdal Ullah

MPA staff

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Peter Martin (Treasurer)
• Colin Balkman (Deputy Treasurer)
• Johanna Gillians (Senior Analyst)

MPS staff

• Peter Clarke (DAC & Deputy Director - Personnel)
• Chris Haselden (Personnel Department)
• Tony Horsley (Project Director)
• Michael Shurety (Assistant Director of Personnel)
• Patricia Woods (Director of Personnel)

Also present also were 18 members of the press/media and public.

Part 1

58. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from John Biggs (Deputy Chair).

59. Minutes (Part 1): 21 December 2000

(Agenda item 2)

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a correct record.

Members were informed that civil staff had received a letter from the Commissioner outlining details of the pay salary review. At the request of Members, the Chair said she would speak to the Chair of the MPA on this subject.

Resolved:

1. the minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2000 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair; and
2. the Chair would speak to Chair of the MPA about the Civil Staff pay review.

60. Personnel management information

(Agenda item 3)

Members received a report that provided a range of personnel related management information to the end of November 2000, together with a summary of key points.

Members asked about the inaccuracies in MPS personnel statistics concerning police strength and recruitment of ethnic officers recently reported in the press. They were informed of the cause of these mistakes. A review of personnel statistics, involving the Home Office, was taking place, and disciplinary action was being considered.

There followed a discussion of the ethnic coding used by the MPS Personnel Department, and how it differed from that of other organisations. A full briefing note on the subject was requested.

The Chair asked how the MPS monitored its recruitment campaigns mirroring the national campaign. Members were informed that some campaigns had been followed by detailed analysis, and an external diversity strategy group would be monitoring a future campaign. Members felt that the difficulty in recruiting and retaining officers was, in part, due to demographics and greater career mobility. They were told that the MPS had tried to combat these by expanding the age range for recruits. Questions were asked about exit polls. Reasons given for leaving were varied. The Clerk requested that a paper come to this Committee on the results of exit polls, when sufficient data had been collected to make the content meaningful.

The Chair expressed concern about the waiting time for medical appointments, particularly in relation to retention strategy. She was told that the average wait was 5.18 weeks, when the target was two week. Members were informed that extra sessional doctors were being contracted to improve the situation, which would be kept under review. The Committee would keep this under review.

Concern was expressed about sickness rates for traffic wardens. Members were informed that there were no seasonal trends. A previous project looking at this subject had revealed four contributory factors: shortage of resources, poor people management, uncertainty about the future and lack of overall direction. Further work was being carried out in this area. A paper on traffic warden sickness, addressing such issues as length and type of sickness, and staff morale, was requested in due course.

Resolved:

1. the content of the report and management information provided be noted;
2. Members be provided with a briefing note on the ethnic coding used by the MPS, why it was used, where it differed from other organisations, and related matters;.
3. a paper come to the Human Resources (HR) Committee at a future date analysing the results of exit polls; and
4. a paper come to the HR Committee at a future date analysing traffic warden sickness.

61. Sickness by ethnicity

(Agenda item 4)

At its November 2000 meeting, the HR Committee requested an analysis of the sickness absence of minority ethnic police officers and civil staff. Members received a report on sickness absences for the month of November 2000.

Resolved:
the report and management information be noted.

62. People strategy – update on human resources information system

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report on the new Human Resources Information System (PRISM). It formed the first part of a progress report on the People Strategy. The second part, covering particular projects, would be provided at the February meeting. The Project Director gave a presentation on the project. Members were told that MPA would be able to access the application for managing its own staff, and that statistical information would be available to specified MPA officers. Members asked whether GLA and associated bodies had been consulted in the development of the system. They were told that it been developed through NSPIS (National Strategy for Police Information Systems) for use by police services, however the Project Director would talk to the GLA. The Clerk would also raise the issue with her fellow chief executives.

Resolved:

1. the contents of the report be noted; and
2. the Project Director and Clerk inform the GLA and associated bodies of the project.

63. South east private finance initiative – update on personnel issues

(Agenda item 6)

Since 1998, the MPS had been pursuing the provision of new operational buildings at Bromley, Lewisham and Sutton by means of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The PFI supplier would also become responsible for the supply of staff and delivery of a limited range of police support services. Members received a report providing an update on the personnel issues connected with the South East London PFI, setting out the background, progress to date, and issues recently highlighted.

A Member pointed out that the project had had a long gestation period. The MPS had changed considerably during this period, moving from 60 divisions to 32 borough command units. PFI would bring about a large cultural change affecting about ten percent of boroughs. The link Member for two of the affected boroughs expressed surprise that borough commanders had not informed her of the implications for civil staff of the proposed PFI.

It was felt that Members needed more detailed briefings about the PFI as a whole and it was proposed that a workshop be held for all MPA Members before the matter went to the Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee. Relevant MPS personnel would be invited to attend.

Resolved:

1. the contents of the paper be noted; and
2. a workshop be held for all Members before a decision on the South East PFI went to the Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee.

64. Metropolitan police pensions update

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report that set out the latest position in respect of the Equitable Life Assurance Society and an update on pension arrangements for civil staff.

Resolved:
the content of the report be noted.

65. MPA support organisation budget monitoring 2000 – 2001

(Agenda item 8)

A report was received which showed the actual and committed expenditure of the MPA support organisation for April to November 2000 profiled against the MPA budget. Members were informed that LGA in paragraph 7 should have read 'ALG'. Members asked about the budget forecast. They were told that a minor underspend was forecast (attached at Appendix 1).

Resolved:
the content of the report be noted.

66. Equal opportunities statement for the MPA

(Agenda item 9)

The most recent version of the Metropolitan Police Authority's equal opportunities statement had been circulated for discussion and approval. The Consultation, Diversity and Outreach (CDO) Committee had ratified it; the next stage would be approval by the full Authority. The Clerk felt it should complement the MPS statement, and be more crisply phrased. She circulated a slightly amended and re-ordered statement. With a few minor changes, the Committee endorsed the revised statement. The revised statement would be submitted to the full Authority.

Resolved:

1. the revised version of the equal opportunities statement be agreed, following minor amendment;
2. the Clerk inform CDO Members of the revised statement; and
3. the revised statement be considered at the next full Authority meeting.

67. MPA discipline procedure

(Agenda item 10)

At the November 2000 meeting, the HR Committee considered draft discipline procedures for the staff of the MPA. The draft had been revised to reflect the comments made at that meeting, and had been tabled again for Member's consideration. With a minor amendment the discipline procedure was agreed.

Resolved:
with minor amendment the proposed discipline procedure be adopted by the MPA.

68. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 11)

A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during agenda item 12 'Minutes (Part 2): 21 December 2000' and item 13, 'MPS/MPA Personnel Developments (oral update)' as they would be likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) relating to:

Items 12 and 13 – Information relating to a particular employee, former employee or applicant to become an employee of, or a particular office-holder, former office holder or applicant to become an office-holder under the authority.

Resolved:
the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the agenda items 12 and 13 because they could disclose or would be likely to disclose exempt information as described in paragraph 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the said Act as indicated.

69. Minutes (Part 2): 21 December 2000

(Agenda item 12)

Members received the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2000.

Resolved:
Part 2 of the minutes of the meeting held on 21 December 2000 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

70. MPS/MPA personnel developments – oral update

(Agenda item 13)

Members were informed the AC Johnston had been appointed Chief Constable of the British transport Police and would be leaving MPS in March. A selection board would be held to fill the resulting vacancy. The Chair requested that more Members be invited to attend ACPO selection panel training courses, to enlarge the pool of Members who would be able to serve on selection panels.

The Director of Personnel stated that Jenny Deere had taken up the post of Business Director – Recruitment, Selection and Workforce Diversity on 3 December. The Clerk said that Sultan Taylor had been promoted to Superintendent and would soon be leaving the MPA.

The Chair congratulated Nicholas Long on the award of an MBE.

The meeting finished at about 4.15pm.

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