Personnel management information

Report: 12
Date: 1 November 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides a range of personnel related management information to the end of September 2001, with a summary of key points.

A. Recommendations

That members note the contents of this report and the management information provided.

B. Supporting information

Management information charts

1. The attached charts show, at Appendix 1, the position against the personnel related Policing and Performance Plan objectives for 2001/02, and, at Appendix 2, a range of supplementary personnel management information to the end of September 2001.

2. All Best Value Performance Indicators for 2001/02 are covered by specific Policing and Performance Plan objectives, as reported at Appendix 1, or are covered by standing items contained in Appendix 2.

3. The charts provide data to the end of September 2001 apart from sickness data, which is to the end of August 2001.

Key points

4. The key points to emerge from the reports are set out below:

Strength

5. Police strength at the end of September 2001 was 25,920 (full time equivalents). The steady increase of strength since October 2000 has continued through the current year.

6. Civil staff strength has seen a steady increase since April. Traffic warden strength has remained relatively constant. At the end of September, civil staff strength was 10,382 (full time equivalents) and traffic warden strength was 676 (full time equivalents) compared to 10,197 and 698 respectively at the beginning of the year.

7. The budgeted workforce target (BWT) for civil staff has been increased from 11,110.40 to 11,535.77 to take account of a number of specific staffing increases and a number of local increases resulting from the provisions within the devolved budgetary arrangements. The financial provision for these increases has been provided for from within existing overall budgets.

Ethnicity

8. The percentage of visible ethnic minority (VEM) officers as a proportion of police strength was 4.34% at 30 September 2001. The percentage has increased during the year from a start point of 4.15%. Further improvements planned for the second half of the year should achieve the target of 5% by 31 March 2002.

9. The percentage of visible ethnic minorities as a proportion of civil staff strength has also increased over the year. The percentage at 30 September was 16.96%, from a beginning of the year figure of 15.55%.

10. The percentage of visible ethnic minorities as a proportion of traffic warden strength was 12.53% at the end of March. This has increased to 14.21% at 30 September 2001.

Gender

11. The percentage of females as a proportion of police strength has remained largely unchanged since the beginning of the year, standing at 15.77% at the end of September.

Police recruitment

12. The police recruitment target for 2001/02 as published in the Policing and Performance Plan is 2,475. This was calculated before the end of 2000/01 and was based on projections. The recruitment target has since been revised to take account of actual strength at the beginning of April 2001 and current wastage rates. The revised target is 2551. This number might need to be further revised as the year progresses depending on the actual numbers recruited and ongoing turnover rates.

13. The total joining the MPS on 1 October was 267, maintaining recent increases. 242 were new recruits to the police service who went to Hendon for full recruit training. 25 were transfers from other forces or people rejoining the MPS who were posted directly to Boroughs. Intakes must increase further to around 286, to enable the recruitment target to be reached, and consequently police BWT.

Police wastage

14. Wastage for September was 152, an increase from 120 in August and greater than the monthly average for 2000/01 (122). This is no discernible reason for this increase though it does follow seasonal trends. The position will be closely monitored. Retention remains a top priority and the wastage rate needs to be constrained in order for the overall police strength to increase to the planned levels. The current wastage rate is built into the revised recruitment target.

15. The number of medical retirements as a proportion of all police retirements to the end of September was 32.75%, below BVPI target of 33%.

16. Wastage to the end of September of VEM officers as a proportion of total wastage to date was 3.33% compared to a VEM proportionate strength of 4.34%.

17. Overall, resignations and officers joining other forces continue to form virtually half of all wastage. To the end of September, 21.46% (168) resigned and 26.12% (204) transferred to other forces.

Civil staff wastage

18. Civil staff wastage since April has averaged 98, less than the average of 130 in 2000/01.

19. Medical retirements as a proportion all civil staff retirements to the end of September were 38.90%, which is a reduction from the previous month (48.63%) but remains above the BVPI target of 33% target.

Traffic warden wastage

20. Wastage this month was 10, the same as the monthly average to date. This is marginally lower than the average for 2000/01 (11). Since April, 30 traffic wardens (49.39% of leavers) regraded to civil staff grades and 15 (24.76% of leavers) resigned.

21. Medical retirements as a proportion of all traffic warden retirements to the end September were 64.18% nearly double the 33% target. Occupational Health and the traffic warden management are examining this.

Police sickness

22. The exceptional increase in the sickness shown for the past few months was found to be due to a computer error at PIB (Performance Information Bureau) in implementing a new IT reporting system. This has now been reconciled and the correct sickness level (rolling 12 months) is 9.6 days. This compares with last year's average of 9.8 days and the target of 9 days. The current rate of decrease suggests the target for the year will be met.

Civil staff sickness excluding traffic wardens

23. Civil staff sickness, at 11.1 days is 1.1 day per month above the target of 10 days and is remaining static. The average rate of civil staff sickness in 2000/01 was 10.9 days.

Traffic warden sickness

24. Traffic warden sickness continues at a much higher rate than for other staff but has reduced steadily in recent months to an average of 19.1 days, below the target of 20 days. A programme of action continues, with Occupational Health supporting line management.

Extended sick pay for police officers (regulation 46)

25. 283 officers were off on extended sick leave in September: 155 on full pay, 83 on half pay and 45 are off pay. There has been a general increase in numbers since April, though the numbers of half pay cases has slightly reduced. As a result of a Management Board decision on the 17 October a review is to take place into the management of those staff who are presently off pay. There will be a further review of the process of managing those officers in receipt of a medical retirement pension to ensure best value principles are being adhered to.

26. A separate report to the meeting provides some more detail on sickness and Occupational Health activity.

Grievances

27. To date there are an average of 13 new grievances each month. This month has seen big drop in the number of new cases to 7 compared to the last two months of 22 and 15 respectively, though the monthly average is above last years average of 11 new cases a month.

Employment tribunals

28. There were 8 new employment tribunal cases in September, a drop from the previous two months of 13 and 15 respectively. The average number of new cases each month in 2000/01 was 9.

Occupational health

29. The statistics as presented in the chart are now complete. The number of new occupational health referrals (excluding welfare) is remaining steady at around 350 a month. The number of staff returning to full duties also remains constant at an average of 194 per month. However, the number of cases resolved in September reduced significantly from recent months, leading to an increase in the number of ongoing cases (2104). There has been a steady increase in on-going cases this year.

C. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising directly from this report.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Chris Haselden, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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