Annual report 2002/03

Report: 12
Date: 5 June 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

The full Authority has agreed that each committee should produce an annual report on its activities to provide a summary of the key issues that have been discussed and upon which decisions have been made. The full Authority will consider the final annual report of each Committee on 24 July 2003.

A. Recommendation

That members endorse the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The Human Resources Committee (HRC) has continued to carry out its responsibilities in accordance with both its terms of reference, attached at Appendix 1, and incorporating its statutory responsibilities. The Committee met six times during the year and has overseen the work of both the Remuneration Sub-Committee (RSC) and the Police Pensions-Sub Committee.

Recruitment and retention

2. Members received reports at every meeting on ‘Recruitment and Retention’ within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), covering police officers, civil staff, traffic wardens and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The report informed the Committee of:

• Progress against budgeted workforce targets for London and for boroughs
• Progress against targets for numbers of women and visible ethnic minorities
• National and MPS recruitment campaigns
• Police community support officer recruitment
• Activities to improve retention, including improvements to exit polling, better management and supervision and career development opportunities.

3. Police officer strength was at 28477 at the end of March 2003, achieving the target set for 2002/3 of 28412. Civil staff numbers continue to increase slowly and are now at 10959, still about 8.2% below budgeted workforce target (BWT). Traffic warden levels were 650 at the end of March 2003. This is some 24% below BWT, but bearing in mind the new role transport PCSOs, recruitment for traffic wardens has now stopped. 513 PCSOs were in place at the end of 2002/3, achieving the 500 target for the year.

4. Members were particularly concerned about application processing times. Assurances were received that delays in areas such as security vetting and medical reports would mean the average time to process an application would be reduced by the middle of the 2003/4 financial year.

5. At the end of March 2003, 17571 officers were based on boroughs, 1.8% under the target of 17904. For individual boroughs, the situation has improved substantially from when some boroughs were in excess of 10% below strength. All but two boroughs (Harrow and Enfield) were within 5% of their BWT. SO was also 8% below its BWT for the financial year. Most boroughs were also below their expected civil staff numbers, with an average of 5.3% below strength. Worst affected are Kensington and Chelsea (at –20%), Lewisham (-13%) and Redbridge (-12%). SO was also 15% below its expected civil staff numbers.

6. With increased recruitment, the number of less experienced officers on boroughs was a concern. There were 3549 probationers (officers with less than 2 years experience) on boroughs at the end of the financial year, which represent 29% of the total PC strength. This was increasing over time and is set to further increase as recruits are posted to boroughs. Probationer levels vary between boroughs from 21% to 37%. There were high levels of probationers in Hammersmith and Fulham (37%) and in Kensington and Chelsea (35%).

7. Because of the serious concerns about retention, members endorsed a proposal to conclude the Best Value Review of Retention and to re-formulate the retention strategy into an improvement plan. The improvement plan was due to be considered by HRC in June 2003.

8. Of particular concern was the number of resignations amongst police officers, with 67% of the overall number of resignations within the first 2 years of service. The figure for visible ethnic minorities was 88% of total resignations from this group. For women police officers, the figure was 49% of total resignations from this group. Within these figures was a significant level of wastage at Training School, with 15% from visible ethnic minorities. This figure represents 71% of overall resignations amongst visible ethnic minority police officers in the first two years of service.

Police Reform

9. Members were heavily involved in the implementation of the HR aspects of the police reform programme which aims to:

• provide police officers with better work-life balance with greater flexibility in working arrangements and shift patterns;
• rationalising the system of regulations and determinations;
• improving the management of ill health and providing incentives for officers to stay on after 30 years of service;
• providing incentives for better performance or particular roles

The authority was required to approve or consider a wide range of issues including bonus payments, special priority payments, threshold payments, special priority payments, managing overtime etc.

MPS HR Directorate allocation, spend and forecast 2002/3 and 2003/4

10. Members considered reports on the overall allocation, spend and forecasts for the MPS HR directorate budget. There was specific reporting on the HR selection and Occupational Health budgets that formed part of a rolling scrutiny programme for the Committee. This was felt to be a particularly valuable tool and one that other Committees could adopt.

Congestion Charging

11. The pilot arrangements to deal with the additional costs for some staff as a result of the introduction of the introduction of congestion charging were considered. Members endorsed the continuation of the current scheme to ensure that police officers and civil staff who were required to use their own transport were not “out of pocket”.

Analysis of sickness

12. Members regularly considered reports on sickness levels within the MPS. After a period of stable levels, encouragingly police sickness is now showing a falling trend. Up until February 2003, the average sickness was 9.8 days per officer, not meeting the 9-day target, but comparing favourably with other police forces. Civil staff sickness is at 11.2 days per year (to February 2003), not meeting the 10-day target. Traffic warden sickness is at 19.7 days, not meeting the 16 day target.

13. Fewer officers are on extended sick pay this year than last year and fewer officers are leaving due to medical retirement. In addition, less police officers were referred to the welfare service or to an Occupational Health Advisor that last year.

People Strategy

14. There were several reports throughout the year on the current developments within the various strands of the strategy, including timescales and a ‘forward look’ for the remaining two years and how the strategy would be developed alongside policing objectives and the APA framework for human resource plans. Members were particularly anxious that all strands and initiatives should incorporate equal opportunities and diversity.

Regulatory Responsibilities

15. The HRC:

1. Set up an appeals panel under regulation 10(3) of the Police Regulations 1995 to consider appeals by police officers against a decision by the Commissioners to refuse permission for a notified business interest;
2. Set up a Police Pensions Sub Committee to consider forfeiture cases. The Sub Committee met twice during the year to discuss and agree a revised process for dealing with these cases that became a template for the Association of Police Authorities and the Home Office. Decisions were made in four cases regarding the level of forfeiture, with a further 18 cases due to be considered; and
3. Considered reports from the Remuneration Sub Committee on:
   • ACPO appointments for the Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Commander. Tim Godwin was appointed Assistant Commissioner. Interviews for Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Commander are due in June 2003.
   • ACPO terms and conditions, including relocation/removal allowances, age criteria, intellectual property rights and taxation on car benefits and development of a car policy and as part of its terms of reference, though not as part of a regulatory responsibility.
   • Senior civil staff pay and personal development objectives.
   • Senior civil staff appointments.
   • Senior civil staff redundancies.

Training

16. Members considered a number of reports throughout the year on training both within the MPS and at a national level. The recommendations of the final report of the Best Value Review of training, the improvement plan and the financial implications were endorsed. In addition, the HMIC thematic inspection on probationer training’ Training Matters’, and the current work on reviewing probationer training were noted.

Employment Tribunal and Grievance Data

17. Regular reports were received providing management information on Employment Tribunals, including financial data. Members welcomed the new Fairness at Work Policy, which replaced the grievance procedure. They particularly welcomed the training to be provided for line managers in dealing with the new policy. Although small numbers are involved, it appears that there are less grievances recorded this year to date than last year, with an average of 6 grievances per month this year to date compared to 11 per month last year. The most common reason for a grievance remained the actions/ behaviour of line management. Employment tribunals also show a slight reducing trend, at an average of 8 per month this year compared to 9 per month in the previous year.

Work-Life balance and Diversity

18. The HRC received a number of reports throughout the year around these issues including the range of work-life balance opportunities currently available to MPS staff, the programme of work for the DOIT team and the implications of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 for the police service. Members also supported the launch of the Gender Agenda and a number of the events around the issues of visible ethnic minority recruitment and disability.

MetPeople

19. The National Competency Framework (NCF) provides the basis for assessment of police officers and civil staff. It will mean that staff will be objectively judged against the care responsibilities of their role and will be able to understand and work towards the care responsibilities of another role when they wish to develop their career. Members were particularly pleased to note that the NCF will form the basis of future Personal Development Reviews (PDR) and inform the High Potential Development Scheme.

MetHR

20. Members continued to receive updates on the MetHR computer system, which provides an integrated HR Selection on a single database. As it was ‘rolled out’ the new system provides:

All personnel records on a single database;

• Improved management information;
• Standardised HR procedures; and
• Network access across the MPS

Consultation with staff associations, trade unions and support groups

21. The HRC reviewed and revised its programme of regular meetings in order to both regularise these opportunities to consult on current issues and seek views on forthcoming proposals or policies. Individual members of the committee have continued their ‘link’ role with specific groups of staff.

The way forward

22. The HRC would like to see the MPS working towards the safest capital city in the world by having a better paid, better trained, more diverse and flexible workforce, capable of providing the sort of career opportunities and challenges that will attract the best staff. The MPS is on the right road, but there is still a way to go, but jointly the MPA and the MPS will work towards a city and its many different communities that will benefit from an open, honest and professional police service second-to-none.

C. Equality and diversity implications

This is intended as a factual report on the work of the Human Resources Committee, although it does reflect some of the equality and diversity aspects of the work of this Committee.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Alan Johnson, HR, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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