Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Human Resources Committee held on 6 November 2003 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Rachel Whittaker (Chair)
• Diana Johnson (Deputy Chair)
• Anthony Arbour
• Cindy Butts
• Kirsten Hearn
• Nicholas Long (items 1-6, 8-17)
• Cecile Wright (items 1-6)

MPA Officers

• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)
• Alan Johnson (Head of Human Resources and Professional Standards)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Section)

MPS Officers

• Neil Bayne (Interim Director of HR Selection)
• Mo Bunce (Strategic Disability Team)
• Rose Fitzpatrick (Commander, Deputy Commissioner’s Command)
• Chris Haselden (Head of HR Strategic Management)
• Bernard Hogan-Howe (Assistant Commissioner, HR)
• Shabir Hussain (Director, Training and Development)
• Denise Milani (Director, Development and Organisational Improvement Team)
• Mike Shurety (Director, Pay and Benefits)
• Martin Tiplady (Director of HR)
• Terry Price (Head of Corporate Finance)
• Craig Watkins (Head of Business Support, Finance Directorate)

Part 1

18. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Jennette Arnold, (member) Catherine Crawford (Clerk), and Gordon Davison, Director People Development.

19. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

20. Minutes of the Human Resources Committee – 4 September 2003

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2003.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2003 be confirmed and signed as a correct record

21. Minutes of the Police Pensions Forfeiture Committee – 25 September 2003

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2003.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2003 be noted.

22. Chair’s, Members’, Clerk’s and Assistant Commissioner Human Resources’ updates (oral report)

(Agenda item 5)

On behalf of the Clerk, it was reported that seven commanders had recently been appointed. The post of Deputy Assistant Commissioner had been advertised and selection boards would be held in January/February.

The Chair reported that she had attended the conference of the Association of Police Authorities and associated meetings of the Police Negotiating Board. Sir Ronnie Flanagan had spoken about the HMIC inspection into non-sworn staff at the Association of Police Authorities Conference.

Kirsten Hearn reported that she met with the MPS Disabled Staff Association.

The Assistant Commissioner HR informed members of temporary organisational changes within the HR Directorate, and the appointment of Simon Marshall as Director of Recruitment. Neil Bayne, Interim Director, was thanked for his work.

In response to the TV programme ‘The Secret Policemen’ (which featured other police services) the MPS had set up a working group to review the MPS’s current diversity and integrity systems. To support this work a HR ‘gold’ group would review the MPS’s recruitment, training and other HR systems. The HR group had already commissioned a number of immediate actions and would oversee others to ensure that the MPS’s recruitment systems were effective in rooting out unacceptable and inappropriate attitudes. The MPS was also reviewing the support given to individuals who reported inappropriate attitudes and behaviour. Members asked about testing the integrity of officers and staff already employed by the MPS. The MPS undertook to brief members in 3-4 weeks of ongoing and planned actions. In response to a query, Assistant Commissioner HR reported that ‘active’ political behaviour was contrary to Police Regulations.

On 4 November 2003, the Recruitment Directorate won an award from the London Employment and Coalition for its work with JobCentre Plus in appointing over 550 jobseekers (60% from visible ethnic minorities) as communications officers, PCSOs and other police staff. Another 400 jobseekers were in the recruitment system. Questions were asked about retention of these staff, and the MPS undertook to provide monitoring data.

It was noted that from 1 October 2003, MPS civil staff were now called ‘police staff’. Pay negotiations for police staff had been concluded and, following a ballot of union members, police staff would receive a 3% pay increase.

Members were informed that for the first time in its history, the MPS was providing a non-residential training course for police recruits. The 18-week pilot course had an intake of 32 (instead of the usual 330 at Hendon) and was based in Sunbury. Both the Home Office and the MPS would independently evaluate the pilot. The recruits would have close involvement with the local community during their training, and be eventually posted to one of three nearby boroughs.

The MPS had agreed a new Carers Strategy that included all caring responsibilities. Members were informed that a specification was being prepared in order to issue an OJEC notice in regard to a crèche at Hendon.

Members asked about the future of passing out parades at Hendon. They were told that some saw them as anachronistic and militaristic, but that many recruits and their relatives enjoyed the events as a signal of achievement. The recruits at Sunbury would not have a passing out parade as their numbers were too small, and although the passing out parades continued at Hendon, a move to a graduation style ceremony was being considered. As recruitment training became decentralised there would be less opportunities for this type of activity. Recruits trained by Centrex elsewhere in the country did not have passing out parades.

Resolved – That the Chair’s, Members’, Clerk’s and Assistant Commissioner HR’s oral updates be received.

23. Training and Development Directorate (presentation)

(Agenda item 6)

A presentation was given on leadership and management training in the MPS. It was noted that there was a move towards providing generic management training regardless of rank, pay band and whether recipients were police officers or police staff. Members were informed that the MPS Diversity Training Board was currently considering phase two of diversity training, and members comments would be taken on board.

In response to a query, Commander Hussain explained that diversity was integrated through all training modules, and training courses were continually reviewed to ensure they were inclusive. A two-stage process for further diversity training was being considered; stage one would be knowledge giving and stage 2 would be assessing the impact. He added that trainers were currently trained ‘in house’, but they were looking to other external providers such as, for example, Adult Education centres.

Resolved - That the presentation on training and development be received.

24. Fairness at Work Policy - update

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received which provided an early assessment of the way in which the new Fairness at Work procedure was operating within the MPS.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

25. Disability Discrimination Act - update

(Agenda item 8)

Members received a report outlining the progress made in respect of the employment and goods and services provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. It was noted that increased civilianisation presented less opportunity to redeploy officers and posting officers to police staff roles could lead to difficulties due to equal pay considerations. The MPS were trying to resolve some of the issues presented by the Act with the Home Office.

In answer to questions about the problems police officers with disabilities found in relation to career development and promotion because of the definition of ‘operational’, members were informed of instances where promotion opportunities had been provided to disabled officers. The MPS recognised the need to formalise this ad hoc process, but currently did not have comprehensive information of which police officers had a disability.

Members were informed of a conference that was being held on 26 November focusing on part III of the Act concerning service delivery. A number of community groups had been invited, but it was suggested that there should be more community representatives at such events. Mention was made of visits being made to MPS buildings by the Strategic Disability Team to discuss access other issues for staff. An earlier Property Services Department audit was primarily concerned with public access.

Assistant Commissioner HR agreed to obtain more information about access to mobile police stations and the Strategic Disability Team agreed to arrange visits to the Disability Concept Office for members who requested such visits.

Resolved – That progress made to date in respect of the employment and goods and services provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 be noted.

26. HR Business and Performance Plan 2003/4 - objective 2

(Agenda item 9)

A report was received which provided a summary of progress on objective 2 of the MPS HR Business and Performance Plan for 2003/04, the aim of which was ‘to develop a professional and effective workforce with the appropriate numbers and skills to deliver the operational priorities of the MPS’. The report also described the link between the business plan and the People Strategy and the monitoring arrangements through the performance management regime. One of the key activities was to improve the quality and timeliness of Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) for all staff. Members were informed that some parts of the MPS were extremely poor in their completion of PDRs and that remedial was action being taken. The Assistant Commissioner undertook to regularly report on the effectiveness of these measures orally at future Committee meetings. In response to a query, it as reported that training on the new PDRs had been cascaded to all staff.

Resolved - That the report be noted

27. Police staff discipline process

(Agenda item 10)

Members received a report providing information about the police staff discipline process. Members felt that appendix 1b and Ic should be in the public domain. . Members asked for a briefing paper on the reasons for the apparent disproportionality in the discipline statistics.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted;
2. appendix 1b and c be put in the public domain;
3. a briefing paper be prepared for members on the disproportionality in the discipline statistics; and.
4. that a further report be prepared for the Committee in six months time with an update on the review of the police staff discipline process (due to be completed in December 2003) and more comprehensive statistics, e.g. including oral warnings.

28. Police overtime – guidance for managers

(Agenda item 11)

A report was received updating members on guidance issued for managing police overtime, the work/life balance issues and the impact of the working time regulations. It was explained that the MPS’s tools for measuring how and when overtime was used, as opposed to its financial value, were limited. The MPS was looking at how it could improve these in the short-term. Members were informed that since the report was published the financial implications had been revised. The current overtime overspend was £6.8m with a forecast year-end position of £5m.

Members asked about the move by some boroughs to 12-hour shifts. Though officers welcomed them, the long gaps between shifts made the management of work and the measurement of any ‘additional’ costs difficult. It was agreed there would be a further report on the financial implications, specifically covering this issue, and the overtime ‘hotspots’. It was further agreed that any comments that members might wish to make on the guidance should be provided to Alan Johnson by the end of the month.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

29. Police reform – update on police reform payments

(Agenda item 12)

Members received a report providing an update on progress in relation to special priority payments, competence-related threshold payments and bonus payments. A detailed report on the proposals for the forthcoming year would be made to the Coordination and Policing Committee on 17 November. It was requested that the bureaucratic elements of the payments be raised in this report.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

30. Recruitment and retention

(Agenda item 13)

A report was received informing the committee of progress, and related issues, of police officer and police staff recruitment against budgeted workforce targets for the financial year 2003/2004.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

31. MPA involvement in police ill health retirement procedures

(Agenda item 14)

As part of the Police Reform Act 2002 proposals, new provisions were implemented in July 2003, introducing the concept of an independent and objective Selected Medical Practitioner (SMP) acting on behalf of the MPA, and separate from the role performed by the MPS’s Force Medical Adviser. The report explained that the SMP’s role is to determine, on behalf of the authority, whether a police officer is permanently disabled from performing operational duty and if they are, to provide a report on the officer’s capabilities to perform a non-operational role. The MPA would meet regularly with the SMPs to ensure the MPA’s interests were best served.

Resolved - That the Committee endorse the procedure outlined in the report.

32. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 15)

Resolved - That under section 100 A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved disclosure of exempt information as detailed in paragraph 1 of part 1 schedule 12a of the above Act.

Part 2

Summary of exempt items

33. Exempt minutes of the Police Pensions Forfeiture Committee – 25 September 2003

(Agenda item 15)

The Committee noted the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2003.

Resolved - That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2003 be noted.

34. Police staff discipline process

(Agenda item 17 (linked with 10))

See agenda item 10

The meeting ended at 4.30 p.m.

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