Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Human Resources Committee held on 8 January 2004 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Rachel Whittaker (Chair)
• Jennette Arnold
• Cindy Butts
• Kirsten Hearn
• Nicholas Long
• Cecile Wright

MPA Officers

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• 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)
• Gordon Davison, Director People Development
• Steve Grainger, (A/Commander, Training and Development)
• Chris Haselden (Head of HR Strategic Management)
• Bernard Hogan-Howe (Assistant Commissioner, HR)
• Paul Madge (Acting Director, HR Services)
• Simon Marshall (Director, HR Recruitment)
• Denise Milani (Director, Development and Organisational Improvement Team)
• Mike Shurety (Director, Pay and Benefits)
• Martin Tiplady (Director of HR)
• Craig Watkins (Head of Business Support, Finance Directorate)

Also present: Peter Herbert (MPA Member)

Part 1

35. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Diana Johnson (Deputy Chair), and Anthony Arbour (member) and Shabir Hussain (Director, Training and Development).

36. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

37. Minutes of the Human Resources Committee – 6 November 2003

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2003. In relation to agenda item 9, members were informed that the returns for the completion of Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) had been received from all Operational Command Units, and that this information would be forwarded to members. The results were disappointing but measures had been put in place to improve the situation. The paper on disproportionality in the police staff discipline process, referred to under agenda item 10, would be forwarded to members shortly.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2003 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

38. Minutes of the Police Pensions Forfeiture Sub-committee – 27 November 2003

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2003.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2003 be noted.

39. Minutes of the Remuneration Sub-committee -17 October 2003

(Agenda item 5)

The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2003.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2003 be noted.

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

(Agenda item 6)

The Clerk informed members that the selection process for Deputy Assistant Commissioners was in progress. She named and congratulated all those police officers that had received New Year’s Honours from the Queen. Members were informed that Pam Standley had joined the MPA’s Human Resources (HR) staff to replace Graham Spencer. She wished her personal thanks for his work to be recorded.

It was noted that it was the last HR committee likely to be attended by Nicholas Long as a member of the MPA. He was thanked for his significant and valuable contribution.

It was agreed the skills shortages in forensic services briefing paper should be updated and be tabled at the next meeting of the HR Committee.

Jennette Arnold stated that she had attended a meeting of the Police Advisory Board (PAB) that had discussed substance abuse. It was agreed a paper should be tabled at a future HR Committee meeting for members to understand developments.

Assistant Commissioner HR reported that, at Police Negotiating Board (PNB) consensus had been reached on new national pay arrangements for superintending ranks. There was some work required on the implications for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and this would be the subject of discussion between the MPS, MPA and Superintendents’ Association. It was agreed Alan Johnson would be the MPA representative. A paper would come to a future HR Committee on this issue.

The rollout programme for name badges would commence in January and would focus initially on inspectors and above and front line staff, with other ranks and staff to follow. HR would also run a series of four health promotion campaigns in 2004 on healthy eating, mental health, physical exercise and cancer awareness/prevention. The first campaign, on healthy eating, would be launched on 16 January. Two specially designed vehicles would visit each Borough and most central OCUs. In the first campaign, the first vehicle would contain promotional literature and be staffed by occupational health advisers who could give general advice. The second vehicle would provide advisers, on an appointment basis, to give more specific advice.

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

41. MPS HR Business Plan 2004/5

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received which informed members about developments in the corporate business planning process. It described priorities emerging at both a corporate level and within Human Resources and invited members’ contributions in respect of HR priorities for 2004/05. It was suggested that appendix 3 should contain reference to PNB reforms. It was agreed that Dianna Johnson and Alan Johnson would work with the HR Directorate in developing the HR business plan and feedback to members.

Resolved - That

1. the approach to developing the HR business plan 2004/05 described in this report be noted;
2. that continuing work on preparation of the HR business plan be noted and that a further report will be brought to the 4 March 2004 meeting of the HR Committee, setting out detailed priorities, objectives, performance measures, targets and costings if available (subject to budget confirmation being available by this time);
3. Diana Johnson and Alan Johnson work closely with the HR Directorate in developing the HR business plan; and
4. that emerging priorities include reference to PNB reforms.

42. Development of a healthy and safe workforce able to contribute effectively to operational priorities

(Agenda item 8)

Members received a report setting out the key activities being undertaken to support the development of a safe and healthy workforce and create a more efficient operational service (HR Business and Performance Plan 2003/04: Objective 3). The Committee welcomed the decrease in days lost by sickness, but felt that ‘operational’ as in a ‘return to operational duties’ should be more clearly defined. The MPS undertook to provide a further report on the definition of ‘operational’ in relation to recuperative and restricted duties policies. HR undertook to consider how working more than 48 hours per week (the Working Time Regulations ‘weekly limit’) could be one of the health checks in the strategy. Questions were asked about maintaining the fitness of officers and members were informed that the PAB might introduce this as a requirement, starting with new recruits.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

43. Employment Tribunals

(Agenda item 9)

A report was received which provided the regular six monthly report to the HR Committee containing management information and performance analysis on employment tribunal claims brought against the Commissioner. The MPS had not lost a hearing in the last 18 months, and had achieved a 46% reduction in new claims and a 20% reduction in ongoing claims. A working group was looking at Alternative Dispute Resolution options. Members welcomed the reduction in employment tribunals and the intervention of the Police Federation and Black Police Association in attempting to bring protracted disputes to a resolution. Members felt there should be more publicity for the reported successes of the MPS.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

44. Miscellaneous police reform initiatives

(Agenda item 10)

Members received a report informing them of three non-pay Police Reform initiatives, namely, the 30+ scheme, more flexible use of police officers and the rationalising of police allowances. Members were informed that savings arising from these initiatives would be reported to the Finance Committee.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

45. Training & development directorate; notional training budgets and best value update

(Agenda item 11)

The MPS Training Management Board (TMB) considered a proposal to implement shadow budgets as a precursor to devolved training budgets. It did not support the proposal. HR Committee requested a copy of the report considered by TMB. Many members were disappointed with the reasons given for not moving to devolved training budgets, but accepted that there was a need by the MPS to take matters a stage at a time.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

46. Recruitment and retention

(Agenda item 12)

A report was received informing the HR Committee of progress, and related issues, of police and police staff recruitment and retention against budgeted workforce targets for the financial year 2003/2004. The ‘good news’ reported was welcomed by members. The MPS undertook to inform members how many of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary had become PCSOs. Members welcomed Dixons's scheme to encourage its staff to become special constables. Members were reminded that there would be an event on the 19 January to celebrate the MPS having 30,000 officers.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

47. Retention strategy

(Agenda item 13)

A report was received which summarised the progress of a range of projects designed to enhance the career management and retention of police officers and police staff.

Members welcomed the introduction of the Property Zone, which provided MPS staff with information about all aspects of housing. Jennette Arnold informed members that free travel had been obtained for Metropolitan Special Constabulary officers on London Transport. The paragraphs about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff were welcomed, but it was noted that there was no reference to disabled staff in the report. It was agreed that briefing paper on the mentoring scheme for black and minority ethnic police officers with less than five years’ service would be prepared.

Resolved - That

1. the development of a Strategy, which will complement the existing Retention Strategy, be supported; and
2. the progress on current career management and retention projects be noted.

48. Health and Safety Policy

(Agenda item 14)

This report was circulated with less than five working days notice, under the provisions of Section 100B 4b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The Chair acknowledged that the report had not been circulated within statutory timescales and agreed to accept the report as urgent as there was no other meeting that could consider the policy before the launch of the policy by the MPS on 14 January. In answer to a question, she added that the MPA was responsible for health and safety for police staff (including PCSOs) and buildings, whilst the Commissioner was responsible for the health and safety of officers.

The report contained the MPS’s new Health and Safety Policy and was intended to serve as a protocol that clarified responsibilities and accountabilities throughout the MPS for compliance with health and safety legislation and would ensure that health and safety considerations are a priority in all MPS activities. It also clarified the MPA’s responsibilities under health and safety legislation with respect to police staff, to police buildings and to visitors to those buildings.

Jennette Arnold, Chair of the MPA’s Health and Safety Sub Committee welcomed the report, but regretted that the policy would not be jointly launched with the MPA. The MPA had joint statutory responsibility for Health and Safety, yet had not been informed of this document, or the launch, until a very late stage. She stressed that the MPA, as represented by the Health and Safety Sub Committee, would not be prepared to accept excuses and delay in this area. Members requested that the Health and Safety Committee be provided with the number of hours overtime worked, as opposed to the cost of overtime. They took exception to the reference to the wording ‘work places owned by the MPS/MPA MPA/MPS’ when in fact they were owned by the MPA. It was also agreed that the Health and Safety responsibilities in relation to contracted staff and visitors in PFI police stations needed to be clarified. It was agreed that the proposed launch should continue, but that revised policy be presented to the Health and Safety Sub Committee in six months.

Resolved – That the Policy be noted, but that the MPS was required to present a revised policy for consideration by the MPA Health and Safety committee within six months.

49. 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

50. Exempt minutes of the Police Pensions Forfeiture Sub-committee – 27 November 2003

(Agenda item 16)

The Committee noted the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2003.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2003 be noted.

51. Exempt minutes of the Remuneration Sub-committee -17 October 2003

(Agenda item 17)

The Committee noted the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2003.

Resolved - That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2003 be noted.

The meeting ended at 4.15 p.m.

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