Recruitment & retention - April 2003 to January 2004

Report: 11
Date: 4 March 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report summarises the activities undertaken by Recruitment and People Development Directorates within the reporting period.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

Police strength, wastage and recruitment

1. At the end of January 2004, the police workforce strength had increased significantly to 30,087. In parallel with overall police strength, there has been substantial increase in the strengths of under-represented groups. The VEM officer strength reached 1,901 (being 1,528 VEM male and 373 VEM female) and female officers 5,366 (being 4,993 white female and 373 VEM female). Compared to January 2002, the VEM officer strength has increased by 58% and females by 27%. Currently, VEM officers represent 6.3% and female officers 17.8% of the police strength, against the year-end targets of 6.6% and 18.0% respectively.

2. Police wastage continues to fall with 1,267 (185 female and 98 VEM) officers having left between April and January 2004, an average of 127 officers each month, compared to an average of 146 each month at the same point last year. This reduction in wastage provides an indication of the effectiveness of the retention measures implemented. Further details of wastage can be found in Appendix 2.

3. During the reporting period the recruitment of police officers has progressed in line with expectations, with 2,915 officers joining. Of those recruited, 2,578 have commenced basic training at Hendon and the remaining 337 have been posted directly. (see Appendix 1).

4. The Directorate has recruited 417 (i.e. 330 males and 87 females) officers from visible ethnic minority groups. This represents 14.3% of all recruited within the year, and is on schedule for the target of 15%.

5. There has been similar success with the recruitment of female officers, with 822 (i.e. 735 white and 87 VEM) officers joining, amounting to 28.2% of those recruited. The female recruitment target of 25% has already been exceeded.

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) strength, wastage and recruitment

6. PCSO strength has reached 1,346 against a BWT of 1,457, of which there are 476 (i.e. 365 VEM male and 111 VEM female) from VEM groups and 399 (i.e. 288 white and 111 VEM) females. As a proportion of strength, VEM PCSOs represent 35.4% and females 29.6%.

7. 61 PCSOs have left the Service during the financial year. A further 38 PCSOs have become Police Officers.

8. The recruitment of PCSOs has progressed satisfactorily during the reporting period, with 929 PCSOs joining (i.e. 581 Community and 349 Transport). The recruitment of PCSOs from VEM groups has been particularly noteworthy with 332 (i.e. 252 VEM male and 80 VEM female) recruited, amounting to 35.8% against a recruitment target of 25%. Equally, the recruitment of female PCSOs has been successful with 289 (i.e. 209 white and 80 VEM) recruited, representing 31.1% against a recruiting target of 29%. In addition, there are currently 42 PCSOs who are funded through special service agreements with various local authorities and regeneration partnerships. These PCSOs form part of the service and are subject to MPS management arrangements. These PCSOs appear on the local strengths but are additional to BWT.

Police Staff strength, wastage and recruitment

9. Police staff workforce strength currently stands at 11,847. Within the police staff there are 2,332 members of staff from VEM groups (being 694 VEM male and 1,638 VEM female) and 7,008 females (being 5,370 white female and 1,638 VEM female). As proportions of police staff strength, VEM staff represent 19.7% and female 59.2%. The current VEM police staff strength is 1.3% below the overall target of 21%.

10. 689 members of police staff have left their posts during this financial year (427 female and 91 VEM). Of these, 62 (9%) have become police officers. The level of police staff wastage has remained relatively constant when compared with the level of wastage at the same point last year, with an average of 69 to 70 members of police staff leaving each month. The overall level of wastage is low.

11. During the year, 1,595 members of police staff have been recruited. Of these, 272 were recruited from VEM groups (17.1%) and 937 are female (58.7%).

Career management and retention

12. A Career Management Strategy has been prepared and we have been asked to comment particularly on this. Work includes projects such as the development of career pathways and an accelerated development scheme for police staff and police officers. The Career Management and Retention Unit (CMRU) is leading the work to develop a corporate process for the recommendation of police officers for ACPO level posts under the new Home Office Police National Assessment Centre (PNAC). For the new-style PNAC, candidates will have to be ready for promotion to ACPO ranks rather than simply have the potential to reach ACPO ranks. We are still awaiting decisions from the Home Office as to the precise processes and gateways that will be involved in recommending candidates for PNAC. What we do know is that forces will have a key role in assessing candidates as ready for promotion before sending them to PNAC. Whilst we await further information from the Home Office, we are seeking to identify those superintendents and chief superintendents in the MPS who are most likely to be ready for promotion come the time of the PNAC in September 2005 and ensure that they are given appropriate development opportunities.

13. The CMRU is also leading on the development programme for all superintending ranks. The CMRU website has recently opened as a source of information and has received very positive feedback. The MPA recently commented favourably about the Property Zone recently introduced. It is hoped that this scheme will be available to all MPS staff from April/May 2004. An intervention strategy has almost been finalised. The strategy is designed to ensure that officers and staff who are contemplating leaving the MPS are encouraged to stay, whether as a result of intervention from local management or from CMRU. The intention is that the strategy will focus particularly on officers and staff from under-represented groups who are contemplating leaving the MPS.

Achievements expected in the next period

14. The training school intake during February 2004 has 302 recruits, of whom 107 are women (including 9 VEM women) and 55 are VEM (46 male and 9 female). The remaining intake in March currently has 106 recruits due to join (i.e. 36 VEM male, 11 VEM female, 9 white female and 50 white male). The balance of the transfer target will be made up of officers from the Royal Parks Constabulary. Taking into account the number of officers already recruited and the number due to join, there is an expectation that 3,386 officers will have joined within the year against the original recruitment target of 3,440. The number of joiners is lower than the target due to measures taken following the Star Chamber meeting regarding the Budgeted Workforce Target (BWT). There is also optimism that recruitment targets for VEM and females, 516 and 860, respectively, will be achieved.

Actual or potential problems and risk update

15. Due to lower than expected levels of wastage, police strength is projected to increase to 30,400 by 31 March 2004, exceeding the budgeted workforce target of 29,817 by circa 583 officers. The implication of this is that from April 2004, the annual recruitment target has been set at a lower than previously envisaged level . This lower recruitment target will mean that successful candidates will need to wait longer to join the MPS.

Other matters

16. The Equal Opportunity Diversity Board (EODB) meeting on 5 February 2004, was presented with a report covering gender and minority ethnic strength and progression. Particular attention is drawn to Paragraphs 4 and 6 (see Appendix 3).

17. Last financial year, approximately 5 special constables became regular police constables. During the current year, this number has increased to 7. 102 traffic wardens have regraded to PCSOs within the current year. In turn, 38 PCSOs have become police officers.

18. A letter has been sent to approximately 750 police recruits awaiting the allocation of training school places, outlining the current position in relation to joining times and providing an invitation to consider police staff roles such as PCSO or Detention Officers. At the end of January 2004, approximately 655 recruits have responded, with 89 requesting consideration to become members of the police staff.

C. Equality and diversity implications

Equality and diversity implications arising from this report are covered within the body of this report.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Marshall, Director of Recruitment and Gordon Davison, Director of People Development, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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