Skill shortages in Forensic Services

Report: 12
Date: 4 March 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

The August Specialist Crime Performance Report presented to the Planning Performance and Review Committee (PPRC), showed the Directorate of Forensic Services at 132 or 12% below police staff Budgeted Workforce Target (BWT). Progress has been made in filling vacancies and allowing for the units that have transferred to other parts of the Specialist Crime Command Forensic Services will be within 3% of BWT by May 2004. Significant levels of overtime have been worked by some staff to deliver front line operational services and development activity has been deferred. There are some underlying issues with regard to retention but advantage is being taken of the role-based structure to offer a career development framework for forensic staff in the MPS.

A. Recommendation

That the Committee note the progress made in achieving the Budgeted Workforce Target (BWT) and the issues highlighted with respect to the recruitment and retention of forensic staff in the MPS.

B. Supporting information

1. The Chair of PPRC expressed concern at the skills shortages in Forensic Services and asked that this matter be brought to the attention of Human Resources Committee. The production of a report was requested to address this issue, specifically the impact of the skills shortage on performance, the causes of the skills shortage and the action being taken to remedy the skills shortage. This report addresses these issues and provides general briefing on the management of the forensic staff skill base within the MPS.

Performance impact and action taken

2. In the Specialist Crime August Performance Report to the PPRC, the Directorate of Forensic Services was shown to be 132 or 12% below its police staff BWT of 1122. In August, the Directorate of Forensic Services included the Police National Computer (PNC) Bureau, Overseas Visitors Records Office (OVRO) and part of the Crime Academy. These have now moved to other functions within the Specialist Crime Command and do not now form part of the Forensic Services BWT. The December briefing paper to the MPA set out progress that had been made in filling vacancies with a staffing level at 8% below the revised BWT and, a vacancy factor of 3% of BWT by March 2004 was predicted.

3. The Directorate of Forensic Services has continued to reduce the number of vacancies and it is now anticipated to be 5% by March 2004. The slippage is due to some administrative delays and the time taken for security vetting. Taking account of the number of successful applicants awaiting security clearance and interviews that are underway, the vacancy factor will be below 3% by early May 2004. For the units within Forensic Services that are affected by recruitment difficulties the following gives a summary of the performance impact and action taken to ameliorate this situation.

Crime scene examination

4. Crime Scene Examiners provide services to Boroughs and Specialist Crime. Since 2001, the MPS has continued to increase the number of Crime Scene Examiners, expanding their role to cover other duties such as record photography and introduced shift working as a pre-cursor to the implementation of sole response to burglary as part of the ‘forensics’ element of the MPS Operational Policing Model. The briefing paper prepared in December showed 39 vacancies, this has now reduced to 13.

5. The intervention rate (proportion of scenes attended) in burglary is increasing but lack of resources has impeded progress towards reducing response times. There is greater forensic potential in other areas such as auto crime to be exploited but a combination of logistics and limited resources has worked against this. A pool of experienced forensic staff has completed ‘training for trainers’ development courses to expand training capacity.

Specialist Evidence Recovery and Imaging Services

6. This group includes in-house recording and examination of forensic exhibits and a wide range of photographic and imaging services including public order, surveillance and forensic photography. The main impact in this area is the significant amounts of overtime to cover the range of operational demands. The MPS relies on recruiting qualified photographers who can be further developed to deal with the specialist and demanding work in the police environment. Applications for the outstanding 14 vacancies are currently being processed.

Fingerprint examination

7. The Fingerprint Bureau provides 24/7 services to counter-terrorism, specialist crime and territorial policing. Recruitment, interview and selections have continued to reduce the number of fingerprint examiner vacancies. Sufficient numbers of successful applicants have been selected to achieve the BWT by May 2004. Demands have increased significantly over the last three years from all parts of the MPS and the lack of resources has led to short term backlogs building up and increased response times for to less urgent work. However, by balancing resources we have maintained the 24-hour response to priority crime.

Organisational issues and career development

8. The Directorate of Forensic Services does not have a difficulty in recruiting staff, the media focus on forensics and television programmes like Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) portray a positive even glamorous image of the role of forensic staff. The issue is retention, particularly as forensic staff need to build up experience over many years to be fully effective and add value to the investigative process. There is a long run loss of experienced staff to other forces and agencies in the UK. To address some of the long-term issues, a role based structure has been developed with support from HR, for forensic ‘practitioners’ that allows for career progression based on acquiring competencies and a proven track record. This will overcome the previous difficulties of the grade-based structure where experienced forensic staff would take on management roles to progress their career creating a complex and unsustainable hierarchy.

9. The current level of wastage is 4% with some forensic staff losses due to applications to become police officers and obtaining the additional benefits. Given that in many instances forensic staff will be working alongside police officers on 24/7 shift working this loss is difficult to counter, not least, as there is an overall benefit to the MPS and Londoners.

10. Recognition is also a factor for forensic staff who undertake operational roles and prepare expert evidence for the courts. The introduction of a Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) following the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice provides some much needed status for forensic staff. The MPS is encouraging staff to register and is supporting this initiative at national level.

11. Alongside the development of capacity to deliver front line services, the Directorate of Forensic Services is seeking to invest in management systems and achieve external accreditation (ISO 9001-2000) to improve internal processes, efficiency, staff competency and development. Some of this work has been deferred.

Other areas

12. The MPS needs to be ever watchful of skill shortages and significant numbers of vacancies anywhere in the organisation. At this time, the position is healthy. There was a difficulty in retaining crime analysts and in recruiting replacements sufficiently quickly but this has been addressed and pass problems now appear to have abated. Similarly, we were stretched for a time in recruiting the numbers of communication officers required for the C3i project but through sustained recruitment campaigns this too, has now been covered. There are some emerging signs of possible skills and number shortages of finance and resources managers and of human resource managers. We will be keeping these under close watch to see if action is required.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. The Directorate of Forensic Services recognition of equality and diversity is being addressed through a number of initiatives. There are open flexible working practices including flexi-time, part-time and job share to help staff meet working and personal needs.

2. A pilot-mentoring scheme by senior police officers and police staff for senior managers has been established. This scheme is intended to encourage all staff to progress and the gender mix of senior management roles was improved significantly in 2002, when ten women were selected for senior management roles.

3. In partnership with Job Centre Plus, we have been able to attract a diverse candidate base. This is facilitated by the use of open-days where prospective candidates meet front line forensic staff. Of 67 new entrants since November 2003 67% are female and 11% visible ethnic minority status. To increase representation from London’s communities we have set up links with academic organisations such as the University of East London and Middlesex University to allow different communities to better understand the work of forensic staff in the MPS and the basis for selection.

4. In the last year four new members of staff who have special needs requiring the support of external bodies such as Sabre have been recruited, we have adapted our recruitment processes to accommodate candidates who have special needs such as the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), attending the interview with the prospective candidate.

5. A report to the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (05/02/04) on Gender and Visible Ethnic Minority in Forensic Services showed that of 16 uniformed staff, 12.5% are female and 5.3% are VEM. These staff are part of the Police National Computer Bureau that transferred from the Directorate of Forensic Services.

D. Financial implications

1. The Directorate of Forensic Services is forecasting an over spend of approximately 4% on employment costs in 2003/04. The Specialist Crime Command mid-year financial review recognised that the Directorate of Forensic Services was under-funded in respect of police staff costs for 2003-04 as the funding allocation for 2003/04 was based on staff in post on December 2002 and prior to that years pay settlement.

2. In the long term failure to recruit up to strength will impede a number of initiatives that will free up front line police officers. The Directorate of Forensic Services budget for 2004/05 has not yet been agreed within the overall Specialist Crime Command. The recruitment plan and resources available to support its delivery will minimise the risk of not achieving the BWT in 2004-05 subject to agreement to funding.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Gary Pugh, Director of Forensic Services, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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