Recruitment & retention - April 2003 to March 2004

Report: 9
Date: 6 May 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 March 2004, the police workforce strength had increased significantly to 30,265. In parallel with overall police strength, there has been substantial increase in the strengths of under-represented groups. The visible ethnic minority (VEM) officer strength reached 1,981 (being 1,590 VEM male and 391 VEM female) and female officers 5,493 (being 5,102 white female and 391 VEM female). Compared to March 2003, the VEM officer strength has increased by 26% and females by 16%. Currently, VEM officers represent 6.6% and female officers 18.4% of the BWT. The VEM and female officer strengths have exceeded the respective year-end budgeted workforce targets (i.e. 1,981 VEM against a target of 1,968, and 5,493 females against a target of 5,367).

2. Police wastage continues to fall with 1,560 (228 female and 118 VEM) officers having left between April 2003 and March 2004, an average of 130 officers each month, compared to an average of 144 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 1.

3. During the reporting period the recruitment of police officers has progressed in line with expectations, with 3,362 officers joining. Of those recruited, 2,975 have attended basic training at Hendon and the remaining 387 have been posted directly by way of transfers and re-joiners to various operational command units.

4. The Directorate has recruited 516 (i.e. 406 males and 110 females) officers from visible ethnic minority groups. This represents 15.3% of all recruited within the year, and has exceeded the target of 15%.

5. There has been similar success with the recruitment of female officers, with 984 (i.e. 874 white and 110 VEM) officers joining, amounting to 29.3% of those recruited. The female recruitment target of 25% has also been exceeded. See Appendix 2 for further details.

Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary (MPSC) strength, wastage and recruitment

6. The MPSC strength at the end of March 2004 stood at 742 officers, comprising 441 (59%) white male, 168 (23%) white female, 109 (15%) VEM male and 24 (3%) VEM female. Since April 2003, approximately 48 officers have left the MPSC, with 8 having joined the regular police. During the same period, approximately 128 (including 41 VEM and 35 female) officers have joined i.e. been attested and commenced training. The recent national campaign has resulted in approximately 190 expressions of interests and 21 (including 9 VEM and 8 female) application forms being received.

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

7. PCSO strength has reached 1,431 against a BWT of 1,457, of which there are 498 (i.e. 378 VEM male and 119 VEM female) from VEM groups and 427 (i.e. 308 white and 119 VEM) females. As a proportion of strength, VEM PCSOs represent 34.8% and females 29.8%.

8. 70 PCSOs have left the MPS during the financial year, and a further 42 (i.e. 9 VEM male, 1 VEM female, 11 white female and 21 white male) PCSOs have become Police Officers.

9. The PCSO recruitment campaign was very successful, with 1,076 PCSOs having joined during the year against an adjusted combined target of 1,061. The Transport PCSO recruitment target of 361 has been exceeded by 26 PCSOs with 387 having been recruited. 689 Community/Security PCSOs have started training against a target of 700. The reason for the marginal shortfall in Community/Security PCSO trainees was due to a relocation of the training facilities, which resulted in limited training capacity during February and March 2004.

10. The recruitment of VEM PCSOs has been particularly noteworthy with 373 (i.e. 284 VEM male and 89 VEM female) recruited, amounting to 34.6% against a recruitment target of 25%. Equally, the recruitment of female PCSOs has been successful with 333 (i.e. 244 white and 89 VEM) recruited, representing 30.9% 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

11. Police staff workforce strength currently stands at 12,093 compared to 10,959 at the end of March 2003. Within the police staff, there are 2,387 members of staff from VEM groups (being 715 VEM male and 1,672 VEM female) and 7,129 females (being 5,457 white female and 1,672 VEM female). As proportions of police staff strength, VEM staff represents 19.7% and female 59.0%. The current VEM police staff strength is 1.3% below the overall target of 21%.

12. 812 members of police staff have left their posts during this financial year (501 female and 114 VEM). Of these, 70 (i.e. 4 VEM male, 5 VEM female, 41 white female and 20 white male) 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 68 members of police staff leaving each month. The overall level of wastage is low.

13. During the year, 2,159 members of police staff have been recruited. Of these, 379 were recruited from VEM groups (17.6%) and 1,246 are female (57.7%). Police staff recruitment has been particularly buoyant during the year with 77% increase on the number recruited during the same period last year.

Career management and retention

14. The Career Management and Retention Unit (CMRU) is leading on various projects, which are key to the retention of police officers and police staff. The Property Zone pilot continues to be particularly popular with police recruits seeking information about accommodation in London and there has been an increasing volume of enquiries at Peel Centre. The proposed rollout across the MPS, after evaluation, is planned for May 2004. The Corporate Multi-Media Induction programme is nearing completion and will be launched in May.

15. The Benefits of Belonging booklets for police officers and police staff have been published and distributed by local HR Units. Feedback from staff has been very positive. The booklets have also been posted on the CMRU Intranet site, where they will be updated when necessary. Copies have been supplied to the MPA for information purposes.

16. The new Intervention Guidelines to support the Retention Strategy have been completed and disseminated to (B)OCU Commanders, following consultation. These guidelines clarify the key role of local managers in retaining staff and the central support provided by the CMRU. This includes the facility to mediate and help to resolve matters of concern that may cause members of staff to leave prematurely.

17. An external service provider has been selected and the contract is about to be signed to develop the outsourced Exit Survey pilot. The selected company has a great deal of experience in the diversity field, which is particularly relevant because the loss of women and visible ethnic minorities is the main area of concern at present. The new scheme will cover 50% of the MPS, while the remainder will continue using the current exit survey to provide a control group for the evaluation, which will be conducted by the Internal Consultancy Group. The pilot will involve a cross section of (B)OCUs, including the Recruit Training School. The contract will be for nine months, which will allow time for design, implementation for a six-month trial and evaluation.

18. Good progress is being made with the development of the Multi-Media Induction Programme, with the help of NCALT. The programme is attractive and user friendly, providing a wide range of information, e.g. a video introduction from the Commissioner, organisational structure, Mission, Vision and Values, policing objectives, diversity, health and safety, and support facilities. It is on schedule to be launched in June.

Achievements expected in the next period

19. The first police officer training school intake of the new financial year will take place in May 2004, with places for 193 recruits. To date 193 recruits are due to join, of whom 122 are male (of which 23 are VEM) and 71 are female (of which 14 are VEM). The intake will be divided between Hendon and the new facilities at Sunbury and Orpington, with 160 going to Hendon and the remaining 32 going to Sunbury and Orpington.

Actual or potential problems and risk update

20. The police officer recruiting target for the Financial Year 2004/05 will be in the region of 2,060 and lower than originally forecast. Due to the large number of candidates who have successfully completed the selection process, there are sufficient recruits to meet the police recruitment target for the year. Although there is an expectation that a large proportion of the recruits will be VEM, the overall growth in VEM police officer strength will be very gradual and that VEM recruitment will need to become substantial over the next few years if the 25.9% representation target is to be achieved by March 2009.

Other matters

21. A copy of the Intervention Strategy can be found at Appendix 3. This Strategy has evolved from the Retention Strategy and aims to provide additional guidance on activities that can be undertaken by local managers to reduce turnover.

C. Race and equality impact

A recent equalities assessment of the police selection process identified issues surrounding the National Recruiting Standards process, which are currently being investigation by the Home Office.

D. Financial implications

The costs associated with CRMU, property zone pilot, benefits of belonging and the Induction video have either been met from the 03/04 budget, or they have been included in the 04/05 budget. The external service provider, who will develop the exit survey pilot, is due to start during the year. The budget was identified in the 03/04 accounts, so a request for the under spend to be carried forward has been submitted to Finance as part of the year-end procedure.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

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

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 3: The Intervention Strategy

The overarching vision of the Retention Strategy is to sustain and improve the retention of all our staff. The Intervention Strategy evolves from the MPS Retention Strategy and it aims to provide further opportunities to retain experienced and skilled members of staff. The primary responsibility for retaining staff within the MPS lies with local managers supported by the HR Directorate. This document explains the roles of (B)OCUs and the Career Management and Retention Unit (CMRU) within the HR Directorate in this essential area of activity.

Career Management and Retention Unit

The CMRU provides a central support and advisory service, in addition to researching and responding to the changing pressures that impact on staff retention in the MPS, at both corporate and local levels. The Unit is also responsible for:

• leading corporate retention initiatives and projects;
• publicising the various benefits and career development schemes to support staff;
• researching potential staff benefits and fresh initiatives to improve staff retention;
• providing a retention, intervention and mediation service to support local managers;
• managing the Staff Exit Survey to identify the reasons that cause staff to leave the MPS and to initiate remedial action, where appropriate.

The Intervention Strategy

The Intervention Strategy is based upon three core areas of activity:

1. Education
2. Prevention
3. Intervention

Education

Education is required at all levels of the organisation to ensure that managers and staff have a greater awareness and understanding of HR issues which have a direct effect on staff and ultimately their retention. This includes:

• understanding why retention activity is important to the MPS and being aware of the external factors that impact upon success;
• taking into account of the implications for staff when implementing policy and procedural change;
• demonstrating leadership and flexibility when dealing with human resource management issues;
• balancing the needs of the individual with the requirements of the MPS;
• understanding that valuing staff and being seen to treat them as individuals are important management tools;
• being honest with staff about what they can and cannot expect from the MPS as an employer, reinforcing trust and the value that the organisation places on all its employees.

Prevention

Preventative activity is wide ranging. It includes supporting the ethos of recruiting to retain, creating career development opportunities, marketing the benefits that the MPS already provides and communicating what the organisation seeks to provide to support staff. Other preventative activities include:

• establishing good communication processes to enhance confidence in management, maintain staff satisfaction and prevent disillusionment;
• consulting with staff and considering their concerns seriously when planning change;
• informing staff quickly and sensitively when decisions are taken that directly affect their careers and lives;
• dealing with conflict quickly and effectively;
• intervening promptly when there are indications that members of staff appear likely to leave the MPS.

Intervention

Intervention is a process that allows staff to raise their concerns, enables managers to identify the reasons that may cause members of staff to leave the MPS, and provides an early opportunity to resolve those issues, in order that they can remain within the organisation. The more education and prevention activity that is undertaken locally, the less intervention is required. Intervention activity can be undertaken at two levels:

1. proactive
2. reactive.

Proactive intervention activity

Intervention can be effective only if implemented locally with the support of the CMRU. To facilitate this, guidelines have been produced to encourage (B)OCUs to be proactive in addressing staff retention issues by:

• promoting the range of support provided by the CMRU to assist local managers, including a mediation service in appropriate cases;
• educating managers regarding staff retention issues and explaining the part that they can play in the education, prevention and intervention process;
• encouraging local managers to take ongoing preventative measures by applying good management practice to develop and support their staff;
• supporting ‘proactive intervention’ activity at local level to increase the opportunities for retaining staff.

Reactive intervention by (B)OCUs

Managers must be alert to early indications that a member of staff may be contemplating an early departure from the MPS. On becoming aware that an individual is seriously thinking about leaving, the manager should take prompt action to establish and attempt to resolve the cause, if possible, in order that the individual can remain within the organisation. In every case, when the individual has actually taken steps to leave, the manager should invite him or her to a meeting to discuss his or her concerns.

This meeting should be informal and managers are encouraged to seek advice from their HR Manager and/or the CMRU. The intervention process should be managed seperately from the Staff Exit Survey and Interview process, which is not conducted until the individual has made a final decision and given notice of his or her intention to leave the MPS. The aim of intervention is to take appropriate action to avoid that decision being taken.

Evidence shows that the earlier any intervention activity takes place, the more likely it is that a positive outcome will be achieved.

Reactive intervention by the CRMU

The CMRU is available to provide ongoing advice and guidance regarding staff retention issues. The Unit can provide additional support by helping to resolve issues of concern through discussion and mediation, where appropriate. For example, this facility may be particularly useful in clarifying corporate policies, or in cases that local managers consider to be particularly difficult or sensitive.

The assistance of the CMRU can be requested in such cases, when initial local action has been unable to resolve the issues in question. In discussion with the manager concerned, consideration will be given to making a further attempt at mediation, where appropriate. If there is any doubt about the best course of action, the CMRU would be pleased to discuss the background of case and possible options.

Diversity issues

When conducting the intervention process, managers must be sensitive to the particular needs and concerns of women, visible ethnic minorities and other under represented groups, which may have a bearing on the circumstances of the individual case. The Development, Organisation and Improvement Team (DOIT), within the Diversity Directorate, provides useful advice on a wide range of diversity issues. Further support and guidance can be obtained from the various Staff Support Associations.

For further supporting information and good practice guidance about career management or retention issues, please contact the CMRU or visit our Intranet site.

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