Human resources business and performance plan 2004/5 – objective 4: supporting the management of major change programmes

Report: 5
Date: 11 November 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report is produced in response to a request from the MPA to provide a progress report on objective 4 of the Human Resources Business and Performance Plan 2004/5, which refers to the role of the HR Directorate in enhancing organisational flexibility through supporting the MPS in the management of major change programmes. Specifically; HR aspects of the re-letting of the Support Services Contracts, (Property Services, IT and Communications, Pay and Pensions and Transport); the merger of the Royal Parks Constabulary with the MPS; the C3i Project (including Metcall and Modernising Operations); the transfer of motorway control rooms; and the implementation of the Home Office Probationer Training Modernisation Programme.

A common approach to managing change is for central HR to engage with local management and their HR function to provide expertise and support them in the implementation of major change and share learning across the MPS. This report covers the delivery of such support and details progress with each project in Appendices 1-6.

A. Recommendation

That progress with the delivery of HR support be noted and an update is brought to the Committee in six months time.

B. Supporting information

Drivers for change

1. The drivers for major change and the influence of HR in relation to individual projects are summarised in the appendices to this paper. However, the key organisation drivers that are common to nearly all changes are to support delivery of the Corporate Policing Plan by meeting one or more of the following objectives:

• developing functions to meet changing demands through changes to existing mechanisms or implementing new systems;
• optimising performance and best value (In this context from an HR perspective); and
• anticipating future shifts in service requirements and supporting the planning for them (also in an HR context).

2. The drivers manifest themselves in different forms according to the areas of activity undergoing change. Drivers may be functional, for example changes to organisation, process and delivery methods to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Additionally, economics could also be another driver. Given the nature of the MPS where costs are largely people driven this creates significant scope for HR to contribute.

3. An organisational dilemma has been in the past as to whether HR leads the organisation or whether HR is business led. In recent times, the emphasis has been more on proactivity by HR. The mechanics are that a team from Central HR (the Corporate Change Team (CCT)) engage with local management and the local HR function to support the local management of change.

4. Given the concern of the MPS to treat staff fairly and its vulnerability to litigation and reputational risk, heads of business units are keen to engage the services of the HR CCT. Early intervention and risk assessment is sought from the CCT and has been an integral part of many business change processes, apart from those highlighted in this report. Examples of other corporate change projects not explicitly covered are set out at Appendix 5.

How the organisation is approaching these changes and, specifically, how are the staff affected involved/kept informed?

5. The MPS recognises that change is a feature of working life and the key to effective change management is clear communication and employee involvement. The overall strategy is to involve the unions, police staff associations and staff support associations at as early a stage as possible. This philosophy is set out in the Partnership Agreement signed in 2001 and reaffirmed by the Commissioner and MPA earlier this year.

6. All change programmes have a communication programme, which is integral to their project plan and where appropriate communication specialists are involved in developing a communication plan to keep staff informed of change. The HR Directorate has its own Communication Team that can also advise. The focus of communication covers both staff directly affected by the change process as well as stakeholders. Large projects such as C3i have their own dedicated communications team.

7. The type of communication is designed to be appropriate to the issue concerned and may be pitched at several levels. For example, there may be corporate/business group briefings as well as one to one interviews between individuals and their local management/HR team. The co-location of the CCT with the Employee Relations Unit (headed by the same senior manager within HR Services) ensures a natural link between key change processes and employees and their representatives.

What other issues affect these changes and how are they being addressed?

8. Often resourcing can be a driver and, for example, the recent pressures to make additional savings across the organisation can either bring about change in itself or accelerate change that was once perceived as longer term.

9. Sometimes change can be inhibited by competing demands from within the organisation for skills, for example, communications staff in the new call centres. It is in this sort of case that innovative HR solutions can be developed to support the business transition. In this particular instance, an incentive pay package is being negotiated to prevent attrition of highly skilled staff. Another example is the 30 Plus Scheme which the MPS has piloted, whereby police officers are able to collect their pension lump sum and continue to be employed by the MPS in places where their skills are particularly valuable and are difficult to replace.

C. Race and equality impact

1. These are discussed for each project update within the Appendices 1-6.

2. Diversity issues are at the heart of the Corporate Change agenda in two key contexts internally and externally.

(i) Internally - where the change is confined to within the MPS.

3. In support of the MPS Diversity Policy to ensure fairness in internal change processes is paramount, for example in selection/promotion, transfer, early departure and redundancy processes connected with change programmes- the CCT are key in ensuring that MPS Diversity policies are integral to change processes. Risk assessments and audits connected with these processes form an integral part of the change process, and the individual policies that are applied are audited by the Policy Clearing House (PCH) for compliance with legislation including the Race Relations Amendment Act, etc.

(ii) Externally – in business transfer situations such as outsourcing etc.

4. Extensive efforts are made to ensure that reputable suppliers are used and that their record in respect of HR/diversity issues is of a calibre commensurate with the MPS/MPA aspirations and reputation. This requirement is addressed throughout the procurement process from initial statements of interest by contractors through to contract award. Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, MPS policies that have diversity audited in most instances transfer to the new employer further ensuring fairness.

D. Financial implications

The focal projects all have differing financial implications but a key role for HR is to minimise the exposure of the MPS/MPA to litigation through non-compliance with appropriate legislation such as the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment Regulations) Regulations (TUPE). The cost of the Central HR Corporate Change Team equates to 3.0 posts, approximately £100K, although this cost is in effect spread across many projects at one time.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report authors: Paul Madge, Asst. Director HR Services, (Corporate Change) and Commander Shabir Hussain, (Probationer Training Modernisation Programme).

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Outsource services programme – retendering of current outsourced services - IT/communications, pay and pensions, transport and property services

1. Driver for change

The contracts for the services outsourced between 1998-1999 expire between December 2003 and August 2006. The Outsourced Services Programme was established in September 2003 to deal with this procurement project. In addition to the departmental project teams, the programme consists of representatives from Procurement, HR and Finance.

The programme is supported externally by PA Consulting and Ernst & Young in respect of consultancy services, and Nabarro Nathanson in respect of legal services. It is anticipated that the project will conclude early 2007, which is the anticipated date of the final transition of contracts let by the Directorate of Information.

Each department with outsourced services has a project team whose responsibility includes:

• A review of current services against MPS user requirements and the development of their commercial strategy
• Determining the effectiveness of continued outsourced services against the objectives of the programme (i.e. resilience, Best Value and flexibility)
• A review of market opportunities and current market trends in outsourced provisions through test organisations

The Strategic HR Challenge for the MPS is to:

• Identify the legislative requirements for MPA to be compliant with (i.e. TUPE legislation incl. forthcoming changes, new Workforce Codes for two tier provisions, Home office/Treasury/Cabinet Office guidance and codes etc)
• Develop practical steps in respect of HR requirements in each stage of the procurement process
• Test each bidder at all stages of the procurement process to ensure they are a reputable and good employer in all employment areas including equal opportunities
• Ensure that the future supplier understands and is compliant with legislative requirements specific to public sector contracts in respect of TUPE/workforce requirements (through provision of documentation/data/face to face meetings and negotiations)
• Develop all new contracts to include statutory requirements as well as good employment provisions
• Achieve smooth transition of employees from outgoing to incoming suppliers by identifying and dealing with all key HR activities required of the MPA to enable continued service delivery.

2. General approach adopted

(i) TUPE

In order to comply with the legislative requirements and codes, the MPA has stipulated that TUPE is expected to apply whether or not it applies as a matter of law. All bidders are required to respond to this expectation and are evaluated according to their response in employment matters at each stage of the procurement process i.e. Pre-qualification (PQQ), Invitation to Supply of Outline Proposal (ISOP), Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) and Best and Final Offer (BAFO).

(ii) Supporting due diligence

The MPA is required to provide bidders with accurate and timely information in respect of the services for which bidders are bidding. This information includes the provision of employee data where there is the expectation of a TUPE transfer. In order to support each of the project teams HR are networking with the relevant HR managers in each of the supplier companies to establish a relationship and develop a communication plan as the bidder short listing/selection develops.

As contracting authority, the MPA is disadvantaged by the fact that in the main, the employees providing the services are those of our suppliers and as such, we have no legal right to the information about staff and their terms and conditions. We are therefore reliant on existing contractual provisions and the good will and co-operation of each of the supplier’s HR/commercial contract managers.

(iii) Transition and contract performance

In order to ensure a successful selection of the future supplier, HR requirements are key. The contracts are currently resourced by a combination of former Metropolitan Police Service employees, new provider employees, and in some cases sub-contractor employees. Should the HR requirements and transition risks and issues be ill defined or not managed then the service provision will at best diminish or at worst fail.

Protection of employment and staff morale is a key factor in considering the steps being taken in ensuring service delivery is not affected. Supplier employees have specific employment and benefits provisions, which must be protected.

There are additional factors in respect of employment issues particularly for former MPS/public sector staff which includes a pensions provision – future pension provisions and bulk transfer of past service credits.

3. Present position

(i) Pay and pensions services

One provider is currently delivering two contracts. The MPA are seeking three contracts to be delivered once the current contracts expire. Bidders have been short listed to two per package (three packages are being tendered). The incumbent supplier has only been short listed for pensions and has not been short listed to provide the payroll services. Negotiations commenced late September and will conclude on 5 November 2004 with submissions of BAFO bids on 12 November 2004. Contract award to the new supplier(s) is scheduled to be February 2005, with service transfer on 1 April 2006. There is a year of transition to take into account systems build.

(ii) IT/Communications (ICT)

A primary service provider is being sought to deliver all services currently contracted with three suppliers (i.e. telephony, CRIS and desk top support). Long-listed bidders are currently completing their ITN responses and evaluations are to take place in December 2004. Short listing is due to conclude February 2005. Contract award is scheduled for September 2005 with service start dates to commence from 2006 to early 2007 (contracts have varied expiry dates).

(iii) Transport

Two suppliers currently provide outsourced services. Seven service areas have been identified as being offered to the market. One area identified is currently delivered by in-house staff. The ITN documentation was published October 2004. Evaluation will be conducted February 2005.

(iv) Property

Five suppliers currently provide outsourced services. Contracts expire in ember 2005. Tendering is due to commence with publication of Official Journal of European Union (OJEU) for Facilities Management Information Centre (FMIC) on 1 November with ITQ evaluations taking place in January/February 2005. A second OJEU for Total Facilities Management is to be tendered early 2005.

4. Declaration of policies and actions

Potential suppliers are requested to declare their existing policies and actions with regard to promoting a working environment that actively encourages non-discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, as well as the for the new legislation planned for 2006 for age discrimination.

5. Testing of bidders

HR has ensured that all bidders are tested at each stage of the procurement process on specific areas of diversity to ensure they understand their requirements as an employer and to ensure they have a good track record with regards to diversity policies, initiatives and culture. We also seek future proposals on how they propose to embrace and manage diversity should they be awarded the contract.

6. Contractual requirements

The MPA seeks to promote equality of treatment with the new service providers for these services being retendered. As such, the contracts have been drafted to incorporate compliance with all diversity and employment related matters.

7. Equality and diversity implications

All bidders are being informed of the requirement for us to monitor them in respect of equal opportunities and diversity; this is in addition to other areas of HR Management we seek to monitor. The HR lead of the Outsource Programme will hold discussions with short listed bidders to establish and agree a mutually beneficial process of achieving a positive partnership in this area.

Appendix 2: Merger of Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC) into the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

1. Driver for change

The proposal to merge the RPC into the MPS was first put forward in the Speed Report in 2000. Speed recommended that the MPS be given the responsibility to police the Parks for three main reasons:

• The RPC as currently constituted lacks an independent Police Authority and therefore is not properly accountable
• RPC officers do not have any powers outside the Parks, which constrains the effectiveness of the force
• The RPC is facing increasing difficulties in recruiting and retaining sufficient police officers to provide effective policing at all times throughout the parks.

The Strategic HR Challenge for the MPS was to assimilate all employees of the RPC into the MPS. In the event of any RPC employee being unable to meet the eligibility criteria to transfer, the MPS was committed to working with the RPC to provide an alternative and appropriate solution.

2. General approach adopted

Whilst the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of employment) Regulations (TUPE) do not automatically apply to this prospective transfer, the RPC and MPS are committed to ensuring that wherever appropriate the principles of TUPE will be followed.

MPS HR has three main areas of activity:

(i) Pay and reward

Pension provision – comparability, cost estimates, accrued pension rights, and bulk transfer payments.

Recognition of service – As the Royal Parks is not a Home Office Force; an amendment was made to police regulations 2003 to enable RPC officers to transfer with recognition of their service. (Promotion Regulations covered substantive rank issues).

(ii) Selection and security

Design of an eligibility and preference exercise for RPC officers electing to transfer into the MPS. This included employment options other than the role of constable, such as a PCSO or generalist role.

(iii) Training & Development

Design of a skills audit and training gap analysis for RPC officers, which identified legislative, operational, and IT training needs to enable them to operate outside of the RPC boundary.

3. Present position

As of April 2004, the RPC and MPS have been involved in a co-working arrangement. The MPS have in place a management team, which includes a dedicated local HR manager. Primary legislation change is required to enable a formal merger. A potential vehicle for this may be the prospective Serious and Organised Crime and Police Bill in summer 2005.

88 RPC officers have so far been attested into the MPS by magistrate and MPA member Rachel Whittaker. The remaining 50 RPC officers may on merger opt to enter the MPS as police staff.

The MPS is satisfied that the Department of Culture, Media and Studies (DCMS) will protect the MPS against issues arising from the co – policing arrangements and transfers up to merger. An indemnity will be enacted once merger takes place. In HR terms, this could involve issues such as outstanding staff complaints and grievances. The indemnity will be a standard legal contract formalising the position in respect of liability and ensuring that DCMS accept responsibility for liabilities pre-dating the merger.

The MPA is represented by the Clerk, Catherine Crawford, and MPS legal services will provide an update at the next Steering Group meeting in early December 2004.

Pension packs are being sent out this month to those RPC officers who have transferred, so that they can decide if they wish to transfer their pension contributions.

Full Consultation exercises with the staff and staff associations have been conducted by the MPS in writing and through ‘open days’ at RPC headquarters earlier this year.

The RPC is now an OCU in its own right within the MPS, and SMT members are operationally engaged under the command of Territorial Policing HQ. Most HR issues on a daily basis are addressed by the local MPS HR Manager to promote a seamless workforce until actual merger.

4. Equality and diversity implications

As the MPS and RPA are acting within the framework of TUPE, this will minimise any disadvantage to members of the RPC. If a member of staff is currently ineligible to join the MPS, for example on health grounds, then the RPA as current employer is committed to identifying alternative solutions prior to formal merger.

The MPS has had success in minority group recruitment of PCSOs and some 40 PCSOs are now deployed in the Royal Parks. This will enhance the diversity profile of the workforce representing the MPS in the Royal Parks.

Appendix 3: C3I programme - Metcall – TP modernising operations – Integrated Borough Operations (IBOS) and Telephone Investigation Bureaux (TIB)

1. Driver for change

C3i with Airwave is the biggest business change programme ever undertaken by the MPS, bringing together some 20 technology, building and people-related projects. It is one of the key initiatives in helping ‘To make London the Safest Major City in the World’ and supports each of the corporate priorities.

C3i has two primary objectives:

1. To dramatically increase the provision of telephony and e services for the public to access the MPS in line with e-government agenda

2. To allow for future demand – to implement the national emergency service radio system, Airwave by 2006. It will provide a communications service for London that meets the needs of all the people it serves, by:

• giving a consistent corporate response;
• seeking to resolve calls - providing more information and assistance at first point of contact;
• civilianising Metcall - increasing the number of officers on front line duty;
• creating a professional and expert Metcall workforce delivering a world class communications service.

Strategic HR objectives for the MPS in order to realise the C3i benefits are:

• Enabling the migration of control room staff from local control rooms, telephone operator centres, and information room at NSY into one of 3 Metcall centres based at Hendon, Bow and Lambeth over the period 2004-2006. Metcall will be under one operational command and will be the biggest OCU in the UK.
• Meeting the significant volume of training that is required across the MPS for all deployable police and communications staff.
• Recruitment and retention of skilled communications officers before, during and after the transitional period.
• Resourcing the new Integrated Borough Operations (IBOs) function and Telephone Investigation Bureaux (TIB) - new way of working (modernising operations within TP) after relocation of local control room to enable Metcall to work. IBO focus will be on intelligence handling and resource management. TIB will handle volume crime calls.
• Data Resolution on MetHR, which is the corporate HR management information system. User confidence is essential to enable intelligence led deployment of personnel through Metcall and other IT related systems.

2. Present position

Control rooms from pan-London and six boroughs (Southwark, Lewisham, Barnet, Brent, Tower Hamlets and Newham) are relocating to Metcall in ‘tranches’ commencing November 20044 and ending in November 2005. In anticipation of this exercise, a full consultation and communication exercise has been conducted over the last year with communications staff and staff associations.

(i) Posting process

Corporate HR and the staff associations were involved with Metcall HR in a single posting process for all communications officers in March 2004. All 1,586 staff were ‘posted’. 56 appeals were received of which 52 were upheld as they simply requested alternative Metcall postings due to change of circumstances, etc.

(ii) Recruitment and training

In terms of recruitment, Metcall are keeping pace with projections for the financial year and anticipate enough police staff to staff the new centres (allowing for the retention of 300 police staff). Recruitment is being maintained to offset any anticipated turnover, which has steadily risen over the last year, from 15% to 17%. Availability of CAD courses is linked to recruitment targets and Metcall HR and IT Training Board are working together to monitor and plan training activity and delivery.

(iii) Incentive payment

An incentive package has been developed for a series of staged payments to be made to communications officers to enable successful migration and retention over an 18-month period. Negotiations are to be commenced with the unions before implementation.

(iv) Training of deployable police officers

Training in new technology (such as mobile data terminals in police vehicles) is being managed by a series of local or central training delivery dependant on the officer’s skill base. Allocation is organised on the tranche basis discussed above.

(v) Resourcing the IBOs and TIB

Design and Hay evaluation of three new police staff support roles within the IBO environment were conducted and trialed at Tower Hamlets. The outcome of this trial supported another Hay evaluation. An IBO must go live before relocation of the local control room. TIB were an existing function already within the OCU environment but prescriptive local centralisation is essential for call resolution within Metcall. Both the IBO and TIB may have to be resourced by police officers as well as police staff initially, but optimum civilianisation is the ultimate plan. A phased people plan is being devised by Territorial Policing (TP) to resource IBOs. HR Workforce Planning Unit is working with TP in view of the restructuring within B/OCUs as a consequence of C3i business changes.

3. Equality and diversity implications

Female staff represent a significant workforce within the control room environment. Re-location may cause a disproportionate impact through problems associated with relocation and ultimately wastage. The results of the posting and appeal process indicate a good success rate for achieving maximum migration. The incentive package is another enabler to minimise the risk caused by relocation. The resourcing of IBOs and TIB will be through internal and external recruitment practices, which observe the requirements of the Race Relations Amendment Act and other appropriate legislation.

Appendix 4: Migration of the motorway control function to the Highways Agency

1. Driver for change

The Highways Agency (HA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers commissioned a Roles and Responsibilities review in June 2002. Its objective was to gain consensus about:

• The range of services which should be provided to the users of the HA network of motorways and core trunk roads.
• Identifying which of these services could be best provided by the police, HA, or an alternative supplier; and
• Establishing the implications of any transfer of responsibilities.

The review produced a final report in November 2002 and found a strong case for a transfer of certain tasks from the police to the HA. The government then published their Integrated Transport Strategy 'A New Deal for Transport'. This coupled with the Home Office strategy on police reform and the concentration of police activities on core policing then led to the changes announced on 20 June 2003 in the press to provide the HA with more of a role in managing traffic and co-ordinating responses to incidents.

At present, the MPS have two motorway control centres, one at Scratchwood and one at Heston, although discussions have taken place with regard to the feasibility of closing Scratchwood in the near future. These two sites, staffed by police staff communications officers, will be affected by these new plans. The HA has selected South Mimms and Godstone as their two preferred sites to accommodate integrated control centres for the M25.

The benefits of the project include reduced incident related congestion, increased journey-time reliability, reduced secondary incidents, contributing towards making the road network safer and, last but not least, freeing up of police time to focus on core activities. A spokesperson for ACPO said, “By releasing police officers from traffic duties, they will be able to spend more time and resources dealing with crime…”

2. HR strategic issues

The major issue for the police staff concerned, currently based at Heston (full time equivalent currently 10 staff) and Scratchwood (currently 4 staff) are the implications of TUPE. Activities undertaken by the MPS will be transferred to the HA, therefore, any transfer of staff employed by the MPS within that activity to the HA will be protected by the TUPE regulations.

The police staff have been informed of the transfer, which is now likely to take place in Autumn 2005. They have been provided with personal letters explaining their options, several question and answer sheets and presentations.

Legal advice has also been sought with regards to TUPE and mobility clauses and also as the question of whether TUPE applies in this situation. With regard to the mobility clauses issue, both South Mimms and Godstone are outside of the MPS district and therefore potentially outside the mobility clause contained in the standard police staff contract of employment. In summary, the advice obtained from solicitor’s states that TUPE should be considered to apply. The suggestion is to sit down with the staff and review options. Subsequently, all the staff (as aforementioned) have been given letters outlining their options.

3. Equality and diversity implications

Clearly there will always be equality and diversity implications to consider. It is likely that the travelling distance may cause some concern, especially to those that have childcare, carer responsibilities or disabilities. However that being said, it is not known at this stage the full extent of these implications so further research is being undertaken in this area.

Appendix 5: Key corporate change activities

Project: Re-tendering of support contracts

Comments: Covered at Appendix 1 – 4 Key contract areas.

Project: Merger of Royal Parks Police with MPS

Comments: Covered at Appendix 2 – Co-working established.

Project: Support for the C3i Project

Comments: Covered at Appendix 3.

Project: Migration of motorway control functions.

Comments: Covered at Appendix 4

Project: Civilianisation

Comments: A Programme Steering Group is in place – chaired by Director of HR with representation from business groups across the MPS. Objective is to achieve optimum numbers of non-sworn officers.

Project: Workforce modernisation

Comments: A Programme Board has been established. The programme aim is to improve service delivery on Bexley OCU through a Home Office funded programme – which is the focal borough for organisational learning.

Project: Insourcing of cleaning staff – Windsor Castle

Comments: This project involves a small number of staff being insourced to the MPS.

Project: Developing options to remain

Comments: This is a programme designed to maximise retention of police skills. Complementing initiatives such as the 30 Plus Programme.

Project: Support for restructuring in various MPS departments.

Comments: This entails consultancy support to areas of the MPS such as Finance, PSD and Forensic Services and the Deputy Commissioner’s Command.

Project: Transfer of the HR Directorate to Empress State Building

Comments: The CCT have produced an HR Protocol document to support the relocation process.

Project: Advice and support to the Extended Policing Family Programme Board, etc.

Comments: This involves the CCT contributing to the evolution of terms and conditions, etc for PCSOs and other groups.

Project: Advice and support for the re-engineering of Forensic Science Services.

Comments: This includes working with internal and external consultants towards a total restructuring of the framework for the delivery of forensic services.

The listing above represents the formal tasking of the CCT. However, it does not capture the significant activity in terms of ad hoc support to managers in smaller scale change programmes.

Appendix 6: Probationer modernisation programme

1. Driver for change

An HMIC Inspection recommended modernisation of the Probationer Training Programme. The MPS are at the forefront of development supporting the Home Office national team and have been formally recognised as such. However, given it is a national programme, for obvious reasons it cannot be seen to be dominated by the MPS. Kent, West Midlands, North Wales and Cleveland are also in an advanced stage, albeit none has the MPS’s experience.

2. The strategic HR challenge

The challenge is to design and deliver a Probationer Modernisation Programme that ensures a police career is more appealing to the marketplace and develops officers in a way that is more relevant to contemporary needs.

3. General approach adopted

The current method of training delivery (see table 1 below) was examined for content relevance and delivery. Current training can be represented as:

Table 1

• 34 weeks
• Phase I: 18 week foundation training at Hendon
• 1 week leave
• Phase II: 10 week street duties course
• Phase III: 5x1 week additional training at Professional Development Units (PDUs)

The findings were that adding modules factored around national occupational standards could make significant improvement. Phase II will allow student officers to fully embed their learning by developing their understanding in the workplace. Whereas, currently the intensive 18-week foundation course has to be partly re-learned during the 10-week street duties course, as recruits forget their training.

The formal assessment certifying the officer 'fit for independent patrol' requires a greater level of supervision than offered by street duty courses. These vary considerably in quality and breadth across TP. What was the street duties course is now subsumed into phase II work based learning. Therefore, there will be greater interaction between DTD and TP trainers than the present strict demarcation, but the overall input from TP will remain constant. BOCU SMTs will still be able to have courses enhanced to suit local needs above and beyond the community placement.

The favoured emerging proposal can be summarised as in Table 2 below:

Table 2

• 35 weeks
• Phase I: 5 week induction at Hendon. Including:
  • Diversity
  • Health & safety
  • Introduction to powers
  • Basic IT skills
• Phase II: Weeks 6-30. Work-based learning at satellites and on BOCU. Including:
  • Law, evidence & procedures
  • CJ issues
  • Enhanced IT skills
  • Partnership attachments
  • Workplace attachments
• Certified fit for independent patrol
• Phase III: 25-30 days additional tailored development

Existing facilities at Hendon will continue to be used for training the greater numbers of the extended police family. Moreover, it will reduce if not obviate the current need to commercially rent additional classrooms.

4. Present position

Camden BOCU will be the first BOCU pilot supplementing Sunbury and Orpington, going live in October 2004. The learning from that will be used to ensure our modelling remains within the above-declared planning assumptions.

5. Equality and diversity implications

The modernisation programme is expected to appeal to a new sector of the employment market, which was previously dissuaded by a lengthy course at Hendon. A key feature of the new system is that it allows for more local training delivery plus negates the need to reside on the training site. This is likely have significantly more appeal for certain sections of the community including women and recruits from ethnic groups where for either childcare or cultural reasons they would otherwise be inhibited from applying to join the MPS.

6. Financial implications

The ACPO lead remains with Martin Richards, now the Chief Constable of Wiltshire. DTD's planning assumptions are:

• no net increase in unit costs,
• no increase in the TP training investment.

Anticipated savings in removing the current residential provisioning amount to £3 million per annum. This sum was not in the budget as it is a ‘one off’ saving and has only recently been agreed (in principle) by Management Board. There will be a cost to build in new low rise replacements but there will be a net saving in the longer term.

Demolition of the tower blocks and replacement with a smaller accommodation block would be a one off cost of circa £5-7 million. PSD are also of the view that additional classrooms (ex-Hendon) can be factored into the new police bases at either a nil or at a marginal increase in cost.

More detail about the merits of the Independent Patrol Learning Development Programme is set out in Annex 1 attached to this report.

Annex 1: Phase 2 - Community Safety & Partnership

A requirement of the Independent Patrol Learning Development Programme (IPLDP) is that Student Officers learn in the communities in which they will serve. A key fundamental principle is that an understanding of the broader community needs and its problems will assist the individual officers and forces as a whole in policing activity, problem solving and engagement with their communities.

There has been discussion around what has been termed ‘Community Placement’, but initial research into Community Safety Strategies, (as directed by the Crime & Disorder Act), suggest that the term ‘placement’ may be a rather simplistic expression, of what promises to be a more involved and critical element of a modernised training rationale.

In order for our students to gain an insight into the make-up of their local communities, it will be necessary for them to spend time with these groups. Phase two takes place at an early stage in the student syllabus for the following reasons:

• Students will be relatively unaffected by the culture of the police service
• Greater emphasis is placed on the needs of the Community
• The student officers are able to place subsequent learning into an appropriate context

Community driven approach

It will be essential that students spend at least 80 hours at an early stage of their learning, working with members of their local communities to start to learn about their community needs and expectations. Consequently, Student Officers will receive and explore their local Community Safety Strategy. The benefits of this approach are numerous:

• Local trends and demands are appreciated at an early stage
• Students gain early ownership of their local problems (hit the ground running)
• Students are able to place subsequent learning into the context of the local community needs

There is an element of early socialisation into their areas. This need not however exclude interaction with local officers and community champions in an endeavour to explore some local community/police issues.

The 80 hours may be taken in blocks of days or a few hours per week over several weeks as meets the needs of forces and community groups. Each student officer would have experience of working with at least two different community groups. The “Guide to Community Involvement in Police Training” currently being developed by the APA will assist forces to identify good practice in developing meaningful relationships with community groups and in ensuring the “placement” is well negotiated both for the student officer and the community groups involved.

Following their time spent learning in different communities, Student Officers will be able to discuss with trainers the problems and concerns faced by their communities and may begin to explore problem-solving options within the classroom environment.

Reflective narrative

While the Student Officer undertakes their community activities, they will commence a personal narrative. This narrative will be an assessed piece of work and form part of the PDP. It will be an ongoing document whereby the Student Officer will constantly reflect on their learning and practice in relation to community, race and diversity and whenever new skills are learned. The Student Officer will need to address issues of race and diversity and broad community needs when learning new skills such as Stop and Search or Interview. This will assist the Officer to be aware of their actions and behaviour in applying these skills and their impact on their community at all times. The Reflective Narrative does not have to be a written document it could be an oral diary, a video diary or any method adopted by the student and their force that captures requirements in relation to evaluation and reflection of practice.

Community safety

Community Safety partnerships (official title - Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships) appear to be the most appropriate conduit along which these student officers may become involved with a range of different groups. Potentially, the Community Safety Strategy will provide the framework for students to achieve contact with community members and partners, whilst at the same time, working within a statutory framework. There are added potential benefits of blending this activity with the basic concepts of problem solving.

Example case history

An Inspector working within an urban area, who has direct responsibility for implementing Community Safety partnerships, provides an example of work with a Youth Diversion Scheme (BA4Y). His work led to an agreement with local youths to combat an area subjected to a high incidence of graffiti. The youths repainted a wall, but following local funding, were advised by an artist how best to paint images of themselves onto the repaired wall. This gave the youths an effective means of ownership and pride over their involvement, and importantly led to a reduction in the incidence of further acts of damage. The potential benefits to students being involved in such work are to:

• Understand at first hand, local ‘low-level’ concerns of the community
• Provide an opportunity to interact and understand the needs of local people
• Appreciate the influence they have in relation to working in partnership
• Learn about ways in which problems may be resolved

Report author for this section (Probationer Modernisation): Commander Shabir Hussain

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