Human Resources business and performance plan 2005/06

Report: 8
Date: 20 January 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report informs Members about work undertaken in order to plan HR activity and priorities for 2005/06, and contains a first draft of the HR business and performance plan upon which Members’ comments are invited.

A. Recommendation

 That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPS’ approach to preparing the Annual Policing Plan for 2005/06 has been to include business group level control strategies as well as the corporate control strategies that were included in the 2004/05 policing plan. This has rendered more visible business group level control strategies (which for HR is fundamentally the same as the HR Business and Performance Plan) to MPA Full Authority and Planning, Performance and Review Committee. To allow those committees’ deadlines to be met, work within HR has this year been brought forward to speed up the development of the HR Business and Performance Plan 2005/06. As a consequence, planning activity is presently further advanced than it was at this point in 2004, albeit that those items that are dependent on the finalisation of the MPS budget can only be regarded as planning assumptions until such time as the budget is finalised. In previous years this has not happened until early to mid March, which is the reason why HR business planning processes have previously concluded slightly later.

2. The HR Business & Performance Plan 2005/06 will support and further the implementation of the emerging HR Strategy, which is also subject to discussion at the January meeting of Human Resources Committee. The structure of the Plan follows the four themes of the emerging HR Strategy:

• Becoming an employer of choice
• Releasing potential
• Developing leaders and managers for the future
• Using people effectively.

3. Where HR “owns” particular measures from the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF), these, together with other measures and targets laid down by bodies external to the MPS, have been allocated to the relevant strategic theme to ensure they are fully visible in the published Annual Policing Plan. Work is currently ongoing to further develop the performance management framework effectively to underpin the new HR Strategy and supporting business plan.

4. In line with corporate and National Intelligence Model (NIM) requirements, HR completed a Strategic Assessment in December 2004. This is attached at Appendix 1, and has been submitted to the MPS’ Directorate of Strategic Development for inclusion in the forthcoming round of the Corporate Strategic Assessment. This analyses current performance and identifies emerging issues, concluding with recommendations, which, in line with the NIM approach, strongly inform the development of the HR Business and Performance Plan. A first draft of the plan is attached at Appendix 2. Members will note that many of the recommendations contained within the HR Strategic Assessment are pitched at a more specific and detailed level than the activities described in the draft business plan. These more detailed recommendations will be picked up by the individual directorates within HR and will be refined as part of the supporting directorate-level business planning processes, which are currently ongoing.

5. The Morris Inquiry will be a key influence on the work of the HR Directorate and corporate HR function in 2005/06 and beyond. The Inquiry report is currently being considered by the MPA and MPS, together with an approach to implementation. For this reason, the full implications of the report are not yet clear, and this might remain the case until after business planning for 2005/06 has been completed. There might be a need, therefore, for some in-year adjustments to objectives and priorities. That said, there are a number of areas where the direction of travel recommended by Morris, together with the broad implications for HR, are fairly clear, and where work falls wholly within the ambit of HR Directorate. This is reflected in a number of places in the HR Strategic Assessment, and has thus informed the preparation of this first draft of the HR Business and Performance Plan.

6. It is intended that the Annual Policing Plan, of which the HR Business and Performance Plan, in the guise of a Business Group Control Strategy, forms a part, will be subject to final MPA approval at the meeting of Full Authority on 24 February 2005. To conform with papers deadlines, this means planning needs to be substantially complete by 8 February 2005. Prior to this, a further draft of the plan may go before the February meeting of MPA Planning Panel. Members of Human Resources Committee are therefore invited to notify their comments by the end of January 2005, to ensure there is opportunity for these to be considered for the 2005/06 plan.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. he HR Business and Performance Plan 2005/06 supports the more effective management of workplace equality and diversity issues within the MPS, and there are a number of measures, targets and supporting activities that are explicitly designed so to do. The performance management framework supporting the plan will, in all areas, ensure that equality and diversity impacts are monitored on an ongoing basis at the appropriate level within the business.

2. Corporate Planning has been working with the Diversity Directorate to develop a process for conducting Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) for all control strategies. HR has nominated its lead for this work, who will be trained in the EIA methodology before undertaking the impact assessments.

D. Financial implications

The work implied by the HR Business and Performance Plan clearly has a range of financial implications. Some initial estimates pertaining to particular items were included in the December HR Strategic Assessment. These impacts are being further clarified, and additional items identified, through the 2005/06 budget build process which is underway. It is intended that all financial implications be managed from within allocated budgets.

E. Background papers

• HR Strategy (HRC 20 January 2005)

F. Contact details

Report author: Avril Cooper, Head of Planning and Performance Unit

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: HR strategic assessment December 2004

Protective Marking

Restricted

Publication Scheme (Y/N)

No

Title

HR Strategic Assessment December 2004

Version

2

Branch/OCU

HR Planning & Performance Unit

Author

Avril Cooper

Date created

21 December 2004

Review date

30 June 2005

1.0 Introduction

This is the third HR Directorate Strategic Assessment. Its purpose is to identify the issues that will be driving HR’s business over the next financial year and beyond, and to draw out the significant items for action. These include:

• Items that cannot be managed wholly within HR Directorate, and which require escalation to corporate level and/or action by other business groups and units within the MPS;
• Those items and areas of work that will be the subject of HR corporate level business plans, together with some, but not all, of those items likely to feature in business planning at the level of individual directorates within HR.

Further work is required before determining the extent of the progress achievable within the 2005/06 financial year.

The period since the June HR Strategic Assessment was submitted has seen the publication of the report of the Morris Inquiry, the publication of Building Communities, Beating Crime, the current White Paper on police reform, and the publication of the National Policing Plan 2005-08. HR and formal MPS responses to the Morris Report and the White Paper in particular are still in the relatively early stages of development. This document attempts to capture much of the current thinking about how HR’s contribution can best enable the MPS to respond to the policing challenges that arise, but this thinking is expected to develop and mature over the next few months in order to refine plans.

Also ongoing at present is work on a new HR Strategy for the MPS, which will replace and update the 1999-2004 People Strategy. The HR Conference on 9 December saw the commencement of consultation on the draft HR Strategy within the MPS’ HR community. Collation and analysis of feedback from this event is ongoing. This document is organised using the four high level themes of the draft HR Strategy, and it is anticipated that the HR business plan will be structured in a similar way. The four themes are:

• Becoming an employer of choice
• Releasing potential
• Developing leaders and managers for the future
• Using people effectively

2.0 Summary of recommendations

Becoming an employer of choice

Items that cannot be managed wholly within HR Directorate

1. Performance of Personnel Security Group to be continually monitored to ensure that delays in vetting times do not impact achievement of organisational recruitment and strength targets.

Items for HR action

2. HR to continue to negotiate with the Home Office regarding year on year recruitment targets on workforce diversity that relate to the whole of the visible policing presence.
3. HR to undertake work within recruitment processes to reflect language and other life skills as part of the selection process.
4. HR’s Recruitment and People Development directorates to collaboratively develop graduate recruitment products, for both police officers and police staff, which are particularly appealing to graduates from under-represented groups.
5. Continue to assess the success of the Bexley pilot with respect to special constables with a view to considering the appropriateness of local recruitment versus the benefits of the economies of scale that accrue from central recruitment.
6. HR Recruitment to review the arrangements for the management of workforce data relating to special constables to ensure compliance with MetHR requirements.
7. HR to engage with key stakeholders as a basis for developing terms and implementation plan for a fully integrated Medium Term Pay Strategy. The financial implications of this need to be further quantified, although some reserves have already been flagged.
8. HR to agree pay and pay development terms as part of 2005/06 pay negotiations.
9. HR Services to implement flexible and voluntary benefits.
10. HR Services to review terms and legal status of existing Redundancy provisions and consider enhanced severance options based on mutually agreed terminations.
11. HR to review and develop MPS-wide management and HR practice and capability in relation to key employment procedures governing performance, conduct and change management.
12. HR Services to develop a business and implementation plan for workplace nursery provision, promulgating information to all staff as part of the MPS Childcare Strategy.
13. HR to clarify the practice implications of recent and impending legislative changes governing statutory discrimination, and develop best practice guides and capability in partnership with local HR units.
14. HR Services to develop and implement a Code of Ethics, to be endorsed by Management Board, guiding personal and professional standards of behaviour across the MPS.
15. MPS to lobby against introduction of national standard exit interview form and develop and implement a long-term approach to the exit interview process within the MPS.

Releasing potential

Items for HR action

16. HR Directorate to support the work of the Detective Modernisation Programme Board, including supporting the implementation of pilot of direct entry for skilled investigators from outside the police service, undertaking work on career pathways for detectives and on internal selection and rotation policies.
17. HR Career Management and Retention Unit to develop and oversee the implementation of a co-ordinated approach people performance management, incorporating the linked areas of PDRs, career pathways, National Occupational Standards, qualifications and work-based assessment.

Developing leaders and managers for the future

Items that cannot be managed wholly within HR Directorate

18. HR and TP to consider implementing measures to retain more experienced sergeants on borough.
19. Participants in the CDLP be supported to complete pre-workshop distance learning materials by being accorded protected learning time in line with the recommended minimum learning times identified by Centrex.
20. Local HR units to implement best practice in employee relations matters, including taking responsibility for supporting the development of local management capability.
21. All (B)OCU HR Units to be responsible for interpreting and applying HR policies locally and to support and advise managers on the practical application of HR policies.
22. All (B)OCU HR Units to notify HR Services of any inconsistencies or issues relating to policies as a basis for informing and applying changes to policies where appropriate.

Items for HR action

23. HR to use learning from the pilot of the Intensive Development Programme for police staff to take forward this area of work.
24. HR Services to introduce arrangements to oversee speedy and effective follow up action in respect of all key employee relations activities, providing advice and guidance where appropriate.
25. HR Services to lead initiatives to develop local HR capability in the management of employee relations issues.
26. HR People Development to put in place arrangements for providing welfare support to MPS personnel under suspension and under investigation, and to ensure their effective re-integration into the workplace.
27. HR Services to develop and implement an employee relations strategy.
28. HR Services to increase awareness of HR policies throughout the MPS, and develop and promulgate practical guidance on all key policies.
29. HR Services to put in place arrangements to ensure that all policies continue to be legally compliant and that changes are communicated rapidly and easily to managers and other users.
30. HR Services to overhaul the Fairness at Work policy and related arrangements for handling workplace conflict, following the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry.

Using people effectively

Items that cannot be managed wholly within HR Directorate

31. All MPS business groups to reduce from 2004/05 levels, during 2005/06:
    • Accident rates by 5%
    • Over 3-day injuries by 15%
32. All MPS business groups to take immediate corrective action to comply with corporate requirements regarding mandatory health and safety training.
33. All MPS business groups to fully utilise and populate MetHR with health and safety training data, and ensure local business processes are adequate to ensure the accuracy and completeness of such data for the future.
34. In preparation for Carnival 2005, all HR Units to ensure MetHR records regarding hearing tests are accurate, complete and up to date to avoid unnecessary re-testing where officers have received a hearing test in the previous 12 months.
35. Corporate Finance to be aware of potential £½M funding gap relating to Occupational Health clinical and psychiatric Spend to Save Schemes and health promotion campaigns when setting budgets for 2005/06 and particularly beyond.

Items for HR action

36. HR Services to scope what can be done centrally to ensure delivery of key benefits of MetHR base module. This is likely to involve some kind of centrally managed data cleansing exercise (estimate c. £200k cost), as local HR teams have limited capacity and capability to sort out the data cleansing issues.
37. HR Services to ensure provision of full infrastructure support in relation to MetHR base module.
38. HR Services to undertake work to scope extent of capability/capacity gap in local HR Units and propose solutions.
39. Senior managers in HR to seek MB and wider business buy-in to MetHR action plan designed to address current issues and to address reputational misperceptions.
40. HR Services to manage and ensure delivery of Met HR (enhanced module), ensuring implementation is fully integrated with key business stakeholders in order to ensure ongoing responsibilities and accountabilities are clear.
41. HR to lead the development and implementation of a co-ordinated civilianisation strategy, including the development of process support to enable action on the disaggregation of joint police officer/police staff roles and the creation of new roles.
42. Health and Safety Branch to conduct a review of health and safety training, in consultation with the Directorate of Training and Development and all business groups. The first part of the review, looking at core health and safety training, to be completed by early 2005. Outcomes of review to be reported to Health & Safety Strategic Committee and to Management Board.
43. HR to continue work to reduce sickness absence levels in order to support managers across the MPS to achieve new Home Office sickness absence targets.
44. Occupational Health to use soundproof vehicles to provide better quality mobile hearings tests for police officers requiring them for Carnival 2005, to further reduce abstractions.
45. HR to lead on the development of people resource planning, to help managers across the MPS predict and plan for future requirements.
46. No action be taken by HR in relation to management of police staff strength to AWTs.
47. Star Chamber be chaired by the Director of Recruitment and used to inform the recruitment process for police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables.
48. HR Business Support to be aware of potential £40k funding gap relating to the rising cost of defending medical retirement appeals when setting budgets for 2005/06 and beyond.
49. Occupational Health, with support from DoI, accelerate work to find a more modern solution to the problem of medical file storage to reduce the associated risks.
50. HR Business Support to be aware of the £12½ to £15k additional costs associated with MO and external medical assessments when undertaking budget build.
51. Health and Safety Branch to develop and implement a prioritisation and queuing system for requests for support.

3.0 Becoming an employer of choice

3.1 Workforce diversity profile

One of the big challenges the MPS is facing, and something everyone is very committed to, is making the MPS look more like London in terms of the diversity profile of our workforce. Strong recruitment performance coupled with high retention rates have meant that the MPS has been extremely successful in increasing the numbers of women and minority ethnic personnel in the MPS workforce. For example, at the end of March 2001:

• 2,728 people from minority ethnic groups worked for the MPS and accounted for 7.5% of the total MPS workforce, as compared to 5,431 and 11.8% at end October 2004.
• 10,425 women worked for the MPS and accounted for 29% of the MPS workforce, as compared to 14,252 and 31% at end October 2004.
• Minority ethnic police officer strength was 1,055, or 4.15% and has since doubled to 2,111, or 6.88%.
• Female police officer strength was 4,005, or 15.75% of strength and has since risen to 5,823, or 18.98%.
• Minority ethnic police staff numbers have also grown, both in relative terms (from 15.55% to 20.34% of strength), and in absolute terms (from 1,586 to 2,634). The proportion of the police staff workforce that is female has remained high and relatively consistent over that period, at around 59%.
• We introduced PCSOs in September 2002, and this has proved a popular role with women and minority ethnic communities, with 34% of PCSOs now being from minority ethnic groups and 29% being female.

To become truly representative of the communities of London, however, the MPS has further to go. This is being managed through a number of initiatives to promote the MPS as an employer of choice within youth and under-represented groups:

• Campaign by campaign recruitment processes that successfully focus on under-represented groups
• A sophisticated approach to targeted advertising and marketing, including liaison with minority organisations, presence at minority group events, education and voluntary service projects and a range of other targeted advertising and marketing initiatives including the MPS recruitment website.
• The introduction of sophisticated management information systems to predict process yields and determine numbers needed to meet targets
• Concerns regarding disproportionately high VEM attrition rates within the National Recruitment Standards process for police officer recruitment have been raised with the Home Office.

The MPS is likely to achieve the target of reaching 25% female police officer strength by end March 2009, and has demonstrated a high level of capability in attracting applications from under-represented groups. However, until we have managed the pool of existing candidates our ability to implement radical and innovative recruitment processes that will effectively impact on long-term minority ethnic strength targets will be frustrated. Furthermore, the fact that we are entering a period of lower growth in police numbers (e.g. the 2005/06 Hendon intake is expected to be in the region of 1,200 to 1,300 new recruits), against a backdrop of high workforce retention, further limits the MPS’ ability rapidly to alter the workforce mix.

The target of having, by 2009, a police officer workforce of whom 25.9% are from minority ethnic communities is not now achievable. The Home Office has declined to pursue legislative change, and in any case achieving the required change in the workforce mix is now almost a mathematical impossibility. However, through informal discussions between the MPS and the Home Office, initial attempts are being made to move towards a position where focus on the workforce mix is driven through year-on-year recruitment targets set in relation to the economically active population of London. Discussions are also exploring the possibility of setting targets in relation to the whole of the visible policing presence, including PCSOs as well as police officers. A further topic of discussion relates to the use of languages other than English, and other life skills, within recruitment processes, in line with the provisions of the White Paper on police reform.

Recommendations:

• HR to continue to negotiate with the Home Office regarding year on year recruitment targets on workforce diversity that relate to the whole of the visible policing presence.
• HR to undertake work within recruitment processes to reflect language and other life skills as part of the selection process.

3.2 Use of community assessors in recruitment processes

The current National Policing Plan includes recommendations about the use of community assessors in recruitment processes. HR Recruitment currently uses trained community assessors in the recruitment of police officers, PCSOs and members of the Special Constabulary. The diversity profile of community assessors compares favourably with that of the London population. It is not felt that any further work is required at this time.

3.3 Vetting times

There is a risk that recruitment performance, particularly in relation to Special Constables and new police recruits, will be threatened by delays in vetting processes. Continuing liaison between HR Recruitment and Personnel Security Group (PSG) ensures that delays are minimised, although many security checks are outside the control of PSG or involve checks being made outside the UK. This risk is being managed by putting in place management information systems to track applicants submitted to vetting, the implementation of a chase-up system and continued liaison between HR Recruitment and PSG. The use of non-MPS premises for training Special Constables is also being considered to minimise the impacts of delays in vetting. HR Recruitment has also offered resources in support of PSG to assist them to overcome these difficulties.

Recommendation:

• Performance of Personnel Security Group to be continually monitored to ensure that delays in vetting times do not impact achievement of organisational recruitment and strength targets.

3.4 Graduate recruitment

Graduates represent a steadily growing proportion of police officer strength. In March 2001, 11% of police officers were graduates, and by end October 2004 this had grown to almost 14%. It continues to be the case that female and minority ethnic officers are more likely to be graduates: in March 2001 14% of female police officers were graduates as compared to almost 18% now, and a little over 15% of minority ethnic officers were graduates as compared to a 22% at end October 04. It is likely that this reflects demographic change, as access to higher education widens and the proportion of graduates in the population continues to grow. On the police staff side, however, the proportion of the workforce who are graduates has remained fairly stable at around 9%, and although a slightly higher proportion of the minority ethnic police staff workforce are graduates (10%), only 8% of female police staff have a degree, fewer than their male colleagues.

HR Recruitment has initiated a course of action to increase the number of graduates recruited to the MPS, including a wide range of promotional activities. However, the absence of an MPS graduate programme has presented difficulties in gaining access to this market. The HPDS, for example, does not offer the potential to significantly increase the number of graduates across the workforce. HR Recruitment has undertaken research to identify the needs and expectations of the graduate market in this regard, and HR People Development has recently launched the Intensive Development Programme for police staff. Work in this area is supportive of the provisions in the police reform white paper regarding the need to market policing careers more effectively to the graduate market.

Recommendation:

• HR’s Recruitment and People Development directorates to collaboratively develop graduate recruitment products, for both police officers and police staff, which are particularly appealing to graduates from under-represented groups.

3.5 Special constables

In line with the philosophy outlined in the current National Policing Plan and emphasised in the White Paper on police reform, the MPS regards its Special Constabulary and MPS volunteers as an important part of the neighbourhood safety agenda. Performance on MSC recruitment during 2004/05 has not so far been impressive, with only 65 special constables having been recruited by end October against a target of 375. At the end of October 2004, 197 Special Constable applications were in the post-assessment stage: performance is reflective not of recruitment difficulties per se, but of delays in vetting processes (see section on Vetting) and new Special Constables subsequently completing induction training and then being attested (Specials are not counted as having been recruited until attestation has taken place). It is intended to manage these risks through a revitalised Special Constabulary Programme Board and by disseminating good practice identified through the Bexley local recruitment approach.

On a positive note, the MPS has been very successful in generating interest in the Special Constabulary from a wide range of communities within London: enquiries and applications exceed London’s minority ethnic population proportion and approach the female population proportion. Given that received wisdom in volunteering circles is that minority ethnic communities in particular are “hard to reach” in relation to volunteering, this is a real achievement and a very positive indication. The MPS is building on this achievement by creating a pool of Special Constables to act as interviewers and to attend events, and is extending the use of permanent and community assessors in the recruitment process.

Recommendations:

• Continue to assess the success of the Bexley pilot with respect to special constables with a view to considering the appropriateness of local recruitment versus the benefits of the economies of scale that accrue from central recruitment.
• HR Recruitment to review the arrangements for the management of workforce data relating to special constables to ensure compliance with MetHR requirements.

3.6 Pay and practice modernisation

The prevailing MPS pay structure for police staff, introduced in 2002, is underpinned by a robust Hay job evaluation scheme thus ensuring fairness and parity in relation to pay value issues. As such the core structure is fundamentally sound. However the application and mechanics of the pay structure are perceived to be to inflexible and are thought not to provide for emerging business needs, reward and encourage contribution, to reflect market and supply considerations, or to enable cost effective organisational change.

The size and diversity of the organisation enables and encourages longevity of service and many staff develop their careers within the organisation through to retirement. This is to some extent facilitated by an employment culture that relies heavily on voluntary turnover. This is sustained by some unwieldy employment procedures relating to conduct, performance and capability management, which tend to discourage proactive management of these types of issues, and by contractual redundancy terms that are so costly that compulsory severance based on change is rarely viable.

There is a concern is that the organisation supports a large number of staff who no longer meet the business needs and /or expectations of the organisation and that his impacts managerial and organisational effectiveness. Given the pressures on budgets anticipated in the medium term, together with the need to develop key organisational capabilities to support the emerging strategic reform agenda, the prevailing employment culture will not be sustainable in the longer term.

HR has a key role in developing, in partnership with the all major stakeholders – including the MPA, Management Board, the trades unions and police staff associations, a strategy designed to address these issues.

Recommendations:

• HR to engage with key stakeholders as a basis for developing terms and implementation plan for a fully integrated Medium Term Pay Strategy. The financial implications of this need to be further quantified, although some reserves have already been flagged.
• HR to agree pay and pay development terms as part of 2005/06 pay negotiations
• HR Services to implement flexible and voluntary benefits.
• HR Services to review terms and legal status of existing Redundancy provisions and consider enhanced severance options based on mutually agreed terminations.
• HR to review and develop MPS-wide management and HR practice and capability in relation to key employment procedures governing performance, conduct and change management.

3.7 Diversity, equality and fairness: infrastructure

Based on the priority placed on this area of work by the MPS, the profile and sensitivity of this issue, and on recent and impending legislative change, this will be a key area of development for HR. The full implications of the Morris Inquiry report are, at the time of writing, still under discussion, and will have especially significant impacts in this area. Of particular significance will be decisions made about how to implement the report’s recommendation that the people management aspects of the work of the Diversity Directorate be moved into the Human Resources Directorate. However, there are a number of continuing items of work, not already dealt with elsewhere in this document, which will be carried forward to 2004/05. Influences here include the organisation’s commitment to taking forward the issue of workplace nursery provision, managing the impacts of recent and impending legislative change, and an identified need to assist staff to confidently “live the values” of the MPS by providing guidance on personal and professional standards of behaviour across the organisation.

Recommendations:

• HR Services to develop a business and implementation plan for workplace nursery provision, promulgating information to all staff as part of the MPS Childcare Strategy.
• HR to clarify the practice implications of recent and impending legislative changes governing statutory discrimination, and develop best practice guides and capability in partnership with local HR units.
• HR Services to develop and implement a Code of Ethics, to be endorsed by Management Board, guiding personal and professional standards of behaviour across the MPS.

3.8 Exit survey

HR’s pilot of the outsourced exit survey will shortly be concluding, and an options paper proposing possible ways forward is currently being prepared. The White Paper on police reform suggests that a standard exit interview process will be introduced to help us understand why people are leaving the service, particularly in the first six months. The MPS is hoping that the Government’s approach will be to lay down minimum standards that forces’ exit processes must meet, rather than prescribing the use of a specific form. It is particularly important that the process extract qualitative as well as statistical information, as the HR pilot has found this to be particularly invaluable in giving context to statistical and monitoring information about the impact of people management practice and driving improvements.

Recommendation:

• MPS to lobby against introduction of national standard exit interview form and develop and implement a long-term approach to the exit interview process within the MPS.

4.0 Releasing potential

4.1 Detective skills

The Detective Career Project Board (DCPB), shortly to be re-cast as the Detective Modernisation Programme Board, was set up in July 2004 to overcome the forecast shortage of detectives. Following the postings from the recent internal PC – DC selection process, the Workforce Planning Unit (WPU) is forecasting a remaining shortfall of approximately 500 detectives over the following 12 months. It is intended that the work of the Programme Board should encompass:

• Definition and designation of detective roles, including learning from the SCD experiment, and work on borough detective experience levels
• Recruitment strategy for detective roles, including work on piloting direct entry of skilled investigators from outside policing. This is supportive of the approach described in the current White Paper on police reform, and with the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry, and is a significant undertaking for HR Recruitment.
• Career development, encompassing career pathways for detectives, a detective development programme, including mentoring and training modules, work on internal selection processes and on a rotation policy
• A strand regarding forecasting, deployment and monitoring for detective officers and roles
• Work on terms and conditions for detectives, incorporating SPPs, flexible working, rewards & allowances, on-call, 30+ scheme and working practices.

Recommendation:

• HR Directorate to support the work of the Detective Modernisation Programme Board, including supporting the implementation of pilot of direct entry for skilled investigators from outside the police service, undertaking work on career pathways for detectives and on internal selection and rotation policies.

4.2 People performance management

The White Paper on police reform gives a very strong steer towards increased use of work-based assessment, and indicates an impending review of the PDR process, hinting at the imposition of a national model. The MPS is well positioned, through the TOWBAR pilot, to make progress on this and derive early learning from our experiences. The White Paper states the government’s intention to replace existing qualifications with work place assessment, and to develop a formal qualifications framework for policing, built around work-based assessment against National Occupational Standards (NOS). Related to this are proposals for the development and use of professional registers. These proposals have a number of implications, which will need to be carefully and thoughtfully managed if benefits to policing are to be maximised:

• Need to take full advantage of the potential of this approach to target learning interventions more intelligently, at only those areas where an individual is not yet able to meet the required standard
• Requirement for sufficient appropriately qualified assessors
• Work based assessment must be implemented in a way that reinforces and is supportive of the centrality of the line management relationship
• There is potential for assessment of workplace competence to absorb significant amounts of staff and management time; need to minimise associated bureaucracy whilst ensuring quality of learning and standards of attainment
• Need to build capability within the HR community in respect of NOS and work-based assessment
• Need to manage and deploy appropriately those who are unable to reach the required standard of competence in the roles they seek to perform, or potentially in the roles they currently perform
• Work-based assessment should be fully integrated with the PDR process and work on career pathways
• Phasing implementation of work concerning career pathways, NOS, qualifications and work-based assessment in high-risk areas of MPS activity, and in line with other identified priority business needs. This might, for example, include detectives and investigators (in support of PIP and the work of the Detective Modernisation Programme Board), the development of HR capability, and those roles that are critical to the implementation of NIM and improvements in data quality.
• Would be sensible to avoid duplication of work taking place across the MPS, and provide a central resource to support and enable the development of effective practice across the MPS.

Recommendation:

• HR Career Management and Retention Unit to develop and oversee the implementation of a co-ordinated approach people performance management, incorporating the linked areas of PDRs, career pathways, National Occupational Standards, qualifications and work-based assessment.

4.3 Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP)

The IPLDP is currently subject to a pilot on Camden borough, and involves training recruits, after a five-week initial induction, on boroughs closer to the workplace. This will impose a requirement for accommodation to be found on boroughs, and there is a risk that this will not be possible in all cases. One possible solution would be to reverse the locations of the IPLDP and probationer continuation training, by locating the former at Hendon and the latter on borough. However, it is thought that, following the success of the Camden pilot, the appetite on borough for the IPLDP will be such that boroughs will find ways of overcoming any accommodation difficulties.

5.0 Developing leaders and managers for the future

5.1 Management development

There are a number of drivers in this area of work: an internally identified need for improved people management capability and practice, the findings of the Morris Inquiry, and a clear indication in the White Paper on police reform that leadership and management remain high on the police reform agenda. There are a number of strands to this work, including:

• Specialist qualifications for BCU commanders, supported by enhanced training, including development of a mandatory qualification for superintendents seeking to become BCU commanders. This should be addressed in the work of the CMRU on people performance management (see recommendation in Section 4.2 above).
• Ending minimum service requirements on police officers’ eligibility for promotion. Combined with the implementation of TOWBAR, and forecasts regarding the likely experience levels of those coming through the next sergeants’ promotion process, this makes it especially important that constables likely to seek promotion are effectively coached and managed, and are supported to undertake all appropriate pre-workshop distance learning associated with CDLP workshops.
• The development of HPDS-style arrangements for police staff, and a review of the HPDS to establish whether changes should be made to remove barriers to participation from minority ethnic groups. HR has begun to pilot an Intensive Development Programme for police staff, placing the MPS in the forefront of developments and positioning us well to contribute to and shape this debate.
• Introduction of a national Senior Careers Advisory Service for police officers and police staff aspiring to positions at chief superintendent and ACPO ranks and equivalent level police staff roles. The MPS will wish to support the development of such arrangements, and may have a particular contribution to make on issues relating to senior police staff.

Recommendations:

• HR and TP to consider implementing measures to retain more experienced sergeants on borough.
• HR to use learning from the pilot of the Intensive Development Programme for police staff to take forward this area of work.

5.2 Core Leadership Development Programme (CLDP)

The CLDP is a complete leadership package supplied by Centrex and developed in conjunction with forces. The CLDP is aimed at developing leadership for post probationary constables, sergeants, inspectors and supervisory police staff roles. The White Paper on police reform is strongly supportive of the CLDP in underpinning the effectiveness of neighbourhood policing teams by providing constables with the leadership skills that inform the way they work with PCSOs and members of the community. The three main MPS courses affected by CLDP are the Sergeants’ Foundation Course, Inspectors’ Foundation Course and the Commissioner’s Leadership Programme for New Managers. The MPS Personal Leadership Programme focuses almost entirely on the core elements of leadership and would be replaced in its entirety by the CLDP. The CLDP package consists of 16 distance learning modules and 13 complementary workshops, and its key features are:

• A staff member and his/her line manager identify learning needs;
• Initial learning takes place through workbooks or by e-learning via the National Centre of Applied Learning Technology (NCALT) website;
• Learning is consolidated through workshops that support 13 of the 16 modules;
• Supervision of a staff member’s progress is available through the NCALT Managed Learning Environment (MLE);
• Modules may subsequently lead to accreditation with the Chartered Management Institute.

Each module will be supplemented with MPS-specific content to assist individuals in transferring to the workplace the principles of good leadership and management contained in the Centrex materials. Individuals will need to complete only the modules necessary for their role, and planning will take account of their previous learning. Most CLDP modules are suitable for police officers and police staff, who can learn together when building management and leadership capability. The CLDP is a total leadership package and can ingrain leadership at a very early stage in an individual’s career. Investing in the implementation of the CLDP is a positive step towards the kind of improvements in leadership and management recommended by the Morris Inquiry.

The MPS is entering into negotiations with Centrex to pilot the CLDP and is establishing a CLDP Programme Board to involve stakeholders from all business groups in planning and overseeing the pilot and, if suitable, leading the implementation of the programme.

Whilst there is a direct cost associated with the CLDP, the Directorate of Training and Development will meet this from within existing resources as a result of the comparatively low volume of police recruit training required in 2005/06 and in the medium term thereafter. There will be an impact on abstraction levels. It is difficult to quantify this exactly, as much depends on which modules individuals need to complete (as determined by their role and prior learning), and the length of time an individual takes to complete the workbook or NCALT e-learning material that must be completed prior to attendance at the workshop. However, it is estimated that total abstraction levels per participating individual will be:

One of the risks associated with the implementation of the CLDP is that, in order to maximise learning, managers will need to support learners by giving them sufficient time to adequately complete the pre-workshop distance learning materials.

Recommendation:

• Participants in the CDLP be supported to complete pre-workshop distance learning materials by being accorded protected learning time in line with the recommended minimum learning times identified by Centrex.

5.3 Employee relations

The area of employee relations is one that has been subject to considerable scrutiny, both from within and outside the organisation. A key focus continues to be the development of fair and effective practice in the management of a diverse workforce. A number of those recommendations of the Morris Inquiry that are relevant to HR relate to this area of work, and will be incorporated into detailed work plans and activities.

In relation to key employee relations activities such as police staff discipline and misconduct, police officer unsatisfactory performance, and the fairness at work process in particular, there is clear potential for HR Services to take a more proactive role in ensuring speedy and effective follow up action, and in providing advice and guidance on key issues and cases that fall outside the capability of local HR Units to deal with. At the same time, HR Directorate has a contribution to make to further building local HR units’ capability to support and coach line managers to handle such issues well and confidently, and to providing support to officers and staff on suspension and under investigation. HR Services will also continue to monitor at a corporate level the diversity impacts of key employee relations activities, and to take appropriate action as a result, in addition to supporting local HR units and SMTs to use monitoring data, such as that available through MetHR, to proactively manage their own employee relations and people management practice.

Recommendations:

• HR Services to introduce arrangements to oversee speedy and effective follow up action in respect of all key employee relations activities, providing advice and guidance where appropriate.
• HR Services to lead initiatives to develop local HR capability in the management of employee relations issues.
• Local HR units to implement best practice in employee relations matters, including taking responsibility for supporting the development of local management capability.
• HR People Development to put in place arrangements for providing welfare support to MPS personnel under suspension and under investigation, and to ensure their effective re-integration into the workplace.

The pace of change that can be anticipated over the coming years through the modernisation agenda, ongoing police reform and continuing to develop to meet the challenges associated with policing London are such that the MPS should consider taking a more proactive approach to the management of the relationship between the MPS and its workforce. The scope of this work includes more proactive management of relationships between the MPS and the trade unions, staff associations and staff support associations and implementing the Morris Inquiry’s recommendations on consultation.

Recommendation:

• HR Services to develop and implement an employee relations strategy.

5.4 HR policies

HR has recently completed a wholesale review of the corporate policies owned by the Directorate, ensuring that HR policies are relevant and up to date. This has meant that a large number of key people-related policies have been disseminated throughout the MPS in a short space of time. There is also some concern within HR Directorate that the current format of the policies does not lend itself to ready and/or consistent interpretation by line managers, and does not inform best practice or practice development.

In line with the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry, we are committed to ensuring HR policies are applied consistently and well across the MPS. This means that line managers need to have access to streamlined HR policies, procedures and practices that empower and encourage them to manage people issues effectively, and that operate as a basis for business effectiveness and practice development. It is also important that people policies are well communicated and well understood across the MPS. The HR policy team is available to address issues of interpretation and application, and has led and supported a number of briefing events held locally. Similarly, some additional work has been undertaken in key areas, most notably flexible working, where a toolkit guide has been developed to assist implementation. This work partially addresses one of the Morris Inquiry’s specific recommendations, and is an example of the kind of approach HR intends to take on other key policies. In taking this work forward, HR Services will work in close liaison with Business Managers and senior HR personnel across the MPS to clarify priorities, needs and mutual expectations. An early priority will, in line with the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry, be to overhaul the arrangements for handling workplace conflicts, including the Fairness at Work policy itself.

Recommendations:

• HR Services to increase awareness of HR policies throughout the MPS, and develop and promulgate practical guidance on all key policies.
• HR Services to put in place arrangements to ensure that all policies continue to be legally compliant and that changes are communicated rapidly and easily to managers and other users.
• HR Services to overhaul the Fairness at Work policy and related arrangements for handling workplace conflict, following the recommendations of the Morris Inquiry.
• All (B)OCU HR Units to be responsible for interpreting and applying HR policies locally and to support and advise managers on the practical application of HR policies.
• All (B)OCU HR Units to notify HR Services of any inconsistencies or issues relating to policies as a basis for informing and applying changes to policies where appropriate.

6.0 Using people effectively

6.1 Data quality, completeness and analysis (MetHR)

Some MetHR data is incomplete and inaccurate. This impacts the effectiveness of MetHR as a reporting tool, particularly within the C3i project and within the wider business. It also threatens our ability to comply with statutory reporting requirements, most notably in the area of training applications, and resources are having to be applied to “work around” this and ensure legal compliance. The full capability of MetHR for supporting effective management decision-making is not yet being exploited, with the result that the benefits of this multi-million pound investment are not yet being fully realised. The main issues are:

• Users report that the system is slow. This is a server capacity issue, which will be addressed in part through the MetHR enhancement project.
• The accuracy and completeness of the legacy data is poor. In relation to contemporary data, local units are responsible for entering accurate data. Unfortunately, maintenance routines at local level are such that data is neither accurate nor up to date, and is frequently incomplete. Local users maintain that the system is cumbersome and that it requires more resources than planned or provided for.

Recommendations:

• HR Services to scope what can be done centrally to ensure delivery of key benefits of MetHR base module. This is likely to involve some kind of centrally managed data cleansing exercise (estimate c. £200k cost), as local HR teams have limited capacity and capability to sort out the data cleansing issues.
• HR Services to ensure provision of full infrastructure support in relation to MetHR base module.
• HR Services to undertake work to scope extent of capability/capacity gap in local HR Units and propose solutions.
• Business processes are not yet fully aligned with MetHR processes, for example the training and competency fields are separate and require competency sets to be drawn from the specific training course, sometimes on a customised basis. These are not always available and thus the competency/skills fields remain incomplete. This has an impact on the effectiveness of MetHR as a reporting tool most particularly within the C3i project and indeed within the broader business. The MetHR compliance strategy is good but has insufficient “bite” to influence change/remedial action.

Recommendation:

• Senior managers in HR to seek MB and wider business buy-in to MetHR action plan designed to address current issues and to address reputational misperceptions.

Meanwhile the team is working through the MetHR Enhancement project, enabling further information capture and greater strategic capability. Anticipated benefits of the enhancement project have been well documented and the implementation schedule is January 2005 to March 2006. Full benefits will not be realised before March 2006. Implementation brings its own challenges: the diverse nature of the functionality will lead to issues around training, communication and support. Furthermore, there are some new issues around anticipated resource shortfalls, thought to be in the order of £180k, during the implementation period.

Recommendation:

• HR Services to manage and ensure delivery of Met HR (enhanced module), ensuring implementation is fully integrated with key business stakeholders in order to ensure ongoing responsibilities and accountabilities are clear.

6.2 Civilianisation

HR Services has assumed responsibility for leading the civilianisation project and terms of reference have been fully defined and process, outcomes and responsibilities clarified. HR is currently awaiting further details from business groups regarding the scope for change, as a prelude to developing full action plans. This will be a significant change project raising capacity issues both centrally and locally. An additional post in HR Services would offset some local capacity risk, and enable the provision of expert guidance and support to business groups. Delivery of the desired business outcome, and the avoidance of error and duplication is dependent on the development of a fully co-ordinated strategy, where all aspects of the workforce modernisation agenda, including civilianisation, are properly provided for and connected.

Recommendation:

• HR to lead the development and implementation of a co-ordinated civilianisation strategy, including the development of process support to enable action on the disaggregation of joint police officer/police staff roles and the creation of new roles.

6.3 Accident reduction

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are seeking clear objectives and targets in the public sector for reducing the number of accidents and incidence of ill health. This is set out in the HSC/HSE Strategy for Workplace Health and Safety in Great Britain to 2010 and Beyond, which builds on the Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy that was launched in June 2000. The HSE/HSC strategies seek improvement targets, to be achieved by 2010, to reduce over 3-day injuries by 30%, accident rates by 10% and reduce the rate of work related ill health by 20%. This will be based partly on returns to the HSE under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. In order to make the necessary preparatory steps towards achieving these targets, Management Board has approved the proposal that each MPS business group should set, and cascade to its respective (B)OCUs, improvement targets for the 2005/06 financial year.

Recommendation:

All MPS business groups to reduce from 2004/05 levels, during 2005/06:

• Accident rates by 5%
• Over 3-day injuries by 15%

6.4 Health and safety training

There are a number of risks associated with health and safety training across the MPS. It is important that the content of health and safety training continues to meet changing needs, and that a strategy for future delivery and evaluation is put in place to ensure the effective management of this important area of provision.

Recommendation:

Health and Safety Branch to conduct a review of health and safety training, in consultation with the Directorate of Training and Development and all business groups. The first part of the review, looking at core health and safety training, to be completed by early 2005. Outcomes of review to be reported to Health & Safety Strategic Committee and to Management Board.

In 2001, the Commissioner received six Improvement Notices from the HSE. One notice specifically related to the lack of senior management awareness and training. A written response by the Commissioner to the HSE proposed a series of H&S courses that included 'Safety Leadership'. The HSE agreed the response and the Branch has administered the training since that time. Despite this, attendance at mandatory health and safety training courses has been poor. Furthermore, health and safety training data held on MetHR is incomplete, inaccurate and misrecorded, which further increases the difficulty associated with oversight of performance in this area.

Recommendation:

All MPS business groups to:

• Take immediate corrective action to comply with corporate requirements regarding mandatory health and safety training.
• Fully utilise and populate MetHR with health and safety training data, and ensure local business processes are adequate to ensure the accuracy and completeness of such data fur the future.

6.5 Sickness absence

The MPS is well positioned to meet the Home Office 2004/05 sickness absence targets of 8 days per police officer and 9 days per member of police staff. Extremely strong performance on police officer sickness over the past year means the MPS has already bettered the 8 day target, and sickness absence is continuing to fall. During 2005/06 the MPS will need to maintain that level of performance on police officer sickness and focus on reducing sickness absence among the police staff groups. Rates of sickness absence for the 12 month period ending October 2004 are:

• Police officers 7.8 days
• PCSOs 11.6 days
• Traffic wardens 13.1 days
• Police staff 9.5 days

Combining together PCSOs, traffic wardens and other police staff, an overall reduction of almost one day per member of staff will be required if the overall nine day target is to be achieved. Traffic warden sickness has been reduced by more than a third in the last four years, with the majority of that improvement having occurred over the last eighteen months. Although it continues to fall, there is a risk that the ambitious 12 day target will not be achieved by the end of the 2004/05 financial year. PCSO sickness rates are relatively high and are likely to present a challenge for 2005/06.

A range of actions is in hand in order to support the effective management of sickness absence. This includes a range of clinical and occupational health interventions ranging from occupational health and medical provision, through clinical and psychological Spend to Save projects and proactive health promotion and training. It must also be borne in mind that a proportion of absence ascribed to sickness does not have a primarily medical root but is symptomatic of performance or conduct issues, and/or of wider management problems which need to be dealt with as such. For this reason, engaging with managers is critical to reducing sickness, and the MPS’ OH Branch has moved beyond traditional occupational health boundaries to undertake such work as:

• Working with those with corporate responsibility for oversight of the police staff discipline procedures and police officer unsatisfactory performance procedure to proactively identify cases of sickness absence that are most appropriately handled this way
• Working proactively with borough SMTs to identify individual police officers with problem absence and provide advice on how to use the UPP or other means to manage those individuals back to work or, where appropriate, out of the organisation.
• Holding workshops with HR Managers to promote the attendance management policy and encourage appropriate use of UPP for cases of non-medical absence.
• Working with DPS to identify and deal with attendance management cases where issues of integrity and criminality arise.

Work of this type has the potential to cause a conflict of interest with the role of the OH Practice Manager, so consideration is being given to creating a role within HR Services, a separate directorate of HR, to lead and co-ordinate this work.

Recommendations:

• HR to continue work to reduce sickness absence levels in order to support managers across the MPS to achieve new Home Office sickness absence targets.

6.6 Notting Hill Carnival: hearing tests

10,000 officers are on duty during the Notting Hill Carnival, and Occupational Health needs to conduct hearing tests for the 2,500 who are in the most vulnerable positions, as well as providing 1,500 officers with moulded earpieces for use with specialist communications equipment. There are always difficulties associated with the fact that OH has to conduct all hearing tests and earpiece fittings during a short period of time between rosters being finalised and Carnival taking place. As well as presenting capacity issues for OH services, this has in the past imposed unacceptable levels of abstraction for boroughs. In 2003/04, OH tried to minimise abstractions by using mobile units to go to each borough, but the quality of the hearing tests provided therein was perceived to be inadequate. In 2004/05 OH used five sites around the MPD for the testing, but feedback indicated that this resulted in an unacceptable level of abstractions.

Recommendations:

• In preparation for Carnival 2005, all HR Units to ensure MetHR records regarding hearing tests are accurate, complete and up to date to avoid unnecessary re-testing where officers have received a hearing test in the previous 12 months.
• Occupational Health to use soundproof vehicles to provide better quality mobile hearings tests for police officers requiring them for Carnival 2005, to further reduce abstractions.

6.7 Workforce modelling

The MPS has in place a basic modelling framework, covering numbers of officers and staff. This provides for projections of numbers for future years and manipulation of ratios. The last Corporate Strategic Assessment required HR to extend this by mounting a project to establish the minimum number of personnel, and the required skill profile and rank/band mix, and to report back by the next strategic assessment.

This scoping work has now been undertaken. To add a rank/band mix, skills and training requirements, plus coverage of posts will require:

• Organisational structure and positions facility on MetHR, and data populated, to feed the modelling tool
• Development of additional layers within the modelling tool for the new elements
• Minimum staffing levels and skills requirements to be confirmed by operational business groups.

Further development of the existing modelling tool will require dedicated and more specialised resources to develop the modelling tool since it will be significantly bigger and more sophisticated. Also required will be the collection and input of a large volume of new data.

In April 04, representatives of Workforce Planning, MetHR and Corporate Planning received a presentation on a Total Resource Management (TRM) tool in use in the City of London Police. This was driven by operational requirements and provided an assessment of the impact across the force including numbers of people, locations and skills. It was considered impressive and would meet the needs of the MPS. In August, DAC Bryan, after meeting with DoI, decided that his Strategic Development Directorate (SDD) would not pursue TRM, principally because no resource or budget allocation was available and SDD already had two IT projects running in support of NIM. DoI did not support an additional TRM project either, because they did not have the resources and had other big projects already.

It is proposed that the next steps should be:

• HR to take the corporate lead
• Revisit City of London Police for their latest position
• Scan other forces for any other existing systems or related developmental activity
• Engagement of an IT specialist/consultant – DoI or externally sourced – to scope the required development work and identify options.
• Gain agreement of operational business groups to complete development of their minimum models to a timetable
• Determine completion timescale for MetHR development of structures and positions facility, and subsequent data population
• Buy-in or contract dedicated specialist resources to build phase 2 of the model
• Determine size of pilot (all or part of TP?) of the expanded modelling tool
• Complete build, and collection and input of data to the expanded modelling tool, subject to successful pilot.

Recommendation:

• HR to lead on the development of people resource planning, to help managers across the MPS predict and plan for future requirements.

6.8 Police staff AWTs and strength

There have been some difficulties associated with overseeing whether police staff strength is broadly in line with Affordable Workforce Targets (AWTs) not least because, seven months in to the current financial year, a corporate AWT has not yet been established. Many consider that, in a devolved financial environment, the monitoring of police staff establishment is a financial matter and not one for HR. Having been allocated an overall OCU/Unit budget by Finance Directorate, each OCU/Unit apportions budget to the various budget lines, including that for police staff pay, and then decides on a rank/band mix from the available budget in order to set its AWT. In budgetary terms, OCU commanders and unit heads are assessed on their ability to manage within budget, and oversight of this is a matter for Finance Directorate. Under these current circumstances it is felt that a more intrusive approach by HR is not appropriate at this time.

Recommendation:

• No action be taken by HR in relation to management of police staff strength to AWTs.

6.9 Managing changing strength and recruitment targets

Corporate business processes do not work in a way that assists HR Recruitment to meet the needs of the business by effectively managing substantial in-year changes to recruitment and strength targets for police officers, PCSOs and members of the Special Constabulary. For example, a substantial change to the PCSO BWT in the late summer as a result of acceleration of the Safer Neighbourhoods programme raised a risk that, whilst the required additional numbers of PCSOs could be recruited, it would not be possible to simultaneously meet the 35% minority ethnic PCSO recruitment target. However, current forecasts to the end of 2004/05 indicate the minority ethnic PCSO strength will not drop below 30%, which is proportional to the resident minority ethnic population of London. In the longer term, however, changes to business processes are required to reduce the risk that HR Recruitment will be unable to meet business needs.

Recommendation:

• Star Chamber be chaired by the Director of Recruitment and used to inform the recruitment process for police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables.

6.10 Spend to save schemes and health promotion campaigns

2005/06 year is the final year of the Home Office funding plan under which the MPS has accessed c. £½ M per year to fund the clinical and psychiatric Spend to Save programmes and the health promotion campaigns, both of which are run in support of OH’s work to improve levels of sickness absence. The business benefits of the Spend to Save programmes have been quantified at three times their cost, so there is a clear business case for their continued funding. The MPS is hopeful of receiving this funding for 2005/06 and although this is not yet certain, confirmation is anticipated shortly. Should such funding not be available, however, in 2005/06 or beyond this would expose a funding requirement that, were the work to continue, would need to be met from within MPS resources.

Recommendation:

• Corporate Finance to be aware of potential £½M funding gap relating to Occupational Health clinical and psychiatric Spend to Save Schemes and health promotion campaigns when setting budgets for 2005/06 and particularly beyond.

6.11 Medical retirements – cost of appeals

The MPS has been extremely successful in recent years in reducing the number of medical retirements. However a recent change in police regulations means that whereas MPS was previously able to recover the costs associated with successfully defending appeals on decisions regarding medical retirements, this is no longer the case. The financial impact of this for the 2005/06 financial year is expected to be in the order of £40k.

Recommendation:

• HR Business Support to be aware of potential £40k funding gap relating to the rising cost of defending medical retirement appeals when setting budgets for 2005/06 and beyond.

6.12 Medical files

There is an organisational risk associated with the fact that Occupational Health creates and stores a single hard copy version of individuals’ medical files. IT solutions are proving time-consuming and costly. Should medical files be lost through fire, flood or other disaster the consequences could be severe in terms of the MPS’ ability to meet its duty of care to staff, and in terms of financial exposure.

Recommendation:

• Occupational Health, with support from DoI, accelerate work to find a more modern solution to the problem of medical file storage to reduce the associated risks.

6.13 Disability-related medical assessments

Following the amendment to the Disability Discrimination Act in October 2004, the MPS is now statutorily obliged to consider the fitness of police officers with disabilities on an individual basis. It is therefore likely that management will require assessments as to whether a disabled officer requires workplace adjustments or redeployment to accommodate the disability. There will be an additional requirement for Medical Officer (MO) assessment in situations where an officer with a disability applies to join a specialist or safety-critical role such as firearms or response driving. In certain situations, for example the assessment of officers with insulin dependant diabetes, the MPS MO will need to refer the individual for assessment by an external specialist.

Whilst it is difficult to project accurately the number of additional MO consultations and external specialist assessments that will be required, 150-200 additional Medical Officer assessments per year is the current best estimate. Since each assessment will require 30 minutes of MO time, this may amount to an additional 75-100 MO hours annually. It is likely that approximately half this number will require external specialist assessment in addition to MO assessment. At a cost of approximately £250-300 for a specialist assessment, it is likely that this will incur an additional expenditure in the region of £12,500 to £15,000. Although this figure is likely to be towards the higher end of the scale in the initial year following the introduction of the amendment, it is likely that there will be an ongoing resource implication for assessments on officers who are considered fit with adjustments and who will of course require annual reassessment.

Recommendation:

• HR Business Support to be aware of the £12½ to £15k additional costs associated with MO and external medical assessments when undertaking budget build.

6.14 Health and Safety Branch workload

Implementing a more proactive approach to H&S, coupled with success in raising awareness of the importance of health and safety issues across the MPS, has resulted in an increase in the workload of Health and Safety Branch. The Branch needs to find a way to manage this workload within the resources available, and to measure the type, nature and quantity of requests, thus facilitating improvement in Branch efficiency and effectiveness.

Recommendation:

• Health and Safety Branch to develop and implement a prioritisation and queuing system for requests for support.

Appendix 2: HR business & performance plan 2005/06: Draft 1 for comment

1. Becoming an Employer of Choice

Note: These figures are early planning assumptions based on the latest available data regarding the size of the 2005/06 intake of new police recruits, and on retention rates remaining stable around current levels.

2. Releasing potential

3. Developing leaders and managers for the future

4. Using people effectively

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