Recruitment and retention

Report: 9
Date: 3 March 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an analysis on the progress being made towards recruitment and retention within the MPS at the end of December 2004.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report

B. Supporting information

Recruitment

1. Police officer strength is increasing steadily towards the revised BWT of 30,798. Table 1 (Appendix 1) provides a comparison between the current budgeted workforce target (BWT) and strength at the end December 2004. Taking into account the forecast joiners during the fourth quarter of 04/05, police officer strength is projected to increase to 31,257 by the year-end. The current projected year-end strength will exceed the BWT by 459 officers. In terms of the other strengths, there is an expectation that with continued recruitment the respective target strengths will be achieved, with the exception of Traffic Wardens where no recruitment activity has been initiated. The protracted time taken to obtain security clearance for new officers and members of staff by the Personnel Security Group (PSG) is becoming a significant risk to the achievement of recruitment targets, generally, and the safer neighbourhood staffing targets, in particular.

Police officer recruits

2. A total of 1,228 new recruits have joined the MPS during the period April to December 2004, including 197 (16%) VEM and 472 (38%) female officers. A further 628 recruits, including 81 VEM and 142 female officers, are due to join over the forthcoming months. By 31 March 2005, a total of 1,858 new recruits will have joined. Current projections show that VEM strength is likely to reach 2,174 officers and females increase to 5,958 officers by the end March 2005, and both the VEM (7%) and female targets (19%) against BWT will be met. This percentage level of recruitment of VEM and female candidates is unprecedented within the MPS, which has been made even more note worthy given the outstanding pool of candidates being managed. The Home Office is currently seeking ACPO views on targets for the next year and towards 2009, intimating year on year recruitment targets based on the proportion of VEM within the economically active

population. The police recruitment target of 05/06 is likely to be 1,500 officers (i.e. 1,200 recruits and 300 experienced officers), although this target might change as a result of the final year-end strength.

Police – transfers

3. The recruitment of experienced officers has resulted in 155 officers transferring to the MPS to fill notified vacancies. A further 90 officers have transferred from the Royal Parks police and 43 officers rejoining the Service as part of the 30+ Scheme. A total of 51 (18%) female officers and 15 (5%) VEM officers have transferred to the MPS from other forces.

Police staff

4. Since April 2004, a total of 1,644 members of police staff have been recruited for a variety of roles across the MPS. This total includes 970 (59%) females and 368 (22%) VEM members of staff. The proportion of VEM police staff recruited in the current year is a substantial increase to that reported this time last year (i.e. 17%).

Extended policing family (EPF)

5. This group of staff has recently been developed and includes Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) and Specials. The initial thrust of PCSO recruitment occurred earlier in the year to ensure that sufficient PCSOs were available for the launch of the Safer Neighbourhoods scheme. However, due to additional funding from the Safer Neighbourhoods recently becoming available, there has been a sharp increase in PCSO recruitment activity to meet the new targets. This has been achieved and 596 PCSOs have joined the scheme, raising the PCSO strength to 1,889. Of those PCSOs recruited, 154 (26%) are from VEM groups and 184 (31%) are female.

6. Considerable recruitment activity has been undertaken to recruit specials (MSC), resulting in 134 being recruited to date. The recent recruitment campaigns have been very successful in sustaining the level of interest in this role; there are approximately 500 applications in the selection process, and further ‘shop watch’ campaigns have been planned between March and May 2005. During 05/06 we anticipate high levels of recruitment to increase the MSC strength to 1,500 in line with the National Policing Plan but, given experience of previous years, this will no doubt prove challenging.

Significant issues and risks

7. There is a significant risk that the achievement of recruitment targets is placed at risk by the protracted time taken to obtain security clearance. The Recruitment Directorate has discussed the issues with the Personal Security Group (PSG) and has provided tangible support, such as temporarily secondment of recruitment staff to PSG to help speed-up the clearance process. This risk is becoming the largest barrier to the recruitment of officers and staff. The graduate recruitment strategy has now been placed within the members’ library for consideration.

Career management and retention unit (CMRU)

8. The Retention Strategy was produced in 2003 and the majority of proposals have been introduced. The Strategy will be reviewed in early 2005 and elements of work that remain outstanding are discussed below.

The pilot exit process

9. The 6-month period used for the pilot exit process finished on 31 December 2004. A final report with findings and recommendations is expected from the company managing this process, Leadership Research and Development Ltd (LRDL) and, in addition, an Internal Consultancy Group (ICG) evaluation by the end of February 2005. This will be reported on orally at the meeting.

Management training

10. Improving managers' abilities to retain staff (via management training) – the provision of an inclusive management training programme, for both police officers and police staff - is currently under review to support various recommendations coming from reports such as ‘Morris’. This area of work will transfer to the new ‘Leadership Development’ team in HR.

Corporate and multimedia induction

11. Responsibility for all elements of corporate induction for police staff now sits with the CMRU. The approach to corporate induction has been enhanced as a result of feedback, and now consists of four elements: a corporate induction day, an induction pack, multi-media induction and a checklist for managers responsible for local induction.

12. As part of the corporate induction programme phases i), ii) & iii) of the multi media induction programme have been completed and this package was re-launched in conjunction with the entire induction programme on 9 February 2005.

Property zone

13. One of the main drivers for the implementation of the Property Zone initiative was the demand identified via the Intromet recruitment drive of potential VEM recruits, particularly from outside London, who require support, advice and assistance to set up home in or around the capital.

14. Currently Property Zone receives about 30 enquiries per week split 50/50 between police officers and police staff. A large number of enquiries are from PCSOs.

15. VEM staff are well represented in their use of the scheme, particularly Asian and mixed race groups. In addition, there appears little difference in the distribution of male and female applicants to the scheme in comparison to the MPS workforce. The majority of applicants are drawn from the 25-39 age category with the 16-24 category the next largest

MetPathways

16. The CMRU is working with business groups to develop career pathways to support the professional development of officers and staff.

17. Currently, the most advanced of the pathways are: a pathway for officers and staff specialising in investigation (with the link to the Professionalizing Investigation Project (PIP)); one for officers and staff specialising in intelligence (with the link to the National Intelligence Model); and one for officers and, particularly, police staff who are involved in either performance or intelligence analysis.

18. The MetPathways intranet site, which has been developed by the CMRU and will give guidance on postings and qualifications, will assist the work on career pathways and development opportunities that will be needed to progress along a chosen career pathway.

FemDTP and CROW

19. It has been agreed that the Female and Ethnic Minority Detective Training Programme (FemDTP) will continue to be administered by the Diversity Directorate. However it is proposed that the scheme is extended to allow High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) officers access to the scheme. This element will be managed by the CMRU.

20. The Centre For Research Into The Older Workforce (CROW) has now completed its research within the MPS and we are awaiting an interim report and presentation of its findings and recommendations. Due to some delays at the University of Surrey this is now scheduled for February 2005.

High Potential Development Scheme

21. The CMRU have been working in a joint venture with the Home Office, to offer a placement week in the MPS for students at the University of Cambridge. The Home Office has adopted the MPS scheme as the blueprint for other constabularies.

C. Equality and diversity implications

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

D. Financial implications

Police strength is projected to exceed the BWT by approximately 450 officers. This eventuality, which is a consequence of bringing forward the rollout of the safer neighbourhoods scheme, was considered earlier in the year and authority to exceed the BWT by 500 officers has been secured from the MPA. However it is acknowledged that this will be managed within exiting budgets.

E. Background papers

• None

F. Contact details

Report authors: Simon Marshall, Director of Recruitment and Paul Madge, A/Director HR People Management

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Supporting tables

Table 1: MPS strength summary at the end of December 2004

Table 2: MPS Recruitment at the end of December 2004

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