Glidewell update

Report: 12
Date: 09 January 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The development of 15 Glidewell sites across London to deliver joined up justice has become an untenable proposition, if for no other reason than as a result of cost.

The financial implications of finding and resourcing 15 sites have been estimated at over £60m. Although some of this cost could be shared between partner agencies, the predominant cost would fall to the MPS at a time when the funding pressure on the estate, particularly with the increasing numbers of police officers, is unprecedented.

Given the 17-year evolution of Criminal Justice Units (CJUs) over 32 BOCUs, there is a need to bring modern business practises with corporate processes to the delivery of criminal justice across London.

The move to a central Transport OCU with Transport for London (TfL) has identified the need for a central traffic CJU to service this requirement, and the purchase/leasing of new accommodation to house the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Centralising the traffic function will allow the CPS to rationalise the numbers of lawyers involved in traffic cases, thus releasing this asset to crime cases.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members are asked to agree that further work on the 15 unit Glidewell model ceases;
2. Members agree that the arrangements for, and principles of, Glidewell be based around the borough structure; and
3. Members agree to further work being undertaken in relation to the formation of a centralised traffic CJU with a view to purchasing/leasing accommodation to house multi-agency staff involved in the prosecution of traffic offences.

B. Supporting information

1. This paper raises two issues

• The rationale for stopping the current project to create 15 Glidewell units and replacing it with a project to develop borough based units;
• The development of a single, pan-London traffic CJU co-located with the newly formed TfL CJU and Central ‘Driver Offenders Unit’.

Borough based Glidewell Units

2. In 1996 Sir Ian Glidewell was commissioned to carry out an inspection of the Crown Prosecution Service 10 years after its inception. The report was delivered to Parliament in 1998 and predominantly covers the workings and structures of the CPS. Chapter 10, paragraph 59 refers to the co-location of police and Crown Prosecution units as being part of the solution towards joined up justice. The report does not deal with business processes and modernisation but does refer specifically to London having about 30 Glidewell CJUs.

3. Subsequently, in 2000 the MPS committed itself to 15 Glidewell CJUs across London. This initiative merely co-located some CPS and police CJU functions, using current processes. Significantly, the Trials Units and Youth Sections of the CPS are not included in this process.

4. The first of the 15 Glidewell CJUs was introduced at Holborn earlier this year covering the boroughs of Camden and Islington. The rollout programme for the 15 Glidewell sites showed predicted timescales up to 2006. This strategy comes at a time when police numbers within the capital are due to increase significantly, the building infrastructure is significantly overstretched, in need of upgrading and will be required to provide accommodation for those increased numbers.

5. The experience at Holborn has provided us with a clearer understanding of the way forward. The vision of Glidewell was to provide co-location and, therefore, co-working of criminal justice agencies. The reality, however, has been the co-location of two police CJUs and a branch of the CPS, without any significantly new integrated working.

6. The Holborn pilot has failed to deliver a rationalisation of resources and has actually resulted in a downturn in performance. Even accepting that this is a new pilot and success may follow, there is little real evidence of success that would justify developing other units of a similar size.

7. The projected cost of 15 Glidewell CJUs as previously envisaged has already been questioned by the MPA and there is little evaluation of the benefits that would be delivered as a result of the cost. The estimated costs of full delivery are conservatively projected at about £60m for accommodation alone, and are unsustainable when accommodation for police officers and other operational functions are at a premium.

8. As an alternative, the provision of Glidewell units predicated on the borough structure will allow CPS involvement locally, which was not a feature of the 15 unit model. The CPS is committed to joint working and is keen to provide professional legal advice at the point of charge. This new proposal would improve our joint performance, particularly reducing the discontinuance of cases, an element of criminal justice on which the Government have developed a particular focus.

9. A significant part of the criminal justice modernisation process is the improved deployment of staff undertaking the preparation and progression of case files. This area has been neglected for nearly two decades and has resulted in this critical element of police business being carried out in 32 different ways. In parallel with the change to the Glidewell structure we are working towards both shortening and professionalising the criminal justice end-to-end processes.

10. The CPS accepts that borough Glidewell units are the most appropriate model and are keen to place their representatives in each of these units. The recent ATOS KPMG work has examined all of the ongoing and previous reviews into the MPS criminal justice processes including the Best Value review entitled ‘Bringing Offenders to Justice’ (BotJ). The main difference in approach is that the BotJ report looked at identifying current failures, where the ATOS KPMG study examines the development of a new system that works in concert with our partners and addresses these failures.

11. The joint MPS/MPA report ‘Towards the Safest City – Delivering Policing for London 2003 – 2005’ highlights revitalising the criminal justice system as a significant area of business, with a focus on our ability to work with other agencies within the criminal justice system. Specifically highlighted is a key initiative of sharing facilities and co-working with the CPS to improve quality, maximise efficiency and eliminate duplication within the prosecution process (the Glidewell Initiative).

Centralisation of the traffic process function

12. Borough CJUs are currently working near to capacity, albeit in different ways, to provide a service to the CPS for all prosecutions. Some BOCUs have prioritised offences, sometimes to the detriment of traffic cases, as traffic does not feature as one of the MPA’s priorities. This is at odds with the wishes of the Mayor for London who instead sees traffic as a high priority.

13. The work undertaken by ATOS KPMG has helped to redefine the CJU processes and provides the MPS with an opportunity to rationalise case file preparation. The CPS are keen to play their part in all prosecutions but currently have 30% of their lawyer time consumed with traffic process.

14. The need to rationalise resources across the various criminal justice agencies has been brought sharply into focus and the case for the amalgamation of the prosecution of traffic offences is compelling.

This initiative will involve the transfer of some criminal justice posts (but not necessarily staff) from boroughs and amalgamating these in a centralised unit.

• The CPS is of the view that a centralisation in this way would result in the releasing of a significant number of their resources through economies of scale.
• The CPS has undertaken to redirect those resources into successful crime prosecutions on boroughs.
• This initiative will both improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the business process of traffic prosecution and lead to a common standard of prosecution across London, controlled through one office. Improved performance in crime cases on boroughs is an obvious expected benefit.

15. It is anticipated that the space made available through the removal of posts from BOCUs to a centralised Traffic Unit will support the delivery of Glidewells on BOCUs by making accommodation available to enable location of CPS lawyers at each BOCU CJU.

16. To make this vision a reality a significant building purchasing/leasing arrangement would be required. The TfL OCU is in the process of securing a single floor at Marlow House Sidcup, Kent (being funded by TfL, as considered by the MPA Finance Committee 14.11.02.). This will accommodate CJU staff and CPS lawyers involved in the prosecution of offences arising from officers employed in the Traffic and Transport Branch. The case for building on this initiative is powerful, but would require the leasing of two or three additional floors in the same building, the costs of which are yet to be finalised. They are, however, expected to be in the region of £400k per year per floor. This figure does not include furnishing or IT requirements.

Benefits

• Genuine co-location and co-working in the spirit of the Glidewell Report
• Improved criminal justice performance, an area in which the Government has taken a keen interest and which is a declared priority
• Improved case attrition rates
• Improved victim and witness care
• Re-emphasis on traffic related offences
• Improved performance in relation to traffic matters, a priority of the Mayor for London
• Accommodation on boroughs could be made available to CPS staff
• Improved joint performance through economies of scale
• The CPS would be able to provide professional legal advice at the point of charge and, therefore, improve case performance
• Borough based CPS staff could become involved in the local Crime and Disorder Partnerships.

C. Equality and diversity implications

There are no equality implications.

D. Financial implications

1. There are clearly significant financial implications that flow from the strategy outlined that have not been costed in any detail at this stage. The principle objective of the strategy is to release space in Boroughs so as to accommodate CPS staff. The release of accommodation also now needs to be set in the context of pressures on space arising from the increase in police officer numbers and PCSOs with the associated increases in civil staff numbers. The physical requirements to accommodate the joint working with the CPS would need to be reviewed for each Borough and this could involve significant capital and revenue cost implications. The MPA Finance Committee agreed on 12.12.02. that funding in the region of £600k from CPS funds could be used to undertake minor building works in MPS buildings to facilitate joint working.

2. In centralising the traffic CJU at Marlow House, premises costs will be incurred as identified in the report. Additional staffing resources may be required as traffic prosecutions may be followed up that are currently not prioritised. It can also be anticipated that the transfer of traffic offences work to the centralised CJU will result in current staff being re-deployed into crime CJU work. Overall, more staff may be employed in CJU activity.

3. At present the capital programme includes £1.1 million in 2002/03 for Glidewell schemes and a further £2.2 million spread over the next three years. There is no additional revenue funding contained in the budget submission for 2003/04 as approved by the MPA to forward to the GLA and the mayor for consideration. A sum of £2.35 million was included in the new initiatives initially submitted to the MPS for consideration. This has been excluded from the submission but could be reviewed if the grant settlement improves from the current forecast. This will not be known until early December, but at present the prospects for extra funds available for this purpose appears unlikely. If the strategy were accepted the implementation would need to be phased over a period for both financial and operational reasons.

4. The 15 co-located units have proved difficult to fund despite a number of bids to Government. The BOCU model is expected to be more affordable and involve less capital expenditure.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Alan Given, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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