Operational services management information

Report: 5
Date: 13 December 2007
By: Assistant Commissioner Operational Services on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the measures to be employed to demonstrate performance across the Operational Services business group. It indicates which directorates will be responsible for such performance and from where the data will be drawn from.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members consider the suitability of the format for the presentation of performance across the Operational Services business group; and

2. note the content of the report.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Operational Services (OS) is the newest MPS business group. It was formed in April 2007. Initial work concentrated on establishing the necessary financial and planning infrastructure to facilitate the development of a performance reporting framework. This papers sets out the results of this work in respect of the performance reporting framework.

2. Operational Services have, with the Strategy, Modernisation & Performance Directorate (SMPD), developed a reporting framework that concentrates on corporate strategic priorities. This integrates performance across the Directorates with our Business Group objectives. The resulting Reporting Measures, as detailed in section 3 below, will be used for the remainder of this year and throughout the financial year 2008-09.

3. Performance, with respect to each Reporting Measure, has been described below in paragraphs 5 - 11. A commentary together with associated supporting data is displayed in tabular and graphic form in paragraphs 12 - 25.

4. Where possible, data has been displayed, on a rolling basis, over the last 2 years where data is recorded monthly, and over 3 years where data is recorded quarterly. This enables quarterly (or monthly) and year-on-year comparison and trends to be apparent.

Reporting measures

5. Call answering - Central Communications Command (CCC) – against the target of answering 90% of emergency calls within 10 seconds and 90% of non-emergency calls within 30 seconds. This to be measured on a monthly basis using Monthly Management Report returns.

6. Call satisfaction - Central Communications Command (CCC) – improving public satisfaction with the manner in which calls are dealt with. This is to be measured monthly via the CCC First Contact survey, and demonstrated using quarterly returns from the Performance Information Board (PIB) Crime Victim Survey pertaining to those satisfied with the ease of contacting police via 999. This is currently Statutory Performance Indicator (SPI)1a as specified by the Home Office.

7. The PIB Anti Social Behaviour Survey, which only began last year, also measures SPI1a. In 2008, when there is a greater catalogue of past data to compare with, this will also be used to demonstrate call satisfaction. CCC has also just started Quality Call Backs. When data is returned from this in early 2008, it too may form part of the satisfaction measure.

Service satisfaction

8. Diversity & Citizen Focus Directorate – improving the quality of the service the MPS provides, ensuring fair and equitable treatment. This is to be demonstrated using quarterly returns from the Crime Victim Survey pertaining to the proportion satisfied with the overall service from police (currently SPI 1e) and the comparative satisfaction levels of Black Minority Ethnics (BME) and white victims (currently SPI 3b). Both these measures will be adopted by the Assessments of Policing and Community Safety (APACS) during 2008-9.

9. As with CCC, it is anticipated that returns from Quality Call Backs, which will be fully developed early 2008, may also provide a feed into performance.

Community satisfaction

10. Diversity & Citizen Focus Directorate – developing a corporate infrastructure for community engagement that supports counter terrorism and helps to harness community intelligence. This to be demonstrated using quarterly returns from the PIB Public Attitude Survey pertaining to the proportion agreeing that the police in their area understand the issues that affect their community. This is a proposed APACS measure for 2008-9.

Professional Standards

11. Directorate of Professional Standards – ensuring that investigations into professional standards are competent and proportionate, meeting the needs of stakeholders and engendering the trust of the community. This to be demonstrated in terms of the timeliness handling public complaint investigations, the quality of decision making regarding appeals upheld/not upheld by the IPCC and by the number of complaints per 1000 officers. Each to be measured on a monthly basis using Monthly Management Report returns.

Current performance

Call answering

12 Emergency - In October, CCC answered on average 7,400 emergency (999) calls a day, of which 86% were answered within 10 seconds. This is a 9% increase in volume compared with September and a 2% improvement in those answered within target time of 10 seconds.

13. Non-emergency - In October, CCC answered on average 6,400 non-emergency calls per day, 88% of which were answered within 30 seconds. This is a 9% increase in volume compared with September and a 2% improvement in those answered within target time of 30 seconds. See tables 1 & 2 - Appendix 1

14. September 2007 saw the migration of the final borough into CCC, bringing a two-year transition exercise to a successful conclusion. Staffing levels remained below target strength. This impacted upon our service delivery. However, existing staff are being trained to be multi-skilled and new staff are continually being recruited

Call satisfaction

Generally satisfied callers

15. October saw a significant increase, to 93%, in the proportion of callers generally satisfied with how their 999 call to CCC was handled. This is the highest return since the survey began. Over the last 18 months, there has been a steady increase in levels of satisfaction.

Ease of contacting police

16. The first quarter of 2007-8 saw a significant increase, to 88%, in levels of satisfaction contacting the police (SPI 1a) compared with the 2006-7 average. SPI1a has risen again, in quarter 2, by 1% to 89%. This marks a slow but continuous rise since Q2 06/07. Over the last 8 quarters, satisfaction has been consistently high, ranging from 84% to 88%. See tables 3 & 4 - Appendix 1

Service satisfaction

Overall Satisfaction

17. Satisfaction this YTD is significantly lower than 2006/7. The measure has increased slightly in quarter 2, compared to quarter 1, but not significantly. However, over the last 3 years there has been an upward trend.

Comparative BME

18. Satisfaction of white victims has remained stable (78%) but BME satisfaction has risen (by 3% to 73%). Over the last 3 years, the gap in satisfaction between white and BME groups has not significantly changed. BME satisfaction continues to be significantly lower than white victims. See tables 5 & 6 - Appendix 1

Community satisfaction

Understanding community issues

19. Quarter 1 and quarter 2 of 2007-8 returned 65% satisfied that the police understood the issues affecting their local community. This is significantly higher than last year’s average of 61%. Levels of satisfaction have been steadily rising over the last 12 months.

20. In October 2007 we launched the “Your Neighbourhood, Our Beat” advertising campaign to help promote engagement between Londoners and Safer Neighbourhood teams. See tables 7 - Appendix 1

Professional standards

Timeliness

21 In October, the average time to investigate public complaints was 79 days. Timeliness in this respect has now reached a plateau, having improved significantly over the past two years through changes in business processes and practices. The work being undertaken in respect of the Taylor Review affords a further opportunity to revisit these practices across the service.

Complaints

22. In October, the number of complaints per 1000 officers was 45. Although the actual number of complaints has risen over the last 2 years, this has been in proportion to the increasing number of officers. Consequently, the number of complaints per 1000 officers has remained at a consistent level throughout the past two years.

23. The DPS, and the IPCC, actively encourage appeals from those dissatisfied with how their complaint was handled or resolved.

Appeals

24. The number of appeals in the last 12 months has increased by 30% compared to the previous 12 months and the proportion that the IPCC have upheld has risen from 17% of the total to 24% at the end of October 2007.

25. Upheld appeals have increased in respect of both local resolution and the outcome of an investigation whereas appeals against the non-recording of the complaint remain stable. See tables 8 & 9 - Appendix 1

C. Race and equality impact

The development and regular monitoring of the data generated from the Operational Services performance framework will facilitate the assessment of both the way and the quality of the service is provided to the people of London, and in particularly minority communities. This will enable remedial action to be taken which should have a positive impact.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications within this report.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Richard Dronfield and Niall Archer, OS BCU.

For more information contact:

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

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