Minutes

Minutes of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 11 September 2008 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Richard Sumray (Chair)
• Karim Murji (Deputy Chair)
• Faith Boardman (item 1-8)
• Cindy Butts
• Steve O’Connell (part)
• Caroline Pidgeon

MPA officers

• Siobhan Coldwell (Head of Oversight and Review)
• Gemma Deadman (Planning and Performance)
• Elizabeth Orsborn (Management Accountant)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Officer)

MPS officers

• Caroline Bates (Det Supt, Child Protection)
• Allan Gibson (Commander, Child Protection & Economic Crime)
• Anne McMeel (Director of Resources)
• Paul Minton (Cdr, Organisational Capability, CJ Reform and Performance Management Support)
• Richard Morris, (Head of Business Performance, DoR)
• Gerwyn Williams, (Head of Strategic Analysis, DoR)

13. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received

14. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

15. Minutes of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee: 12 June 2008

(Agenda item 3)

Caroline Pidgeon noted that her name had been misspelled.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2008 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

16. Criminal justice update

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee received a report on current criminal justice performance; progress in relation to Youth Justice, Integrated Prosecution Teams (IPT) and the Beacon site of Westminster; the recent Custody Inspection; and the emerging issues for criminal justice from the Government Green Paper.

The Chair stated that when he first became involved in criminal justice there had been little coordination between agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service, courts and police. Stimulated by the Government and the energy of the London Criminal Justice Board, matters had improved in numerous ways. IPTs, the Westminster pilot and Simple, Speedy, Summary Justice (CJSSS) all represented sterling work by the MPS. He added that criminal justice needed to be on the public agenda and integrated into community engagement and partnership work. Criminal justice should not be neglected by the MPA in the future and it should continue to foster this work when this committee ceased to exist.

Commander, Organisational Capability, CJ Reform and Performance Management Support, paid tribute to the work of the Chair’s and AC Territorial Policing (TP) work in support of criminal justice

Resolved - That the report be noted.

17. Corporate performance report 12 months to July 2008

(Agenda item 5)

A report was received providing an overview of MPS performance for the rolling year to July 2008, an overview of performance with respect to the critical 12 high level indicators and further information on performance with respect to other indicators and targets.

It was noted that public confidence in the police had increased significantly. The exact reasons could not be ascertained, but it could have been the positive policing messages around the time of the Mayoral election. Events would show if it was a one off or would be carried over to the British Crime Survey.

The Chair said the police had put effort into improving contact by telephone and kiosks and at victim focused front desks, but that there had been no mention of reducing bureaucracy. Members felt that the MPS needed to be clear about what it was delivering in relation citizen focus and that it involved all parts of the MPS not just TP.

They were struck by variations in borough performance, and the lack of narrative as to why. The Chair explained that this Committee had been receiving explanatory borough performance data on a regular basis. He felt it was important that the MPA continue to receive this data in the future.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

18. Specialist Crime Directorate management information

(Agenda item 6)

This report provided the Committee with a summary of Specialist Crime Directorate’s performance against their key objectives from 1 April 2008 to 30 June 2008.

The Chair observed that the MPS youth scrutiny had shown young people were unaware of the high detection rate for homicide. It was noted that victim age range for homicides was falling, with the largest increase in homicides in the 11-20 age range.

Resolved – That members note the report.

19. National crime recording standard update

(Agenda item 7)

The Home Office yearly crime data audit plan commenced in 2002 with the Audit Commission as lead auditor. It had now completed its fourth and final audit under the plan. Over these years, MPS performance for compliance in crime recording had moved from being considered poor to good and was now considered to be fair, with its data considered to be ‘satisfactory’ and ‘fit for purpose’. Members received a report providing information about the improvements made to date and the Data Quality Improvement Programme that had been created in response to Audit Commission recommendations and areas identified for improvement by the MPA Scrutiny into Crime Recording.

In answer to questions, members were provided with an update into recent changes to crime recording and the resulting difficulties in providing year-by-year comparison crime figures. This was being overcome by extrapolating base line data. In relation to paragraph 4 of the report members asked, why National Standard for Incident Recording (Antisocial behaviour) performance remained low.

The MPS stated that full implementation of NSIR was planned for completion by the end of the financial year, March 2009.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

20. Going Local inspection

(Agenda item 8)

Members had been provided with a report on the HMIC local inspection process in 2007/08, particularly in relation to Camden, Ealing, Havering and Wandsworth BOCUs. The report also outlined the MPS processes for identifying, managing and monitoring the activities required to implement recommendations and areas for improvement arising from HMIC reviews and providing details of the future programme of HMIC inspections.

The Chair felt it was a helpful report and members felt the local inspections were helpful. In answer to questions, members were told that the HMIC decided upon its inspection programme using IQuanta data and discussions with the MPS.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

21. HMIC Inspection 2007/09 Phase One update (previously known as Baseline Inspections)

(Agenda item 9)

This report outlined the findings of the HMIC Phase One inspection programme published in Oct 2007 and provided an update on the MPS response to the recommendations made. The Chair stated that he did not want to see the MPS graded as only ‘fair’ on protecting vulnerable people again.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

22. Child protection and Every Child Matters update

(Agenda item 10)

The committee received a report updating it on work undertaken by the MPS in relation to the implementation of the Government’s Every Child Matters (ECM) programme. The report followed from one submitted in December 2007.

A member felt that the report indicated that the MPS was behind the rest of the public sector in relation to the programme, was surprised about the situation in regard to vetting and added that there was no mention of work with Children’s Trusts. She was informed that MPS officers and staff were vetted to different standards to the requirements of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). In addition, the MPS was to the fore of all police forces and led nationally on the ECM programme. The Chair agreed, noting that the MPS had set up the London Child Safety Board. The Commander, Child Protection & Economic Crime, invited the member to visit the Child Protection Command.

As he was chairing the last meeting of this Committee and his last meeting as a member of the MPA, the Chair thanked his deputy Chair, MPA officers and MPS staff and officers for their support for the Committee. The Commander, Organisational Capability, CJ Reform and Performance Management Support, thanked the Chair and his Deputy for managing the committee with grace, poise and understanding.

Resolved – That the report be noted and the activity of the Metropolitan Police in implementing the necessary change and improvements to deliver the benefits of the Every Child Matters programme to the children of London be supported.

The meeting finished at 4.15 pm

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