Complaints management information

Report: 5
Date: 09 Jun 05
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report includes data for the 12 months to April 2005. It focuses on the key changes or exceptions within the data, as trends are slow to change. Appendix 1 includes graphs illustrating the trends.

Workload

There has been an increase of 14% in the number of public complaint allegations being recorded over the past 12 months from a monthly average of 362 to 425.

There has been an increase of 4% in the number of conduct matter allegations recorded over the same period from 79 to 82.

Timeliness

The average number of days to complete a full/proportionate public complaint investigation, including all other results, remains well below the target of 120-days. It reduced by 17% from 123 days in May 2004 to 102 in April 2005.

The average number of days to complete an investigation into a conduct matter continues to improve. It reduced by 36%, from 211 days in May 2004 to 134 in April 2005.

The average number of days between the decision to hold a misconduct hearing and the hearing itself is considerably below the target of 120-days. It reduced by 39% from 164 days in May 2004 to 100 in April 2005.

A. Recommendations

That Members note the report and the illustration of trends in Appendix 1.

B. Supporting information

1. Appendix 1 graphically illustrates some of the key trends using data drawn from Appendix 2.

2. The summary of Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) performance indicators is attached at Appendix 2 and focuses on timeliness, quality and outcomes of investigations.

3. The diversity information is attached at Appendix 3.

Key performance indicators

4. This report focuses on the key changes or exceptions within the data as the nature of the figures and trends are slow to emerge.

5. Due to the different timings required by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) secretariats for the preparation of the paper for the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee the data may appear dated by the time it is discussed.

Public complaints – Chart 1 Appendix 1, row 1 and 2 Appendix 2

6. This shows a gradual rising trend in the 12-month rolling average of the number of allegations recorded since May 2004.

7. There has been an increase of 14% in the number of public complaint allegations being recorded over the past 12 months compared with the previous 12 months from a monthly average of 362 in May 2004 to 405 in April 2005.

8. The number of ‘live’ public complaint cases under investigation at row 12 Appendix 2 shows that overall the number of cases under investigation has increased from 492 in May 2004 to a 568 in April 2005.

Public complaints finalised – Charts 3 and 4, Appendix 1 and rows 5 to 10 Appendix 2

9. The percentages illustrated in these charts and tables are calculated by totalling all of the allegations finalised in the period and establishing the proportion of each result type. Thus, a percentage change in one or more result types will have a knock on effect to the others.

10. Chart 4, Appendix 1 shows there has been a 6% rise in the percentage of allegations being Locally Resolved, using a 12-month rolling average.

11. The main, corresponding, reductions have been a decrease in the percentage of allegations dispensed with and following a full/proportionate investigation, unsubstantiated.

Substantiated allegations as a % of allegations fully/proportionately investigated – Row 11 Appendix 2

12. Fully/proportionately investigated allegations are those that have been investigated to the extent that the investigating officer has determined that they are either substantiated or unsubstantiated. Accordingly, the percentage of substantiated allegations is calculated from the total of both of these result types.

13. Over the current period there has been a small reduction in the percentage of fully investigated allegations that are substantiated from 16% in May 2004 to 15% in April 2005.

Timeliness – Charts 2 and 5 Appendix 1, rows 12 to 14 and 18 to 25 Appendix 2

14. The process improvements and performance expectations set for investigative units and teams continue to have a positive effect on performance.

15. The average number of days to complete a full/proportionate public complaint investigation (including all other results) row 21 Appendix 2 is significantly below the target of 120-days. It reduced by 17%, from 123 days in May 2004 to 102 in April 2005.

16. Over the last 12 months there have been further reductions in the number and percentage of public complaint investigations over 120-days old rows 13 and 14 Appendix 2, from 107 (22% of the total ‘live’) to 78 (14% of the total ‘live’), a reduction of 27%.

Conduct matters – Chart 1 Appendix 1, row 3 and 4 Appendix 2

17. The figures show a slight increase in the number of conduct matters recorded over the previous 12 months from 79 to 82. This equates to an increase, in the 12-month rolling average, of 4% over the same period up to May 2004.

18. The figure at row 15 Appendix 2 shows an increase in the number of current ‘live’ conduct matters over the previous 12 months from 125 to 134, an increase of 7%.

Timeliness – Chart 5 Appendix 1, rows 16, 17, 26 and 27 Appendix 2

19. The average number of days to complete an investigation into a conduct matter continues to improve row 27 Appendix 2. It reduced by 36%, from 211 days in May 2004 to 134 in April 2005.

20. Over the same period the number and percentage of conduct matters over 120-days old rows 16 and 17 Appendix 2 has reduced from 61 (49% of the total ‘live’) to 51 (38% of the total ‘live’).

Misconduct hearings

Timeliness - misconduct decisions – Chart 6 Appendix 1, rows 28 to 30 Appendix 2

21. The average number of days between the decision to hold a misconduct hearing and the hearing itself is significantly below the target of 120-days. It reduced by 39% from 164 days in May 2004 to 100 in April 2005.

22. The percentage of such decisions made within 20 working days has either met, or exceeded the target, in the 12 months to April 2005.

Performance management framework

23. DPS Internal Investigation Command has a performance management framework that enables the senior management team to manage workloads, monitor performance and improve timeliness.

24. A bulletin is compiled on a monthly basis that contains the performance expectations of each unit and ‘control charts’ that illustrate both the targets and whether any fluctuations in performance are outside what would normally be expected.

25. The source data for this bulletin is the Investigating Officer Workload Analysis (IOWA) summary and the Investigating Officer Throughput Analysis (IOTA) for the MPS which are produced at regular intervals throughout the month to present real-time snapshots of performance and achievements.

CPS decisions Appendix 1 chart 7, row 31 Appendix 2

26. The improvement previously noted in the average time for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to reach a decision has not been sustained. Since its lowest point in the 12-month rolling average, December 2004 (112 days), it has risen to 131 days in April 2005.

27. However, we are hopeful that the CPS reorganisation and provision of a dedicated team to deal with DPS issues will see improvements in decision making timeliness in the future.

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) decisions Appendix 1 chart 8, rows 32 to 37 Appendix 2

28. The data for IPCC and Police Complaints Authority (PCA) (including legacy cases) has been disaggregated. Where there is sufficient data, i.e. with the PCA decision- making, 12-month rolling averages have been used.

29. For the IPCC decision making there is insufficient data to use 12-month rolling averages until April 2005 so the monthly rolling averages have been calculated using the data for as many months available up to that point.

30. The average time for the IPCC to reach a decision in relation to dispensations and investigations has risen steadily since May 2004 and in April 2005 stands at 57 days and 146 days respectively. There is insufficient data to accurately comment on decisions received in relation to discontinuances and local resolutions.

31. It is fair to say that the longest delays in decision making relate to PCA (legacy) cases. At the end of May 2005 the 12-month rolling averages showed that dispensations took 141 days to reach a decision and investigations, 304 days.

32. However, as the number of such cases diminishes, it may be that it is the more complex/difficult ones that remain and by their nature, they will take longer to reach a decision.

33. It is acknowledged that the IPCC offices in London were, up until a few months ago, undertaking casework on behalf of the rest of the country pre-regionalisation, which will undoubtedly impact on timeliness. Anecdotal evidence has been received, post-regionalisation, that suggests that other forces are receiving decisions quicker from their regional IPCC offices. This should, in turn, have a positive benefit in the timeliness of decisions that emanate from the London office.

Training – rows 43 to 45 Appendix 2

34. The information contained within Appendix 2 relates to both ‘professionalisation’ i.e. training sessions conducted for DPS staff and ‘preventative’ work conducted by DPS staff for Probationer Officers. Figures show a year to date, cumulative, total.

35. Senior Investigating Officer training is generally aimed at DPS staff, however, Borough Commanders and other non-DPS Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) staff, including external stakeholders such as the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) and the MPA itself. Normally two to three of these courses will run each year, however, since inception 14 such courses have occurred.

36. In the 12 months to April 2005 thirty-one DPS Investigating Officer training courses have been held.

37. As part of the DPS Prevention Strategy the directorate conduct integrity training to probationers on a weekly basis. It is delivered to all probationers as part of their continuation training at the 18-month stage of their employment. Up to the end of April 2005, 326 sessions have been conducted resulting in almost 4500 probationers being trained.

C. Race and equality impact

Diversity information

1. The data provided in Appendix 3 outlines the equality and diversity issues related to the work of the Directorate of Professional Standards and currently relates to Police Officer data only.

2. In a small number of categories there are no longer any minority ethnic officers represented. The categories where they are absent tend to be those where the actual numbers are low. This highlights some of the difficulties in identifying trends and patterns where the data is small.

3. DPS have recently introduced into the remit of Specialist Investigations (SI), the investigation of those cases involving allegations of discrimination where, if proved, the risk to the MPS would be damage to its reputation.

4. The intention is that the teams will respond rapidly to such allegations with a view to expediting the investigation and achieving a conclusion in a timely fashion and thus minimising the risk.

5. Bespoke training is taking place in June with the SI investigators. The training sessions will involve key stakeholders such as the IPCC and staff associations.

Further research

6. DPS are working with the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge University to progress the research into disproportionality. This includes both an ‘internal’ MPS and ‘external’ public dimension. The MPS Diversity Directorate has agreed to be co-sponsors of this research.

7. During the first phase 1 of the research Cambridge have been provided with 10 years of data relating to both public complaints and internal investigations. They are currently analysing this data.

8. A sample set of public complaint and conduct matter have been made available to the Cambridge team so that they can see the level of information collated in respect of different types of complaint. This sample includes allegations made by and against people of different ethnicities. They have started examining these files to look for avenues of research.

D. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications arising from this report

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Michael Clark, Higher Performance Analyst and Carl Bussey
Detective Chief Superintendent, Directorate of Professional Standards

For more information contact:

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

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