MPA dip sampling of public complaints

Report: 10
Date: 8 February 2006
By: Chief Executive

Summary

At the last Professional Standards & Complaints Committee (PSCC) meeting, Members received a report on behalf of the Chief Executive which specified that the outcome of the MPA’s review of a further selection of complaints files would be completed and a report detailing the MPA’s findings would be presented at a future PSCC meeting.

The purpose of the report is to provide a brief update in respect of work undertaken by the MPA’s Professional Standards Officer since the date of the last Committee meeting on 14 December 2006.

A. Recommendations

That

1. members note the report and agree to receive a report at the next PSCC meeting detailing the outcome of the MPA’s review of a selection of public complaints files; and
2. members note the progress that has been made in respect of the local resolution project, which is being undertaken in partnership with the IPCC, and agree to receive a further progress report at each PSCC meeting.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Since the date of the last PSCC meeting, the MPA’s Professional Standards Officer has completed a review of closed public complaints files. The relevant files are the remainder of a selection, which was made back in 2006.

2. A summary of some of the preliminary findings was presented at the last PSCC meeting; however MPA Officer reports detailing the totality of the review findings had, at that stage, not been shared with Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) for comment. (Refer to exempt appendix 1 for an example of a MPA review report).

3. The details of those findings have now been shared with DPS and individual officers who were responsible for dealing with the respective complaints have been approached for their comments on the feedback provided by the MPA on the standard of complaints handling.

4. The Independent Review Team (IRT) within DPS proposes to capture the officers’ comments and a report will be presented at the next PSCC meeting detailing the extent of the organisational learning which has resulted from the latest dip sampling activity. At the time of preparing this report, therefore, the results of the latest dip sampling exercise remain extant.

Update on the progress of MPA involvement in the IPCC Local Resolution Project in the borough of Brent

4. In advance of the PSCC meeting on 14 December 2006, members received details of actions taken by the MPA Professional Standards Officer in consultation with the IPCC, DPS and Kings College London to establish and prepare for the launch of the IPCC’s local resolution project, in which the MPA is participating.

5. Since the date of the last progress report, the MPA’s Deputy Chief Executive, who is also currently acting as the 'link' member for Brent has attended a meeting with the borough Commander. The meeting took place on 8 January 2007 and was chaired by David Petch, IPCC Commissioner. Details of the MPA’s proposed activities as discussed at that meeting are detailed in appendix 2. The borough Commander was receptive to each of the MPA’s proposals.

6. In summary, the MPA is now in a position to commence its participation in the project. The MPA’s Professional Standards Officer is due to identify for review a selection of closed complaints files that have been locally resolved within the Borough of Brent during the period November 2005 to October 2006.

7. A review of the relevant files will be undertaken in March and April 2007 and members of the DPS Independent Review Team have been invited to participate in the auditing of closed public complaints files.

8. Regular updates on the progress of the project will be reported at future PSCC meetings. Members are however reminded that for the first six months of 2007, the MPA’s dip sampling function will focus heavily upon the review of locally resolved complaints.

9. The IPCC is also currently finalising its arrangements to conduct a series of workshops for officers in the borough of Brent at which officers will be invited to take part in a series of case studies. This is with the intention of promoting and improving officer application of the local resolution procedures. The activity is now expected to take place in April 2007, although the exact date has yet to be confirmed pending further discussions with the borough Commander.

C. Race and equality impact

1. Work undertaken by the MPA and MPS in furtherance of the dip sampling protocol derives from recommendations of the Morris Inquiry to ensure that complaints are handled in a fair, proportionate and timely manner.

2. The principal purpose of the protocol is to provide the MPS with feedback on the standard of complaints handling by identifying examples of best and worst practice. Where necessary, recommendations will be made to effect positive changes to complaints handling procedures to ensure complainants’ communities’ and police officer/staff confidence in the process.

D. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. However, as reported at the last PSCC meeting, there would be a future cost implication if members of the public were to be remunerated for their participation in the local resolution project.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Claire L Lister

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 2: Overview of MPA proposed activity as discussed at meeting on 8 January 2007

1. The MPA proposes to select approximately 150 closed public complaints files that have been resolved locally within the borough of Brent. The files will be selected from a sample with finalisation dates that predate the DPS intervention in Brent during the month of December 2006.

2. From the 150 files, a minimum of 50 files will be comprehensively reviewed and reports prepared evaluating the standard of complaints handling for each individual case. Each report will include positive/negative feedback and recommendations for improvements in complaints handling. (to note: the MPA has invited the DPS Independent Review to participate in the audit function).

3. For those files that are subject to review, the intention is to contact the complainants and officers who were the subject of the complaint. This will be by way of sending out questionnaires as structured and piloted as part as Kings College London’s (KCL) research into the application of the informal/local resolution procedures. (to note: the MPA and IPCC are already in receipt of the relevant questionnaires although these await adaptation)

4. It is anticipated that the activity as referred to at “2” above will commence in February 2007.

5. All participants i.e. complainants and officers will be contacted towards the end of March 2007 and will be asked to submit the completed questionnaires within a 28 days’ time frame.

6. Analysis of the questionnaires will be conducted by one of the MPA’s research analysts and the results will be provided to the MPA’s Professional Standards Officer, who will complete a report detailing the findings. The report will also include a synopsis of the outcomes/themes identified as a result of the review of files.

7. KCL will be consulted throughout the project and the intention is to present the findings at a presentation day, the arrangements for which are yet to be confirmed). The principal relevant participants are likely to be: IPCC, DPS, MPA, KCL, MPS Borough Commanders.

8. The MPA proposes to conduct further reviews of closed public complaints files that have been locally resolved on the borough of Brent. This further exercise will postdate the completion date of the IPCC’s LR project. The objective will be to determine whether the standard by which complaints have been locally resolved has been raised as a consequence of the additional training.

9. For its part, the MPA will also report its findings at a future meeting of its Professional Standards and Complaints Committee.

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