Directorate of Professional Standards restructuring

Report: 12
Date: 12 April 2007
By: Assistant Commissioner Operational Services on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

Following the implementation of the changes made as a result of its fundamental review, the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) has undertaken a review of progress one year on. For the most part, the changes made have had a positive effect on the performance of DPS, but moving from a three command structure to one of only two commands has been identified as a means of further improving efficiency and effectiveness. This report briefly sets out the rationale for the restructuring.

A. Recommendations

That members note the change in the management structure of DPS.

B. Supporting information

1. The DPS underwent a fundamental review in 2005/6, one of the drivers for which was a recommendation of the Morris Inquiry. There were many changes put in place as a result of the review, which have been regularly reported to members at the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee. One of these changes was to create a Prevention and Organisational Learning command, to be a tangible demonstration of our commitment to move from blame to learning.

2. For the past year the DPS has operated under a 3-command structure, following the principles of the National Intelligence Model – Intelligence, Investigation and Prevention and Organisational Learning (POL). A Detective Chief Superintendent has headed each command and it was considered important that the POL command had leadership at that level, to take forward a progressive programme of change, including the Professional Standards Support Programme (PSSP).

3. Like the rest of the MPS, the DPS can anticipate considerable budgetary pressure, making it vital that we have the right staff profile in our various areas of business. We also need to ensure that these areas of business are aligned to the right commands, to be most effective. In reviewing our progress over the past year, we have concluded that the directorate could make savings by moving to a two-command structure and releasing one of the DCS posts. We are confident that this can be achieved without adversely affecting operational efficiency.

4. Consequently, the directorate will now comprise two commands – Intelligence and Prevention and Organisational Learning. The Investigations Command will be split between the two, with the anti-corruption operational teams moving into the Intelligence Command and the remaining teams going to POL. The two DCS posts will be challenging ones and will therefore attract high quality post holders. The titles of the two commands reflect the fact that intelligence and prevention lie at the heart of our business.

5. The details and rationale for the restructuring is described below:

Intelligence Command

6. This Command will incorporate the Intelligence, Covert, and Support functions of DPS, and will also contain the Anti Corruption operational teams.

7. Rationale:

• Moving the anti-corruption operational teams into the Intelligence Command spreads operational responsibility and risk between both commands.
• Creates clear accountability for corruption investigations.
• Enables one command to conduct independent investigations into the other command, when necessary.
• Places all covert assets together, to be tasked through NIM process.
• Increases operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Provides a single point of contact externally and internally for corruption issues.

Table 1: Intelligence Command (see supporting material)

Prevention and organisational learning

8. This Command will incorporate what currently sits under POL and Investigations, with the exception of the Anti-Corruption teams. The Reception Desk will move from Intelligence to POL, to improve efficiency. We recognise that the major links are with the Borough Support Units (BSUs) and are now confident that our usage of intelligence has developed to the extent that information flows are DPS-wide and not silo based, as was once perceived to be the case.

9. Rationale:

• Reception Desk main interdependency is with the BSUs and POL, through the implementation of Taylor recommendations.
• Specialist Investigations (SI) response to critical incidents links their investigations into POL, from the organisational learning that results.
• High volume of BSU cases also links into POL and PSSP roll out.
• Placing SI and BSUs together provides on-call resilience and development opportunities.
• The experience/skills of the staff in SI and BSUs are complementary to one another.
• The Misconduct Unit will sit in this command with line management through D/Supt (risk management), to ensure independence of decision-making.

Table 2: Prevention and Organisational Learning (See supporting material)

C. Race and equality impact

1. During the fundamental review of DPS, extensive consultation took place with key stakeholders, some of whom were members of the Programme Board or the Challenge Panel. The latest changes are relatively minor and result from the directorate reviewing its progress over the past year.

2. The changes are not expected to have an adverse effect on any particular group, since the systems and processes within the directorate have not altered, merely the management structure.

D. Financial implications

The reduction of one DCS post makes a potential saving of approximately £85,000.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Commander Sue Akers, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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