Minutes

Minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 17 January 2008 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Reshard Auladin (Chair)
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Jenny Jones (item 5 and 6)
• Karim Murji
• John Roberts
• Richard Sumray (item 9 to 17)
• Rachel Whittaker (item 1 to 9)

MPA officers

• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive)
• Doug Lewins (Policy Development Officer, Equality and Diversity)
• Claire Lister (Professional Standards Officer)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Darren Bird (T/Assistant Director, Practice Support Team, HR Directorate)
• Geoff Brydon (Fairness at Work Advisor, HR Directorate)
• Andy Campbell (D Superintendent, DPS)
• Esme Crowther (Head of ET Unit, HR Directorate)
• Margaret Kelly (ET Performance and Learning, HR Directorate)
• Stuart Osborne (Commander, DPS)
• Roger Smalley (Supt, Camden BOCU)
• Peter Spindler, (Det Ch Supt, Intelligence Command, DPS).
  
  Also in attendance: Derek Bradon (Regional Director, IPCC) and Deborah Glass (Commissioner, IPCC).

52. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Damian Hockney.

53. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

54. Minutes of Professional Standards and Complaints committee: 15 November 2007

(Agenda item 3)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee held on 15 November 2007 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

55. Minutes of Professional Standards Cases sub committee (Part 1): 15 November 2007 - to note

(Agenda item 4)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (Part 1): 15 November 2007 be noted.

56. Implementation of the Taylor reforms

(Agenda item 5)

The Committee received a follow up to regular reports on the development of the Taylor reforms and preparations by the MPS for their implementation. This report set out the interconnection between the Taylor reforms and Citizen Focused policing with some developing thinking on the roles needed to successfully implement this at a local level

The Det Supt., Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), informed members that he had just received an advance copy of the detailed Home Office guidance (originally promised in October), referred to in paragraph 5. Royal assent was anticipated in May, with implementation in September.

The Commissioner, IPCC, expressed disappointment at the reference to risk of the IPCC adopting an investigation led approach (paragraphs 8 and 9). She stated that the IPCC supported the Taylor reforms and wished to see complaints resolved in a proportionate way. The report’s reference to seeing complaints as customer feedback rather that an attack was an approach reflected in her seminars to officers.

The report asked members to consider if support training should be provided to all ACPO officers or just a specified cadre. A two-day training course would be provided facilitated by barristers. Some members felt this would be too long, the Det. Supt., DPS, assured members that this amount of training was needed as the presiding officer would have to make important decisions that could be challenged in court. It was suggested that the training could eventually be included in the Strategic Command Course, which was attended by all officers attaining ACPO rank. It was agreed that MPA members should be given the opportunity to observe this training.

RESOLVED - That

1. the report be noted;

2. initially, the training of specified cadre of officers be supported; and

3. members be invited to observe this training.

57. Employment Tribunals

(Agenda item 6)

This regular report to the Professional Standards & Complaints Committee (PSCC) contained management information and performance analysis on employment tribunal (ET) claims brought against the MPS’s Commissioner in the period April 2007 to September 2007. The data and trends were compared to those of the financial year 2006/07.

The Head, ET Unit, noted that the number of ETs were going up, whilst the number of Fairness at Work (FAW) cases were going down, as an increasing number of employees pursued complaints through both procedures. The figures provided were questioned and the Head, ET Unit, undertook to provide revised figures to members outside the meeting.

RESOLVED - That

1. the report be noted; and

2. a briefing note on the increase of ETs in comparison to FAW cases be provided to members outside the meeting.

58. Fairness at Work Policy 

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report containing management information and performance analysis in respect of the Fairness at Work Policy (FAWP) and providing statistical data in respect of matters raised through the FAWP. It concentrated on FAWP cases submitted October 2006 to September 2007 compared to the corresponding period 2005/06. It reported that significant reductions in case numbers and timeliness had been achieved and the launch of the Mediation Pilot Scheme had made a positive impact within dispute resolution. The report also noted that as a result of earlier committee meetings, the HR Directorate was begin a research project with other stakeholders within the MPS including DPS and the Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate focusing primarily on issues of disproportionality. The T/Assistant Director, HR Directorate, stated that it was hoped to bring an interim report to the next PSCC Committee meeting. The Chair welcomed the research.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

59. Complaints Management Information

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee received a report providing complaints management data for the 12 months to November 2007 focusing on the key changes or exceptions within the data. There had been a decrease of 1% in the number of public complaint allegations being recorded over the past 12 months. The average number of days to complete a public complaint investigation remained below the threshold of 90-days. The percentage of public complaint cases over 120-days old had reduced significantly over the past two months. At the last meeting, members had asked why IPCC management information had differed from that of the DPS. It was reported that it had been found that the IPCC and MPS used different counting period and counting methods.

Members noted that the comments about data quality in relation to appeals to the IPCC. The Commissioner, IPCC, said that when she next resubmitted a report to the PSCC, she would include information on upheld appeals. The Regional Director added that the IPCC had been concentrating appeals to reduce the backlog. However, this meant its resources had been diverted from discontinuances and dispensations. It was now sending this work to its regional offices. In answer to questions, members were told that the London offices had more work and less staff than regional offices. Members asked for the number of days taken by the IPCC to deal with appeals, information not kept by the MPS, as it was not one of its targets.

Members next considered appendix 1 of the report, which provided management information for group 6. Group 6 consisted of Central Operations (comprising Territorial Support Group (TSG), Transport OCU, and Traffic), Deputy Commissioner’s Command, Heathrow Airport, HR Directorate, Recruits, Specialist Crime, Specialist Operations and non-borough Territorial Support. Central Operations had a proportionately high number of complaints, because TSG officers were most frequently deployed in conflict situations.

Members asked for more information to be supplied outside the meeting on complaints in relation to stops and searches. They also asked about complaints in relation to Tasers. The Commissioner, IPCC, added that until now Tasers had only been used by firearms officers and complaints had only been referred to the IPCC if they involved death or serious injury. As part of the new Home Office pilot all Taser related complaints would be referred to the IPCC.

RESOLVED – That

1 the report and the Borough performance information contained in Appendices 1 and 2 be noted; and

2 members receive a briefing note on complaints information in relation to stops and searches.

60. CASE MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL UPDATE

(Agenda item 9)

This report provided members with an update on the operation of the Case Management Protocol. The Protocol, which had been formally agreed in September 2005, reflected a recommendation of the Morris Inquiry. It applied to ‘live’ investigations undertaken by the MPS into public complaints or other allegations of misconduct against police officers and police staff, its purpose being to enable the Committee to scrutinise cases that had exceeded the target time frame for completion. The Head, Professional Standards, MPA, noted that this was the report members had not had time to consider at their November meeting. Since the report had been written the number of complaints had fallen from 153 to 102. Paragraph 7 had noted that the North East Investigation Command had a significantly greater number of cases awaiting finalisation. This had been addressed and the Command was now in line with other Commands. In paragraph 10, the number of outstanding complaints had now been reduced from 91 to 83.

RESOLVED – That the finding of the report and the update be noted.

61. Update on progress of Professional Standards Support Programme (Family Group 2)

(Agenda item 10)

Members received a report setting out the progress made by the Professional Standards Support Programme (PSSP) launched in November 2006.

The Det. Supt, DPS, noted that the officer who had been instrumental in introducing this programme, Paul McGregor, had moved on, and thanked him for his work. He stated that the PSSP had established good relations with the Police Federation and staff associations and that demand was now outstripping resources. The Superintendent from Camden had been invited to the meeting to speak on a recipient’s experience of the PSSP. He reported that Camden’s initial reaction was that it was something else to do, however he was able to plan with the DPS a package that was tailored to Camden’s needs. The modules had first been delivered to supervisors and had received positive feedback. Front line staff were now receiving training. He recognised the commitment DPS gave to the PSSP and noted that there had been a 34% reduction in public complaints since the programme had been introduced in Camden as well as a reduction in internal complaints. The Superintendent added that complaints and misconduct were only part of the issue and there was a need to look at wider misconduct issues such as FAW, attendance better driving and ‘Transforming HR’ and citizen focus. The Commander, DPS, said the PSSP provided a menu of options to OCUs enabling them to receive a meaningful programme tailored to individual needs, that cost OCUs nothing but time.

Members asked about the reports in the press that day, concerning police officers who had posted pictures of incidents involving police cars on the internet. The Commander said that DPS was investigating the reports, adding that a Police Notice had been issued to all staff last July concerning such activity. That Notice had been reissued. It was also noted that DPS’s Intelligence Unit was scoping a study of this area of misbehaviour, the bringing the police service into disrepute. The Chair asked for a report on this area of DPS’s activity. It was also noted that the area of personal responsibility was highlighted in part two of the meeting.

RESOLVED – That

1. the progress made in respect of the PSSP since its launch in November 2006 be noted; and

2. a report be received at a future meeting on DPS activity around personal responsibility.

The meeting ended at 4.10 pm
 

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