Minutes

Minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 13 March 2008 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Reshard Auladin (Chair)
• Elizabeth Howlett (Deputy Chair)
• Karim Murji
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive)
• Alan Johnson (HR Policy Officer)
• Doug Lewins (Policy Development Officer, Equality and Diversity)
• ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Andy Campbell (Det Superintendent, DPS)
• George McAnuff (Assistant Director, HR Services)
• Stuart Osborne (Commander, DPS)
• Peter Spindler (Det Ch Supt, Intelligence Command, DPS)
  
  Also in attendance: Derek Bradon (Regional Director, IPCC) and Deborah Glass (Commissioner, IPCC) and Vic Marshall (Lead, Taylor Reforms, Home Office) (item 5).

69. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Tony Arbour, Jenny Jones and John Roberts.

70. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

71. Minutes of Professional Standards and Complaints committee: 17 JANUARY 2008

(Agenda item 3)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee held on 17 January 2008 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

72. Minutes of Professional Standards Cases sub committee (Part 1): 13 December 2007, 20 December 2007 and 17 January 2008 – To note

(Agenda item 4)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (Part 1):  13 December 2007, 20 December 2007 and 17 January 2008 be noted.

73. Project update on the implementation of the Taylor reforms (report accompanied by a presentation)

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report providing a project update on the implementation of the Taylor Reforms. The report supplemented the presentation made by the Taylor Project Team at the meeting. Vic Marshall, the Home Office lead for the Taylor Reforms attended the meeting for this item. He noted that the MPS was ahead of other police services in its implementation of the Taylor reforms.

The report stated that on 4 March, the MPS Management Board would be asked to consider options in relation to the ACPO presiding officer role. Members asked about the outcome and were informed that the meeting had not taken place. Members also asked about the monitoring for consistency across OCUs. They were reminded that four staff in each OCU were appropriately trained and final warnings could not be given without reference to the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). The Chair added that there was a need for the MPA to develop a framework for overseeing the implementation of the Taylor Reform and satisfying itself that there was consistency across OCUs. He also felt the Authority should assist in the marketing of the reforms.

RESOLVED - That

1. the report be received; and

2. the MPS develop a develop a framework for overseeing the implementations of the reforms and satisfying itself that there was consistency across OCUs

74. Dip sampling of employment tribunal cases

(Agenda item 6)

Members received a report setting out the current procedure for dip sampling MPS Employment Tribunal cases by the MPA. The DIP sampling followed proposals outlined in the Association of Police Authorities (APA) guidance ‘Tackling discrimination: police authority oversight and scrutiny of grievance procedures and employment tribunals’. It was agreed the DIP sampling should be extended to fairness at work cases.

RESOLVED - That

1. the process and progress that had been made in respect of the MPA’s dip sampling of closed Employment Tribunal cases be noted; and

2. the process be extended to include fairness at work cases.

75. Complaints management information

(Agenda item 7)

This report contained complaints management information for the 12 months to January 2008, focusing on the key changes or exceptions within the data, as trends were slow to change. The majority of figures used were based upon 12-month rolling averages, which ensured that the trends were less affected by natural variation.

The number of appeals receiving a decision by the IPCC in the last 12 months had increased by 37% compared to the previous 12 months and the proportion that the IPCC hade upheld has risen from 16% of the total to 27% at the end of December 2007. Upheld appeals had increased in respect of all categories but more so in respect of the ‘local resolution’ and ‘outcome of an investigation’. The term ‘upheld’ means that the IPCC had agreed with the complainants challenge to an MPS decision. The report stated that it had not been possible to establish the exact cause of the rise in appeals but possible contributory factors were the marketing of the complaints system, increased familiarity with the processes by all involved, timing of appeals differing according to case and the outsourcing of decisions to IPCC regional offices. Work would continue with the IPCC to reduce the figure.

Members considered appendix 1 of the report, which provided management information for group 2 OCUs, namely Bexleyheath, Bromley, Havering, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton. Members were informed that the DVDs seen by members at the last meeting had been viewed by officers, with a similar reaction to that of members. Members asked if the number of complaints was related to the size of OCUs. They were informed that the size of teams was the common factor. The length of service was also an issue. Officers were closely supervised in their first two years and received most complaints in the third and fourth years whilst they were still relatively inexperienced. There were a large number of complaints where length of service was unknown, as the officer complained about could not be identified.

RESOLVED – That the report and the illustration of trends in the report and the Borough performance information contained in Appendices 1 and 2 of the report be noted.

76. Direction and control

(Agenda item 8)

This report informed members that the use by the MPS of Direction and Control as a disposal for complaints against officers was now at a nominal level. The Tribune database was now an effective database record and systems to monitor Direction and Control had been put in place to review the ongoing position. The Chair welcomed the change.

RESOLVED – That the summary of information contained in the report and support the approach that is being adopted be noted.

77. Welfare support for officers and staff suspended whilst under investigation

(Agenda item 9)

Members received a report providing information on the role of the MPS Suspension Support Unit (SSU). The SSU, an integral part of the HR Services Employment Support Unit, was set up as part of the MPS response to the Morris Inquiry specifically to address feedback from a number of police officers and police staff who indicated that they felt isolated from the MPS whilst suspended from duty.

Members welcomed the report, but it was felt the scheme needed some minor improvement. They asked if the MPS was satisfied by the low take up of the scheme and were informed that the MPS would ask for feed back from both those who did and did not take up the scheme, with a view to making improvement, and report back in due course. A report would be made to the Committee in July, before the annual update was received.

RESOLVED – That

1. a further report be received in four months time; and

2. annual updates be received to enable meaningful updates based on the number of suspended officers in any one-year and an evaluation of the service

78. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 10)

A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during remaining items on the agenda as they were likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

RESOLVED - That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining items on the agenda.

Part 2: Summary of exempt items

79. DPS Strategic intelligence assessment - "information missuse"

(Agenda item 11)

A report was received highlighting activity taking place to address the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) Control Strategy priority of ‘Information Misuse’. It updated members on investigations undertaken since April 2007, detailed joint DPS and DOI initiatives to reduce the risk of information misuse and highlighted a specific crime reduction initiative with the private sector regarding the unauthorised disclosure of MPS data or information.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and the progress made in addressing these areas of concern be acknowledged.

80. Summary of suspended officers and staff as at 22 February 2008

(Agenda item 12)

A summary containing details on all police officers and police staff suspended from duty as at 22 February 2008 was received by members.

RESOLVED – That the summary for information contained in the report be noted.

81. Minutes of Professional Standards Cases sub-committee (Part 2): 13 December 2007, 20 December 2007 AND 17 January 2008 – t0 note

(Agenda item 13)

RESOLVED - That the minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (Part 2): 13 December 2007, 20 December 2007 and 17 January 2008 be noted.

82. Settlement of civil claim

(Agenda item 14)

A late report was received requesting that members support the approach outlined in the report in relation to a civil claim.

RESOLVED – That the summary of information contained in the report be noted and support the approach outlined supported.

Meeting ended at 4.16 pm

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