Progress on reducing complaints and strengthening integrity

Report: 11
Date: 13 June 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report summarises progress made on the preventative aspects of:§ The recommendations made by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) in 2001.§ The Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) 3 Year Development Plan.§ The DPS Best Value Review.§ The MPS Action Plan following the Lindo Inquiry. 

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to note the progress made.

B. Supporting information

HMIC recommendations

1. The HMIC concluded that, ‘There have been some very positive developments in the management of complaints and discipline; the MPS is congratulated on the performance achieved to date and Her Majesty's Inspector looks forward to further improvements.’ All the HMIC comments and recommendations were accepted, and have now been implemented.

2. Para 7.3 - Good practice in reducing self-harm by persons in custody through innovative cell design. Work in practice has led to recent publications by the MPS Property Services Department on concept cells. Other work includes use of custody nurses at pilot sites and improved emergency life saving.

3. Para. 7.6 - Patterns of complaints and allegations of racially discriminatory behaviour. Data on diversity is now produced in the DPS Monthly Management Report, and supplied to the MPA Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee (PSPM) as part of the bi-monthly report on Complaints Management Information. This also accords with the requirements of the Race Relations Amendment Act. Further analysis has been undertaken by the DPS Performance Review Unit (PRU) and MPS Consultancy Group, guided by an independent advisory group. Any disproportionality issues identified will be subject of internal and external consultation, and action plans are being developed to tackle the causes and consequences of disproportionality as appropriate.

4. Para. 7.9 - Enhance approach to tackling corruption through implementation of DIPPC information system. Phase 1 of the DIPPC project is currently being implemented through the piloting and evaluation of Clue 2. This information system is expected to improve the management of corruption and complaints investigations, integrating intelligence and investigative processes.

5. Para. 7.18 - More corporate approach to civil claims, with innovations in policy, training and procedures & Para 7.19 - Civil actions - acknowledge failings and learn. The MPS has accepted the need to acknowledge mistakes, balancing the need to guard against fraudulent claims. Where sufficient evidence exists and it is appropriate, the Service takes a robust stance defending civil actions. Further details are provided in report to the MPA meeting on 25 April 2002, entitled 'MPS decision making in malfeasance litigation'. The Civil Actions Command provides training and information to Boroughs and other operational commands on learning the lessons and avoiding the potential for future civil actions. Learning issues are also taken up through the Quality Performance and Risk Management meeting which has been introduced as a result of the HMI inspection.

6. Para. 7.20 - Resource allocation formula to help determine resources for complaints investigations. The resource allocation for the Borough Support investigative teams has been previously agreed by PSPM, on the basis of 16 teams, each of 1 detective Inspector, 3 detective sergeants and 2 detective constables, covering an average of 2 boroughs. Resource allocation for the other DPS commands will be informed by a rigorous functional evaluation of all DPS units, which will be completed by July 2002.

7. Para. 7.21 - MI as part of local complaints reduction strategies. Data is collated by the DPS PRU on patterns and trends in complaints and published on the Intranet, accessible to all MPS staff. The information is also fed back to the Borough commander and management team through the Investigating Officer who has geographic responsibility for that particular Borough. Development of the strategic desk within the IDG will analyse complaint patterns and data to produce information on geographical profiles and complaint hotspots, which will inform the strategy to reduce complaints.

DPS 3 year development plan

8. The DPS Excellence Model assessment identified that understanding of DPS plans and strategies would be improved through a simplified and co-ordinated planning system. The DPS senior management team has decided to produce plans for each command that incorporate all development work and follow a standard format. Actions that arise during the planning year from Inquiries or Inspections will be added to these plans, which will be overseen by the DPS Best Value and Continuous Improvement Board.

9. With the development of the new MPS Professional Standards Strategy and the formulation of the comprehensive plans for each command, it has been recognised that the 3-Year Development Plan has served its purpose and will be absorbed into other plans. Outstanding actions will be prioritised and included as appropriate in the action plans for the various Professional Standards Strategy working groups, or in the plans for one of the DPS commands.

10. Component 3 - Unnecessary referrals to DPS from Boroughs and other OCUs are reduced. Significant progress has been made in reducing the number of new internal investigations, with the assistance of formal criteria for accepting referrals from Boroughs. Further developments will include the simplification and remarketing of the written warning policy and unsatisfactory performance procedures.

11. Component 4 - Effort and resources are redirected to prevention activities. The Borough Support investigating officers are all now aligned to Boroughs, and are expected to meet the senior management teams quarterly, brief them on patterns of complaints and officers of concern, and work with them on complaints reduction initiatives. However, efforts to reduce the backlog of old investigations have taken priority and it is acknowledged that little effort has so far been redirected to prevention activities.

12. Component 9 - Ensuring that there is a real fear and threat of detection and the consequences thereof. The substantiation rate for complaints investigations has doubled since DPS was set up. Corrupt officers and those who corrupt them have received long prison sentences after conviction at court.

13. Components 10 - Focus on individuals of concern rather than the ‘complaint’. & 12 - Proactive work is aimed at early identification of individuals of concern. & 13 - Effort and resources are redirected to support Boroughs and other OCUs in dealing with individuals of concern. When officers of concern are identified through intelligence reports or the regular management information, Borough Support investigating officers have access to the full range of DPS tactics and facilities. In most cases, it is considered preferable to use developmental tools with the Borough in the lead, rather than investigative or proactive responses led by DPS.

14. Component 14 - The identification and application of innovative, creative, lawful and ethical ways of dealing with those individuals of concern. DPS has developed a range of tactics and policies, such as integrity testing and the Service confidence procedure. Increasing focus is being placed on considering the menu of options when dealing with officers of concern.

Integrity strengthening programme

15. This is a corporate programme intended to strengthen the integrity of both individuals and the Service as a whole, with benefits realised in the long term.

16. Currently there are three elements:

• Risk assessment and integrity strengthening in the recruit selection process.
• An ethical audit of staff, to assess areas of risk, issues of concern for individuals, and the needs for training and development.
• A programme of values-based training, woven into both recruit training and all other central training, to give colleagues the ethical tools to assist them to make fair and justifiable decisions on difficult or ethical issues.

17. The focus for 2002/03 is on the ethical audit, so that the training can address the real issues. Training in the MPS will not commence until 2003/04. In the meantime, the Directorate of Training and Development has sent a number of trainers on a values-based training course developed by Cleveland Police and Teesside University.

Best value review

18. Most of the DPS Best Value Review implementation plan relates to complaints investigation rather than prevention, and was reported to the last meeting of the Committee.

19. Action E2 of the plan is to 'Place BCS monthly MI on Intranet'. This relates to para. 7.21 of the HMIC Report (see above). Action E5 is to 'Develop and validate resource allocation model' which relates to para. 7.20 (also see above).

Lindo action plan

20. It has been previously agreed that reports to the MPA on the Lindo Action Plan would be on an exception basis and a copy is attached as Appendix 1.

21. Almost all actions have been completed or subsumed into the mainstream of DPS or Haringey Borough work as sustainable activities. The final action was to have been a compliance inspection by the MPS Inspectorate. Given the favourable HMIC local inspection of Haringey Borough and the various inspections and reviews of DPS, a further inspection is considered to be an inappropriate use of resources.

22. All the DPS actions have been completed, except for publication of the Misconduct Investigation Manual, which PSPM Members are aware is one of the few delayed actions in the Best Value implementation plan. The learning from the Community Confidence Strategy and Repeat Complaints Reduction Project will be applied to the complaints reduction initiatives on all MPS Boroughs. Complaints intervention and 'officer of concern' tactics and processes are being trialed in Haringey Borough with the assistance of the Borough's professional standards unit.

23. A superintendent from Haringey Borough will offer Mr Lindo a briefing on how the learning from his complaints has improved MPS systems and performance.

C. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications from this report.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

Report authors: DCS Tony Dawson, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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