Public surveys undertaken by the MPS and MPA

27/09
24 September 2009
MPA briefing paper 27/2009

Author: Gerwyn Williams (MPS Strategy and Improvement Directorate) and Melissa Pepper (MPA Planning and Performance Unit)

This briefing paper has been prepared to inform members and staff. It is not a committee report and no decisions are required.

Summary

1. This briefing note is submitted following discussion around MPS/MPA public surveys at the Full Authority meeting on 23 July 2009. The paper provides details of high level surveys conducted by the MPS and MPA.

Supporting information

2. In common with most service organisations, the MPS undertakes a continuous programme of surveys to capture the views, experiences and attitudes of the population of London. High level results coupled with rigorous in-depth analysis of survey responses are used extensively across the business to inform strategic and operational decisions, monitor performance and track improvements over time. Current areas of focus include public confidence and satisfaction with police services.

3. The surveys also form a significant role in the Home Office’s assessment of police performance with several questions mandated for all forces in England & Wales. These questions form the basis for statutory and other national performance indicators including the new single, overarching, confidence measure introduced on 1 April 2009.

4. Within the MPS, the surveys are managed by the Strategy, Research & Analysis Unit (SRAU) in the Directorate of Resources with fieldwork (interviews and initial data processing) typically undertaken by independent market research companies. The main MPS surveys are:

• Public Attitude Survey (PAS)
• User Satisfaction Survey (USS)
• Safer Neighbourhoods Survey (SNS)
• Your Views Count Staff Survey

5. Independently, the MPA also undertakes surveys inviting the public and stakeholders to have their say on policing issues in London and inform scrutinies into a variety of areas of MPS performance. These are largely managed and/or conducted by the MPA Planning and Performance Unit (PPU) and include:

• The annual MPA ‘Have Your Say on Policing in London’ consultation
• The annual MPA/MPS budget consultation
• Surveys conducted as part of formal MPA scrutinies
• Internal staff survey

6. The MPS and MPA collaborate regularly on design and development of surveys. For example, the MPS have added two questions to the PAS around policing priorities with data being passed to the MPA to include in analysis of the annual ‘Have Your Say on Policing in London’ consultation.

7. Further details of the individual surveys are included below:

MPS Public Attitude Survey (PAS)

The PAS captures Londoners' perceptions of policing across the capital and examines their priorities and experiences of crime, anti-social behaviour and policing at local level and across London as a whole. Introduced in 1983, the profile of the survey increased significantly in 2002 in response to the MPA Consultation Strategy, Local Crime & Disorder Audits and central government guidance on public consultation. The status was further enhanced in 2007 when the sample size was increased to facilitate meaningful analyses at Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU) level. The survey provides the primary source of data for the MPS’ Confidence Model - a model to identify the key drivers of public confidence in policing.

Survey methodology and sample:

• Sample of 20,480 Londoners per year, approximately 640 interviews per borough, with interviewing taking place continually throughout the year
• Interviews conducted by independent market research company, face-to-face in respondents’ homes. Respondents must be at least 15 years of age.
• Interviewers utilise Computer Assisted Programme Interviewing [CAPI] technology - direct data capture on mobile data terminals / laptops.
• Questionnaire comprises approximately 120 questions and interviews last approximately 45 minutes.
• Probability sampling is employed to ensure respondents are representative of the population of individual BOCUs and London as a whole including coverage of 'hard to hear' groups.
• PAS methodology matches the Home Office’s (HO) British Crime Survey (BCS), ensuring comparability between both surveys. The sample size for the PAS is six times larger than the BCS (sample size of 3,000 London respondents per year) and provides greater statistical precision.
• PAS replicates some questions featured in the HO BCS survey to facilitate comparisons with the BCS and other forces in England and Wales.
• There are rigorous quality assurance procedures at each stage of data collection, coding, analysis and reporting.

MPS User Satisfaction Survey (USS)

The User Satisfaction Survey captures crime victims’ perception of the service received from the police in relation to incidents of burglary, violent crime, vehicle crime, road traffic accidents and racially motivated crime. The survey examines the end-to-end crime process including:

• Ease of contact - the method used to report the incident to the police - by telephone (999 and non-999), police station / front counter or police officer on the street
• Initial police action - action at the scene of the incident including timeliness of attendance, professionalism, provision of information - name, reference number, contact number, next steps
• Police follow-up - updating victims on the progress of their incident
• Police treatment - treatment received by officers and police staff
• Overall satisfaction with the service received

Key questions featured in the survey are mandated by the HO to all forces in England and Wales to facilitate performance comparisons on a near like-for-like basis. Comparable results are made available quarterly via the HO’s iQuanta database.

Survey methodology and sample:

• Random sample of 18,000 victims of crime across the MPS, approximately 550 interviews per borough, with interviewing taking place continually throughout the year
• Interviews conducted over the telephone by an independent market research company 6 to 12 weeks after the report of the incident
• Five crime / incident types: burglary, violent crime, vehicle crime, road traffic accidents and racially motivated incidents. Victims of domestic violence, serious assaults and sexual offences are excluded from the survey along with victims over 85 or under 16 years of age.
• Interviewers utilise Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing [CATI] technology which automates the routing of the questions.
• Questionnaire comprises approximately 50 questions and interviews typically last between 15 and 20 minutes
• Sampling methodology along with the precise wording of key questions is mandated by HO.
• There are rigorous quality assurance procedures at each stage of data collection, coding, analysis and reporting.

MPS Safer Neighbourhood Survey (SNS)

The Safer Neighbourhoods Survey (SNS) seeks insights on the impact of dedicated teams of community police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) over time with a particular focus on:

• Improving the visibility of policing
• Reassuring the public about crime
• Improving public perceptions of policing
• Reducing levels of crime and disorder
• Local problem solving

Now in its fifth year, the SNS replicates PAS methodology but on a much smaller scale and geography. The survey is focused on seven London wards with 400 residents interviewed in each ward (2,800 respondents in total). Interviews are restricted to the first financial quarter of the year.

MPS Your Views Count Survey

Your Views Count is the MPS’ internal staff survey designed to capture & track the views and attitudes of MPS employees and assess the impact on employee satisfaction. The survey also provides an opportunity to examine the relationship between employee satisfaction, victim / customer satisfaction and overall public confidence in policing.

Launched in 2007, the survey is relatively short comprising 23 closed and two free-text questions. Survey results are presented to senior management and provide insights on what the organisation is doing well and where improvements are needed.

From April 2009, police officers and staff are invited to participate twice a year - between April and September and again between October and March.

The survey was designed in consultation with stakeholders across the MPS and covers the following themes:

• Working for the MPS
• MPS values
• Where I work
• My line manager
• My job

Responses are collected via an on-line questionnaire, with paper copies available for employees who do not have access to MPS Aware terminals. All responses are anonymous and confidential, and managed by an external contractor.

MPA ‘Have Your Say on Policing in London’ survey

The MPA conducts an annual public consultation to inform the development of the MPA/MPS Policing London Business Plan. The consultation is carried out from early summer to around the end of each calendar year with analysis delivered by March the following year.

Survey methodology:

• Freetext, open ended questions asking respondents for details of their top three priorities for policing in London, why the respondent feels they should be priorities and what they want the MPS to do to address them.
• Survey is conducted online or through requesting a paper copy with freepost envelope or telephone interview.
• Respondents are self selecting so a representative sample is not guaranteed, however the consultation is advertised widely and to as many different people/groups as possible.
• The consultation is advertised and promoted through a variety of channels including the MPA and MPS websites, in Local Policing Summaries delivered to every household in London, in free London newspapers, through Safer Neighbourhoods Teams (SNTs), Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs), Community Police Engagement Groups (CPEGs), press releases, groups representing the business community, radio stations (e.g. recent appearance on Sunrise Radio, Asian community radio station) and specialist press (e.g. Taxi newspaper produced by the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association).
• In 2009 the consultation extended its methods to include short survey postcards asking people to tick their top three priorities for policing in London from a set list. These have been used at community events such as the Biggin Hill Air Show youth day and Enfield Homes Community Festivals.

MPA/MPS budget consultation

The MPA conducts an annual consultation to inform the budget submission asking stakeholders for their views on where resources should be allocated, and areas where savings can be made. Responses to the consultation are analysed and considered before the MPA submits the budget proposals to the Mayor of London. The consultation is conducted by directly emailing stakeholders and asking for their feedback either via email, post or online questionnaire.

Scrutiny surveys

MPA scrutinies focus on specific areas of MPS activity and make recommendations to improve service delivery. Recent scrutiny areas have included crime data recording, counter terrorism, drugs, young people and talent management. Scrutiny methodologies often utilise social research approaches and the PPU assist scrutiny colleagues in appropriate survey design and analysis. This has included questionnaire and interview schedule design and analysis, data collection and focus group analysis.

MPA staff survey

The MPA carried out a staff survey in 2007. The questionnaire was partly designed and distributed by an external organisation but analysed and reported on by the PPU. The next survey is now being planned for early 2010. The PPU will be developing, designing, managing and reporting on the survey using online questionnaire software and ensuring that there is an ability to compare results with the findings of the 2007 survey. The 2010 staff survey will cover a number of key areas including staff experience of how they are managed, how staff contribute to the organisation and how the organisation can improve.

Financial implications

8. MPS Surveys detailed in this paper are already factored into the MPS Business Plan and raise no additional financial implications.

9. MPA surveys are conducted in-house and absorbed within current staffing costs. This year the ‘Have Your Say on Policing in London’ consultation incurred advertising and printing costs of approximately £7780. Future developments to MPA consultations (e.g. focus groups) may incur additional costs.

Equality and diversity impact

10. All the MPS surveys detailed in this paper comply with the Market Research Society’s strict Code of Conduct. Every effort is made to ensure samples are representative of the target population - London citizens, victims of crime and MPS employees. Where sample sizes allow, survey results are analysed to explore differential perceptions of defined segments of the population.

11. MPA surveys monitor all equality strands where possible. The demographic section of the ‘Have Your Say on Policing in London’ short survey postcards is condensed due to space restrictions. MPA surveys are advertised and promoted through a variety of channels to reach as many different people as possible and are available in a variety of formats including online, paper copies in a variety of formats (with freepost envelopes) and telephone surveys. Survey methods have been and continue to develop to attract as wide and varied response as possible (e.g. shorter survey postcards to use with younger people at community events).

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