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This resource is from the final Report of the Morris Inquiry. This section contains chapter 9, "Building Capacity". This chapter discusses how to build the capacity of the MPS by recruiting and retaining skilled individuals.

Sections available here:

• 9: Building Capacity
  • Chapter Summary
  • Recruitment and progression
  • The gateway – the training of recruits
  • Enhancing the skills available to the organisation
  • Retention and development
  • Managing individuals
  • Cross-fertilisation between the MPS, the private sector and other public bodies

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9: Building Capacity

“Training for training’s sake is a huge waste of money.”
Nigel Whittaker, Reputations Inc.

Chapter Summary

This chapter deals with:

• Recruitment and progression
• The gateway – the training of recruits
• Enhancing the skills available to the organisation
• Retention and development
  • Induction
  • Appraisal
  • Training opportunities
  • Training for management
  • Developing police staff
  • Promotion and specialist posts
• Managing individuals
• Cross-fertilisation between the MPS, the private sector and other public bodies

9.1 As the ACAS and HMIC definitions we cited at the beginning of our previous chapter make clear, an effective organisation makes efforts to attract the right people, promotes the updating or acquisition of skills at all levels, provides opportunities for work / life balance and rewards achievement.

9.2 “How the Service treats, uses and plans for its most important resource – its people – will be the determining factor in the future success of the MPS and thus its continuing ability to meet key policing objectives and the targets of local policing plans.” (MPS Dignity at Work Guidance and Best Practice.)

Recruitment and progression

9.3 Getting the right people starts with the recruitment process. There are established procedures for recruiting constables and we do not intend commenting on those here. We note that the MPS is moving to a unified recruitment process which would apply to police officers and staff and which could include a suite of tests which could be used for selecting candidates for both types of post. We view this as a positive step and in line with other modernisation initiatives.

9.4 However, there is an overriding issue which is of concern to us and, we know, of concern to the MPS itself; that is, the make-up of the MPS does not reflect the communities of London, a fact which is self-evident at the top of the organisation.

9.5 As AC Ghaffur states in his report to the Commissioner, A Thematic Review of Race & Diversity: “A key aim for the MPS is to make its workforce representative of the population of London. To achieve this, there is a need to attract a greater number of female and ethnic minority officers and staff into the organisation. … the organisation is still grossly under-represented at middle and senior management positions.”

9.6 The MPS’ target for minority ethnic officers is 25% by 2009. This will be impossible to achieve. “To achieve the target of 25 per cent over half of all recruitment from 2004-09 would have to be of BME officers.” (Submission from the Greater London Authority (GLA).)

Figure 14: Police Officer Progression at February 2004

Rank	ACPO	Chief Super-intendent	Super-intendent	Chief Inspector	Inspector	Sergeant	Constable	All ranks
Total Strength
Number	40	111	153	524	1,502	4,321	23,626	30,276
% of all officers	0.1%	0.4%	0.5%	1.7%	5.0%	14.3%	78.0%	100.0%
Male
Number	35	105	136	495	1,368	3,834	18,824	24,797
% of rank	87.5%	94.6%	88.9%	94.5%	91.0%	88.7%	79.7%	81.9%
% of male officers	0.1%	0.4%	0.5%	2.0%	5.5%	15.5%	75.9%	100.0%
Female
Number	5	6	17	29	134	486	4,802	5,480
% of rank	12.5%	5.4%	11.1%	5.5%	9.0%	11.3%	20.3%	18.1%
% of female officers	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%	0.5%	2.5%	8.9%	87.6%	100.0%
Non-Visible Ethnic Minority
Number	38	109	149	509	1,453	4,194	21,883	28,335
% of rank	95.0%	98.2%	97.7%	97.1%	96.7%	97.1%	92.6%	93.6%
% of non-VEM officers	0.1%	0.4%	0.5%	1.8%	5.1%	14.8%	77.2%	100.0%
Visible Ethnic Minority
Number	2	2	4	15	49	127	1,743	1,941
% of rank	5.0%	1.8%	2.3%	2.9%	3.3%	2.9%	7.4%	6.4%
% of VEM officers	0.1%	0.1%	0.2%	0.8%	2.5%	6.5%	89.8%	100.0%
Source: MPS

Figure 15: Police Staff Progression at February 2004

Band	A and above	B	C	D	E	F	G	Other	All bands
Total Strength
Number	133	310	579	1,591	5,614	1,212	340	2,187	11,966
% of all officers	1.1%	2.6%	4.8%	13.3%	46.9%	10.1%	2.8%	18.3%	100.0%
Male
Number	104	215	254	659	1,829	356	189	1,285	4,891
% of rank	77.7%	69.6%	43.9%	41.4%	32.6%	29.4%	55.5%	58.8%	40.9%
% of male officers	2.1%	4.4%	5.2%	13.5%	37.4%	7.3%	3.9%	26.3%	100.0%
Female
Number	30	94	325	932	3,785	856	152	902	7,075
% of rank	22.3%	30.4%	56.1%	58.6%	67.4%	70.6%	44.5%	41.2%	59.1%
% of female officers	0.4%	1.3%	4.6%	13.2%	53.5%	12.1%	2.1%	12.8%	100.0%
Non-Visible Ethnic Minority
Number	128	299	522	1,383	4,462	933	255	1,628	9,610
% of rank	96.3%	96.6%	90.2%	87.0%	79.5%	77.0%	75.0%	74.4%	80.3%
% of non-VEM officers	1.3%	3.1%	5.4%	14.4%	46.4%	9.7%	2.7%	16.9%	100.0%
Visible Ethnic Minority
Number	5	11	57	208	1,152	279	85	559	2,355
% of rank	3.7%	3.4%	9.8%	13.0%	20.5%	23.0%	25.0%	25.6%	19.7%
% of VEM officers	0.2%	0.5%	2.4%	8.8%	48.9%	11.8%	3.6%	23.8%	100.0%
Source: MPS

9.7 The GLA believes that the only way in which the MPS will make progress towards its targets is to explore the possibility of adopting a recruitment strategy based on positive discrimination for a fixed period. Given the legislative framework, this would be unlawful.

9.8 AC Ghaffur comments that “the argument for fast-tracking successful minority candidates into the organisation post-selection is a persuasive one. However, this is illegal as it constitutes positive discrimination. In turn, this puts the MPS at risk of litigation.”

9.9 He is alive to the possible backlash if positive discrimination were available: “The MPS must avoid a situation whereby ethnic minority recruits at Hendon feel de-valued and that their success is due to positive discrimination rather than ability. This would also cause resentment amongst white officers.”

9.10 Instead, AC Ghaffur advocates a system of positive action. The MPS’ initiatives on positive action are led and co-ordinated by the Positive Action Central Team.

AC Ghaffur recommends that the following positive action initiatives should be considered:

• job shadowing and job rotations, which would provide an opportunity for officers to become more familiar with specialist posts;
• short-term secondments;
• development centres, providing attendees with action plans for development aligned to competency areas;
• formalised succession planning in the shape of career pathways; and
• reduced competency periods.

9.11 Whatever efforts have been made in recent years to attract more women and minority ethnic officers to the MPS and to achieve better representation at senior level, the fact remains that the MPS is still far from representative of Londoners.

The gateway – the training of recruits

9.12 The MPS has trained recruits at the Hendon Training Centre since 1934. The overwhelming majority of recruits are still trained there today, although the MPS is currently experimenting with non-residential courses at Sunbury.

9.13 Wherever and however recruits are trained, we believe that it is vital that the gateway to the Service is used to set the tone for the duration of an officer’s service in the MPS. Getting this right means securing the future of the MPS for another generation.

9.14 We welcome the MPS’ current attempt to move away from an outdated militaristic form of training “to create an adult learning college environment and also to encourage self discipline.” (Commander Hussain, during the Inquiry’s visit to the Hendon Training Centre.)

9.15 We suspect that more needs to be done to achieve this adult learning college environment. We understand that recruits still perform drill and that there is no civilian graduation ceremony.

“We spend as long on drill and marching as we do on officer safety. What’s more important?”
(Speaker during the Inquiry’s visit to the Hendon Training Centre.)

9.16 It is important to recognise that recruits may come from different backgrounds, and will respond to the pressures of their initial training in different ways. We are concerned, therefore, at the comments that have been made about a perceived lack of support for probationers before and during this stage of their training:

“There are 37 lessons in the first two weeks. People haven’t studied for a long time. ‘White notes’ could be sent to people at home before they arrive. They know our start dates months in advance so they could do something.”

“The intensity of the course should be explained beforehand in clearer terms to avoid the shock when we get here.”

“There is no mentoring scheme.”
(Speakers during the Inquiry’s visit to the Hendon Training Centre.)

9.17 We understand that the MPS has introduced a welfare unit, and that the Metropolitan Police Federation and staff support associations work to support probationers at Hendon. We also understand that a mentoring scheme is now available. However, we think there is more that the MPS itself could be doing to provide more formal support structures. We are also concerned about the length of time that some recruits have to wait before starting at Hendon. It is important that any support mechanisms extend to this period, as well as the time spent in training.

9.18 During our visit to Hendon, we were told about a new scheme involving an open day for recruits before they start at the training centre. We welcome initiatives of this type and hope that they continue.

We recommend that the MPS ensures that there are effective, formal support mechanisms in place for all recruits. These should cover the period after acceptance and before they arrive at Hendon, as well as their time spent there.

9.19 We are concerned at the wastage rates for all recruits at Hendon, which seem high and, in particular, the disparity between the figures for wastage of white and minority ethnic recruits highlighted in the latest HMIC inspection report of the MPS.

“Wastage rates at Hendon are currently 11.79% overall and 13.17% for visible ethnic minority recruits and remain significantly above the provincial average. Active efforts are being made to improve support networks for students through the establishment of an advice and development unit, regular tutorials with staff and workshops with the Black Police Association (BPA) and other support groups.”
(HMIC Inspection Report 2002/2003.)

9.20 While this may be due to specific features of the recruitment process in the past, we have also received some evidence during the Inquiry that there are elements of the culture at Hendon that support bullying and racism.

“One issue is that up until fairly recently I do not think that as an organisation we have recognised the degree of significant pressure that members of some communities come under from their family and friends when they take a decision to join the Police Service. We take them into the residential environment at Hendon, or any other training school, and – all the pressure about initial training is about conforming, is it not? It is about bringing people to a common point, if you like. And we have not recognised the particular pressures that some of our officers have been under, and we have not therefore supported them; we have not been sensitive to those particular issues. And it is no wonder that they find – you know, if they are under pressure from outside for joining the police and then they join the service and they feel under pressure from a predominant culture which does not appear to welcome their presence inside the service, then it is no wonder that they walk away.”
(Evidence of Commander Stephen Allen.)

9.21 When pressed further on the problem, Commander Allen went on to say

“I will try and be careful, sir, that I think of specific examples before I answer your question. Certainly racism and certainly bullying.”

9.22 When the MPS’ Director of Training and Development, Commander Shabir Hussain, gave evidence to us he did not recognise this description of behaviour at Hendon and said “give me the evidence, give me any information, it doesn’t have to be the evidential standard, and we will deal with it.”

9.23 In his recent Thematic Review, AC Ghaffur found under-representation and aspects of disproportionality at Hendon, but he found no evidence of the kind of culture portrayed in the BBC documentary, The Secret Policeman.

9.24 Whilst we received evidence of racist or racially insensitive behaviour at Hendon, the incidents occurred some years ago. However, as we were finalising this report, we became aware of two pieces of information.

9.25 Firstly, a probationer was recently required to resign following a disciplinary hearing into an allegation that he had used racist language to a fellow recruit at Hendon. Secondly, two male recruits from Hendon are currently on suspension as a result of allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour against three female recruits. These officers have been suspended since October 2003. The Inquiry began gathering evidence in January 2004.

9.26 Whilst, therefore, the evidence we received during the Inquiry was insufficient to suggest an inappropriate culture at Hendon,

we recommend that the MPS takes active steps to remain vigilant and to monitor the culture at Hendon, and to ensure that all staff and recruits are aware of what constitutes inappropriate behaviour (such as that which is bullying and / or discriminatory) and that any incidents which do occur are treated with the seriousness they deserve.

9.27 Given what we have said about the importance of recruits’ first experiences of the Service and the recognition that the long term future of the MPS depends on the quality of recruits which emerge, it follows that the Director of Training and Development is one of the most important positions in the MPS and will have significant influence on the MPS for years to come.

9.28 It is, therefore, vital that careful attention is given to appointing the right person. Since the post of Director was created, it has been held by a serving police officer. While serving officers should not be debarred from the post, we do not see the necessity for the post-holder to be a serving officer. Indeed, there may be compelling reasons for this not to be the case. If the Training Centre is to be run more on the lines of an adult education establishment there is every reason for appointing a member of police staff with the requisite skills and experience.

9.29 We make no recommendation on this. It is the leadership qualities of the Director which are important rather than the background of the post-holder. We would, however, prefer to see the post filled by open competition.

Enhancing the skills available to the organisation

9.30 One way of enhancing the skills available to the MPS is by multi-point entry. This has been put to us as a way of increasing the representation of women and minority ethnic officers at senior level. However, we prefer to see it as method by which the organisation can draw on the skills and experience of all types of people who might otherwise not consider a career in the police service. It would apply to everyone not just women and ethnic minorities.

9.31 Currently, there is one single point of entry into the police service – at constable level for a fully omni-competent officer. Therefore, all police officers start their service serving as constables and all senior officers have experienced life ‘on the street’ and have worked their way up through the service.

9.32 Not all police officers start their service in their late teens or early twenties. Many come from other walks of life and bring experience and skills from elsewhere to the benefit of the service. However, they all start as constables. In addition, police officers essentially make a commitment of 30 years to the service on joining.

9.33 In contrast, direct recruitment into police staff roles at all levels is the norm. Recruitment is tailored to the particular post to be filled. This has the advantage of facilitating the entry into the service of people with appropriate and up-to-date skills and experience.

9.34 In addition, police staff do not take on a 30 year commitment on joining and may well expect to move in and out of the service using their skills in other parts of the public sector and even the private sector.

9.35 It is therefore legitimate to ask whether, particularly in the light of the modernisation of the service, the best method for securing the right people with the right skills for managerial and others senior posts is to maintain the system whereby officers work their way up the ladder starting as probationers.

9.36 We are aware that some form of multi-point entry is being considered nationally for the service. In his written submission to us, AC Hogan-Howe saw this as a way of addressing under-representation of women and officers from ethnic minorities in higher ranks:

“A method of streaming and multi-point entry would assist in increasing the proportion of female officers at higher ranks more quickly. I would like to see direct entry for police officers at all levels.”

He expanded on this in his oral evidence to us: “The general point I would make is if we were to carry on recruiting at the rate we do, and if we were to carry on allowing normal progress, in terms of the way our officers progress, we are in the danger of never getting the right representation for another generation, and that does not seem to be good enough.”

9.37 DAC Carole Howlett of the Association of Senior Women Officers (ASWO) agreed that multi-point entry could bring significant benefits: “It is not just about bringing perhaps the traditional type of sort of female attitudes within the organisation, but it is about bringing the richness of the broad experiences of all groups of all communities within London within the police service, and that is what we have been struggling to do for so long, with very limited success, and this seems to me something that we should now be trying.”

9.38 However, we also heard some dissenting voices particularly from women officers who were concerned that officers recruited under such a scheme might be resented.

“A lot of people are going to feel that those individuals have got special treatment.”
(Meryem Cast, Metropolitan Police Service Turkish and Turkish Cypriot Association.)

“I think you have got to be careful, if you do do that, and you are trying to be positive in your recruitment of female officers, ethnic minorities, etcetera, that you do not step on toes of other people, because other officers in that environment were saying, 'Well, why can I not do it? I can do her job. I can do exactly what she has done. We are short of senior officers, let me stay in', and people are saying, 'No, because she is female, we need her.'
(Speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum.)

“It is a good idea in essence, but there is no way it can be hidden, you could not just go through that without people knowing that you have had a special route because you have been female; the same with being black.” (Speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum.)

“Whereas I think the idea behind it is a good one … I myself would not want to go through there, something that was different, I think because you are always going to have that culture of people saying, “Well, you have gone through a special procedure because of … ” I think a lot of people would prefer to go through the similar process, the same as everybody else, because anything that is different, you sort of stand out a lot more, basically.”
(Speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum.)

9.39 There was also concern that officers recruited to more senior roles might not be ‘up to the job’ nor command the respect of the officers they had to manage.

“And no matter what anybody says, it is not like managing an office in an office block, a 9-5 job behind a computer; you are dealing with people, but it is not the same, and to me, … you are trying to ask somebody to respect you when you physically do not know how to do the job yourself.”
(Speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum.)

“If that were introduced, and it was for – say it was introduced only for women, I think that would just make the whole matter a lot lot worse, personally. Yes, it should be considered and examined maybe, but my feelings are that if I, for example, joined straight in as an inspector, I would have absolutely no credibility whatsoever.”
(Evidence of Ms LL.)

9.40 Many of the concerns we heard were from women. We have received evidence that these concerns are shared by people from ethnic minority communities.

“There was a strong view that it was more important for the police to recruit people with the right personalities and attitudes, regardless of their ethnic background. Respondents were also keen that people like themselves should be seen to be recruited on merit rather than reasons of positive discrimination.”
(Extract from Attitudes of People from Minority Ethnic Communities towards a Career in the Police Service: Home Office Report by Stone & Tuffin.)

9.41 A multi-point entry scheme would not, of course, apply exclusively to women and ethnic minority applicants. The principal reason for such a scheme would be to attract individuals with particular skills and mature experience, developed in other fields.

9.42 This injection of new ideas and ways of working from people with a track record of success in a different field would clearly impact on the culture of the service. If it were also to assist in addressing issues of representation at senior level, that would be welcome added value.

9.43 HMIC has raised the question of whether the single entry route to the service is still appropriate: “As concepts such as ‘streaming’ and specialisation take root, there should be significantly greater opportunity to identify individuals with the requisite combinations of skills elsewhere than solely from within the service.” (Modernising the Police Service, HMIC.)

9.44 HMIC considers that “the future will demand that direct recruitment is considered beyond the police staff roles to encompass many of the operational specialisms and managerial roles, including BCU commander and chief constable.”

9.45 The HMIC report does not make a recommendation on multi-point entry but simply acknowledges the strong views expressed both for and against the proposition. However, it goes on to say:

“What is unchallenged is that unless someone takes a leap of faith, the service will not be able to tap into the wealth of experience and talent currently lodged outside policing. A 40-year old expert in drugs is unlikely to apply to be a probationary constable but could be invaluable in shaping the police response to such issues. The time is right either to embark on controlled pilots of such deployments or move on from the debate.”

9.46 We welcome the recent Government announcement to support the principle of multi-point entry. The MPS is a large organisation with the need for particular skills.

We recommend that the MPS gives consideration to early implementation of any proposed scheme of multi-point entry for officers.

Retention and development

9.47 Recruiting the right people is only part of the challenge, the other is retaining them and ensuring that they acquire the right skills and experience to discharge their given roles.

9.48 Becoming an employer of choice involves more than being attractive to potential employees but also providing incentives to officers and staff to remain in post rather than move elsewhere.

“I think recruiting of female officers is quite high, it is maintaining them, looking at maternity issues, promotion issues, retention issues. That is where I feel we need to concentrate our efforts, and using senior women and experienced women, senior PCs who have been around a while, to mentor and be available to newer serving female officers.”
(Evidence of Ms LL.)

Induction

9.49 Work on retention should start immediately after an individual is accepted into the service. Induction provides an early opportunity for the organisation to communicate its vision and values, set out what it expects of its workforce and demonstrate the value it places on the contribution of its officers and staff. Their experience of that process will be one of the first tests for the organisation.

9.50 As with recruitment and retention, effective organisations will have developed policies on induction.

9.51 Our survey of all officers and staff indicates that 33% of respondents said that their induction gave them a good understanding of the MPS and 31% said it gave them a good understanding of their job. This figure rises slightly (to 36% and 34% respectively) when the ‘don’t know’ responses are discounted, but they are nonetheless disappointing.

9.52 Induction is not just a process which happens when someone joins an organisation. Effective induction processes are needed whenever someone takes on a new role, particularly on promotion. If there is no effective induction on promotion, the organisation is not exploiting the full potential of a person which it has identified as worthy of a more senior role.

“At my level [Superintendent transferring to the MPS] you need to do a lot of homework. I had a day at Hendon which was very basic – warrant card and uniform. There had been no thought processes about other documents. I already had a shopping list and got documents like the Policing Plan from my borough commander.”
(Speaker during a London Police Station visit.)

“[On induction as a Sergeant] I had a week’s course on how to manage. It was an overload of information, filling forms etc. There were only two days on how to manage the custody office which is half the sergeant’s role. Then I was posted and straight into the custody office. There is not enough training. You need more preparation to take on the role.”
(Speaker during a London Police Station visit.)

We recommend that the MPS evolves effective induction processes to cover entry into the organisation, and all changes of role within it, and that the Human Resources directorate institutes formal mechanisms for monitoring compliance.

Appraisal

9.53 In a changing world, it is critical that skills and performance continue to be measured and developed. To avoid ad hoc and subjective judgements, it is essential to set required objectives through a formal appraisal policy.

9.54 One way of keeping employees motivated is to ensure that they develop and realise their potential. This requires good managers and an effective appraisal system, as well as training opportunities. We have already commented on management competency and will deal with training opportunities in more detail shortly but first we will consider appraisal.

“It is widely recognised that demand for police services is increasing faster than the available resources. If the goals of policing are to be achieved, the MPS needs to develop a performance culture which will maximise the potential of all members of staff – police and civil staff alike; there is a direct and vital link between performance and the way an organisation obtains the best people and develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes of those new recruits and of existing staff.”
(MPS Dignity at Work Guidance and Best Practice.)

“Everyone has learning and development needs of some kind, regardless of their role or rank – although development needs differ in different situations.”
(MPS Performance Development Review.)

9.55 An effective appraisal system for all officers and staff is key to identifying these development needs:

“The performance of our workforce is critical in achieving the business objectives of the OCU. An opinion is formed and our performance is measured at every interaction and transaction. It is essential to respond positively and with confidence to the needs of an organisation and an OCU going through perpetual change, and the skills, knowledge and development of the workforce is mission critical in keeping pace and meeting these demands.”
(Submission from the Child Protection Command.)

9.56 The HMIC inspection of the MPS for 2000/2001 found that “too many HR processes are bureaucratic; for example, it requires enormous time and effort to apply for promotion or selection for specialist posts, to complete appraisals and to apply to join the MPS.”

9.57 Since this inspection, the HR Directorate has formulated its People Strategy, which includes the use of Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) to assess and build upon the strengths of individual officers and staff, and the Career and Retention Unit as part of the Directorate of People Development.

9.58 However, AC Hogan-Howe told us that “the ‘People Strategy’ does not appear to have met the expectations that were evident at its launch. The six main strands remain relevant, but they appear not to have been embraced by the organisation and implementation is perceived to be slow and patchy”, and that processes for appraisals, career development, and promotion systems are regarded in the organisation as relatively ineffective.

9.59 Concern was expressed by the HMIC in its latest inspection report (2002/2003): “The credibility of appraisal processes in the MPS is poor and effective implementation of the new performance development review (PDR) process will be crucial. Local training was being delivered on some of the BOCUs visited during the Inspection. Unfortunately, because of competing training priorities and the limited availability of staff, trainers and classrooms with the necessary IT, there was already a backlog of PDRs waiting to be actioned because supervisory staff had not been trained. In addition, some local trainers were not complimentary regarding their training and the corporate package which they were expected to deliver. Her Majesty’s Inspector is concerned that there appears to be limited central monitoring of the quality of local delivery, or evaluation of the impact of the training programme. Both these issues should be addressed before the roll-out of the civil staff version in order that important lessons can be learnt.”

9.60 HMIC pointed to a cultural issue in the MPS: “A major difficulty is the lack of credibility appraisal has in the organisation. Audits were conducted of the old system and levels of completion, particularly for detective officers and civil staff, were found to be poor. Some units in the CID had 88% of their appraisals outstanding; over a quarter of these were over 12 months late. For civil staff, non-completion was as high as 46% in certain sections. Of those completed, many were poorly evidenced and while some examples were found of individual objectives being set in support of corporate aims, this was very patchy, particularly amongst detective officers. Her Majesty’s Inspector is concerned that there is a long-standing cultural issue which is not being adequately addressed. Quite simply, staff and many supervisors and managers across the MPS do not see any value in appraisal. Unless action is taken to change this view, the new system is unlikely to succeed.”

9.61 HMIC did, however, welcome the improved arrangements for monitoring the timely completion and quality of appraisal practice. These will involve giving borough personnel managers the responsibility for ensuring that PDRs are completed and central monitoring from the HR directorate to ensure compliance and a consistent approach across the boroughs.

9.62 It is clearly a concern if the organisation is not managing and developing its own people effectively. PDRs should be an effective tool for developing all officers and staff, to enhance their skills for the Service. This is likely to impact on the individual member of staff’s commitment to the MPS, if the individual concerned perceives a lack of interest in his or her performance and career development.

9.63 Having said that, we have been told of significantly improved rates of appraisal since the 2002/2003 inspection and we are also aware of proper focus being placed on these issues in some OCUs. For example, we regard the approach taken by the Child Protection Command as commendable.

9.64 We also see effective use of PDRs as a good way for the MPS to focus staff development on management issues, to enable it to develop its officers and staff so that they become more confident in dealing with people management issues. We are concerned at the perception that people management issues are not valued as much as operational competence when officers’ performance is reviewed. Valuing all skills, whether operational or managerial, will be part of the new culture that we believe the MPS needs to embrace.

We recommend that the Human Resources directorate takes steps to ensure that the Performance Development Review process is fully implemented across the MPS as a meaningful management tool. This should be centrally monitored and the Human Resources directorate should carry out periodic reviews across the organisation to monitor quality and consistency.

Training opportunities

9.65 Effective appraisal should identify how an employee needs to develop to fulfil his or her potential and the organisation’s expectations and ambitions. Meeting the training needs of individuals is a way of ensuring that staff acquire the right skills and experience, and that the organisation gets the best out of its officers and staff.

9.66 The MPS devotes considerable resources to training. We understand that its Training Plan for 2003/2004 was costed at over £86 million, with over £2 million of that figure budgeted for central management and leadership training. According to the Deputy Commissioner, with regard to training days provided to police officers, “Our current level is about 14 days per officer, which is quite a lot of training, and a lot of it is driven by health and safety legislation, around officer safety and so on.”

9.67 We explored training in our survey of all officers and staff. Again, we were assisted by the fact that the Work Foundation had benchmark scores for some of our questions, based on the responses to surveys of other public and private organisations.

9.68 Our survey indicated that 47% of respondents agree that the MPS is committed to developing its staff. This gives a mean score of 0.15 which falls short of the benchmark (0.43) by a significant margin. Only 46% agree that they receive the training they need to do their jobs and again the mean score of 0.07 falls well short of the benchmark of 0.65.

9.69 Even lower scores were recorded in relation to training opportunities with 38% of respondents saying that they were clear about the development opportunities available to them (-0.03 compared to a benchmark of 0.55). Only 28% agree that there is a fair and equal access to training opportunities (a mean score of -0.24 compared to a benchmark of 0.29).

9.70 These results paint a worrying picture and are borne out by comments we heard on our visits to London police stations:

“I can’t remember when any officer has gone on a training bus on a down day. On spare days you get put on high visibility patrols because, say, of the state of motor crime. You have no time therefore to look at the intranet or get your case papers done.”

“Officers get emails about e-training. It’s a 2-3 hour package. It’s that length of time for someone who’s computer literate, so it’s going to take me 4-5 hours. But I don’t have 4-5 hours to do a training course.”

“We used to have a dedicated training day. That doesn’t happen any more.”

“99 out of 100 officers want to learn, but don’t get the chance.”

“I have been asking for training but am always told it is a week long course and that I can’t be spared.”

“I deal with Health and Safety but have never been on a Health and Safety course.”

“Training is sporadic, especially in CID. It’s not like uniformed officers who get training every x number of weeks.”

“There’s new legislation coming in today, it’s in force and we don’t know about it.”

“There’s a bit of an imbalance between staff and officers (with staff getting less training). People don’t want to feel like a weak link. But if training is fitted in, it’s too late.”

9.71 Clearly, there is a gap between the MPS’ commitment to developing its officers and staff and experience on the ground. Implementing our earlier recommendation on the PDR process should ensure that training needs are identified and addressed. However, we think that more can be done at both the strategic level and also within OCUs where decisions on the training individuals actually receive will be made.

We recommend that the Human Resources directorate should keep data on the training undertaken by officers and staff both in terms of the time spent on training and the training undertaken.

We also recommend that Operational Command Unit commanders and departmental managers should use this data to ensure that the officers and staff for whom they are responsible receive the training they need to do their jobs and that there is fair and equal access to appropriate training opportunities. A pre-requisite of this is full devolution of training budgets.

Training for management

9.72 Progression, as either an officer or a member of police staff, will normally involve taking on a managerial role or increasing the managerial component of an existing role.

9.73 If the MPS is to move forward in the way we envisage, it needs to equip its managers with the skills and confidence to manage people, as well as operational matters. Everyone in the organisation needs to understand that it is only by managing the Service’s officers and staff effectively that the best operational results will be achieved.

9.74 We have received a substantial body of evidence suggesting that officers in the MPS are frequently given managerial responsibilities without being given the training and support they need to discharge those responsibilities effectively. The following comment, made during one of our visits to police stations in London, says much about how first line managers are prepared for a managerial role:

“You get taught how to deal with the custody computer, but not how to deal with people.”

9.75 The MPS disagrees that its managers have not been given the tools to discharge managerial responsibilities. Management skills are tested in promotion examinations and promotion assessments are also designed to test management skills. It does acknowledge, however, that not all individuals in the MPS with managerial responsibility choose to use these skills on a daily basis.

9.76 In addition, the Deputy Commissioner acknowledged that the MPS could do more in equipping its personnel to take on managerial roles:

“This is my example: the majority of the management training through which I passed which was in service was delivered at the police staff college at Bramshill. There was a special course, junior command course, intermediate command course, senior command course, and some people, for some very good reasons, effectively abolished most of those courses leaving effectively two book ends. I am not sure what other forces did, but I do not think this Service picked up the fact that it was about to lose a kind of process through which at least managers were exposed to the basic tenets of line management. We just did not do it. So we have those in the sergeants’ course, we have those in the inspectors’ course, and then it just ceases. There is no coherent Met management piece.”

9.77 The problem was recognised in the Virdi Inquiry Report:

“Police officers, it was agreed, are not appropriately skilled or trained in personnel matters. Their training simply does not provide them with the professional ‘capital’ and competence to adequately deal with many of the critical internal human resources problems they face.”

9.78 It seems likely that the same issue applies to police staff and the problem is not unique to the MPS. To quote Sir Michael Lyons:

“… you find it in any area of public service, and probably we look to lots of areas of the private sector as well, where people come out of a professional area where they are prized for their individual contribution in this work and then you say, ‘you have done so well there, we now want you to manage other people to do that job’, as if somehow those skills have been developed and there is absolutely no reason to believe they would have been.”

9.79 We have been told by a number of witnesses that the solution is more management training for officers and staff. By way of example, the Metropolitan Police Federation’s submission called for “the situation where all members of staff regardless of rank or grade receive proper and adequate training before they are required, or allowed to undertake any personnel role.”

9.80 AC Hogan-Howe told us that the MPS attaches considerable importance to management training, and was proposing to dedicate 4% of all proposed training days in 2004/2005 to management training, as compared with 1% in 2003/2004. He also told us that a “diverse range of management training is provided locally, covering specific topics such as attendance management, PDR training and supervisors training.”

9.81 We see formal training as part of the solution and recognise that it can be useful for some individuals and in relation to some issues such as the detail of personnel procedures and how to implement them. However, we endorse Sir Michael Lyons’ preference for “development rather than training” and, like him, we are “sceptical about the extent to which off-the-job training can play more than a small part in this process.”

9.82 If the MPS is to enhance the skills of its managers, people issues need to be at the top of the agenda of every manager in the MPS and “People have to understand that development actually affects what they are doing.” (Evidence of Sir Michael Lyons.)

9.83 In short, we agree with Nigel Whittaker’s comment that “training for training’s sake is a huge waste of money; people go to the training and then they forget it afterwards. It has to be reflected and embedded in what the organisation is about.”

9.84 The best way to achieve this, we think, is for the MPS to develop a culture where development and training is not seen as something that is ‘done to’ the individual but rather something for which each officer and member of staff, whether manager or managed, has a responsibility. To quote Sir Michael Lyons again “this essentially is about commitment to make the journey. Partly you have to identify that this is a person capable of doing it, but also that they want to make the journey of self development.”

9.85 This is recognised by the MPS: “The responsibility for motivating and developing people is shared by all managers and by individuals themselves.” (MPS Dignity at Work Guidance and Best Practice.)

9.86 Managers develop by learning ‘on the job’ from their own peers and managers; by discussing problems when they arise and being coached through the journey. This requires a cultural shift rather than new formal procedures. However, all managers need to take their responsibilities for playing their part in the process. Coaching, mentoring, developing, managing – whatever it is called – needs to be part of every working day.

We recommend, therefore, that the MPS implements a more effective management development programme.

Developing police staff

9.87 If the focus is to be on development as opposed to training, it is important to ensure that it is not only police officers whose development needs are catered for. HMIC has pointed out that, although it is possible for police staff to attend the Strategic Command Course, the Senior Leadership Development Programme and the Core Leadership Development Programme, very few police staff actually take advantage of this opportunity.

9.88 In addition, there is no scheme for police staff equivalent to the High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) for police officers and there is no mechanism for identifying exceptional talent amongst police staff.

9.89 HMIC has therefore recommended that the Home Office develops a HPDS for police staff and that each police service should have systems in place to identify police staff with high potential and actively develop their careers. We would endorse this.

We recommend that the MPS takes immediate action to implement the HMIC recommendation on a High Potential Development Scheme for police staff.

We also recommend that the MPS’ management development programme should be available to police staff as well as police officers.

Finally, we recommend that the MPS ensures that it has systems in place to develop all its officers and staff.

Promotion and specialist posts

9.90 Getting the right people into the right jobs at the right level of responsibility involves more than simply identifying and developing potential. It also requires a promotion system which is fair and transparent and is perceived to be so by those to whom it applies.

9.91 We have received evidence of a number of perceived deficiencies in the way that the MPS deals with the promotion of police officers and that the rigid policies mean that the best candidates do not necessarily get promoted. If this were a correct reflection of the outcomes of promotion processes in the MPS, it would mean that not only are good candidates losing their career opportunities but that the MPS is losing the benefit of the skills of talented officers at a time when its need for managerial expertise is increasing.

“But the key issue as far as I am concerned is that we have centralised policies again that mitigate against promoting the best at very senior levels, and I have an example only this week of a very capable, exceptional female DCI who attended the promotion process last year for superintendent but unfortunately did not get through; was disbarred from this year’s promotion process because they changed the goalposts on the time criteria; you had to have two years in the rank and she missed it by a matter of three or four weeks. She appealed under the exceptional appeal process. I saw her appeal. She is an absolute star. And still she was not called to the superintendent process. I would question the validity of systems that disbar quality staff from progressing.”
(Evidence of Detective Chief Superintendent Sharon Kerr.)

“My perception of the promotion system is that officers who meet a middling all round standard will be successful but those who excel in most areas but cannot fulfil specific operational areas will not be successful. This leads to evidence manufacturing by individuals who are more interested in their own careers than to service or the public.”
(Submission from IND 14.)

9.92 “We have officers, white and black and any other – female – at junior level who are still sergeants and PCs with university degrees. They cannot move up the ladder because the promotion system is failing them. We have youngsters who join the Police Service as cadets at 18 and they are moulds: they will say the right things, obey orders, and if they have got a problem you push it up. Common sense is not applied … It is a simple issue. The whole promotion system needs to be addressed and needs to be changed.”
(Evidence of Detective Sergeant Gurpal Virdi.)

9.93 We have also received a number of submissions from individuals raising issues of concern arising from their experience of the promotion process.

Case study – Ms GG
 
GG was a Sergeant who wished to take part in the Part III promotion process. She was put forward by her line manager, but the BOCU’s Senior Management Team did not recommend her for a board. She requested detailed feedback so she could understand the reasons that her application for promotion had not been successful. This was not given. All eight male candidates from the borough were recommended whilst the only other officer who was not recommended was another female Sergeant.
 
Although GG has subsequently been promoted to Inspector, she was engaged in applying for promotion for three years. During this period, every male officer who applied for promotion (save one officer with a poor sick record) was recommended, while no female officer was.

Case Study – IND 14
 
IND 14 was a Sergeant wishing to apply for promotion, who was unable to do so even though he was fully qualified in every other way, because the relevant policy provided that an applicant needed less than 30 days sickness in the previous three years. As a result of injuries sustained during police operations, he had more sickness on his record than the policy allowed and this stood in the way of his application even though he was now fully fit.
 
The officer appealed, and his appeal was rejected on the grounds that he had “altered the font size on the appeal form.” The MPS has commented that font size is prescribed because “equal space for all candidates ensures fairness.” Taking this explanation into account, the Inquiry takes the view that the correct response would have been to ask the officer to resubmit his appeal using the correct font size.
 
The officer told us that when senior managers stepped in to help him after he complained, there was no discussion about the unfair application of the policy concerned but only talk “to work out strategies where I could manufacture evidence to fill in boxes on the next application for promotion.”
 
He subsequently initiated a complaint under FAW, but this was refused on the basis that the promotion process has its own appeals process. He then wrote to the Commissioner, who referred the matter to the HR department. The officer has told us that “to this day, I have not even had an acknowledgment that they will deal with it or even pass it onto someone else to deal.”

Case study – Ms LL
 
LL was a Sergeant applying for promotion in circumstances similar to Ms GG, and had her application blocked by the Senior Management Team in her BOCU. She ultimately initiated Employment Tribunal proceedings for discrimination on the basis of her gender and subsequently was promoted.
 
When LL met the Borough Commander who had sat on her board, he was under the impression that she had received face to face feedback and a development plan from her line manager, even though she had not.
 
LL commented that: “Once the decision was made to promote me, I had to make most of the telephone calls and enquiries to establish the date of my promotion and to find myself a suitable position. I am still waiting for my back pay from June to be paid to me, I am hopeful that it will be in my February pay.”

9.94 We are not able to comment on the merits of these candidates. We accept that the MPS needs policies and procedures for dealing with promotion in a way that is fair and transparent. However, we would question the validity of those polices and processes where they act to prevent good candidates from being promoted.

9.95 We also have serious concerns that feedback is not automatically given to unsuccessful candidates so that they can address areas of weakness to ensure a more successful outcome in the future. The MPS contends that feedback is offered to each candidate in every centrally run process and that, where officers are not recommended locally, feedback should also be given, although it accepts that there is “a gap the MPS should examine”.

9.96 The failure of any line manager whose responsibility it is to give feedback or discuss development opportunities with an officer within their command, is inexcusable. In our view, it amounts to a failure of management.

9.97 We are particularly concerned that the MPS failed to identify the trend of discrimination against female candidates for promotion that occurred in the particular BOCU where Ms GG and Ms LL were based. This is not surprising as, when we requested statistics on promotion broken down into OCUs we were told that they were not available. If information is not collected, it cannot be used to identify trends or to take any action once a trend has been identified.

9.98 We are aware that the MPS collects extensive data on its workforce and that there is a monthly Workforce Data Report which is available on the Intranet. Managers are also able to request other data through the HR directorate. However, we have already recommended that the HR directorate reviews the relevant management information it currently collects with a view to ensuring that it has the data needed to fulfil all business objectives.

9.99 The examples of bad practice in this regard that we have received could be isolated, although we suspect they are not. Whatever the rights and wrongs of each particular case, it is clear that the officers concerned have not been managed effectively. As a result, the MPS has added to those officers working for it who are becoming disillusioned with the police service. This is to the detriment of the MPS and to the people of London.

“The promotion process appeared to me to be poorly thought out with frequent changes. I attended a briefing for the Chief Inspector assessment process to obtain information, but the Human Resources managers who attended a subsequent briefing were given a different set of instructions. This gave the impression that the process was not properly thought through and this to me explained some of the serious concerns I had.”
(Submission from the individual involved in HPC 2.)

“I think we need to look at the whole promotion system, we need to look at, you know, how people are blocked to get to the promotion boards, processes, but also, we need to look: are we promoting the right people?”
(Evidence of Mr NN.)

9.100 We agree that it would be appropriate to conduct a full review of how the MPS approaches the promotion of police officers. We would advocate a more open and transparent system where individuals do not have to rely on being recommended for promotion by local management. At the very least, if the approval of local management is to be required before officers can go forward for promotion, there ought to be an entitlement to full feedback on the reasons why they have not been put forward.

9.101 It goes without saying that we believe appointments at all levels should be by open competition and we have already commented on this earlier when we dealt with appointments to DPS.

9.102 Lateral career development is also a form of career progression, particularly when this involves taking on a specialist role. Again, the processes to select individuals for these posts need to be totally transparent. Like AC Ghaffur we are surprised that “no corporate data is collected or available in respect of the lateral career development of visible ethnic minority officers and staff.” (A Thematic Review of Race and Diversity in the MPS.)

9.103 The data which is available and which deals with the make-up of business groups indicates that there is a lack of career progression from boroughs to other business groups for those from ethnic minorities and that very few officers from ethnic minorities apply for specialist posts.

“… there is a perception by some that specialist roles or units are ‘no go’ areas for officers and staff from minority groups.”
(A Thematic Review of Race and Diversity in the MPS, AC Ghaffur.)

We support the positive action initiatives that AC Ghaffur suggests in his report.

9.104 The MPS needs to review its procedures for promotion and appointments to specialist posts and ensure that the system will result in the appointment of the best candidates. This should involve open competition and applications should not rely on the endorsement of senior managers. It must necessarily include feedback. It is also essential that the HR directorate monitors the application of the policy so that the MPS can be satisfied that it is operating fairly and consistently across the organisation.

We recommend that the MPS develops procedures for promotion and appointments to specialist posts which are fair and transparent and that the Human Resources directorate monitors their application.

Managing individuals

9.105 “My message would be to treat people as individuals, to talk to people and to be willing to listen and be willing to change.” (Evidence of Ms LL.)

9.106 All organisations are made up of individuals with their individual needs, strengths and weaknesses. We have dealt with how the organisation needs to ensure it uses the talents of its workforce to the full but the other side of the coin is ensuring that, so far as is possible, the organisation is able to accommodate individual needs.

9.107 Both the ACAS and HMIC definitions, which we cite in the previous chapter, refer to flexible working. ACAS specifically refers to ‘work / life balance’ and HMIC refers to ‘flexible terms and conditions’.

9.108 Flexible working is one way of promoting equality of opportunity as well

as assisting an organisation to become more representative of staff from diverse backgrounds and with diverse skills.

9.109 The MPS needs to ensure it can get the best people to work for the organisation. Putting obstacles in the way of people who wish to work part-time

or compressed hours runs the risk of losing some of the people the organisation needs. There is a strong business case for flexible working as it ensures that the organisation can retain the expertise of experienced staff in which it has invested.

9.110 Although the evidence is not all one way, we have received a substantial body of evidence suggesting that officers and staff work in a culture of long hours and that the organisation’s policies on achieving work / life balance are not fully implemented:

“Women still suffer detriment within the Service. Although policies on work/life balance exist, the MPS has a macho culture, which expects staff to show their commitment by working the hours necessary to complete the job. In operational areas shift workers are expected to start and end work at the same time. People who ask for part-time working, flexible working patterns or time off for family reasons are considered to lack commitment to the organisation. These attitudes affect men as well as women but have a greater impact upon women because of their role as primary carers.”
(Submission from the MET-TUS.)

“… one of the factors that I think pervades through this organisation is that flexible working may be accepted at a certain level, but if a woman, for example, wishes to seek promotion, then it is pretty much the standard practice that … unless you are committed to full-time, then you are at a serious disadvantage.”
(Speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum.)

“But it is about resourcing. It is insufficiently resourced. So all of our staff, with the exception of kidnap, are on a 45 minute notice to scramble. A lot of my staff have not had weekends off in weeks and weeks, and it just cannot be right. I think in a service of total review of resourcing it is neither practicable nor doable. In fact, I saw a male detective inspector only this week who was leaving the command because he has two young children, he is not seeing them, his wife works, and he cannot manage the unpredictability of it, and he is seeking a post elsewhere that gives him more certainty.”
(Evidence of Detective Chief Superintendent Sharon Kerr.)

“Going part-time very much depends on the station and the individual line manager.”
(Speaker during a London Police Station visit.)

“This OCU as many others attracts exceptionally dedicated staff who make vast sacrifices in order to perform for the organisation. There are few if any who do not do so at considerable cost, be it divorce, dysfunctional relationships with their children or negative impact on personal health. Ask them if they would change it, few would say yes. Ask them if they should, most would say yes.”
(Submission from Detective Chief Superintendent Sharon Kerr.)

9.111 Our survey of all officers and staff indicates that 94% of respondents agree that it is important to them to strike a reasonable balance between their home and work responsibilities and, encouragingly, 56% agree that their manager supports them in achieving this.

9.112 However, over 30% of respondents who think that the MPS’ family friendly policies apply to them are satisfied that the policies help them to achieve a reasonable balance between their home and work responsibilities. Of those who classify themselves as carers, only 28% agree with the statement.

9.113 Only 40% of respondents agree that the MPS treats people equally regardless of their contract / hours of work and 38% agree that the MPS treats people equally regardless of their caring responsibilities. Respondents who are carers return a negative response whereas their colleagues without caring responsibilities are more positive. 34% of carers agree that they are treated equally, whilst 38% disagree and 25% are neutral.

9.114 29% of respondents overall say that the MPS does enough to support those without family responsibilities to strike a reasonable work / life balance.

9.115 Work / life balance is clearly an issue which the MPS has yet to embrace fully. However, we have also seen some examples of excellent practice.

Child Protection Unit
 
The Child Protection Unit at Tintagel House now has 24 hour responsibility for the child homicide cases of the west half of London. The Unit consists of 32 police officers and seven support staff and has an approximate 50-50 split between male and female staff, though there is a high dependence on female staff with sufficient expertise.
 
The Unit has been flexible enough in its arrangements to accommodate part-time working for three police officers and one member of police staff and compressed hours for one other officer. It should be noted that the arrangements have required significant goodwill on behalf of both the staff and the management.
 
In addition, the Unit’s members work on a rota basis under which they are effectively on call every six weeks. Sufficient advance notice is given of the rota and the feedback is that it works well, as staff know when they will be on call and can arrange cover for any other responsibilities.

Internal Consultancy Group
 
The Internal Consultancy Group is a relatively small unit which provides consultancy advice to the MPS and consists of 50 staff, of whom 35 are professional consultancy staff e.g. business analysts, researchers, etc. As a result of a recent internal review in relation to retention, it became clear that the staff wanted to be able to adopt flexible working patterns and now there are a number of staff who work part-time and/or from home in agreement with their line manager.
 
Since the introduction of the flexible working policies, ICG has not lost an employee in the last five years. In addition, the overall performance of the ICG compares very favourably with the public sector as a whole, with 73% of time being spent on chargeable (i.e. project related) work.

9.116 We do not believe that these are isolated examples but it is clear that managers’ approach to flexible working is inconsistent across the MPS and that good practice is often not taken up elsewhere in the organisation.

9.117 As the MET-TUS pointed out, although difficulties with flexible working impact primarily on women, they are of equal relevance to men. This view is shared by others:

“And it is not just women, it is men as well; I have a male colleague who wanted to change his hours of working, and felt that he was marginalised, he was not – that was the reason he was not selected as a detective.”
(Evidence of Ms GG.)

9.118 This was also recognised by a speaker at the Inquiry’s Women’s Forum. “A lot of the issues we are talking about today are not women issues, they are male and female issues, part-time, flexi-time, and women are getting bad press because we are looking at these issues from a woman’s perspective.”

9.119 This is a problem for the MPS. Its aspiration is to be an employer of choice, yet it risks losing the skills of talented officers and staff. The need to implement flexible working and work / life balance does not arise from political correctness, but rather a strong business case to maximize use of available resources.

“SCD [Specialist Crime Directorate] 7 does encourage family friendly policies on a local basis to cater for staff with exceptional circumstances in relation to work-life balance. This is known throughout the branch and has proven success towards retention of police officers and police staff.”
(Submission from Detective Chief Superintendent Sharon Kerr.)

9.120 During the course of this Inquiry, we received much evidence about the difficulties officers experience in relation to flexible working. We welcome the interest and the commitment of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner in this area.

9.121 We also understand that flexible working must be introduced fairly:

“… if an individual wishes to work part-time, fine, you tell me when you want to work. But then my expectation in return is in line with the policy. If you are going to work two fifths of the week, then that two fifths will be a spectrum of the various shifts and include an aspect of weekend working.

“It is that side of it where I have seen the workforce does not understand it. Quite often there has been an expectation that ‘My part-time working will be that I will do an early turn Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and that is all I can offer’, which I think is unfair on their part, and on the other side of the coin there is a lack of understanding of middle managers where they think, ‘I can tell them they cannot do part-time working at all because it is not operationally effective’. My view is it might not be operationally effective but you have to live with it.”
(Evidence of Chief Superintendent Alex Fish.)

9.122 However, we are sure that the MPS can devise more effective ways of how to use the human resources available to it. Indeed, examples of good practice, which were brought to our attention include the approach of the Child Protection Unit and the Croydon BOCU’s scheme to make use of the services of retired police officers on a flexible basis. We are sure that, with a little imagination, the MPS can devise more flexible ways of working which will enable it to harness the talents of its officers and staff in the service of London.

9.123 Finally, we were impressed by an initiative launched by the Greater Manchester Police Service (GMP). The Service has employed a childcare co-ordinator, who deals with issues relating to childcare and flexible working. GMP has a two year childcare strategy. The co-ordinator assists officers and staff by:

• arranging flexible child carers;
• providing information on nurseries, particularly in relation to discounted places and childcare voucher schemes; and
• raising awareness of flexible working e.g. part-time working and job share.

9.124 Whilst we appreciate that a similar resource would need to work differently in the MPS, given the geographic profile of its workforce, nevertheless, we consider that the MPS should examine the GMP scheme and how it might be adapted to the needs of the MPS.

We also recommend that the MPS takes steps to ensure that its policy on flexible working is fully understood and implemented, and that the Human Resources directorate rigorously monitors that implementation.

We recommend that the MPS establishes a central resource to provide guidance to managers on managing flexible working and to match requests for flexible working with job opportunities.

We recommend that consideration is given to a childcare co-ordinator post based on the Greater Manchester Police model.

9.125 Accommodating an individual’s needs extends to more than facilitating their caring responsibilities. It also means ensuring they are able to do their job effectively and contribute to the work of the organisation.

9.126 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) now applies to police officers. We have received evidence on the steps the MPS took to prepare for this new obligation and we have also received evidence that its preparations may not have been as effective as might have been expected. The HMIC Thematic Inspection of Workforce Modernisation found that most forces were at an early stage in developing their approach to the impact of the DDA.

9.127 The DDA presents a particular challenge for all police services. Historically, officers with disabilities have been medically retired but this practice reduced in recent years as a result of considerable pressure from the Government. Police services have therefore had to explore employment opportunities for officers with disabilities and this has not always worked to the satisfaction of the officers concerned. Often the jobs that they have been allocated have not made best use of their skills and experience. The extension of the DDA to police officers underlines the need to accommodate officers with disabilities. We have received evidence from a number of officers who are aggrieved at the way they have been dealt with.

9.128 It has been suggested to us that the MPS should set up a central resource to act as a clearing house to find purposeful employment for officers with disabilities and to “make the reasonable adjustments quickly.” (Evidence of Alan Robinson, Disabled Staff Association.)

9.129 Mr Robinson told us that there are delays in getting officers with disabilities into suitable jobs. He told us he had three welfare cases, with one officer having waited for over two years to be redeployed. In another case “we were looking for personnel who are on restricted duties, because it is – basically, we are taking crimes over the Internet and over the telephone, ideal for someone who needs office work. So we have said we want him, his department have said they want rid of him, and yet it is taking some five to six weeks to actually do it, when at the stroke of a pen, it could be done.”

9.130 The MPS has commented that the Workforce Planning and Employment Unit has responsibility for posting officers, taking into account all aspects of need, including welfare. We are told that the Unit has recently revised its policy, partly in response to the DDA.

9.131 We see great merit in Mr Robinson’s suggestion of a dedicated resource and we are not clear that the Workforce Planning and Employment Unit currently provides the kind of resource we and Mr Robinson are recommending.

We recommend that the MPS sets up a central resource to match officers and staff with disabilities to suitable vacancies and to ensure that any necessary adjustments are made speedily.

9.132 Both this resource and the resource for matching requests for flexible working to available posts are functions to be absorbed within the existing structure of the HR directorate.

Cross-fertilisation between the MPS, the private sector and other public bodies

9.133 We have already commented on the strong organisational culture in the MPS. This has many benefits, such as a strong sense of public service. However, on occasions we have also sensed that, if an idea or way of doing things was ‘not invented here’, it is not thought worthy of consideration.

9.134 For the reasons set out earlier, we believe that, if the MPS adopts such an approach, it will lose valuable expertise and, as a result, will not be able to serve London as effectively as it could.

9.135 One way of bringing about changes in the policies, procedures and practices of the MPS which would benefit the people who work for and are served by the MPS, is for the MPS to embrace far greater interchange of skills and ideas with other public and private sector organisations.

9.136 By way of example, we consider that the idea of greater exchange of expertise with other public sector services during training, suggested by Sir Michael Lyons, is worthy of consideration by the MPS:

“I have got a very strong view there that we do not put enough energy into developing a one-system view of the public service in this country. We are still far too preoccupied, and indeed I see some evidence of this, for instance in the Metropolitan Police’s presumption that they have their own in-house training. I would be much happier if I could see clear evidence – and it may exist – that police officers working in Lewisham, for instance, were having part of their training, part of their development work, in conjunction with the social services of Brixton, other emergency services, so that what we develop is much more of a one-system approach where you follow delivery chains down, even in different public sector organisations, and end up with people who understand the rationality of different services. Because there is this dreadful mythology that we are dogged with, that all accountants are only interested in saving money; all social workers are profligate; all education workers are only interested in the holidays. All of that mythology is because people do not understand the different rationality of different services and their contributions …

“I would emphasise that even for the operational, if the Police Service is going to be effective in child protection, if it is going to be effective in community relations, in complex diverse communities, then the people who deliver the service, the constables and other police officers of today, need to be trained for at least part of their training with other people whose contribution is just as critical to the delivery of those services.”

9.137 We consider that this approach should be employed with respect to the development of officers and staff at all levels in the organisation. Whatever leadership training is undertaken by the MPS, we think it would be of enormous value if it were to be a joint enterprise with others which would provide a forum in which management skills could be learned and developed by interchange of ideas from senior managers in other public and private sector organisations.

9.138 The Deputy Commissioner commented: “… we will certainly be trying to ensure that some of this is delivered in a way in which people from other professions and organisations also are involved in that learning environment.”

9.139 We are encouraged by this, and would like to see the MPS make a step-change in considering and implementing a variety of schemes to enable a productive flow of ideas between its own officers and managers in other organisations.

“I am a great believer in the idea of interchange between different sectors, different types of business. We had at B&Q an interchange process with Whitehall and the Civil Service, and we had a prison governor who came to do a short placement at a B&Q store, and he was a brilliant success. He ended up running, after a very quick time – he stayed on longer than he was actually being lent to us, and after a while he was running a region. And then he went back to prisons, and I am sure he would have been a more complete person and a better manager. He was already superb. We were delighted. It was his people management skills that – we thought that B&Q, you know, was one of the great management organisations in British retailing. He was head and shoulders above a lot of the other people within the organisation. He was not a particularly commercial guy, but he picked that up as he went along.

“So interchange – and perhaps that is the exception that may be hard to replicate, but I do believe in interchange for a period. And I actually think sending people to the likes of Tesco’s for a period would be good for the police people. I also suspect, if my prison officer analogy is right, then it could be quite useful for Tesco’s as well.”
(Evidence of Nigel Whittaker.)

We recommend that the MPS introduces development programmes which will increase the opportunities available for cross-fertilisation with those managing other public and private sector organisations.