Reports from the Sub-committees

Report: 15
Date: 16 July 2009
By: Chief Executive

Summary

At each meeting of the Committee members will receive a report from its Sub-committees that have meet in recent weeks.

The report provides members with details of the key items considered at each of the Sub-Committees.

1. Human Resources & Remuneration Sub-committee 30 June 2009

The following members were in attendance Faith Boardman (Chair), Reshard Auladin and Jenny Jones.

Recruitment targets

The Sub-committee was asked to note a report that highlighted the achievements in 2008/09 that have helped facilitate the increases in the diversity of the MPS workforce. The report provided members with information relating to graduate recruitment schemes, prior learning and the ‘Surrey model’. The report also provided members with details of many community engagement activities involving communities within London.

To further promote recruitment and to demonstrate the increasing numbers of police officers recruited from the BME community, a bi annual parade of cadets had been suggested. Whilst still in the initial planning stages. it was envisaged that this parade would be in addition to the Hendon graduation event which is primarily aimed for the friends and family of the cadets. Further details would be made available to the Sub-committee as the planned events developed.

Employment tribunals

The Sub-committee received a report that set out management information and performance analysis on employment tribunal (ET) claims brought against the Commissioner in the period from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. The data and trends are compared to the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.

The Sub-committee noted that given the size of the MPS workforce the number of ET claims was small. However, the Sub-committee was concerned that women were disproportionally represented in ET claims submitted.

It was agreed that the MPS would try to identify any underlying factors that may explain the disproportionality.

Disciplinary cases involving police staff

This report provided information and statistical data in relation to police staff who are subject to gross misconduct disciplinary proceedings and addressed issues relating to diversity and proportionality. The report relates to the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009, and is compared to the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.

The report provided an update in relation to issues of induction, supervision and integration for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), since the publication of a paper submitted to the SOP Committee in February 2009 by Human Resources and to the June SOP Committee by Territorial Policing.

The Sub-committee was concerned that by the disproportionate numbers of PCSO involved in disciplinary cases. It was agreed that a focus group was to be held, facilitated by an independent facilitator to see if any common underlying factors could be identified. In addition the top five categories resulting on disciplinary sanctions would be reviewed to see if any common factor could be identified.

The Sub-committee also considered the following reports

1. ACPO Ranks Overseas Travel
2. Temporary Promotion Arrangement for ACPO Ranks

2. Community Enganemnt & Citizen Focus Sub-committee 11 June 2009

The following members were in attendance Clive Lawton (Chair), Victoria Borwick, Valerie Brasse and Joanne McCartney

Custody issues

This report provided members with background information on broader developments concerning custody which inform the ICV Scheme, but do not all necessarily directly impact on it. It provided details of the MPS working groups that the Scheme Manager attends and provided members with a broader context in which to position the work of the ICV Scheme.

Future management and disbursement of MPA Partnership Fund

The Sub-committee was advised that In 2003 the Authority created the Partnership Fund, which annually allocates £50 000 to each borough operational command unit (BOCU). The Fund was last reviewed in 2006, but with the advent of a new Authority, it was timely for a further review of the Fund arrangements. The purpose of this report was to put forward a number of options for the future management and disbursement of the Partnerships Fund.

The Sub-committee agreed to consult on the following options

• Option 1 – no change, retain the current system whereby £50 000 is allocated to each borough commander for disbursement within existing parameters.
• Option 2 – Enhance the current system – this would require the provision of more structured guidance in the use of the Fund and the identification by the Authority of specific priority areas each year, e.g. serious youth violence or domestic violence. In order to access the Fund, BCUs would be required to negotiate a service level agreement (SLA) with the Authority similar to that used with CPEGs prior to the start of the financial year and to also seek approval for any in-year alterations to those plans with detailed business cases.

The Sub-committee noted that the new disbursement procedure would be in place for next year.

Community Police Engagement Groups -annual report

The Sub-committee received a report that provided an overview of the Authority’s current provision for community engagement at borough level, which is delivered through the community police engagement groups (CPEGs). It provided information on the development of those groups in recent years and discussed possible future directions.

Co-option of Richard Hunt on to the sub-committee

The Sub-committee invited Richard Hunt a representative of the London Communities Police Partnership (LCP2) to be co opted onto the Sub-committee to promote joint working and enhance the community engagement capability of the MPA.

On 25 June the full Authority, in accordance with Standing Orders 1.8.3 confirmed the appointment of Richard Hunt as a co-opted member of the Sub-Committee until June 2010.

3. Equality & Diversity Sub-committee 5 June 2009

The following members were in attendance Kirsten Hearn (Chair) and Clive Lawton.

Development of the MPS Diversity Strategy

The Sub-committee received a report that outlined the work completed to date to develop the MPS Diversity and Equality Strategy for 2009-2012. The strategy sets out what the MPS aims to achieve in diversity and equality over the coming three years in both service delivery and employment practices.

The strategy recognised the progress that the MPS has made over recent years but identifies those areas where more work still needs to be done.

Nine representative’s from community and MPS staff association’s were in attendance and made a valuable contribution to the meeting

Copies of reports and minutes from the Authority and its Committees are available from the MPA website.

Contact details

Report author(s): Chris Benson , MPA

For information contact:

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

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