A Report of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary: Grampian Police Review Inspection 1999

2 Quality of Service and Performance Review

Charter Mark

2.1 The Primary Inspection report noted the force's award of a Charter Mark in 1996 as good practice. The award, in recognition of the service provided to the public, falls due for renewal in December 1999 and assessment of the force was due at the time of the Review Inspection. HMIC acknowledges the level of commitment shown by the force in putting itself forward again for this award and submitting itself to high standards of external judgement. HMIC learned, following the inspection, that the force has been successful in its re-application for the above award.

Strategic Plan

2.2 The strategic direction and intentions of Grampian Police were contained in the force's Corporate Plan at the time of the Primary Inspection. HMIC noted that this document lacked milestones against which the force's performance could be judged and HM Inspectors "were encouraged that the force was in the process of reviewing it" and looked forward to considering a revised document at the next inspection (paragraph 1.26).

2.3 The Review Inspection found that the force had produced a new Strategic Plan to replace the Corporate Plan. The new document covers the three year period 1999-2002 and sets out five "Strategic Intentions" relating to community safety, crime, drugs, roads policing and operational delivery of service. Although the new plan promises constant review and measurement of performance it does not give details of how this is to be achieved.

2.4 The Plan refers to many important areas in respect of which force policy has still to be produced, including human resource issues, community safety and race relations. While the sentiments expressed in the document are commendable, HMIC would encourage the publication of specific commitments on what is to be delivered with defined areas of responsibility and robust timescales in order that the Joint Board and other stakeholders can objectively assess the progress made by the force in achieving its stated objectives.

Policing Plan

2.5 At the time of the Primary Inspection HMIC praised the force for a more consultative approach in developing its Policing Plan for 1998/99. The force's approach to policing by objectives however was identified for review at the next inspection. HMIC was advised that objectives are now to be kept to a more manageable number with a standard approach across the force and a monitoring process was intended.

2.6 Interviews with staff during the Review Inspection revealed that consultation had taken place in local communities in February and March 1999 and priorities for the coming year (1999/2000) emerging from this consultation were forwarded to the force executive. HM Inspectors were disappointed to note however that by the end of the Review Inspection in mid-June 1999 the force had still not published a Policing Plan for 1999/2000.

2.7 HMIC recommends that the force produces a current Policing Plan without further delay and introduces a planning structure or mechanism with timescales and deadlines to ensure more timeous publication of future plans and associated reports.

Inspectorate and Review Division

2.8 The Primary Inspection report noted that the internal inspectorate function for the force was one of the roles carried out by the Inspectorate and Review Division, headed by a superintendent. Due to a heavy workload at the time of the Primary Inspection, the internal inspection programme had come to a halt but HM Inspectors were told that it would be resumed and one issue on a list awaiting inspection which was due to be considered was the issue of drug production storage at the Forensic Science Laboratory (paragraph 2.10).

2.9 The Review Inspection found that the heavy workload of this division had not abated and that demands placed on staff appeared to be increasing rather than diminishing. Work in relation to Best Value, Performance Indicators, Accounts Commission evaluation modules and the introduction of European Foundation Quality Management (EFQM) was increasingly time consuming. This is in addition to internal matters such as the management of surveys, police reports and the production of force reports and plans. As a result the internal inspection programme has not been as rigorously pursued as intended.

2.10 The intention at the time of the Primary Inspection that the issue of drugs productions within the forensic science laboratory be considered was partly followed through in that the matter has received some consideration but no action has been taken. This is discussed in more detail in Chapter 6.

2.11 At the time of the Primary Inspection HMIC, in suggesting that the force prioritised the workload of this division to ensure best use of a valuable resource, questioned the wisdom of linking Health and Safety, which is a human resources issue, with this division. The link has been retained however. The reasons given by the force for this include the convenience of the Health and Safety adviser being able to accompany Inspectorate staff on inspections and encompassing Health and Safety into the inspection. Given the fact that the internal inspection programme has not been given high priority recently, HMIC would now question the strength of this argument. Health and Safety is a human resources issue and links with Human Resource departments are considered to be good practice. HMIC would reiterate the query previously expressed and suggest that the force reviews the current location of the Health and Safety Adviser within the Inspectorate and Review Division.

2.12 HMIC would also repeat the suggestion that the force prioritises the workload of the Inspectorate and Review Division in the short term and in the longer term suggests that the force review the structure and staffing of this division and introduces a more clearly defined work schedule for staff.

Police Notebooks

2.13 The Primary Inspection Report suggested an urgent need to ensure the security of police notebooks (paragraph 2.13). This followed the discovery during the Primary Inspection that controls were lax in respect of the issue, return and storage of these official documents. This has been partly addressed by the force and a general order was issued with instructions about how notebooks would be controlled in future. The intention was that new notebooks would be numbered and signed out from the officer's local administration office as required and returned for storage when finished with. Storage boxes were to be obtained for each officer and retained at whichever sub-divisional/departmental administration office was relevant to the officer's posting.

2.14 The Review Inspection revealed however that while the new order has been issued, it has not been implemented in practice throughout the force. Even where senior officers believed that the new procedures were in place, it was found that some constables had little awareness of the new system and still had possession of their old notebooks which they stored in their own drawers or lockers. The practice of obtaining a number of blank notebooks at a time however, which was said to happen previously in some areas, appears to have stopped everywhere. In some areas officers complained that security had gone too far and practical difficulties were described including the distance some officers had to travel to obtain a new notebook and the delay in being able to obtain an old notebook from storage when there was no supervisor on duty.

2.15 This situation highlights a weakness which arises in other contexts within Grampian Police. The force in this instance has recognised a problem and issued an order to address it. However, the progress of the practical implementation of the measures has not been checked or evaluated and as a result the plan has not been seen through to a satisfactory conclusion.

2.16 This management of change is discussed further in paragraphs 2.19 - 2.23 below but in order to resolve the issue of notebook security. HMIC suggests that the force reviews the implementation of the relevant order to date and now progresses it throughout the force. In doing so the force should be mindful of the concerns expressed by some officers in relation to the new procedures and ensure that the new system has sufficient flexibility to be secure without causing officers undue difficulty in obtaining either new notebooks or used notebooks from storage.

Local Improvement Groups

2.17 At the time of the Primary Inspection, commitment to Local Improvement Groups was found to be patchy and HMIC suggested that the support of local commanders be enlisted to give renewed enthusiasm to these forums which were seen to be valuable in the identification of new procedures and initiatives.

2.18 Since the Primary Inspection three meetings have taken place with the chairs of the various groups and minutes of these meetings suggest that support amongst staff for the concept is still variable. Support at senior level was apparent during the inspection and where the local commander was involved with an enthusiastic group it was clear that such a forum could be productive. The secretary of one such group described how the members of his group had just attended a meeting, most in their own time, and had discussed a number of issues of local relevance. Some subjects were self-initiated, one had been referred by the local commander and there was a feeling that the group could bring about change. This is essential if the concept is to retain credibility and providing it does, these groups give local officers a voice in respect of local issues and provide the force with another vehicle of communication. For these reasons HMIC consider the Local Improvement Groups to be good practice and would encourage the force to continue its current level of support for the initiative.

Change Management

2.19 This was the first Review Inspection of Grampian Police since the appointment of the present Chief Constable Mr Andrew Brown QPM on 1 June 1998. The Deputy Chief Constable has been in post since 1 January 1999 having been appointed Assistant Chief Constable on 21 July 1997. The present Assistant Chief Constable had only been in post for a few weeks at the time of the Review Inspection. Despite the substantial change at executive level HMIC found an energetic and dedicated command team clearly committed to taking the force forward.

2.20 The new force executive has inherited a challenging change agenda which it has already started tackling with vigour. Some of the change has come from within the force but much of it has been the result of external influences one of which was HMIC's Primary Inspection Report in 1998. This report made a substantial number of recommendations, suggestions and observations, all of which have been considered by the force and most of which have been accepted. This has resulted in a wide ranging and far reaching programme of change to be managed and implemented.

2.21 In some instances this has been achieved. The re-organisation of force boundaries to match those of constituent local authorities (Primary Inspection Recommendation 2) is an example of a change which has been implemented. Other consequential changes have been made which are designed to support the new structure and maximise its benefits, for example the creation of two new divisions and the appointment of area commanders. However, there are other areas where change has been started but not effectively completed. Earlier in this report examples are given in relation to briefing (paragraphs 1.32-1.38) and notebooks (paragraphs 2.13 - 2.16) where intended change has not been followed through to a conclusion. In commending the Review of the CID it was noted that a number of target dates had been missed (paragraph 1.15), and in discussing the planning process HMIC observed that the production of a policing plan for 1999/2000 appeared to be significantly overdue (paragraphs 2.6 - 2.7). Later in this report, in discussion of new developments in community safety, attention will be drawn to aspects where practice appears to be running ahead of policy. These examples are in many respects typical of the Inspectorate's findings across a number of areas in which missed targets and poor implementation were apparent. In discussing these matters within the force it was not always apparent who if anyone was monitoring and managing the change process.

2.22 Whilst HMIC supports the ambitious and radical agenda which the force has undertaken and the evident resolve to achieve early gains without resorting to unnecessary process, there are concerns regarding the lack of formalised structure to drive and monitor the the implementation of policy. The force now needs to address this issue and establish a suitable project management structure to fix responsibility, monitor progress and measure implementation. Normal good practice would be for the process to be led by a project board under executive chairmanship. The creation of a centrally controlled record of projects may also prove valuable. If this is not achieved there is a danger that good strategic intentions will fail to translate into practical outcomes.

2.23 HMIC recommends that the force initiates a formal project management model to address the current change agenda, with clear lines of leadership, accountability, monitoring and evaluation.