Human Resources
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Workforce modernisation pilots
Chapter 4 of the white paper 'Building Communities, Beating Crime' outlined the recommendations for workforce reconfiguration. It focused on a consistent approach to career management for officers and staff, enhancing roles and skills of police staff and removing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Ministers approved funding for ten workforce modernisation pilots in December 2003 following a bidding exercise by forces. Three large projects (Northumbria, Met and Surrey) and seven medium-sized projects were selected. Projects ran over 1-2 years depending on their size.
The Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) commissioned Accenture to produce an evaluation report. This report combined the evaluations of the workforce mix pilots, as well as research into other initiatives being undertaken by the other 33 forces in England and Wales. It was designed to assess the overall impact on performance, cost efficiency and relationships with stakeholders and customers.
The report contained eight recommendations, outlined in the executive summary on pages 3-10. These outline how the next phase of the Workforce Modernisation programme can be planned and developed using the lessons learned from the initial 10 pilots.
The report highlights the business readiness conditions and common success factors which are key to the success of workforce modernisation activities. It also looks at which issues can affect the workforce modernisation programme succeeding in the long term.
Workforce Modernisation Pilots
Metropolitan Police Service (new window) – modernising a Borough Command Unit
The Bexley Borough Command Unit has featured in a comprehensive trial to test a range of new staff roles and team configurations across the work of the unit. Around 30 staff have been involved in providing support to frontline officers in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in custody, in the police station and on the beat. The good work done in the Bexley pilot has made a significant contribution to raising the visibility of the police and improving quality of service.
Nottinghamshire Police (new window) – tackling anti-social behaviour
In 2004, Nottinghamshire Police developed a fresh approach to tackling anti-social behaviour through a multi-agency, mobile task force. The combination of a joint criminal and civil process and close coordination with the local community helped to tackle problems more effectively.
One example of agencies working together is the link between criminal charging and eviction proceedings by the local authority. This sends a clear message to the community that all agencies are serious about dealing with those who persist in ruining their quality of life. The project was supported by Home Office funding.
Humberside Police (new window) – new approach to staffing major incidents
Humberside Police have adopted a new strategy for staffing their major incident rooms, which sees police staff recruited into a dedicated Major Incident Team.
The changes have greatly reduced (to nil in most cases) police officer abstractions for incident room roles and have improved the overall quality and cost effectiveness of the team’s work. Independent evaluators have identified annual cost savings of around £500,000 per year. The modernised approach reduces the level of disruption and organisational pressure that arises during a major incident.
Wiltshire Police (new window) – introducing local investigators
In a rural county where custody units are often some distance from the police officer’s base, the establishment of local investigating officers has become a really important part of the process for dealing with prisoners.
The team of local investigators support frontline staff by dealing with the majority of the prosecution process, for example, leading on taking statements from witnesses, conducting searches and escorting prisoners.
Apart from being stationed locally, investigating officers wear a uniform similar to that of police community support officers (PCSOs) and drive cars with police livery to highlight their visibility. Their activities have freed up police officer time, increased the visibility of the force and improved quality of service for the victims of crime.
Lincolnshire Police (new window) – civilian crime investigators
In 2004, Lincolnshire Police completely remodelled the CID offices in two of its three divisions to test the use of trained police staff as civilian investigative officers and case-builders.
The project was supported by Home Office funding and the influx of new police staff allowed the force to redeploy 12 police officers to frontline duties – specifically to work with local communities in dealing with anti-social behaviour. When the pilot concluded, the force reverted to its original business model due to funding pressures.
Surrey Police (new window) – mixed economy policing in three sectors
In 2004, Surrey Police launched three projects to test the effectiveness of a mixed economy police service in frontline services. The projects included the introduction of civilian crime investigators in a redesigned CID team in the Waverley district, the roll out of specialist neighbourhood policing teams in the Guildford borough and the creation of a pool of police staff to support major incident investigations.
The projects were supported by Home Office funding and provided excellent evidence that the right team could deliver increased capacity and greater value for money. For instance, Waverley CID has demonstrated that, with fewer staff and officers, it can cost-effectively investigate a greater proportion of crime, and close investigations more quickly.
Following the success of the Waverley project, the force has decided to roll the model out across the whole of North Surrey BCU, which incorporates the boroughs of Spelthorne, Elmbridge, and Epsom and Ewell. The force believes it will soon start to see the performance improvements and the high levels of customer service that they have seen in the Waverley borough.
Staffordshire Police (new window) – outsourcing custody to the private sector
In the Trent Valley area, Staffordshire Police have taken a fresh look at the provision of their custody facilities and have contracted these services from the private sector. The project released 10 police constables for redeployment to frontline roles where they could play a much greater part in their local area – for instance, within a newly formed community action team.
The project was supported by Home Office funding and has delivered excellent levels of service at a much lower cost to the force, estimated to be worth over £125,000 per year in savings.
Dyfed Powys Police (new window) – revamping the custody estate
In 2002, Dyfed Powys Police embarked on a major review of the way it managed custody suites. With the support of the Home Office, the force was able to restructure its facilities and free up police officers for redeployment to the frontline.
As a result of the re-organisation the force now enjoys a significantly expanded custody capacity at a much reduced cost. On average, police officers in Dyfed Powys spend 25% less time on custody activities than before, meaning they can spend more time on the issues that matter to their local neighbourhoods.
The changes are made possible by the recruitment of 15 custody detention officers. This is a new role for police staff and carries powers designated under the Police Reform Act. It means staff can search cells and perform escort duties without calling a police officer away from the frontline.
In summary the benefits included:
- 9% increase in custody capacity
- ongoing savings of more than £265,000 per year
- 15 new posts for police staff
- estimated annual saving of 14,391 hours of police officer time
Northumbria Police (new window) - custody suite trial
Northumbria Police has changed the way in which detainees are looked after and processed through the custody suite. Specially selected and trained police staff, some with limited powers, now carry out many of the welfare and investigative roles previously undertaken by officers. This has led to efficiency benefits, allowing arresting officers to quickly return to the front line where their skills and training are better able to be used. It has allowed staff to develop different roles and provides them with better job satisfaction and a pathway for them to progress within the service.
West Yorkshire Police (new window) – expanding community engagement
In April 2004, West Yorkshire Police launched the Circle Project and refocused community policing activities on the priorities of the local community. With the support of the Home Office, the force was able to establish a suite of anti-social behaviour clinics and community engagement panels. These encouraged communities to own and lead the policing of their neighbourhoods. The projects improved local policing through increased communication, reassurance, targeted deployment and most importantly by addressing local concerns.
In summary the benefits included:
- communities became aware of the work being done in their areas
- strengthened engagement with community representatives
- 18 new posts for police staff
