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Observation No 1 - Scope to consider administrative duties which affect operational roles (paragraph 1.5).
This observation is largely dealt with by the force response to HMIC recommendation No. 1. The recruitment of Divisional Administrative Support staff will remove the burden of administering correspondence, devolved budgeting and some human resource issues from senior police staff
HMIC is encouraged by progress in this area. If the recruitment and deployment of skilled civilian staff goes to plan this issue should be effectively addressed. This is discharged.
Observation No 2 - Need to take positive action to recommendations of post implementation review of restructuring (paragraph 1.12).
Fourteen recommendations were forthcoming as a result of the review. Of those eleven have been addressed in their entirety illustrating the desire of the Force to take positive action. The remaining three have been considered and are in various stages of progress, namely:
Recommendation - the profile of the Operations Room requires to be raised with staff having a greater operational role and responsibility for running Eastern Division Command and Control.
A pilot period was carried out where Operations Room undertook responsibility for Eastern Division Command and Control. After review it was considered there was little benefit gained in terms of service provision therefore the Command and Control facility reverted to Eastern Division.
Recommendation - The Force Inspectorate and Research and Development functions should be amalgamated.
The Force Inspectorate has since been renamed Performance Review and together with Research and Development and other functions, have been pulled together under the umbrella of Management Services Department.
Recommendation - The Chief Constable's driver post should be civilianised, although not at the cost of a Traffic Constable post.
This is actively being pursued, a job description has been drawn up and the post will soon be evaluated prior to advertising.
Progress on these issues appears to be satisfactory. This is discharged.
Observation No 3 - Need for robust and objective evaluation process (paragraph 1.13).
The pilot scheme of transferred Command & Control from Eastern Division to HQ Operations Room was, after due consideration of evaluation reports on the exercise, terminated by the Chief Constable as it was failing to meet the gains anticipated and was leading to a degraded response. (See comment Observation No 2)
Whilst HMIC has no evidence that the decision to terminate this pilot was anything other than sound the lack of a recognised structure of project management and evaluation means that there is little objective evidence available to allow independent evaluation. The de-centralisation of command and control is against the current trend elsewhere and as technology advances, the force should keep this issue under review. Discharged here but this issue will be kept under review at Primary Inspection and as part of the development of PSRCS.
Observation No 4 - Scope to consider a single command and control centre (paragraph 1.13).
This matter was duly considered by the Chief Constable and not further actioned at this time. This matter will be revisited when a decision is taken in respect of PSRCP.
HMIC notes the decision to re-visit this issue when the Public Sector Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) (which offers the potential for enhanced communications in the police service) achieves implementation. The comments of HMIC relating to the previous suggestion are equally applicable here. PSRCP is now styled PSRCS. Discharged here.
Observation No 5 - Need for action plan to address issues from the public attitude survey (paragraph 2.5).
The annual public attitude survey was carried out in the latter part of 1999, and a report summarising the results was considered by the Chief Officer Group on 17th January 2000.
A report was submitted to the Public Protection and Regulation Committee and noted by members.
In order to address the issues arising from the survey a draft action plan has been drawn up. The draft action plan is currently informing the preparation of the Constabulary's Policing Plan 2000-2003. The draft action plan will be considered by the Force Performance Management Board shortly. This body will ensure that the action plan is fully progressed.
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC notes the progress made following this observation. From the text of the force response it appears that it is intended to place the action plan in the public domain through a meeting of the police authority. HMIC would see this as good practice. Discharged.
Observation No 6 - Need to seek full internal audit from Fife Council (paragraph 3.16).
In terms of the Review inspection it was of interest to note that the recommendation contained in Paragraph 3.9 of the primary inspection was "to make representation to the Council for appropriate audit coverage" thereafter amended in the Review inspection Paragraph 3.16 to "seek full audit coverage from the Council"
The HMCIC have been questioned regarding the rationale behind this change of wording in order their definition of "full audit coverage" could be clarified to ensure the necessary steps could be undertaken to meet the requirements of the recommendation. Unfortunately the change of wording has not been fully explained but there is consideration from the HMCIC that the use of the word "full" was inappropriate.
It was disappointing to note the HMCIC recommendation on audit coverage as a range of audits, by Fife Council Audit Services, have been undertaken into the following Police service areas:-
In addition to internal audit services there is ongoing external audit services being undertaken by the Accounts Commission encompassing work relating to
All Forces other than Strathclyde Police who have their own in-house Internal Audit Section receive their audit provision from constituent authorities. From a survey of audit coverage within other Forces the following details of their planned 1999/2000 audit coverage has emerged:
Whilst Fife Council Audit Services would wish to undertake audit of all services the Police service has been determined, in comparison with all other areas of Fife Council as an area of low risk assessment at this time and there have been no issues particularly drawn to the attention of the Audit Services Manager which would increase the priority of Police audits beyond others planned. It should be noted for the period April to December 1999 the Police service has been charged with 27.3days of audit time.
Following discussions with the Audit Services Manager areas of potential audit coverage within the categories of systems review, regularity audit, contract audit, value for money reviews, stocks and inventories and special projects have been identified for the Force. In addition agreement has been reached between the Chief Constable and Fife Council Audit Services for a change to the Service Level Agreement for 2000/2001 to incorporate a fixed number of audit days (30 to 40 days) plus variable audit time instead of purely variable.
It is anticipated that this positive development may satisfy the observation.
Copy Correspondence dated 16 June 1999 from Robert Main, Force Finance Officer to Chief Inspector Lumsden, Research and Development regarding HMIC Review Inspection - Audit Coverage.
Memorandum dated 12 August 1999 from George Brown Audit Services Manager to Mr Bennet, Deputy Chief Constable regarding HMIC - Review Inspection 1999.
Letter dated 28 September 1999 from Mr Bennet, Deputy Chief Constable to George Brown Audit Services Manager regarding HMIC - Review Inspection 1999.
Letter dated 8 October 1999 from Mr Bennet, Deputy Chief Constable to George Brown Audit Services Manager regarding Audit Coverage
Finance Service Statement of Charges 1999/2000 - Variable service - Audit Services
Report on Recommendation No. 3 to the Public Protection and Regulation Committee held on 19 January 2000
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC welcomes the fact that the audit arrangements between the force and Fife Council have been placed on a more formal basis. The comments of the Force have been noted and HMIC appreciates the detailed comments. Dishcarged.
Observation No 7 - Need to develop action plan for implementation of IT Review recommendations (paragraph 4.6).
The IS/IT Board decided to approach the issue of staffing levels and skills mix in the Communications & IT Department by employing an independent consultant to complete the review.
Robin Jordan Associates (RJA), a firm of management and human resources consultants was chosen from a short list of companies who bid for the contract. A copy of the plain paper report outlining the reasons for this choice is available for reference.
A copy of RJA's proposal and subsequent summary report are available for reference.
The recommendations contained in the report were approved by the IS/IT Board on 22 November 1999 and subsequently by the Chief Constable at the Chief Officers Group meeting on 24 November 1999.
An action plan in support of the recommendations was drawn up thereafter and is currently in progress. A copy of the plan is available for reference.
Assistance has been sought from Fife Council Human Resources who are currently carrying out Job Evaluations in regard to all posts in the new structure. It is planned to have the review complete by end March 2000.
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC welcomes the positive progress made since the review inspection. Discharged.
Observation No 8 - Need to establish service level agreements with partner agencies (paragraph 4.9).
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) have been drawn up by the Principal Officer of the Communications Systems Unit.
These SLAs are in regard to services provided by Fife Constabulary to Fife Fire and Rescue Service and Fife Council for radio systems support.
The SLAs are in draft form and will continue to be so until both parties have agreed the content and signed the documents.
There are no major issues at this time and it is envisaged that both SLAs will be signed off by end March 2000.
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC notes the degree of progress which has been made and in particular the drafting of service level agreements. Progress towards implementation will be examined at a future date. This will be re-visited at the next Review Inspection.
Observation No 9 - Need to continue to examine days lost to sickness (paragraph 5.4).
Fife Constabulary has undertaken a complete revision of its absence management policy, which is now actively under consideration by the staff associations and trade unions prior to its implementation. In the interim, closer monitoring arrangements have been introduced along with earlier referrals to the Force Occupational Health Service to allow for earlier medical intervention and speedier return to work.
This matter will be further considered at the Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee (JNCC) on 14th March 2000.
The development of a new absence management policy is welcomed. Implementation and impact will be examined at a future date. To be re-visited at the next Review Inspection.
Observation No 10 - Need to clarify process of the force equal opportunities police and Fife dignity at work policy (paragraph 5.6).
This matter is subject to ongoing review with the intention of rationalising the position within the force to ensure a commonality exists, wherever possible, between police and support staff and the facilities and the provided to each. Equal Opportunities, grievance and support staff discipline (or conduct) policies are all subject to revision at this time. Activity Plans have been prepared with implementation of the Discipline Policy for Support Staff by end October 2000 and the Equal Opportunities Policy and Grievance procedures by end January 2001. It has been agreed with the Police Authority that the Fife Council Appeals Sub-Committee will be the final stage in both Grievance and Discipline procedures.
The progress made to date is encouraging. Implementation will be examined during a future inspection. In particular, HMIC hopes to see the removal of any uncertainty in respect of procedures applied to police support staff and a clear understanding of the remit if any of the equal opportunities policies of Fife Council. Discharged here.
Observation No 11 - Need to co-ordinate training and development of special constables (paragraph 5.9).
The review of the special constabulary as referred to under recommendation 4, largely covers this matter. A greater co-ordination between training and operational deployment has been achieved and the job analysis completed to compile a job description has aided the identification of a range of competencies for special constables. Training now aimed at the achievement of competent standards before operational deployment will be considered. In terms of development, efforts are underway to introduce a form of appraisal which should assist in identifying personal, as opposed to generic, training and development needs.
HMIC agrees that this has been progressed as part of the review of the special constabulary. Discharged.
Observation No 12 - Ambiguity concerning position of force union representation. (paragraph 5.18).
The force position on Trade Union membership is clear and unambiguous. Support staff are encouraged, through employment packs, to consider joining a trade union. Noticeboards throughout the force are available for the display of trade union literature and notices. Currently there are two elected trade union shop stewards within the force, one at Kirkcaldy and one at Headquarters. While the Force Executive may not find this entirely representative, it is really a matter for the trade unions to identify and support individuals who may wish to take up this role.
The Force Joint Consultative Committee comprises of 9 members of the force support in addition to Trade Union representatives. The Committee is chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable and at no time in the past has a request been made through this body or the Trade Unions for a member of staff to assume full-time duties within the Force.
The Force enjoys a good relationship with Trade Unions and all of its Support Staff and is not aware of a desire, or indeed any evidence, to suggest that the status quo should be altered.
HMIC raised this issue during the inspection when it emerged that none of the trade union representatives put forward to consult with the inspectorate had ever worked in a police force. The current position now appears to be satisfactory. Discharged.
Observation No 13 - Scope to develop a co-ordinated CCTV strategy (paragraph 6.5).
In order to develop a co-ordinated CCTV Strategy the Fife CCTV Co-ordinating Group has been established on which the Constabulary is represented by the Community Safety Co-ordinator whose post is jointly funded by Fife Council and Fife Constabulary.
An audit of Council owned CCTV systems has identified 126 separate systems, which provide coverage of town centres, schools, leisure centres, libraries, housing estates and local offices. The proposed Fife wide strategy will propose the development of a central CCTV monitoring station is dependent on the development of a broadband information network which would enable CCTV pictures to be brought back to a central monitoring point. It is hoped that financial support can be obtained from the Scottish Executive's CCTV Challenge Fund to assist with the development of this initiative.
An internal CCTV Code of Practice which will form the basis of training and raising awareness of staff working with CCTV within Fife Constabulary has recently been approved by the Chief Officers Group and is available for reference. (amendment proposed at Senior Management Group incorporated)
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC welcomes the progress made on this issue. The delivery and effectiveness of the proposed training to the new code of practice will be inspected at a future date. Discharged.
Observation No 14 - Need to examine staffing and roles within community safety department (paragraph 6.8).
Since the HMCIC Review Inspection of 1999, the Community Safety Department has been increased by one Sergeant who has been appointed the Force Drugs Co-ordinator. The Sergeant will take responsibility for drugs education, from primary schools to professional groups, and will have a key role in co-ordinating all drug activities, outwith the enforcement field, in the Force. The staffing level of Community Safety Officers remains unchanged although their roles have been redefined to align them more closely with the Divisional structures.
Following a re-evaluation of the role of Community Safety Officers the following recommendations were made and subsequently put into place:
These changes have been instrumental in integrating Community Safety Officers with other operational officers and in increasing their overall effectiveness.
HMIC welcomes the new arrangements and in particular the clarity they bring to the role of community safety staff. Discharged.
Observation No 15 - Need to ensure that all staff are aware of force definition of 'racial incident' (paragraph 6.10).
In order to ensure the fullest recording of racist incidents the Force requires that a Racist Incident Report form is completed for all incidents where the victim is a member of a minority ethnic community. Each report should contain an indication as to whether or not the incident is racially motivated. This policy has been communicated to the force via Force Notices and force Manual of Guidance.
Increased awareness of the definition of a racist incident is evidenced by an increase of 273% in the submission of Racist Incident Reports when comparing 1999 with the previous year and an increase of 146% of those reports with a racial motive when comparing the same two years.
Awareness will be further raised by the implementation of the race relations training programme approved by the Chief Officers Group on 24th November 1999.
The documentation referred to is available for perusal by HMIC.
HMIC recognises the significant effort which has been made in response to this observation. The subject will be re-visited during a thematic inspection of racial issues later this year. Discharged here.
Observation No 16 - Scope to reconsider appointment of civilian turnkeys (paragraph 6.20).
The appointment of civilian turnkeys was first proposed by the force in 1996/97.
This issue has been reconsidered by the Chief Officers Group (23rd June 1999) and the merits of appointing civilian turnkeys is fully accepted notwithstanding some problems experienced in other forces in Scotland. However, the £200,000+ required to appoint and train the requisites number of turnkeys cannot currently be found from the Constabulary budget at this time. It is likely that the forthcoming budget settlement will not sustain existing levels of police or civilian staff.
However, the matter will be kept under review. It is worth mentioning that the force
intend to trial 'cellfile' computerised custody management system on Western Division from
1st June 2000.
Whilst the position of the force is noted, experience elsewhere has shown that the imaginative deployment of civilian custody staff offers potential for saving and the economic argument put forward by the force is not therefore fully accepted. The introduction of the new "cell file" computerised custody system should serve to clarify procedures and HMIC agrees with the force that the inspection observation needs to be kept under review. To be re-visited at the next Review Inspection.
Observation No 17 - Scope to record formal misconduct outcomes within officers' personal files (paragraph 7.3).
Regulation 14 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976, as amended clearly places an onus on the Chief Constable of every Police Force to record certain information on the personal record of each Constable under his command. However, sub section (h) thereof specifies that only punishments other than Cautions should feature in such records, and these should be expunged after the expiry of three years provided these three years have been punishment free.
The punishments open to the chairman of a misconduct hearing are those contained in Regulation 18 of the Police (Conduct)(Scotland) Regulations 1996. These include ONLY the following:
Regulation 5 and 6 Warnings are applied only where the Deputy Chief Constable is of the view that in all the circumstances a hearing is inappropriate. They are not disposals in terms of the aforesaid Regulations and as such have no place on the personal records of the Police Officers concerned. This area has been examined by Complaints and Misconduct Sub-Committee which confirmed that at present warnings are in fact recorded on personal records by Lothian and Borders Police, while all other Forces follow the correct procedures as per the aforesaid 1976 Regulations.
In all the circumstances this recommendation is one where the force would wish to have further discussion with the HMCIC.
HMIC does not share the force's interpretation of the law in respect of regulation warnings. This issue was addressed in a recent thematic inspection report on police complaints which said:
"Some forces incorporate these warnings in an officer's personal record in order that they can inform future career development decisions while other forces consider such action to be improper, apparently on the basis that regulation 14 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976 prohibits such recording. In addition, most forces consider that any future misconduct hearing should not be told of previous warnings, again founding on the 1976 regulations. HMIC finds this position difficult to reconcile with the 1996 regulations which stipulate that warnings administered in terms of the regulations should be recorded. While regulation 14 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976 would appear to mandate the basic elements that shall be included in a constable's personal record it does not provide that no other information may be retained. Moreover, sub-section 14(2)(h) of the 1976 regulations requires a record of service be maintained and goes on to illustrate subjects to be included, again without stipulating that such information is exhaustive. HMIC is of the view that the 1976 regulations do not prohibit recording warnings administered under the 1996 regulations on an individual officer's personal record. However, HMIC is aware of contrary opinions, which were expressed with vigour in the course of the inspection. The wide variations in both opinion and practice associated with this issue cannot be in the best interests of the public or the service and HMIC suggests that chief constables develop common procedures in respect of how disciplinary warnings are administered and the use to which they may be put on a future occasion. It would be prudent for a common procedure to be developed on the basis of sound legal advice."
HMIC continues to regard unsatisfactory any system which does not allow an officer's full conduct history to be taken into account when informing the wider decisions on his or her future.
Observation No 18 - Need to make use of information from civil complaints (paragraph 7.9).
A new database has been established on CARDBOX for the recording of civil complaints against the Police. It contains a section headed "lessons learned/action taken" so that the appropriate course of action is instigated as merited. This database was designed in conjunction with Fife Council Legal Services Department for reasons of compatibility and cross referencing. Back record conversion is still being undertaken.
HMIC welcomes this positive development and looks forward to examining the new process in more detail at a future inspection. Discharged.
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