Tayside Joint Police Board
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Report No: 68/12 Agenda Item No 10 TAYSIDE JOINT POLICE BOARD Corporate Governance Sub Committee 12 November 2012 Report by Chief Constable Report No. PB 68/2012 SUBJECT : BEST VALUE AUDIT AND INSPECTIONS JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2012 – REVIEW OF FINDINGS Abstract : This report provides members of the Corporate Governance Sub Committee with a summary of the findings from Best Value Audit and Inspections carried out in Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, Central Scotland Police, Fife Constabulary and Strathclyde Police Authority. 1. RECOMMENDATION 1.1 It is recommended that the Corporate Governance Sub Committee scrutinise the findings from the recently published Best Value Audit and Inspection reports in respect of Dumfries and Galloway, Central Scotland Police, Fife Constabulary and Strathclyde Police Authority and seeks assurance that action is being taken to replicate improvement opportunities within Tayside Police and Tayside Joint Police Board. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Members are reminded that the purpose of the Best Value Audit is to: . assess the extent to which Police Authorities, Police Boards and Forces meet the duties under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 and comply with Scottish Government guidance. agree planned improvements with the local authorities, forces and boards, to be reviewed by external auditors and HMICS on an ongoing basis. 2.2 Tayside Police and Tayside Joint Police Board were the first to undergo this style of auditing in 2009. Since this time all forces have now been audited and inspected using this methodology. This report provides a summary of the findings from the last four inspection reports published between June and September 2012. 1 2.3 Copies of the recommendations are provided at Appendix 1. 3. FINDINGS FROM DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY POLICE AND POLICE AUTHORITY – PUBLISHED JUNE 2012 3.1 Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary performs strongly on the majority of assessment measures, in terms of both improvements over time and in comparison with other Scottish forces. It has some of the lowest crime rates in Scotland and higher than average detection rates. It achieves high rates of user satisfaction on many aspects of the community’s interaction with the force. 3.2 As Dumfries and Galloway is a unitary police authority, it discharges its responsibility through a council committee, the Police Fire and Rescue Committee (PFRC). The committee is effectively engaged in setting and approving the vision for policing and there is a clear understanding amongst members of their role. The engagement of all elected members in policing through community planning, area committees and the council’s budget setting process strengthens the arrangements. 3.3 There is scope for the PFRC to strengthen the challenge and direction it provides over how the force manages risk and demonstrates value for money. Public reporting could also be improved by providing more contextual and comparative performance information. The PFRC provides limited oversight of the force’s progress with equal opportunities and diversity and has not met its own commitment to monitor progress in this area. 4. FINDINGS FROM CENTRAL SCOTLAND POLICE AND CENTRAL SCOTLAND JOINT POLICE BOARD – PUBLISHED JULY 2012 4.1 Central Scotland Joint Police Board and Central Scotland Police work effectively together to deliver a shared vision for policing across the area which is based on a strong focus on local community policing. The board has many of the key elements of Best Value in place. Members work well with the force in setting a vision and strategic direction for policing in Central Scotland. The board’s decision-making structures support effective challenge and scrutiny by members. It receives good quality information in many areas, including on the force’s performance on Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) and its work on shared services. The board could do more to engage directly with communities and board members could have a more consistent approach in relevant partnerships. 4.2 The board has good levels of self awareness and has prepared a transitional workplan to take forward improvement activity in the run-up to the national force being created. The board monitors the force’s performance in relation to its Single Equality Scheme (SES); however it could provide more leadership in relation to its own activities. The board recognises that it could strengthen its approach to equalities. 2 4.3 Central Scotland Police performance indicates good achievements including year-on-year reductions in crime and high detection rates. Eight out of nine user satisfaction and quality of service indicators have improved; however, complaints against the police have increased. 4.4 Internal governance, risk management and the communication of decision- making have improved but there is a need for the force to reinstate its internal inspection activity. In the lead-up to the formation of a single force, a greater level of scrutiny and challenge by the board is needed to support the force. 4.5 The force is actively involved with its communities and demonstrates a range of diversity initiatives however there is no executive lead. 4.6 A multi-agency screening hub (MASH) in Larbert has been introduced to improve public protection through shared services, co-location, joint working and effective information sharing and decision-making. Although in the early stages of implementation, the MASH brings together much of what is recognised as good practice from across Scotland. Building on the concept that public protection, community safety, repeat victims, vulnerable adults and child issues can be best deal with through a single joint-up approach the MASH acts as a conduit for all public protection reports (some 13,000 each year). The MASH initiative covers the whole Forth Valley area but each local authority is at different stages in converging to the single hub approach. The strategic partners are sure that the approach to improving social outcomes, particular for children and vulnerable persons, has the potential to deliver best value and consider that this is a model for public protection in Scotland. The project should be evaluated as soon as practicable to share the results with other Scottish forces and the National Reform Team. 4.7 The force demonstrates a high level of commitment to policing communities and is improving its approach through PACT (Police and Communities Together). This is used to inform response teams and demand management. Although the PACT process is sound, there are variations in the quality of PACT reporting and it could be more quantifiable in terms of results and more specific around prevention, intelligence enforcement activity. There is also scope to improve the quality of analysis and sharing of good practice to improve community policing across the force area as a whole. 4.8 Central Scotland Police has one of the highest and rising percentages of “no proceedings” cases due to insufficient evidence. HMICS has recommended that the force take action to improve performance in this area. 5. FINDINGS FROM FIFE CONSTABULARY AND FIFE POLICE AUTHORITY 5.1 Fife Council discharges most of its police authority responsibilities through its Police, Fire and Safety Committee (PFSC). Overall the force is delivering a good level of service to communities in Fife, especially by reducing crime and anti social behaviour and most notably, by increasing detection rates where it outperforms most other Scottish police forces. 3 5.2 Following a period where there had been some difficulties in working relationships between the council and the force concerning governance, and in response to previous audit recommendations, an accountability framework was agreed in 2010. This clarified and confirmed responsibilities and supported improvements in the way business is conducted. 5.3 The PFSC demonstrates a good understanding of issues affecting local policing in Fife and members support the community policing approach. However, they need to take a more strategic view of the force’s activity, its oversight of community safety and the overall impact and effectiveness of the community policing model. 5.4 There continues to be a need to develop members’ awareness of policing and issues affecting Fife to facilitate more in-depth scrutiny of force performance and progress. 5.5 The force is performing well. The Force Executive’s long-term strategy for community engagement is producing real benefits. There are good examples of the force using different means of trying to reach out to all communities. There are some additional aspects of the internal communication of local priorities that could be improved. 5.6 The governance and project planning arrangements for the force are exemplary. The use of process re-engineering, along with the involvement throughout the process of the convener, has delivered a successful change programme that has maintained police numbers and delivered savings in the police budget. 6. FINDINGS FROM STRATHCLYDE POLICE AUTHORITY – FOLLOW UP INSPECTION 6.1 In July 2011 the Best Value Audit and Inspection of Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Police Authority was published. The report stated that the Police Authority needed to strengthen its arrangements for oversight of Strathclyde Police and its leadership of the force’s continuous improvement agenda. Improved support and training was required to help authority members to develop their understanding, build their skills and gain greater confidence in holding the Chief Constable to account. Due to these issues, the Commission requested that a further report be provided in around 12 months to enable the Commission to review the authority’s progress in fulfilling its role more effectively and in getting better value from the resources it has available to it. 6.2 Whilst the Commission is disappointed with progress since the first report, it is encouraged by the recent adoption by the authority of a consolidated improvement plan and the commitment made by the new convener and the authority to implement the plan. The Commission emphasised the need for the plan to be implemented fully and the deadlines met.