Best Value in police authorities and police forces in Scotland Overview report Prepared for the Accounts Commission and Scottish ministers November 2012 The Accounts Commission The Accounts Commission is a statutory, independent body which, through the audit process, requests local authorities in Scotland to achieve the highest standards of financial stewardship and the economic, efficient and effective use of their resources. The Commission has four main responsibilities: • securing the external audit, including the audit of Best Value and Community Planning • following up issues of concern identified through the audit, to ensure satisfactory resolutions • carrying out national performance studies to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government • issuing an annual direction to local authorities which sets out the range of performance information they are required to publish. The Commission secures the audit of 32 councils and 45 joint boards and committees (including police and fire and rescue services). Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland HMICS operates independently of police forces, police authorities and the Scottish Government and exists to monitor and improve the police service in Scotland. HMICS does this on behalf of the Scottish public by: • monitoring, through self-assessment and inspection, how effectively the police service in Scotland is fulfilling its purpose and managing risk • supporting improvement by identifying good practice, making recommendations and sharing our findings in order to achieve better outcomes for Scotland’s communities • providing advice to Scottish ministers, police authority and joint board members and police forces and services. Even though HMICS is independent of the Scottish Government, ministers can call upon the Inspectorate to undertake particular pieces of work. Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000 under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It provides services to the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission. Together they ensure that the Scottish Government and public sector bodies in Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public funds. Best Value in police authorities and police forces in Scotland 1 Contents Introduction Part 3. Use of resources Page 2 Page 22 Summary Costs and efficiencies Page 5 Page 23 Overall conclusions Managing finances Page 6 Page 24 Part 1. Context Managing the workforce Page 8 Page 25 Police authorities and joint police Managing assets and other boards resources Page 27 Police forces Page 9 Part 4. Service performance Page 29 The tripartite arrangements and police authorities’ leadership role Crime levels Page 30 Police reform Page 11 Detecting crime Page 32 Part 2. Governance and management Fear of crime Page 13 Page 33 Vision and strategic direction Satisfaction with policing Page 34 Police authority governance arrangements Part 5. Future considerations Page 14 Page 36 Community engagement Appendix 1. Checklist for members Page 16 of existing police authorities Page 38 Partnership working Page 17 Appendix 2. Key issues for the Police Service of Scotland, the Performance management and Scottish Police Authority and local continuous improvement authorities to consider under new Page 18 policing arrangements Page 40 Equality and diversity Page 19 Sustainability Page 20 2 Introduction Introduction 3 1. This joint report is made by the • be organised to deliver these 6. The programme of audits/ Accounts Commission under Section priorities inspections was completed in 2012, 97A of the Local Government as shown in Exhibit 1. (Scotland) Act 1973 and by Her • meet, and clearly demonstrate Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary that it is meeting, the community’s 7. Over and above the Best Value for Scotland (HMICS) under Section needs audit and inspection programme, 33 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967. in October 2010, Audit Scotland • operate in a way that drives published a report on the Scottish 2. The Local Government in Scotland continuous improvement in all its Police Services Authority (SPSA). Act 2003 introduced statutory duties activities. While the role of the SPSA has been relating to Best Value and Community outwith the remit of the joint audits/ Planning. Its provisions apply to 5. In 2009, the Accounts Commission inspections, this report provides local authorities, including police and HMICS began a programme useful contextual information when authorities, and require specifically of joint audits and inspections to considering the future of police that: examine how well the eight Scottish services under the Police Service of forces and police authorities were Scotland from April 2013. • councils and police authorities delivering best value. The joint audits/ secure best value (defined as inspections included a corporate 8. This national overview summarises achieving continuous improvement assessment of police authorities our findings from local reports and in the performance of functions) and forces that examined a number supplements them with commentary of key issues including: vision and on other policing issues at a • police authorities and chief strategic direction; governance and national level. In 2011, the Scottish constables participate in the accountability; partnership working Government decided on a national community planning process. and community engagement; approach to policing. From April 2013 performance management and two new bodies will be established: 3. The 2003 Act is supported by more improvement; use of resources; the Scottish Police Authority and the detailed statutory guidance on Best equalities; and sustainability. They Police Service of Scotland. These Value and Community Planning. Along also included a performance replace the eight current police forces with the act, this guidance indicates assessment for each force. and authorities and, as described that a successful police authority will: • work in tandem with the chief constable to develop a clear set Exhibit 1 of priorities that respond to the Publication of joint Best Value audit and inspection reports needs of the community in both the short and longer term Police authority/force Date of publication • be organised to support the delivery of these priorities Tayside Police and Tayside Joint Police Board December 2009 Northern Constabulary and Northern Joint Police April 2010 • meet, and clearly demonstrate Board that it is meeting, the community’s needs Grampian Police and Grampian Joint Police Board February 2011 Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Police Authority July 2011 • operate in a way that drives continuous improvement in all Lothian and Borders Police and Police Board December 2011 its activities. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary and Police June 2012 4. Similarly, a successful police Authority force will: Central Scotland Police and Central Scotland Joint July 2012 Police Board • work with its partners and the police authority/police authorities Fife Constabulary and Fife Police Authority September 2012 to develop a clear set of priorities Strathclyde Police Authority (follow-up report) September 2012 that respond to the needs of the community in both the short and longer term Source: Audit Scotland and HMICS 4 later in this report, this will mean a different role for local authorities in the delivery of local policing. The strengths, weaknesses and examples of good practice identified in this overview report can help inform subsequent developments in governance and management arrangements both locally and nationally. 9. The introduction of the new national arrangements for policing in Scotland from April 2013 will bring different audit and inspection arrangements. The inspection of policing services will remain with HMICS, but the responsibility for audit will be transferred from the Accounts Commission to the Auditor General for Scotland. 5 Summary 6 Overall conclusions 15. Police forces play an effective 19. Police forces have been improving role within local community planning the way they manage performance 10. Police forces and authorities play arrangements and work well with but need to identify more clearly a crucial role in helping to ensure the partners to deliver local outcomes. costs and value for money. The safety of their local communities and Police authorities, however, have performance information they provide have made an important contribution not been as effective in their role to police authorities typically lacks to reducing crime. of influencing local policing and the necessary information to fully partnership priorities and then support effective scrutiny, such as 11. The crime rate in Scotland is monitoring development and delivery. context and commentary, internal lower than in England and Wales comparisons across divisions, trends for most types of crime. However, 16. There are notable differences in over time and benchmarking against violent crime per head of population the cost of policing across Scotland’s national performance. Police authority is greater in Scotland than in England eight forces, but average costs are members, for their part, have been and Wales and elsewhere in Europe. below comparable policing costs in improving their scrutiny of police the rest of the UK. Police forces have performance but still do not provide 12. Though the overall level of sound systems of budget control, but an appropriate level of challenge to reported crime has been declining, lack an effective