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Leicestershire PEEL 2014

Efficiency

How well the force delivers value for money

Last updated 12/11/2014
Good

 

Leicestershire Police has made good progress in its response to the spending review challenge, and continues to develop its plans to address the future while protecting its communities.

Leicestershire is on track to achieve its required savings of £36.1m over this spending review period. Achieving these savings depends on the future success of the force’s change programme, the implementation of the new operating model, increased collaboration, and making processes more cost-effective.

In 2015/16 and 2016/17, the plans to address the budget gap are based on further modernisation, leading to further reductions in the workforce, a continued decrease in the size of the estate, additional savings from the centralisation of budgets, and expanding upon potential collaboration opportunities.

The force has a strong track record of achieving significant savings from its non-pay costs and investing these in the provision of frontline policing. It uses robust workforce modelling, supported by good governance, to ensure that planned changes are made appropriately, and that associated savings are achieved.

Leicestershire has put in place a more sustainable approach to making savings which includes moving to a model of policing based on affordable workforce numbers. The force understands the issues it faces, and is achieving the required savings today while planning for the future.

Questions for Efficiency

1

To what extent is the force efficient?

Good

Leicestershire Police makes effective use of a range of methods to understand the demand placed on its services and the consequences of that demand. The force’s intelligent use of this information is vital for the successful implementation of the new operating model.

The force has flexibility and agility in moving resources to address new and emerging threats. Crime has reduced over the spending review period and victim satisfaction is in line with other forces in England and Wales. The proportion of staff retained in visible roles on the front line is indicative of a force with efficient business support functions.

 

2

To what extent is the force taking steps to ensure a secure financial position for the short and long term?

Good

Leicestershire Police has clear plans in place to achieve all of the £10.4m savings needed in 2014/15, including the use of reserves. The force is finalising its plans to meet its savings requirement in 2015/16. Projected savings depend on the future success of the force’s change programme, the implementation of the new operating model, increased collaboration, and making processes such as prisoner handling more cost effective. The force has a good track record of achieving the savings it has planned to make. The force has focused on achieving much of its savings requirement through collaboration and non-pay to reduce the impact on its workforce.

 

3

To what extent has the force got an affordable way of providing policing?

Good

Leicestershire Police provides local policing in 65 neighbourhood areas through 15 local policing units; it is planning a new way of working with more efficient processes and fewer premises. The force gains a high level of savings from collaboration in comparison to other forces in England and Wales. The proportion of police officers planned to work in front line roles exceeds the average for other forces. The well-established change programme contributes considerably to meeting the savings requirement. Collaboration with other forces, year-on-year non-pay savings, and the redesign of local policing are all aimed at assuring the force’s future.