Northamptonshire PEEL 2015

The force does not fully understand the demand on its services, it recognises that it needs to improve the way it manages demand to make best use of police time. It is now taking steps to do so.

The force has undertaken limited analysis to evaluate whether the allocation of resources to different areas of the force is appropriate. It is encouraging that the force has undertaken activity analysis to inform its approach to resource allocation; however it needs to consider the accuracy of the information collected.

While the force has started to assess the impact of demand from other public sector organisations, it has yet to work closely with them jointly to reduce this demand.

The force does not have a detailed understanding of the relationship between service outcomes and costs, making it difficult for the force to be certain that its services are providing value for money. The force needs to consider how it can work better to reduce violent crime offences.

The force has demonstrated a keen commitment to working collaboratively. It has strongly established joint operational working with other services across Northamptonshire and with police forces across the East Midlands.

Northamptonshire Police has reduced its overall workforce by a greater proportion than average for the forces in England and Wales. Its limited understanding of its demand means that it cannot be clear that its current workforce model efficiently matches demand.

The force has projected workforce reductions required to balance its budget over the next four years. However, it is unable to assess the impact of the planned reductions as it does not understand future demand. It needs to develop a future workforce model and is trialling new approaches to local policing. The force faces a challenge in ensuring it can develop a more efficient and modernised workforce, with the right skills across its different elements, while also sustaining police officer numbers at 1,220.

The force needs to ensure the rapid increase in special constables is supported by the provision of training and appropriate supervision.

The force has started to look at a more sophisticated resource allocation model so that it can plan for a sustainable workforce in the future. However, without a better understanding of current and future demand, the force is not yet able to make fully informed decisions and without this, it cannot evaluate the impact of planned staff cuts on its ability to maintain resilient policing and achieve the police and crime priorities.

The force has achieved its total savings requirement of £22.9m over the last spending review period and has achieved an annual underspend in doing so.

The force collaborates positively and constructively with other forces in the East Midlands and with Cheshire Constabulary. These enable the force to build resilience and work more efficiently, though the business services collaboration has not delivered expected savings this financial year meaning short-term additional savings have had to be identified. Successful bids for funding through the Police Innovation Fund have, among other benefits, enabled the force to invest in mobile technology.

The force’s financial plans have been developed in conjunction with the office of the Northamptonshire police and crime commissioner (OPCC). This has helped ensure that the plans reflect the police and crime commissioner’s (PCC’s) key objectives and pledges.

The force has reduced its police officer numbers by less than the England and Wales average, while increasing its percentage of frontline officers. The force predicts that it will reduce its spending sufficiently to match its budget each year until 2019/20, using only a small amount of its reserves to bridge the gap. However, the plans for how these savings are to be made are at the very early stages of their development and there are a number of areas where there can be as yet limited confidence that they can be achieved.