Greater Manchester PEEL 2016

Greater Manchester Police has a very good understanding of the current demand for its services as a result of its work with the London School of Economics to understand the totality of the current demand it faces. The force is developing an understanding of potential future demand and is seeking to apply the same academic rigour to its understanding of new and emerging issues. It is conscious of the need to reduce inefficiencies and the unnecessary demand these create and has a systematic approach to streamlining systems and processes, for example the introduction of local resolution officers to reduce the number of incidents to which resources are deployed, although this lacked consistency across the force. Public services across Greater Manchester are committed to the concept of public service reform, through which the force has gained a detailed understanding of partner resources and how plans might be affected by future changes, including funding reductions in other agencies.

The force is also good in the way that it sets priorities and manages both its current use of resources and change. It has undertaken a range of significant reviews which have shaped its target operating model – how the force should be structured to remain viable and fit for purpose through to 2020 – and its local policing model. This was piloted and evaluated before being implemented in the wider force area and has led to closer integration of response, neighbourhood and investigative resources at a local level. The force has some understanding of the gaps it has in its workforce and has taken some steps to address them through recruitment and promotion. However the force’s understanding of the skills it needs is not yet comprehensive. The force has completed internal promotion processes for sergeant to inspector but has not sought to fill all posts with substantive appointments this year. This means that there are still officers serving on temporary promotion.

The force collaborates well with other police forces, although the focus across Greater Manchester is on collaboration between public services, through the public service reform agenda, to which the force and all other local public services are committed. Together they have ambitious plans for improving public services so they are integrated and designed to eradicate the shifting of demand from one agency to another and to make better use of reducing resources.

Greater Manchester Police is also planning very well for demand in the future. The force’s medium and long-term financial plans are linked directly to its target operating model. Following a better than expected budget settlement, the force has continued to identify savings, which it is then using to fund investment in line with the operating model, including additional substantial investment of £37m to replace outdated information technology and introduce mobile data to frontline staff.

Investment plans are credible and rest on evidence-based prudent assumptions. The force has planned savings through to 2020, which has allowed it to recommence recruitment to replace officers leaving the force and stop any further deterioration in officer numbers. The plan includes a range of contingencies in the event of future budget reductions. The force remains committed to further development of public service reform, together with all other public and emergency services and has recently committed to extending place-based integrated partnership working across all areas of Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police is a good force. HMIC has not identified any causes of concern and therefore has made no specific recommendations.