North Yorkshire PEEL 2016

North Yorkshire Police has used a variety of methods, including consultation with local communities and the analysis of available information, to develop a very good understanding of the present level of the demand it faces. It also has a good understanding of likely potential future demand. The force is working on behalf of the police service nationally to develop the Nexus process, a systematic approach to understanding the complexity and effect of demand, in order that it can be managed more effectively. The process will include the ability to undertake predictive analysis.

The force has well established relationships with other public sector partners. It understands the limitations on its partners and how this might affect demand for its services. For example, the force is working with partners to tackle the root causes of problems to reduce repeat demands on services and it is working collaboratively with mental health professionals to provide more rapid interventions to people in crisis.

North Yorkshire Police makes good use of its resources to manage current demand.

At the strategic level the force uses its operating model to allocate available resources to force and national priorities, taking account of known and predicted levels of demand for police services. At the operational level, the force has embedded the THRIVE assessment process (threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability and engagement) in its control room and is extending its use to the front line.

The force has a scheduled programme of internal audit to evaluate change initiatives and uses its links with local universities to provide external academic rigour to the evaluations.
The force has a good understanding of the current skills and capabilities of its workforce and has mechanisms in place to manage the deployment of resources across the force; however, we found evidence that existing gaps in capability and capacity were having a negative effect on staff.

The force has a number of established arrangements for collaborative working and actively considers new opportunities for collaborating with others. It understands and can demonstrate the effectiveness or otherwise of joint working and collaboration and formally evaluates the effect of change projects to assess whether the expected benefits have been realised.

The force’s medium-term financial and people plans are well aligned with the analysis of demand undertaken to inform its operational policing model.

Governance arrangements are in place to enable management and monitoring of the finance and people plans. Internal and external audit is in place and both have a high level of confidence in the implementation of the force’s plans. The auditors found that the medium-term financial plan was based on reasonable, credible and evidenced assumptions.

The force has an affordability group which is chaired by the chief constable and oversees resourcing and investment decisions. By continuing to implement some savings identified in order to meet reduced budgets, the force has been able to maintain investment in priority areas.