Nottinghamshire PEEL 2017

Nottinghamshire Police’s understanding of demand is improving. The force has a good understanding of current demand for its services, although this mostly relies on police-held data and lacks the breadth of understanding that would be achieved through a wider approach with other organisations, such as adult and child safeguarding services.

The force is developing a deeper understanding of hidden demand and those crimes which are less well-reported. It is noteworthy that all neighbourhood teams have proactive plans to build meaningful relationships with those who may have less confidence in the police. By contrast, however, the force’s understanding of how demand is affected is still under-developed, although it does demonstrate some commitment to manage and prioritise this well. The force filters demand, and plans to do so more, but it may be inadvertently suppressing demand.

The force is not always effective at identifying benefits achieved through change programmes and, although there are some good examples of evaluation, this is not routine practice. No formal arrangements to identify waste and inefficiencies are in place. However, in HMICFRS’ inspection, it was noted that the force had advanced plans in place to conduct annual departmental assessments, including opportunities to eliminate duplication and use demand modelling tools to improve efficiency. The workforce is encouraged to make suggestions and put forward ideas, and force leaders listen to these ideas.

The force now has a better understanding of the operational skills and capabilities of its workforce and is developing an assessment of the skills it needs for the future. It does not yet have a good understanding of the skills and capabilities of its leaders nor a defined plan to address any shortages. However, it has well-developed plans to complete a leadership skills audit which should greatly assist these gaps when it has been completed.

The force works well with others to manage local demand for services and continues to consider other options for further collaborative working. It is able to demonstrate that its collaboration with other forces increases resilience and capacity. Leaders continue to seek out new ideas, approaches and working practices from across the police service and further afield.

However, HMICFRS remains concerned that, although the force has continued to prioritise its services, this is only partly effective and there are times when demand outstrips available resources. The force has a priority-based budgeting exercise planned for the summer to provide a greater understanding of how well it uses its resources. Investment, particularly in ICT infrastructure, continues, although the force could do more to enable it to show the acquired or projected value from its investments.

The force is mostly effective at identifying and assessing emerging or likely future demand. Its work to understand better the nature and scale of hidden and under-reported crime across the force area is developing. It has a growing understanding of likely demand for its services, by considering public expectations, and by understanding how it can make the best use of changes in technology. It continues to consider and make plans for working with others in the future.

Although its financial plans, demand analysis, workforce plans and understanding of changing public expectations have not yet been reconciled, there has been progress since 2016 to make them more compatible. Progress has been particularly good in the quality and robustness of financial planning, and the force has a financial plan to ensure it can respond to the most pressing priorities which its communities are facing.

However, the force needs to make a persistent effort to achieve its targets. It needs to reduce its spending notably to invest in a new operating model, and this would require the force to make further substantial savings by 2020/21. The plans for achieving the savings are not yet fully formed, and its work planned for later in 2017 aims to establish credible and achievable plans even further. It is unclear how the force identifies and develops talented staff within its organisation, as it has no internal talent management programme, although it does support national schemes.