Gloucestershire Constabulary: PEEL Cause of Concern revisit letter

Letter information

From:
Wendy Williams CBE
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services

To:
Rod Hansen
Chief Constable Gloucestershire Constabulary

Cc:
Chris Nelson
Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner

Sent on:
20 September 2023

Background

Between 17 May and 11 June 2021, we inspected Gloucestershire Constabulary as part of our police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection. During our inspection, we identified five causes of concern in respect of:

• strategic planning, organisational management and value for money;
• crime recording;
• vulnerability;
• investigating crime; and
• call handling.

Strategic planning, organisational management and value for money

In our inspection, we found that the constabulary didn’t have adequate financial plans in place and it wasn’t managing its resources effectively.

We made the following recommendations, stating that the constabulary should:

• make sure it has enough capacity to manage its finances effectively and that its senior leaders exercise proper governance and oversight of financial management;
• develop a sustainable and affordable medium-term financial plan that will enable it to provide policing services that meet future demand, based on reasonable assumptions about future income and expenditure; and
• make sure that financial plans are aligned with workforce, IT, estates and other corporate plans, and that all are accurately informed by a sound understanding of likely future demands for its services.

In April 2023, we discharged this cause of concern. During our process of continuous assessment, we found that the constabulary increased capacity in its finance team. We also observed improved governance, with finances and budgeting playing a part in most strategic meetings both internally in the constabulary and with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

We also found that the planning and processes for the constabulary’s medium-term financial plan had improved. The constabulary had made clear links to its Police and Crime Plan and budget-forecasting and budget-setting processes. These considered likely future costs and future savings, as well as external factors such as inflation and general price and wage rises.

We could also see that the constabulary had taken steps to understand its current and future operational demands. And in doing so, it had designed a new operating model, which put the right officers and staff in the right places to deal with demand. We also saw that estate and IT needs had been built into its financial-planning process.

In summary, I am pleased with the improvement in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s strategic planning and organisational management, and how it achieves value for money. I am therefore able to discharge this cause of concern.

Crime recording

In our inspection, we found that Gloucestershire Constabulary was failing to consistently record domestic abuse, behavioural crimes and crimes linked to antisocial behaviour. This was significantly affecting the force’s crime-recording standards. And it meant that victims of domestic abuse, behavioural crimes and antisocial behaviour weren’t getting the service they have a right to expect and deserve.

We made the following recommendations, stating that Gloucestershire Constabulary should ensure that it is:

• recording all domestic abuse and behavioural crimes; and
• identifying and recording all crimes reported in incidents classified as antisocial behaviour.

We inspected the constabulary’s crime-recording standards once more in July 2023. At the time of our inspection, the constabulary was recording nearly all crimes well, and had made a highly impressive display of progress since our last audit.

As such, I am pleased with the improvement in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s crime recording. I am therefore able to discharge this cause of concern.

Vulnerability

During our inspection, we conducted a victim service assessment (VSA). This is an audit of the constabulary’s:

• call handling standards;
• initial response to victims;
• crime allocation arrangements;
• investigation standards; and
• the suitability of outcomes of investigations.

As a result of this VSA, we found that the constabulary’s call handlers didn’t use the THRIVE risk assessment effectively. We also found that they didn’t always identify and record repeat victims. This potentially puts victims at risk.

We made the following recommendations, stating that the constabulary should:

• put processes in place to make sure that call handlers risk assess and complete a victim needs assessment for every call;
• check systems to identify and record all repeat victims, and make sure that these victims receive a response that keeps them safe; and
• review and refresh training for call takers to help them assess the level of risk involved in a call, make effective decisions to manage risk and protect victims, and decide on an appropriate response; supervisors need to carry out regular audits to check this is being done.

As part of our assessment of the constabulary this year, we conducted a further VSA. This showed that the constabulary had significantly increased the use and quality of THRIVE assessments. We also found that, in nearly all cases we reviewed, the constabulary’s use of victim needs assessments meant that it was identifying most repeat victims.

The constabulary has introduced bespoke training for new staff with an in-house training facility, allowing students to mix classroom time with on-the-job experience. Feedback from these courses and the accompanying tutorship has been overwhelmingly positive.

In summary, I am pleased with the improvement in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s identification of vulnerability. I am therefore able to discharge this cause of concern.

Investigating crime

During our inspection, and as a result of our VSA, we found that the constabulary wasn’t able to manage its investigations effectively and investigate crime as well as it should. Too often, this affected the service it offered. The constabulary was missing opportunities to safeguard victims and secure evidence.

We made the following recommendations, stating the constabulary should:

• improve the effectiveness of its initial response to incidents;
• improve the effectiveness of its investigations;
• make sure senior officers effectively supervise crime investigations and standards;
• make sure all crimes are allocated quickly to investigators with the appropriate skills, accreditation and support; they will then be able to investigate them to a good standard, and promptly; and
• make sure each investigation fully complies with the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime.

In our further VSA in July 2023, we found the situation had significantly improved. The constabulary allocated investigations to appropriately skilled staff in nearly all cases we reviewed. Most of the investigations we examined were effective, and while the provision of investigation plans still needs to improve, the number of investigation plans in line with authorised professional practice guidance had considerably increased.

We also found that the constabulary had significantly improved how it adhered to the Victims’ Code of Practice. In nearly all cases we reviewed, we found that it had complied with victims’ wishes about how often they should be contacted.

While we will continue to scrutinise the constabulary’s management of investigations, it is clear the fundamental problems in respect of investigations have been met. The public of Gloucestershire can be reassured that the standards of investigation into matters they report to the constabulary, and the service they will receive as victims of crime, have greatly improved.

In summary, I am pleased with the improvement in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s investigation of crime. I am therefore able to discharge this cause of concern.

Call handling

During our inspection, we found that the constabulary wasn’t answering 999 calls quickly enough. Too many people who had called its 101 line had hung up before their calls were answered (known as ‘abandoned calls’). We found that the constabulary needed to review and monitor its call-taking capacity, capability and processes to help it better manage the calls it received.

We said that the constabulary should continue to review the way it answers calls from the public to reduce the time it takes to answer them and the number of calls that are abandoned.

The constabulary has made some progress in this area. In a recent visit to its force control room (FCR), we found that morale was good, and that there had been clear improvements to its infrastructure and working environment. The FCR has also recently benefited from recruiting more staff and is due to recruit more staff over the coming months; it is due to be fully staffed by January 2024. This will no doubt help the constabulary improve the way it answers calls from the public.

But the constabulary’s 999 performance still needs to improve. At the beginning of 2023, the constabulary was only answering 75 percent of 999 calls within 10 seconds. By July 2023, this figure had slightly reduced to 74.4 percent, and had been below this percentage for the previous months of the year.

The constabulary still needs to improve the percentage of 101 calls that are abandoned. An unacceptably high number of callers hang up before their calls are answered. The constabulary has told us that, in April 2023, 11,143 calls were abandoned, equating to 33.69 percent of all 101 calls. This had increased to 12,261 calls in August 2023, equating to 43.42 percent of all calls.

The prompt answering of 999 and 101 calls will remain a cause of concern, and we will continue to monitor progress during our forthcoming inspection.

Further monitoring

In conclusion, I am pleased that Gloucestershire Constabulary is continuing to make good progress since our PEEL inspection. I am satisfied that it has made sufficient progress to address concerns in relation to strategic planning, crime recording, vulnerability, and the investigation of crime.

Although the constabulary still has work to do in relation to call handling and answering 999 and 101 calls, I am reassured by the plans that you have put in place to continue this journey of improvement. However, please note that the force’s performance in this area is still a cause of concern and, as such, I will be closely monitoring performance. I would expect to see considerable improvements in this respect over the next six months.

We will continue to monitor the constabulary’s progress through our PEEL continuous assessment.

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Gloucestershire Constabulary: PEEL Cause of concern revisit letter