North Yorkshire Police: PEEL cause of concern letter

Letter information

From:
Michelle Skeer OBE QPM
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary
His Majesty’s Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services

To:
Lisa Winward
Chief Constable, North Yorkshire Police

Sent on:
6 December 2023

Background

Between 3 and 15 October 2022, we inspected North Yorkshire Police as part of our police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy (PEEL) programme. During our inspection, we identified a cause of concern, in which we said that North Yorkshire Police doesn’t have adequate governance in place.

On 17 March 2023, we published this cause of concern in our 2021–22 PEEL assessment of North Yorkshire Police.

Strategic planning, organisational management and value for money

In our inspection, we found that the force didn’t have adequate governance. This meant that the force’s approach to strategic planning, organisational management and value for money was inadequate.

We recommended that the force should:

• make sure that senior leaders have effective oversight of the force’s enabling services and the current challenges associated with capability;
• develop an effective workforce plan so it can provide a service that meets the policing needs of the community, now and in the future; and
• develop and align departmental operational and strategic plans that are informed by accurate information and a detailed performance framework.

Progress review of identified cause of concern

During our revisit on 13 July 2023, we reviewed progress against the identified cause of concern. We interviewed officers and staff throughout the force, observed force meetings and reviewed a range of documents and data. A summary of our findings for each of the recommendations is detailed below.

The force should make sure that senior leaders have effective oversight of the force’s enabling services and the current challenges associated with capability

In October 2022, we identified that the force had inadequate organisational governance. This meant that senior leaders weren’t aware of how the force was performing.

The force’s approach to performance management and its governance framework has improved.

Its enabling services (such as HR, IT, vehicle fleet management, estate management and business insight), which are shared with the fire service, have been restructured. The role of managing director has been replaced by an assistant chief officer who reports directly to the deputy chief constable and the deputy chief fire officer. This is to clarify accountability between the police and fire and rescue services.

In late 2023, a review of these enabling services is scheduled to take place. This review will help to decide the future approach of these enabling services. It will build on the changes made since our visit in October 2022, including the decision to change the model for the business design and assurance function. This should make sure that enabling services focus on police-related needs.

The force should develop an effective workforce plan so it can provide a service that meets the policing needs of the community, now and in the future

The force has improved how it manages its workforce planning since our last inspection. It has developed a workforce plan, which has improved its understanding of vacancies and the skills needed to provide its services.

The force has developed a recruitment plan to predict the needs of its workforce. It has recruited extra officers and staff in areas where demand was creating pressure on the workforce. This means that the force can continue to provide effective policing services.

The force has also introduced a vacancy meeting to decide how to recruit and prioritise roles. This is designed to make sure that resources are aligned to high-risk areas. This process prevents officers and staff being moved from higher-risk roles to other lower‑risk areas to fill vacancies.

Strategic boards consider requests for increased resources, and posts are reallocated based on the force’s priorities. The force uses its force management statement to help predict future demand.

The force has reviewed its investigation structure. It has increased the number of investigator posts from 107 to 148. The force is dividing these posts between the criminal investigation department and a new safeguarding investigation team.

The force has also increased the availability of training sessions. This will make sure it can support the development of the increased number of investigative staff.

The force should develop and align departmental operational and strategic plans that are informed by accurate information and a detailed performance framework

The force has developed a ‘plan on a page’, which is the link between the commissioner’s crime plan and the strategic and operational priorities of the force. This is used to develop local plans that make sure the force’s activities achieve its priorities.

Chief officers have led sessions to raise awareness of the plan on a page in their workforce. This has given officers and staff the opportunity to ask questions and to see how their activities contribute to the force’s priorities.

The force has improved how it presents its performance data, which is used to inform strategic and operational decision-making. It has also improved its understanding of the demands it faces and its ability to align resources accordingly. The force has moved resources from lower-risk positions to areas identified as being of greater need.

The new governance structure provides a greater insight into how the force is managed. And it has helped the monthly improvement board, chaired by the chief constable, to quickly improve policing services.

Conclusion

I am pleased to see the significant steps that the force has taken to address the cause of concern we issued. The strengthened governance and improved understanding of its performance is improving the service it provides to the public. We saw evidence that these improvements are sustainable and that senior leaders will continue to manage them.

The force recognises that there is still more work to do, particularly in refining the structure of its shared enabling services. However, the steps taken since our last inspection reassure us that these services and how they are overseen have improved.

The force has improved its workforce planning so it can fill vacancies with skilled officers and staff. We can already see the benefit of this approach in the control room and the improved speed at which the force is answering calls from the public.

We recognise the considerable work that the force has done to support these improvements. As a result, we now consider this cause of concern to be discharged. We will, however, continue to monitor the force’s progress through our PEEL continuous assessment.

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North Yorkshire Police: PEEL cause of concern