Information

Welcome and introductions.

 

Attendees:

PFCC Danielle Stone (DS)

DPFCC Marianne Kimani (MK)

Jonny Bugg (JB)

Paul Fell (PF)

Vaughan Ashcroft (VA)

Louise Sheridan (LS)

A/CC Ivan Balhatchet (IB)

A/DCC Ash Tuckley (AT)

A/ACC Adam Ward (AW)

ACO Paul Bullen (PB)

Nick Alexander (NA)

 

• DS welcomed everyone to the meeting.

 

Previous minutes and action log

 Outstanding actions from the Action Log have been updated

 

 

Internal audit report

 

The Commissioner requires a report that outlines the internal audits for Northamptonshire Police from 2023/24.

The report should include the overall findings, any recommendations made and whether these are accepted by the Force.

Where this is the case, the report should include the progress made in relation to these and include projected completion timescales where not completed.

• The paper provided was taken as read with ACO Paul Bullen providing additional commentary.
• Some of the internal audits span all three organisations (The Core Financials audit) so there is some repetition.
• 10 audits have been completed with 41 recommendations.
• 27 recommendations have been completed and are closed, 9 have not reached their implementation date, 5 have passed the original implementation date and have been given a revised implementation date.
• If a completion date has slipped it is usually because the original date was too optimistic.
• The Force Assurance Board, chaired by ACO Bullen monitors’ progress.
• The Commissioner asked why the action relating to delays in Firearms Licensing was marked as closed adding that she is still receiving complaints from residents on this matter.
• The Chief Constable advised that the Force has completed a wholesale review of this department and made significant investment in it. As a result, the backlog has been significantly reduced; Whilst it is not perfect it is much better than it was.
• There was a discussion about the 16-week SLA and why it is not possible for all the necessary documentation to be submitted with the application.
• During the discussion DCC Tuckley updated that there are now 181 applications outside of the agreed SLA.
• There was a discussion on the cost of a licence. CC Balhatchet advised this is set via a National Framework.
• The Commissioner suggested that this might be a sensible area to lobby for change as the cost of the licence was low given the amount of checks that need to take place. (A fishing licence is more expensive)

Action – It was agreed that Firearms Licensing requires a more focussed update at a future problem-solving board. D/Supt Steve Watkin will be asked to present.

 

• There was a discussion about Business Continuity and Emergency Planning.
• The Commissioner asked how successful the annual testing plan is
• ACO Bullen confirmed all plans are within date and a test regime is in place.
• Gap analysis has identified that plans are department based but also need to be location based. A solution is being worked on.
• There was a discussion about vetting.
• The Chief Constable confirmed that the Force is now vetting above APP and is recommending this practice is adopted nationally.
• The Commissioner asked if the Chief Constable was happy with the report provided. He confirmed that he was and that the Force Assurance Board provide good oversight.
• The internal auditors are tasked to review areas where limited assurance is to be expected otherwise they are not being targeted properly. The areas are derived from local registers where assurance is sought.
• There was a discussion about Police account audits for 2023/24 which have now started.
• Nick Alexander advised that the 2021/22 and 2022/23 have still not been audited and signed off due to backlogs.

• This is a national issue which the Audit Commission are sighted on.
• Backstop dates to resolve payments for work that has been completed have moved following the election.

 

Assurance statement:

The Commissioner had the paper presented to her by ACO Bullen. She welcomed the report as she saw the importance of effective audit as a part of good governance.

The Commissioner asked for additional assurances in relation to matters pertaining to the timescales for firearms licensing applications and recognised the improvements that has been made but requested that the Chief Constable consider a case for any additional interventions that needed to be put into place in this are of business, starting with an assessment of what service level we are aiming to achieve.

The Commissioner asked whether the Chief Constable was satisfied with the processes in place to identify areas for internal audit, to receive the responses and oversee and manage the required improvements identified as a result. He confirmed that he was.

 

 

Public confidence and satisfaction

 

The Commissioner feels that trust and confidence in local policing goes to the heart of police legitimacy and policing by consent. The Commissioner has concerns over the levels of confidence in policing in the County as well as satisfaction levels with victims of crime.

As such she requests a report or presentation to the accountability board that outlines current positions and trends in relation to confidence levels where this data is available and victim satisfaction overall and relating to key specific categories of crime.

The report or presentation should also demonstrate the work that is in place and planned to improve on this area.

 

• The paper provided was taken as read with ACC Adam Ward providing additional commentary.
• An embedded presentation outlined in detail, the deep dive and triangulated findings.
• There was a discussion about PCSO recruitment.
• The Force has shifted away from closed recruitments and applications are now invited year-round. However, intakes are restricted to 6 monthly cohorts as training has to be delivered via an accredited person and entrants have to take an exam.
• Current establishment is 74. The establishment level is 81.

Action – PF to add recruitment and retention to a future problem-solving meeting.

 

• There was a discussion about the perceptions of young people as Cadets made up a large proportion of those surveyed gauge confidence levels.

• The Commissioner commented that this was quite a restricted group and that there were other youth forums and groups of young people not engaging.
• ACC Ward advised that he plans to do further work via IAGs and the youth IAG to work out ways to get them to work with us.
• The Commissioner recommended he consider also reaching out to the Free to Talk, adding that peer to peer interviews get a much better response.
• ACC Ward confirmed that Inspiration FM will be visiting as part of black history month.
• There was a discussion about the three key drivers to satisfaction: quality of service, feeling safe and police visibility.
• ACC Ward confirmed that the deep dive did not reveal anything that the Force was not already aware of but did confirm the direction of travel was correct.
• Trust and satisfaction levels are monitored by the Force Assurance Board.
• There was a discussion about how much community trust and confidence in policing is negatively impacted by council responsibilities such as lighting, maintenance of bushes and hedgerows, homelessness, and litter.
• None of these issues have primacy with the police but impact on people’s perceptions of feeling unsafe.
• ACC Ward advised that part of the planned ‘weeks of action’ remit is to conduct environmental audits with partner agencies.
• Rushden and Raunds for example have low crime rates but perception of crime is high.
• There was a discussion about the Force response to the recent planned protests/riots.
• The Commissioner had received very positive feedback from the communities affected and thanked the Chief Constable for how this was managed.
• There was a discussion on Trust and Legitimacy – why do the public think we might, could, should or will do a good job.
• If they do call us, confidence and satisfaction comes from how did we do. Did we meet their (realistic) expectations or did we let them down at the first hurdle.
• ACC Ward advised that two large Force Open Days are planned next year to help build trust and confidence, particularly in communities where confidence is low.

 

Assurance statement:

 

The Commissioner on having the paper presented to her made the point that improving satisfaction with victims and trust and confidence in policing locally were extremely important to her and aspects of her work and role as PFCC, hence her interest in receiving a number of briefings on this matter since her appointment.

There was a discussion here the Commissioner challenged the Chief Constable over the manner in which young people were engaged in consultation and offered to assist in any future requirements.

The Commissioner recognised that there was a plan in place to improve performance I these areas and awaited the results of the current and future planned interventions and actions.

 

 

AOB

 No further business was raised