national conference for senior women in policing new dawns, new horizons – women shaping the...

National Conference for Senior Women in PolicingNew Dawns, New Horizons – Women Shaping the future

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Contents

Approach 3Hierarchy of Issues 4

Investment in training, development, recruitment and retention5

Selection and development of right leaders 6Understanding and meeting needs of community 7Level playing field for women 8Performance measures impacting behaviour and culture 9Work life balance 10Financial constraints impact delivery and development 11Awareness and understanding of NIM and analyst role 12Clarity and consistency of vision for policing 13Improvement in practices and processes 14Effective engagement with partners 15Cultural change to reflect diversity 16

Proposed actions 17Next Steps 24


Approach

A key objective of the conference was to get the delegates views and inputs into ‘shaping the future’. To

support this, Enzyme International were engaged to provide an interactive structure and framework

enabling all delegates to consider and identify the key issues, challenges and success factors impacting

the future for

‘Women in Policing’ and

‘Delivering the best service for women in communities’

To stimulate ideas and consider all perspectives delegates attended a number of workshops dealing with

policing or personal development issues, were provided with a wealth of information from the various

seminar topics and along with their existing knowledge and experience they identified, discussed,

prioritised and ranked the key issues, challenges and success factors. The affinity diagram method was

then used to combine and synthesise associated ideas to generate the list of key issues.

Outputs from all the workshops sessions were consolidated to provide an overall view of the key issues

and challenges, in order of importance, with the top 12 included in the Hierarchy of Issues chart. The

most important issue was normalised to 100% and all others were shown as a percentage of this.

For each of the themes identified, the details of the key contributing issues, challenges and success

factors are included along with verbatim quotes. As can be seen the various issues are not mutually

exclusive and there are a number of underlying factors that underpin many these issues. So, by focusing

on those actions required to reduce / remove the most important issues will also have an impact on those

Issues of lesser importance.


Hierarchy of Issues


Investment in training, recruitment, retention and development

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsProvide development opportunities tailored to the needs of the individual

Recognise skills and abilities of all staff within organisation

Provide tomorrow’s leaders with the right tools, and create right environment for new and current leadersConstructive feedback culture to develop emotional intelligence and transformational leadership in staff

Ensure we are fit for purposeRight training, recruitment processes, placement of resources and deployment of staff / budget Recognise issues around training and awareness of managers, particularly health and employment issues

Provide meaningful objectives – PDRsRecruitment and retention of staff, getting the right people in the right place to do the job

People move on to quickly, high turnover of staff, lack of consistency and longevityWe need to recognise the importance of neighbourhood policing and make it a job people want to do and remain inLack of resources with skills and knowledge, funding required to influenceRecognition, recruitment and professionalising specialist roles i.e. analystsCareer opportunities

Review HR policy and practiceHealth & Safety, estate planning, retention and profile of workforce

Quotes“No clear planning on a personal basis”“We invest in police training and then lost to other roles”“Make it a job people want to do!”“Financial and budgetary constraints, prevent development of levels”“Need to consider women (with children) and availability to do extended training” “Tailor made mentoring”


Selection and development of right leaders

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsLeadership selection needs a fundamental review

Selection not electionEffective selection for promotion (every promotion)Ensure right people with appropriate skills to deliverPromote correct leadersRemove stereo - types

Need to develop leadership styles For police staff and officersValue and embrace all stylesMay need transactional style in operational environment but need transformational when appropriate

Training in transformational leadership needs to start early – sergeants and frontline staff need to be aware Motivate prospective leaders

Leadership skills to be given to middle managers and police leaders

HPDS is self selecting – organisation should look for leaders headhunt and groomTransformational leadership principles to be embedded at most senior levels and throughout ranks

Help manage change and remain positive and inspirational

Response to service failures is to ‘blame’ failure in police leadership - how do we climb back up credibility ladder?

Quotes“Women leaders are quite a novelty”“Create the leadership environment”“At some stage we have to change the top down position”“Thought working hard would lead to promotion, it doesn’t”“Being women challenges authority”“Supporting transformational leadership skills”


Understanding and meeting the needs and expectations of the community

Issues, Challenges, Success Factors

Hearing and responding to the voice of women in communities and their needs Dealing with and managing increasing expectations by communities, local politicians and partners

promise of citizen focuspublic confidence

Getting the balance right Communication internally and externally to maintain credibility, honesty, integrity and openness with community and staff

create an understanding of current police role / partnership

Really listening and understanding community needs and what really matters to themtrue definition of ‘communities’ identify real representativesdefine what service we and the public needbalance priorities are we only making contact with communities we are comfortable dealing with?

Over promising and under delivering – we don’t have the infrastructure in place so we can’t deliver and then lose public confidence We need neighbourhood champions Ring fence neighbourhood resources Joined up thinking and accountability across partner organisations to deliver

Quotes

“ Establish a vision which anticipates the future requirements”

“ Inspire a climate of trust to address critical community issues”

“ Redefine what policing is all about – serving public consensus”

“ Bring the rest of the service on board with neighbourhood policing”

“ Honesty with public about services & response”


Level playing field for women

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsAchieving consensus and support from those who will be most affected (white, middle aged male colleagues)Fairness must be maintainedLack of staff development and support for progression of women

Support framework for managers to support women in workplaceEnsure critical mass of female support staff at all levels – including executive

Ensure equality for staff in specialist roles as well as generic roles Under representation in roles and ranks and grades in relation to critical massBalance the needs of individual with the needs of the organisation

External marketing to change cultural perceptionsMinority group

Public and police understanding of the role of women needs to be aligned to address barriers vertically / laterally Challenge selection processes

Criteria for selection is historically set by menLack of influence on strategy became under represented

Challenge internal culturesChanging mindset

‘jobs for the boys’

Quotes

“Challenge internal cultures – ‘Jobs for the boys’”

“Encourage more women at PC / PS level to go for it”

“Criteria for selection set by men”

“Gender equality not just a tick box”

“Balance the needs of the individual to ensure equality”


Performance Measures Impacting behaviour and culture

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsPerformance measures Quantity vs. QualityEncourages task focus and hence transactional leadershipWe need government driven KPIs linked to citizen focus agenda

Bridge the gap between performance culture and meeting needs of communities

Move from performance measures to meaningful service provision and customer satisfactionCustomer satisfaction v detection ratesWe are not always driven in right directionPerformance measures and accountability over people

Need joined up, streamlined performance management to unite staff in a common vision Currently too many, not relevant to measuring neighbourhood policing

Clarity and investment of our ethical value within a performance cultureMeasurements and accountability must remain but be expanded to reflect wide variety of services based on NHP Need to identify what culture the police service wants

Quotes

“Huge ethical issue on performance destroying operational command units to hit targets”

“The stress to achieve performance targets is such that some ACPO are reverting to ‘blame culture’, not all are following

the values they signed up to on the SCC”

“ Performance demands too great & hindering progression of women”

“ We are too results driven”

“Performance demands are so great diversity will be lost”

“What does success look like?”


Work Life balance

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsFlexible working on the agenda

home working, part time working

Impact on operational productivity e.g. flexible rotas, work life balanceManaging workloads - long hours culture, prioritising the priorities, constant change

Work life balance v performance culture

Dealing with ‘caring’ issues children and elderly parentsofficers dealing with aging community

Get the gender agenda on HMIC radarMake sure the assessment of forces gender equality strategies don’t become a ‘tick box’ in forces with white male transactional command teams

Consider staff postings, frequent moves without reference to home circumstances – affects child care arrangements

Review leave allocation and sick leave (Australia 9 weeks leave) Raise awareness of women’s health issues

female managers to supporthow big is the issue?

Quotes

“We need the right gender and quality strategies – health and family issues”

“You make it hard to prove you can do it”

“ Create a culture where women can be open”

“ Raise awareness of women’s health issues”


Financial Constraints impact Delivery andDevelopment

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsService delivery vs. sustainability with demand growth and budget cutsIncreasing demand vs. fiscal constraintsRemaining positive and being transformational on the back of decreases in funding and resourcesLack of resources – money, time, people – what are our priorities?Budgetary constraints

Budgetary constraints must not allow creative use of resources, leadership and development opportunities for women Reduced public expenditure, reduced staff, business process reengineering

Lack of finances to change working environment and make physical changes to stationsKeeping pace with technology

Quotes

“Doing more with less money!”

“No blame culture is so important, we must work ethically. Is that sustainable when we face budgetary cuts?”

“Need to ensure financial constraints don’t stifle creativity”

“Getting more out of less whilst trying to keep commitment and motivation”

“We must have clarity of strategic direction so we know what to spend a diminishing budget on”


Awareness and understanding of NIM andanalyst role

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsNeed improved awareness of NIM

Effective commissioning of analysts “feeding the NIM”

More interaction with Tasking & Co-ordination Group (TCG) meeting members and partners

Lack of resources to enforce TCG recommendations

Lack of understanding of the role of the analyst from some members of senior management

Need education and understanding of analyst roleLack of management understanding of analyst capabilities – need re-educating

Need to know their capabilities and so what to ask for

Critical for our partners to understand NIM

Ongoing training and development for analysts and their managers

Keep staff up to date with research and latest development

Analysts to market the analysis role

Quotes

“Time is critical – need time to do the analysis and react appropriately”

“Management need to understand the analysis”

“What information can you give me?”

“Tasking as a consequence of descriptive rather than analytical information does not tackle problem!”


Clarity and consistency of vision for policing

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsStrategic direction of police service unclear

What is it ?

What are our priorities?

Determine what our business is and what our customers want and expect – “true vision” of policingCitizen focus is an organisation mindset, no real true idea of what this means

Clear direction and clarity of purpose individually and for the serviceWith a performance framework that reflects it

Fairness and equality is business as usual with no need to explain or market it

Realistic strategy for reformWhen? how? Recognise we need one

Quotes

“What do we want and how do we achieve it?”

“We must define direction of travel and have a collective vision”

“Richard Branson or Oprah Winfrey for Chief Executive of Policing - could they be?”

“Having recently not merged, what is the future of policing and where are our leaders taking us?”


Improvement and innovation in practices and processes

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsLack of flexibility and innovating in working practices

Embrace and support individuality

Rigid working practices (training, on call duties)Proactively challenge

Have confidence to challenge and hang on to your values

Evaluate best practiceAnalysis product

Include analysis within action plan, and ensure plan is revisitedMove forward from descriptive work to analysis – culture does not support

Quotes

“ Fundamental flaw is not being able to spend long periods on a command course with a small family, it’s not just child

care it’s other challenges at the same time to get on courses“

“ We talk a lot but we’re not very radical when we get back to work”


Effective engagement with partners

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsEffective engagement with partners and public to deliver service together

Complex communitiesPartnerships working in a way that ensures communities have a voice and influence

Collaboration of servicesShared practice, systems and experiences to prevent duplication and facilitate best working

Consultation process across agencies

Improved partnership protocols joint training

Secure meaningful relationships that deliver mutually beneficial outcomes, particularly in light of collaboration agenda

Policy review – longer term partnership responsibility and accountability

Challenge of public sector reformLocal level / local delivery

Quotes

“Look for areas of mutual interest in partnership working, i.e. health”

“We need to share information with partner agencies”


Cultural change to reflect diversity

Issues, Challenges, Success FactorsWorkforce to reflect diverse nature of communities we police at all levels

Policing diverse communitiesBeing cognisant of changes in community profiles and be able to understand and police them

Diversity as core business, no longer on agenda50 : 50 balance of male female staff across all areas of the organisationInstigating culture fit for 21st centuryLack of practical information to assist senior managers in dealing with diversity issuesQuestioning to be seen as positive not a weakness

Quotes

“Paying lip service to diversity, need to mainstream as a pervasive aspect of what we do”

“Challenge what we think we know – we have diversity action plans but we still stereotype”

“Need a culture where it’s ok to say ‘No’”


Actions

It was agreed that the group should focus on the three key areas detailed below. Delegates were spilt into three groups and each group asked to consider actions to address one of the issues

1) Getting the Right Leaders

Career Development – Investment in training & development and Selection and

development of the right leaders

2) Productivity - The Impact of performance measures– how do we deliver what the

public want and are accountable for what we deliver whilst ensuring we have a

healthy performance culture

3) Understanding the needs of communities/citizens – particularly women


Actions - Career Development

Defined career path, structure and planning If field is crime why place in communitiesTake risks but be supported to deliver

Personalise development, have a learning log all the way throughInclude development in role, may not be training but developing as an individualNeed more holistic approach, self awareness, continuous developmentTraining for civilians to include ‘policing’ element to integrate them effectively into organisation

Need to change culture of viewing training as an ‘abstraction’ rather than an ‘investment’Stop seeing training as something done to people, staff to take responsibility for their own development develop self initiated learning cultureMove away from drip feeding

Training departments to be supported by BCUs to show impact on performance and demonstrate return on investment

Review promotions policy and ensure transparency, fairness and equalityRemove real perceived ideas of ‘jobs for the boys’Involve others in the process, including external and police staffLook at all other roles in the middle

Review and fundamentally change the process for recruitment, selection and progressionIdentify individuals and develop them early on – effective ‘talent spotting-Does the same process = same type of leader being selected?Buy in the best leaders like private businessBring in consultants to review and shake up processLittle new or innovative thinking at the top as leaders are institutionalised and staid in their thinking

Review succession planning


Actions – Career Development (2)

Give women (staff and officers) opportunity to sit with professionals / career development adviser Too much luck identifying the best leaders, usually those that are best at selling themselves

Chosen one syndrome

Identify coaching and mentoring to support

Women tend to be less effective at planning careers due to confidence

Introduce structured mentoring scheme

Work life balance – flexibility and more flexible delivery options

Enhance accessibility and availability of trainingFlexibility for caring responsibilities and how the training is delivered and view that – “if I haven’t sat in a classroom I haven’t been trained”

National approach, not local to each force

Centrex Senior Leadership Development Modules do not start at a low enough level, leadership for all required at all levels

Introduce women’s champion for each force to drive women’s development

Connectivity between ACPO view of training and link to performance


Actions - Productivity

Empower staff to get back and police communities

Reward good community policingPerformance cannot always be quantified in statistical terms, officers performing but current practices don’t allow this to be captured Develop framework of indicators that enable community policing contributions to be visible

Create a healthy performance culture which is supportive and developmental aligned to what public want which allows ethical performance

National and local priorities to be distinct Funding should not be determined by meeting policiesTrue story! Force X has 3000 street robberies, reduces to 2000 = best performing force. Force Y has 4 street robberies increased to 6 = worst performing force, where would you want to live?

Needs of the community to drive government targetsWhat do public really want?Obtain feedback from public and internallyReally LISTEN and RESPOND Identify gaps that exist with public expectations and service delivery and agree service standardsConsider market segmentation

Define and describe success – political or community successNeed wider view of the communities If we were successful what would be working well – staff supported, public receive service they want, look at things that workWhen public say ‘For me that was a great experience’ – only measure of success Success should reflect values about quality and customer satisfaction, not just crime reductionWhen career success relies on figures only, quality and customer satisfaction gets undervalued

Consider the messages we give to community90% = poor police force, 92% = good – public know they are being police by a poor force


Actions – Productivity (2)

Introduce externally accountable performanceRecognise we need help from external body to identify what we should be delivering, how it can be measured and put measures in place

Measurement should be across all different partners / agencies

Productivity to be relevant and evidence basedKPIs linked to citizen focus service delivery

AccountabilityOfficers tenure is too short to be held accountable, which is at odds with development journals and evidence accepted for promotion and selection

Move away from senior micro management Empower staff and trust them to deliverFocus on positives, not always the negatives

Transparent processes and structures to enable communication, monitoring, and scrutinising to improve service delivery

Marketing to demonstrate the ‘fit’ of all elements of policing servicesDon’t isolate one part – synergistic approach NHP – response - terrorism


Actions – Understanding the needs of communities / citizens

Identify and define our communitiesWe haven’t got a grip on defining people in communities;How do we identify those hard to get to groups?

Set our objectives at the beginning and honestly say did we engage?We never ask difficult questions

We need to be much more imaginative about how we access informationEveryone rushing off to engage communitiesHow do we get hold of some of the communities i.e. working girls?Contact with fail to reach groups – attend doctors surgeries, supermarkets etcAd hoc community polling – turn up to colleges, mother and toddler groups etc and avoid self selection Engage more with youth Continuous process Joint approach with partners rather than single agency approach

‘Self owned’ focus groups to capture ‘what women want in communities’Facilitated from within, owning their data and potential solutions Currently outsourcing the role of getting information from communities to partnerships and creating a problem for ourselves

We need to use the information we currently have, sometimes we don’t listen or when we do, do anything with what we hear

User satisfaction, consultationsstereotyping

Understand what communities and women in communities really needOnce we know the needs of communities, be realistic about what we should deliver and can deliverWhat is someone else’s responsibility

Systems to collate and analyse information from customers – particularly hard to reach groupsPCSOs, websites, local authority crime surveys, immigrants


Actions – Understanding the needs ofcommunities / citizens (2)

Develop culture to recognise the individual needs of all individuals and that we diligently address them Ensure all front line staff know the consequences of their interactions

Not just consulting – need a feedback processFeedback and feedback again - good news / bad news / honest news

Two way communication identified and aligned at an understandable level

Thank you letters for witnesses so they feel valued

Develop ‘follow through’Did it work? Has it made a difference to your life?

Communicate with all staff about community needsBetter use of neighbourhood teams

Everyone has a responsibility


Next Steps

Consolidate the actions from each of the key areas, paying particular attention to duplications i.e. understanding needs of the customers and developing appropriate measures

Consider any other actions / initiatives that may be underway or being proposed and determine actions / initiatives to progress

Develop an overall plan of activities and allocate ownership, responsibilities and working parties where appropriate

Set up two way communication forums to report and receive progress etc for local and central initiatives

national conference for senior women in policing new dawns, new horizons – women shaping the...

Documents

various issues

important issues

key contributing issues

list of key issues

personal development

hierarchy of issues

copyright enzyme international

issues of lesser importance