Agenda item

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

Those present considered a report of the Commissioner of Police, which outlined the Force’s Human Resources monitoring data for the six month period from 1 April 2013 to 30 September 2013.

Members and officers discussed the Force’s efforts to increase recruitment of BME police officers, including planned activities next year, which would target those groups currently under represented. The Chairman requested that in future, and it was agreed that in future reports the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and females in senior posts would be presented in more detail.

The Chairman noted there had been a decline in Specials and the Assistant Commissioner advised that Special Constabulary recruitment would be included with normal recruitment and would help increase the number of special constables in the future.

Members were advised that 55 recruitment campaigns had been completed. The Force conducted both internal and external recruitment, as well as specialist agency recruitment.

It was noted that staff numbers presented in the Work Force Management table did not include agency staff but would do in the future. The information relating to individuals leaving the Force would also include more year on year data in the future to ensure trends could be analysed.

In respect of departmental sickness absence management, it would also be analysed to include a breakdown by directorate and the Force was developing plans to improve management of cases of long term sickness.

The Chairman asked for some comparison data in future iterations of the report regarding working days lost. Members discussed that the rest of City Corporation could be used as a comparator and ideally, show a comparison with government as a body, and possibly some private sector comparisons. It could also be useful to have trend information on a Directorate basis going forward.

The proportion of females staff against the total workforce, which had remained over 50 percent, would be circulated for information as requested.