South Yorkshire PEEL 2016

Although South Yorkshire Police treats people with fairness and respect, it could do more to reassure itself it is obtaining feedback from all the communities it serves. The force understands the importance of treating people with fairness and respect and its FIRST principles (fairness, integrity, respect, standards and trust) are central to the force’s vision and values. Enabling fair and respectful treatment is also an important strand of the force’s monthly organisational business meeting, which focuses on how the force can improve its service to communities in South Yorkshire.

However, the recent change in the force’s operating model has led to a reduction in its involvement with many communities. This means that the force is not receiving the level of feedback that was apparent in our inspection last year. Centrally and in local districts we found good examples of specific engagement activities and the force has a substantial and active social media following. It does not, however, collate or analyse feedback from these and other areas to provide a complete picture of community experiences. The basis for change in force activities lacks substance, feedback to the public is limited and the force undertakes little analysis of whether the changes it makes are improving the treatment of the people it serves.

South Yorkshire Police acts effectively to ensure that its workforce behaves ethically and lawfully. The force clarifies and reinforces acceptable standards of behaviour. It has a good understanding of the risks to the integrity of the organisation, informed by intelligence from a wide range of sources. This intelligence is assessed and progressed appropriately by the anti-corruption unit. The force has systems to ensure that the integrity of the organisation and its workforce is not compromised by inappropriate business interests or associations. The force vets recruits effectively, but needs to ensure that the whole workforce is vetted to an appropriate standard in line with national guidance.

The force takes abuse of authority for sexual gain seriously when it is identified, but should do more to ensure it is gathering all the available intelligence about such behaviour.

South Yorkshire Police communicates effectively with the public: it advertises misconduct hearings and publishes the results of hearings on the internet. The force shares learning from misconduct cases internally through its PSD champions’ meeting, the intranet and internal publicity campaigns. Many staff receive this information from the force, but others are less clear about where to find it and rely on the media or information from colleagues.

In our 2016 national overview of police legitimacy, we recommended that all forces should have started to implement a plan to achieve the capability and capacity required to seek intelligence on potential abuse of position for sexual gain. In 2017, we reviewed of the plans put in place by all forces to in response to this recommendation.

Abuse of position assessment – South Yorkshire

The force needs to treat its workforce with greater fairness and respect. It uses a range of methods to assess how members of the workforce feel they are treated, but not frequently or consistently enough to gain a full understanding. The force’s last full workforce survey took place in 2014. The force told us that the response rate for the survey was 28 percent. Although this response rate is quite low, the force identified important issues, and involved officers and staff in working groups to develop solutions.

Recognising the importance of improving wellbeing, the force has developed a range of resources to support the workforce. However, some staff are unaware of the increased provision and many who were aware of it did not realise that it had been introduced in response to staff feedback. The new electronic PDR introduced to the force was also a response to concerns raised by the workforce. The new system is a forward-looking development and wellbeing tool, but at this early stage we cannot say that it ensures consistent and fair assessment and development.

Morale is an issue throughout the force; the command team recognises this and is working to alleviate the pressures on leave and rest days. It plans a further staff survey later this year.