Cheshire PEEL 2015
Efficiency
How efficient is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?
How well does the force use its resources to meet its demand?
Cheshire Constabulary understands the demand it faces, informed by its strategic threat and risk assessment. It can identify areas of growing risk where the constabulary needs to invest more resources, and where current activity is appropriate to deal with predicted levels of harm.
The constabulary has systems and processes in place to identify its available resources and skills and ensure they are allocated where most needed. It is therefore able to match its resources to demand.
The constabulary has reviewed its internal processes to identify those creating unnecessary demand on its resources and those which are duplicated. This has identified process improvements, enabled the constabulary to implement changes and reduce demand. It is also working with its partners to better manage demand and provide an improved service to the public.
The constabulary has an established framework for monitoring and managing a wide range of performance issues, the progress and outcomes of the ongoing programme of change and to monitor expenditure and budget forecasts.
The constabulary has begun a number of new ways of working through collaboration with other forces and external partners. It is supported by a professional and progressive IT department, which develops products and services that meet the needs it has identified.
How sustainable and affordable is the workforce model?
Cheshire Constabulary’s workforce planning is closely linked with financial planning and budget building.
The constabulary has used the priority-based budgeting process to align its workforce with current demand, financial requirements and the organisational requirements of the police and crime plan. Rather than using this process simply as the means to achieve budget savings, the constabulary has identified choices in the level of service it provides through back office functions and has used the savings generated to reinvest in priority areas.
Cheshire undertakes detailed workforce planning monthly. This includes detailed succession and vacancy planning based on known and projected leavers and the identification and assessment of posts considered critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of the constabulary.
Cheshire also has plans to ensure that its workforce has the skills and abilities necessary to provide services that meet the needs of the community, the organisation and the individual.
The constabulary’s workforce model appears affordable and sustainable through to 2019/20.
How sustainable is the force’s financial position for the short and long term?
Cheshire Constabulary has achieved a balanced budget throughout the spending review period and has planned a balanced budget for 2015/16 which is not reliant on the use of reserves. Through the priority-based budgeting process the constabulary has been able to identify a number of opportunities to reinvest savings in support of its objectives and priorities.
The constabulary is effectively exploring many collaboration opportunities with other forces and partner agencies. It has been successful in securing additional funding to improve its mobile technology for police officers and to integrate public services around safeguarding and early intervention with complex families and domestic abuse victims.
The constabulary exercises strong financial control. Its savings tracker database provides a detailed understanding of where and when savings are achieved, along with projected future savings.
The financial plans reflect the objectives set out in the police and crime plan. The constabulary holds regular progress meetings with the police and crime commissioner and his office has continuous access to the savings tracker.
The constabulary has set out detailed financial plans, based on the annual priority-based budget process, which provides confidence that the constabulary can achieve the potential savings required through to 2019/20.