City of London PEEL 2018
Efficiency
How efficiently does the force operate and how sustainable are its services to the public?
How well does the force use its resources to meet the demand it faces?
This question was not subject to detailed inspection in 2018/19, and our judgment from the 2017 efficiency inspection has been carried over.
How well does the force plan for the future?
Areas for improvement
- The force needs to address the deficit it has identified in its medium-term financial plan.
The force needs to improve how it plans for the future. In particular, it needs to show how it will address the deficit in its budget over the next five years.
It has carried out detailed work to evaluate how demand for its services is likely to change over time. It has a long-term plan for how it will address this through a new structure and new ways of working. However, it needs to make sure it can deal with this demand at the same time as addressing the gap in its budget. The force has corrected the mistakes that led to the budget gap, but it still needs to review its plans to address the remaining deficit.
The force consults the public well. It uses its results as a guide to providing services and how it plans its future workforce. It has a good understanding of what skills it will need for the future and is good at developing its people.
The force works well with a range of other forces and organisations. It assesses the benefits of these arrangements as part of its planning.
The force’s plans are ambitious and innovative and should put it in a strong position for the future. But this can only happen once the force achieves a balanced budget.
Detailed findings for question 2