Merseyside 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. In 2017, we identified as an area for improvement that the force needed to better understand its workforce’s capabilities.
A detailed workforce assessment is being carried out to help with future planning. We will revisit this progress in subsequent inspections.
How well does the force plan for the future?
Merseyside Police has a good understanding of its current demands and is in the process of developing its knowledge of the demands it may face in future. Its leaders are exploring how changes in population and other factors will influence demand. This will help the force consider how to sustain and improve its services.
It uses a computer system to track current levels of demand, and to help predict how this will change in the future. It has invested in other technological solutions to improve its services, such as body-worn video, mobile devices and digital evidence collection, helping officers to support the public and work more efficiently.
The force has clear priorities. It engages well with the public to understand their expectations. It does this using a wide range of surveys, online polls and social media, and it responds to concerns that are raised. It has adopted the single online home, making it easier for the public to contact it, and more developments are planned. But it could ask for the public’s view sooner when it is planning changes – for example when redesigning its front-counter services.
Merseyside Police has examined its workforce and has a plan in place to recruit new officers and staff to deal with predicted gaps. It is bringing in a new system to improve its future planning. It also has a key estate plan, which outlines how it will provide a sustainable service for the public.
The force has ambitious plans for improving its services and reducing its costs. One way it is seeking to make its work more efficient and provide a better service to the public is through an end-to-end review of its investigations.
Detailed findings for question 2