Norfolk 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.
However, Norfolk Constabulary had an area for improvement in the 2017 efficiency inspection.
Areas for improvement
- The force should undertake appropriate activities to understand fully its workforce’s capabilities, in order to identify any gaps and put plans in place to address them. This will enable the force to be confident in its ability to be efficient in meeting current and likely future demand.
We found during fieldwork that the force has evaluated its workforce capacity and capability and put in place recruitment and training plans to meet future needs. We are satisfied, therefore, that this area for improvement has been dealt with appropriately.
How well does the force plan for the future?
Norfolk Constabulary works to understand future demand for its services, including hidden demand. It has embraced technology to meet its needs. But leaders are committed to ensuring victims of crime interact with the workforce during investigations, rather than just with technology.
The force knows what the public expects from it. It uses various methods to find out what the public thinks. It is further refining the way it interacts with the public online.
The force knows which types of activity it should prioritise to ensure its services are sustainable. It balances community concerns and national issues. The force analyses a wide variety of data and uses this to make decisions. The change it has made recently to neighbourhood policing will make its workforce more flexible. This will help it adapt to future demand. We will be interested to see the effect of this in future inspections.
Norfolk Constabulary’s finance plans are realistic, based on sound methods and challenged by experts. Its financial plans are aligned to other aspects of future planning. The force aims to save £4.6m by 2021/22. The changes to its policing model and other aspects of its change programme will contribute to this, as well as collaboration with Suffolk Constabulary.
Detailed findings for question 2