Northumbria PEEL 2018

The force knows that its current operating model isn’t effectively meeting an increased demand for its services. Some cases involving vulnerable victims aren’t being handled with enough urgency, and there is a backlog in digital forensics. The force recognised that it didn’t have enough trained investigators, and that this had a negative effect on the quality of investigations and on outcomes, particularly in the areas of domestic abuse and rape. But in the last 18 months it has recruited 85 percent of the additional investigators it needs, and it has plans in place to address the remaining capacity gap.

The force’s understanding of demand is limited by its IT system, which isn’t fit for purpose. It has done some basic analysis of demand – for example, how busy periods match the number of staff available. However, it needs to think more carefully about hidden demand. It also needs to do more to understand what the public wants from its police force.

To address these problems, the force is introducing a new operating model and is modernising its IT infrastructure. This was due to launch in May 2019, but has since been delayed. It is also changing its command and control system. It will need to manage the transition of these two new ways of working carefully.

The force works well with other organisations to meet demand. However, it hasn’t done enough to analyse data from partners. It hasn’t fully assessed, for example, how reductions in social care resources might influence police work. As a result, it doesn’t have a firm evidence base for its ambitious change plans.

The force hasn’t done a skills audit and lacks a thorough understanding of its workforce’s skills and capabilities.

Northumbria Police needs to improve its planning. Its ability to assess current and future demand for its services could improve. It needs to do more work to fully understand the demand picture in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, including making use of partnership information and data.

The force’s crime management system isn’t designed to identify, record or extract data on the range of current threats. This means that projected hidden and newly emerging crimes, such as threats posed by changing technology, aren’t understood.

The force’s current operating model is being reviewed because resources and demand are not aligned. The capacity and capability of frontline officers should be aligned to demand so that the force is able to respond within target times to calls for service from the public. Limited career pathways and succession planning are in place and the force needs to improve its understanding of the skills of the workforce needed for the future.

The force’s financial plans are based on sound planning assumptions. Much change is planned within the force over the next two years, including the implementation of a new operating model and two major IT systems. The force will need to manage these complex changes very carefully. It has not consulted with the public about this change, so it doesn’t fully understand how public expectations are changing and how the public may wish to interact with the force in the future.