PEEL Assessment Framework (PAF) 2023–2025

Introduction

We will assess the following core questions, topic areas and characteristics of good.

The counter-corruption unit/vetting, and serious organised crime inspection programme is ongoing. We will report on them in PEEL.

How good is the force’s service for victims of crime?

The force manages incoming calls, assesses risk and prioritises its response well.

• The force answers 999 calls to the standards set out in the National Contact Management Strategy. And only a low number of callers hang up before their 101 calls are answered.
• The call handler correctly records the details of the call and identifies vulnerability, including repeat callers and others in the household. They use and correctly record a structured initial triage and complete a risk assessment to inform the prioritisation to give the call and to provide the most appropriate response to the caller.
• Call handlers act politely, appropriately and ethically, and use clear, unambiguous language. They give appropriate advice on safeguarding and evidence preservation.

The force deploys its resources to respond to victims and incidents in an appropriate manner.

• The force responds to calls for service within its published time frames and its response is consistent with the prioritisation given to the call. It changes the prioritisation given to the call only if appropriate.
• The force provides an appropriate response. It takes into consideration risk and victim vulnerability, including any information it obtains after the initial call (such as information from the public, officers or systems checks).

The force’s crime recording can be trusted.

• The force is effective at recording reported crime.
• The force’s systems and processes support accurate crime recording.
• The force’s leaders maintain oversight of the force’s processes for crime recording and strive to make sure that they meet national standards.

The force carries out a proportionate, thorough and timely investigation into reported crimes.

• All investigative opportunities are considered. Those which are proportionate are carried out in a timely manner.
• The force enables victims to access their rights under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime.
• The force makes sure that its line managers supervise and review investigations appropriately.

The force makes sure that it follows national guidance/rules for deciding which outcome code it assigns to each report.

• When making a decision on an outcome, the force’s systems and processes make sure that appropriate consideration is given to the nature of the crime, the offender and the victim.

How good is the force at treating the public fairly, appropriately and respectfully?

The workforce interacts with the public fairly and respectfully.

• Officers are effective at communicating and interacting with the public without bias. They consider the needs of their communities.
• In line with its policy and national mandates, the force uses body-worn video in all appropriate use of force and stop and search encounters. Interactions between officers and the public are improved as a result.

The force uses stop and search powers fairly and respectfully.

• The force makes appropriate use of stop and search as an investigative tactic and can show that its use is fair and effective.
• The force acts upon scrutiny and challenge it receives from an external independent forum to improve officers’ use of stop and search powers.

Officers’ use of force is fair and appropriate.

• The force understands how, and with what impact, its officers use force and can show that it is fair and appropriate.
• The force acts upon scrutiny and challenge received from an external independent forum to improve how officers use force.

How good is the force at preventing and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB), and reducing vulnerability? 

At its core function, the force prioritises the prevention and deterrence of crime, ASB, harm and vulnerability.

• The force uses its own and shared data to identify and prioritise vulnerable people, groups, locations, repeat ASB, victims and suspects.
• Working in partnership, the force uses primary, secondary and tertiary prevention initiatives to deter and tackle crime and ASB. It also uses these initiatives to reduce harm, vulnerability, offending and repeat demand.
• The force provides a sustainable neighbourhood policing model that can provide positive long-term solutions to community problems.

The force uses partnership-orientated evidence-based problem-solving to reduce and prevent long-term crime, ASB, harm and vulnerability.

• The force understands and demonstrates a long-term commitment to problem-solving and evidence-based policing. It maximises opportunities to prevent public harm and reduce demand through working with partner organisations.
• The force has systems and processes in place to consistently evaluate its problem-solving and share any learning.

The force actively seeks views and support from its communities.

• The force uses two-way community engagement, showing that it understands, listens and responds to what matters to its communities.
• The force uses community engagement to gather information and intelligence to address local, force and national priorities.
• The force empowers local people to become involved in local policing activity.

How good is the force at responding to the public?

The force has effective oversight of its response to public contact and understands risk effectively at first point of contact.

• The force has an effective management structure in place that provides appropriate governance and oversight of the control room. Senior leaders take an active interest in the control room.
• The force answers 999 calls to the standards set out in the National Contact Management Strategy. And only a low number of callers hang up before their 101 calls are answered.
• The public can contact the force through appropriate, accessible and monitored channels to report a crime.
• The force understands and promptly identifies vulnerability at first point of contact. This includes repeat callers and others in the household.
• The call handler uses and correctly records a structured initial triage and completes a risk assessment to inform the prioritisation to give to the call and provide the most appropriate response to the caller.
• Call handlers provide appropriate advice on safeguarding, evidence preservation and crime prevention.

The force provides an appropriate response to incidents, including those involving vulnerable people.

• The force seeks advice from internal and external experts to inform better decision-making and risk assessments.
• The force attends incidents quickly enough to secure scenes. Responding officers receive appropriate information and intelligence to understand the risk and vulnerability posed to themselves and others.
• The force thoroughly assesses a victim’s vulnerability at initial response and makes sure it completes appropriate risk assessments.
• The force is effective at managing crime scenes and makes the most of early evidence opportunities.

How good is the force at investigating crime?

The force has effective oversight of investigations and carries out quality investigations to get the best results for victims.

• The force has an effective management structure in place that provides appropriate governance and oversight of investigations. Leaders make sure that staff and officers have sufficient skills and capabilities to achieve quality investigations and the right outcome for the victim.
• The force consistently carries out thorough investigations, which lead to satisfactory results for victims.
• The force supervises and reviews investigations effectively and appropriately. The quality of investigations is improved as a result.

The force secures justice for victims.

• The force consistently achieves appropriate outcomes for victims, which include bringing offenders to justice.
• The force achieves good results for victims by pursuing evidence-led investigations when appropriate. It actively pursues prosecution on behalf of the victim.

The force provides a quality service to victims of crime.

• The force maintains victim and witness confidence by enabling victims to access their rights through the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime/Victims’ Bill.

How good is the force at protecting vulnerable people?

The force understands and effectively addresses the vulnerabilities it identifies.

• The force has an effective strategy, performance framework and governance structure in relation to all College of Policing vulnerability strands.
• The force requests feedback from victims on a regular basis and uses it to enhance and improve its services to protect vulnerable people.

The force provides good-quality safeguarding and support for all vulnerable people.

• The force applies for and monitors preventative orders/schemes in all applicable cases to safeguard vulnerable people.
• The force makes sure that the risk of further and/or increased harm to vulnerable victims is reduced via timely and appropriate safeguarding activity.
• Staff involved in multi-agency working arrangements understand their roles and have the necessary skills to perform them. They work to develop risk-reducing actions that safeguard vulnerable people and challenge perpetrators.

How good is the force at managing offenders and suspects?

The force is effective at apprehending and managing suspects and offenders and uses appropriate safeguarding tools to protect the public from harm.

• Senior leads are held to account for apprehending outstanding suspects and wanted persons. The force has processes in place to monitor performance.
• Supervisors monitor use of pre-charge bail to make sure its safeguarding benefits are considered and that it is used in all appropriate cases.
• The force monitors its use of released under investigation or subject to voluntary attendance to make sure they are timely and appropriate. Use shows consideration of the impact on victim safeguarding.

The force effectively manages the risk posed to the public by registered sex offenders.

• The force uses nationally recognised risk assessment tools and follows best practice guidance for accurate and adequate management of registered sex offenders. It has monitoring processes that make sure risk is managed in a timely manner.
• The force complies with Authorised Professional Practice (APP) when managing registered sex offenders, including those reactively managed. If it deviates from APP, it can assure itself that no risk is posed to the public.
• The force routinely considers preventive or ancillary orders. It monitors any breaches and takes action as a result.

The force effectively manages the risk posed by online child abuse offenders.

• The force manages images of online child abuse in line with nationally recognised risk assessment timescales. It considers a range of risk factors when taking timely enforcement action.
• The force uses specialist software to identify, in a proactive and timely way, the sharing of indecent images of children.
• The force makes sure that timely and appropriate safeguarding is in place for both potential victims and suspects.
• The force has effective digital triage capabilities to support timely and quality investigations.
• The force continually risk assesses any backlogs in referrals and those cases awaiting enforcement action.

How good is the force at disrupting serious and organised crime?

The force makes good use of all available intelligence to identify, understand and prioritise serious and organised crime (SOC) and inform effective decision making. 

• Strategic analysis directs and prioritises SOC intelligence collection.
• The force assesses threat, harm, risk and vulnerability to inform an operational response that reduces the effects of SOC.

The force has the right systems, processes, people and skills to tackle SOC and keep the public safe. 

• Effective strategic management and planning meet SOC demand.
• The force effectively manages and co-ordinates its response to serious and organised crime threats.
• The force aims to continually improve and develop how it responds to SOC threats.

Disruptive activity reduces the threat from SOC (Pursue).

• The force maximises disruption of serious and organised crime by considering a range of overt and covert tactics; this includes using the powers of partner agencies to frustrate organised criminals.

The force prevents people from engaging or re-engaging in organised crime (Prevent).

• The force has a consistent and structured approach to identifying those people at risk of being drawn into SOC or whose offending is likely to intensify and become more serious.
• The force works with public and private sector partners to effectively deliver prevent initiatives and diversionary schemes.
• SOC offender management prevents those people in the criminal justice system from continuing to offend.

Communities, organisations and individuals are resistant and resilient to the impact from serious and organised crime (Protect and Prepare).

• Police and partner agencies reduce risk and vulnerability in local communities.

How good is the force at building, developing and looking after its workforce and encouraging an ethical, lawful and inclusive workplace?

The force understands the main factors that influence its workforce’s well-being and takes effective action to address any related problems.

• The force clearly understands what factors have positive and negative effects on its workforce’s well-being, as well as any related stress, in all areas. It uses this understanding to inform resourcing decisions and aims to strike a balance between operational needs and looking after its people.
• The force is taking effective action to address any well-being challenges it has identified. It provides a good range of preventative and supportive measures, including enhanced support to those in high-risk roles or those experiencing potentially traumatic incidents.
• The force’s occupational health service provides support and interventions that improve officer and staff well-being. 

The force effectively supports its new recruits, encouraging them to remain.

• The force understands the specific challenges faced by new recruits. It makes sure that their well-being and development needs are prioritised and monitored by effective and supportive supervisors and tutors. 
• The force promotes equality, diversity and inclusion. It makes new recruits feel welcome and included. It helps supervisors to foster an ethical and inclusive working environment.
• The force is making good efforts to retain new recruits, with specific consideration given to understanding and overcoming the challenges faced by those from diverse backgrounds.

The force is effectively developing its workforce and first-line leaders.

• The force effectively equips, develops and supports its first-line leaders to meet leadership standards, exemplify the behaviours expected of them and effectively support both teams and individuals.
• The force uses effective individual performance appraisals and continuing professional development processes to understand, monitor and prioritise the development needs of its workforce.
• The force creates opportunities for officers and staff from under-represented groups to develop and progress and provides support when appropriate.

How good is the force at leading and managing its services to make sure they are efficient, effective and sustainable?

The force has an effective strategic planning and performance management framework and makes sure it addresses what is important both locally and nationally.

• The force has effective governance and performance management processes that reflect its communities’ needs and local and national priorities.
• The force uses relevant analysis and data to make sure it operates effectively and efficiently. The force’s performance objectives are aligned to its strategy.
• Force management statements and performance objectives are supported by plans on how the force will achieve the goals it has set.

The force’s leaders are visible and effective.

• The force has assessed the capacity and capability of leadership at all levels. It has plans in place to address identified gaps in leadership.
• The force understands how senior and general leadership is perceived and understood throughout the workforce at all levels. It is taking action to improve standards of leadership.
• Leaders throughout the force have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and are acting on those expectations.

The force is effective at managing demand and can demonstrate it has the right resources and partnerships in place to meet future needs.

• The force’s operating model and workforce helps it to respond to priorities and current and future demand.
• The force’s has effective systems in place that make sure crimes are allocated to appropriately skilled staff and units.

The force provides value for money and can demonstrate continuous improvement, efficiency savings and improved productivity.

• The force makes the most of the productivity of its resources and assets.
• The force continues to improve productivity through digital, data and technology solutions, including mobile working.
• The force can clearly demonstrate why it is or isn’t collaborating with other bodies when appropriate. It uses effective programme management techniques throughout any collaborative activity.

The force makes the best use of the finance it has available, and its plans are both ambitious and sustainable.

• The force has enough resource to make sure it can follow its priorities.
• The force’s financial plans are affordable and sustainable. They will support it to continue to meet future demands.

Counter-corruption units and vetting

Proactive and disruptive action taken by the force and effective vetting management reduce the threat and risk posed by police corruption.

• The force manages the vetting of its workforce effectively.
• The force has IT monitoring software that operates across all its IT systems. 
• The force’s counter–corruption units understand and act successfully on the threat and risk posed by police corruption.

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PEEL Assessment Framework (PAF) 2023–2025