EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY. WORKFORCE STATISTICS FOR DURHAM CONSTABULARY as at 1 st January 2014

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1 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY WORKFORCE STATISTICS FOR DURHAM CONSTABULARY as at 1 st January 2014 INTRODUCTION Durham Constabulary maintains statistics on the make up of its workforce. The information collated is in line with the legislative framework for measuring equality of opportunity and gives the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner the information they need to make sure the workforce is as representative as possible of the communities it serves. The Force is committed to being transparent in the information it publishes around its makeup and is intent on acting on all feedback received to improve the service being delivered by the staff within it. Please refer to the General and Recruitment and Selection Statement of Commitment also accessible on this website for further information around the Public Sector (Specific) duties associated with the Equality Act The Force has a number of Policies relating specifically to Equality and Diversity which are regularly reviewed and updated in respect of emerging issues and legislation changes. Workforce statistics are held for all staff that work for the Force and are broken down in most cases into Police Officers, Police Staff, PCSOs and Special Constables. The statistics are collated on the computerised Human Resources (Origin) System however personal information relating to Protected Characteristics is not a mandatory requirement regarding completion thus in some areas it is not as accurate as we would like, as the response rate for responses is quite low. OVERALL VIEW OF THE WORKFORCE The following statistics are presented in terms of actual numbers of staff (i.e. the number of staff currently occupying posts) as opposed to Established posts Table 1: 1

2 Table 2: SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES IN ACTUAL WORKFORCE NUMBERS (not Established posts) BETWEEN AND CATEGORY Actual Difference in staff Difference as a % Police Officers % Police Staff % PCSOs % Special % Constables TOTALS % The Force has effectively down-sized by 15.7% over the last four years in all staffing areas. The reductions have been driven by the current Government Austerity Programme introduced to address the requirement to reduce the UK s Budget deficit. There has recently been a recruitment exercise for Special Constables with a total of 29 successful at Interview stage. A further recruitment exercise is programmed for September In addition 11 PCSOs were appointed in 2013, with a further 3 being appointed (from the same recruitment exercise) in March INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO STAFF WHO HAVE SPECIFIC PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS. AGE The Equality Act 2010 protects people of all ages, young and old. Age refers to a person belonging to a particular age group (e.g. 32 year olds) or range of age groups (e.g year olds). Police Officers The minimum age for entry as a Police Officer is 18 years. The Average age of a police officer within the Force has increased from 40.6 years in 2011 to 41.9 years at Currently the bulk of police officers are between the ages of 26 and 50 (i.e. 91.3%). In addition the number of officers who are UNDER the age of 40 has decreased from 49.3% in 2011 to 41.6% on which reflects an aging Force in respect of police officers. With regard to length of service the average has increased from 16.3 years in 2011 to 17.2 years currently. Since 2011, the Force has had not had any police officers who are either Under 21 or over 60 years of age. This is potentially because of a requirement for work experience as essential criteria on application to the role and also the advantages to officers retiring on pension after 30 years service. 2

3 Police Staff Applicants for police staff positions must be of minimum age of 16 years. The average age of our Police Staff has remained static since 2011 with only a slight increase from 43.2 years to 43.5 years in Basic clerical officer recruitment is done by means of Central Recruitment. For these posts we do not ask for previous clerical experience in the hope of attracting school leavers/young people. In terms of academic ability, the Force only tests when appropriate in verbal and numerical ability and not on practical work experience to ensure there is no discrimination in terms of age. The Force introduced an Apprenticeship Scheme in September 2012 which has proven very successful in terms of the initial apprentices securing permanent or temporary posts (via open competition) within the Force. The continuation of this scheme is likely to impact on reducing the overall force average age in the next couple of years. With regard to length of service for police staff the average has increased from 9.2 years in 2011 to 11.3 years in PCSOs Applicants for this role must be a minimum age of 18 years. A recent reduction in PCSO strength (i.e. 172 to 155) has had a slight impact upon the internal demographics with the average age increasing from 33.7 years in 2011 to 36.4 years in 2014 (although still significantly below the average age of the local population i.e. 41 as recorded in the ONS 2011 Census). The loss has been managed via natural wastage as a number of PCSOs under the age of 40 have been appointed as regular police officers either with this Force or another reducing the number of staff within this age group from 73.1% in 2011 to 67.1% in The average length of service of a Durham PCSO has risen from 4.4 years in 2010 to 6.9 years currently. Special Constables The minimum age for appointment as a Special Constable is 18 years. The numbers of Special Constables has reduced dramatically over the last couple of years mainly due to their success in applying for permanent full time posts e.g. Police Officers, PCSOs, and Detention Officers again through open recruitment. However a recent recruitment exercise means that potentially 29 new Special Constables will be sworn in in the near future. The average age for Special Constables has increased from 30.9 years in 2011 to 32.4 years in 2014 and the average service increased from 3.5 years to 5.6. One Special Constable has been recorded as serving between 25 and 30 years service. 3

4 DISABILITYThe Equality Act 2010 states that a person has a disability if s/he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Table 3: STAFF WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS HAVING A DISABILITY UNDER THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 CRITERIA CATEGORY Numbers as at Numbers as at POLICE OFFICERS 25 (0.9%) 53 (3.4%) POLICE STAFF 41 (1.4%) 53 (6.2%) PCSOs 2 (0.1%) 4 (2.3%) SPECIAL CONSTABLES 0 (0%) 0 (0%) TOTAL NUMBER WHO HAVE DECLARED A DISABILITY TOTAL NO OF STAFF ON THAT DATE AS A % OF WORKFORCE 2.3% 4.5% Although recent statistics countrywide have shown a reduction in the number of police officers declaring themselves as having a disability, the numbers in Durham have increased (see Table 3 above). The Force has enhanced its computerised Human Resources Recording system to capture this information and the Equality Act 2010 has broadened the definition (now including more conditions) which may have had an impact on the number of additional disclosures. The Force takes its legal responsibility to consider and implement reasonable adjustments to staff and potential applicants in achieving their full potential very seriously, and will continue to do so.. The Force has had its authority to utilise the Two Ticks Disability logo for the sixth year running by Job Centre Plus, as we continue to satisfy the five main commitments associated with the recruitment and employment of disabled staff (see for further information on this). Sickness Absence Hours lost to sickness against work hours available are calculated on a yearly basis by the Force for comparison against the national average: Table 4 shows this comparison over 2012/2013 and the current year (projected to 21 st March 2014) Table 4: SICKNESS ABSENCE STATISTICS (Shown In Hours):- Nat Ave 2012/2013 (pro Rata) 2013/ Apr to 31-Mar (Projected) 2012/ Apr to 31-Mar OFFICERS STAFF Sickness absence in respect of both police officers and staff (which includes PCSOs) is well below the national average. The Force will continue in its commitment to address sickness absence by use 4

5 of a robust but fair management process involving line management, personnel and the force health management unit. GENDER REASSIGNMENT As defined by the Equality Act 2010 this is the process of transitioning from one gender to another. The Force computerised Human Resources recording system allows workers to disclose information with regard to this specific protected characteristic. At this point in time no-one within the Force has declared themselves Transgender. MARRIAGE AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIP Marriage is defined as a 'union between a man and a woman'. Same-sex couples can have their relationships legally recognised as 'civil partnerships'. Civil partners must be treated the same as married couples on a wide range of legal matters. As of April 2014 same sex couples will also be allowed to marry. Table 5: An overview of the current Marital status of the workforce as at :- Marital Status Police Officers Police Staff PCSO s Special Constable s TOTALS AS PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL FIGURES Civil Partnership/ % Married Single (including % Divorced/ Separated/ Widowed) Co-Habiting % Not Stated % The 2011 Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the % of married people in County Durham and Darlington was 47.2%, with 52.8% recorded as Single (including Divorced/Separated/Widowed) or other (e.g. Co-habiting). ETHNICITY The Equality Act 2010 defines Ethnicity as a group of people defined by their race, colour, and nationality (including citizenship) ethnic or national origins. The figures in Table 5 (below) show that BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) staff within the Force is below those highlighted in the 2011 Census (the North East is used as a comparator). It is acknowledged that action is needed to improve this under-representation. Options on how to address this gap are being explored by the Force although it is difficult to impact effectively when the ability to recruit new staff is limited. 5

6 Table 6: Figures to show the Breakdown of our BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) staff in comparison to 2011 Census Figures. Ethnicity North East % from the 2011 Census Durham Constabulary % As at White British 96.4% 97.7% Black/Minority/Ethnic 3.6% 1.6% NOT STATED NOT RECORDED 0.7% TOTAL 100% 100% We take positive action in all recruitment and selection processes to encourage applications from ethnic minorities and other protected characteristics. We give prior notice of recruitment campaigns to diverse networks and utilise our links with Diversity IAGs (Independent Advisory Groups). Awareness sessions are arranged prior to the closing date for applications to explain how the Recruitment and Selection process works and enable applicants to highlight any specific issues. Currently of our BME (Black, Minority Ethnic) Police Officers, 4 out of 26 (i.e. 15.3%) occupy positions of Inspector and above and 4 (i.e. 40%) of our 10 BME Police Staff occupy Senior Officer roles. The PCSOs do not have a rank structure and of the 77 Special Constables, we have 2 BME officers both of constable rank. We are currently looking at potential positive action options we could take to support BME staff with regard to progression within the Force. RELIGION/ BELIEF Religion/Belief includes religious and philosophical beliefs including lack of belief (e.g. Atheism). Generally, a belief is something which affects life choices or the way a person lives for it to be included in the definition. The Force collates information via the computerised Human Resources Recording system on Religion which is shown in Table 7 below. The Force has a Senior and six further chaplains who provide support and spiritual guidance to staff throughout the Force area, and where possible facilities are provided to allow for prayer or quiet/reflection periods in police buildings. Table 7: Information collated for the Workforce in respect of Religion/Belief as at RELIGION POLICE OFFICER POLICE STAFF PCSO SPECIAL CONSTABLE 6 TOTAL ( ) TOTAL AS A % OF WORKFOR CE ( )

7 Agnostic 8 5 UNDER 5 UNDER % Atheist UNDER 5 UNDER % Christian % (Other) Church of % England Church of 11 UNDER 5 UNDER 5 UNDER % Scotland Methodist UNDER 5 UNDER % Muslim/ 5 UNDER 5 UNDER 5 UNDER % Islamic None % Not Disclosed % Roman UNDER % Catholic Information % Not Held Other UNDER 5 UNDER % TOTAL % GENDER As defined by the Equality Act 2010 this refers to either a man or a woman Police Officers The proportion of female to male police officers as at was 26.9% - figures now show for that this has risen to 29.8%. Although currently we have no female police officers at ACPO rank within the force the ratio of females to males at Chief Inspector and above is currently 18.2% (the national average being 18%). The Force has recently re-launched its Gender Support Network, and renamed it STAR Women in Policing. The re-launch was in early February 2014, was well attended (by both males and females) and it is hopeful will inspire female staff members to continue to achieve within and contribute towards the police working environment. Police Staff The proportion of female to male police staff members is currently 64.5% female: 35.5% male. For Senior Officer Roles this currently stands at 50.5% female: 49.5% male (an increase of 4.6% since January 2010). In addition the representation of females in all other police staff ranks (i.e. below Senior Officer Grade) has risen from 66.4% in 2010 to 67.5% in 2014). PCSOs Prior to 2013, the ratio of females to males within the role of PCSO remained constant at around 42.9%. However, since the appointment of 11 PCSOs in February 2013 and the subsequent loss of 7

8 a higher number of male PCSOs throughout the course of the year, it has resulted in an increase of females to 46%. There is currently no rank structure for PCSOs in Durham, thus no rank/gender issues are recorded. However, the role itself provides staff valuable operational experience which has enabled many of them to achieve success when applying to become Police Officers. Special Constables The total number of Special Constables has decreased over the last 3 years and this is partly due to successful applications for the role of Police Officer, PCSO and other police staff roles, as paid members of the force. With regard to the ratio of females to males across all ranks the number has dropped (i.e. 28.8% in 2010 and 24.7% in 2014). The highest ranking female officer within the Special Constabulary is currently at Inspector level. A recent recruitment exercise has resulted in a further 29 identified as successful at interview, which if all appointed would increase the number of females to 30.2%. SEXUAL ORIENTATION This refers to whether a person's sexual attraction is towards their own sex, the opposite sex or to both sexes Table 8: Sexual Orientation of the Workforce as at :- Reported as POLICE OFFICER S % POLICE STAFF % PCSOs % SPECIAL CONSTABL E % % OF WHOLE FORCE NUMBER Bisexual 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Gay/Lesbian 1% 0% 0% 3.9% 0.7% Heterosexual 15% 36% 14.2% 27.3% 22.7% Prefer Not to Say 1.5% 0.6% 7.1% 0% 1.5% Information Completed Not 82.5% 63.4% 78.7% 68.8% 75.1% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% The computerised Human Resources Recording system is not mandatory in terms of entering information around Protected Characteristics and the figures show reluctance of our staff to disclose information around their Sexuality (i.e. 75.1% of staff having not completed this).. The Force has an active Lesbian, Gay and Bi-sexual Support Network in place (the Durham Gay Support Network) and work is ongoing to determine how we can improve these figures in the future. 8

9 PREGNANCY/MATERNITY Pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant or expecting a baby. Maternity refers to the period after the birth, and is linked to maternity leave in the employment context. In the non-work context, protection against maternity discrimination is for 26 weeks after giving birth, which includes treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. At the Force had 13 members of staff who were pregnant and 23 who were at that point on maternity leave (1.e. 1.5% of the total workforce). Despite the Equality Act 2010 amendment providing the potential for male staff members to share maternity leave with their spouse, nobody from the Force has exercised this right to date. No statistics are currently held in respect of Special Constables who are pregnant or on maternity leave from their full time occupation. 9

10 OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY WITHIN DURHAM CONSTABULARY VARIABLE WORKING WITHIN THE FORCE The Force has given its entire workforce the right to request variable working hours and is keen to promote alternative ways of working in an effort to promote the Modern Methods of Working ethos. By negotiating variable hours we can retain experience/skills of staff that require a better work/life balance without impacting upon the 24/7 service we provide to the community. The number of staff (police officers, police staff and PCSOs) who are now working on a variable pattern as opposed to their contracted/rostered pattern has increased from 208 (8.5% total workforce) in October 2012 to 345 (14.2% total workforce) in January Below is a breakdown of the type of variations the staff were working as at Table 9: Types of Variable Working currently operating within the Force. Type of Police Officers Police Staff PCSOs TOTAL Variation Compressed hours Flexible Working Home Working Increase Part time hours Medical Reasons Part time Shift Pattern Change Term Time Working Voluntary reduction in hours Increase to full time hours TOTAL 136 (10.2% of all officers) 189 (22% of all staff) 20 (12.9% of all PCSOs) 345 (14.2% of total workforce The most popular agreed requests are around varying set shift patterns, reducing the number of hours worked, working compressed hours and homeworking. The figures above do not reflect those members of staff who work more than one variation (e.g. some staff members work compressed and work from home but are only recorded once on the system). 10

11 The most common reason for staff to apply for variable working is to support Childcare (32.8%); In support of Modern Methods of Working i.e. to benefit working practices (8.7%) and achieving a better work/life balance (4.9%). Other less common reasons are for other dependent care (i.e. elderly relatives), domestic/home personal reasons. FAIRNESS AT WORK The Force has in operation an internal Fairness at Work Procedure which allows all staff members to raise concerns, problems and complaints in respect of unfair/inappropriate treatment at work. Between 2011 and 2014 (i.e. over a three year period), 33 staff complaints were investigated as part of this process. Out of these: 21 were satisfactorily resolved; 4 remain unresolved however the complainant did not wish to proceed to appeal stage; and only 4 have been unresolved at appeal stage; with 4 still on-going (from 2013). The most common complaint submitted was around bullying, harassment, victimisation, discrimination or unfair treatment by a colleague, supervisor, line manager or by actions of the Force as a whole. Out of the 20 complaints received in respect of this: 12 were satisfactorily resolved; 2 were unresolved however the complainant did not proceed to appeal stage; 2 were unresolved at appeal stage and 4 are still on-going (from 2013). All complaints are analysed in confidence on completion of the process to address any actions or lessons to be learned. DISCIPLINE The Force has a specific policy around the standards of behaviour and image expected of staff and allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously. In respect of Police Staff (which includes PCSOs) and Special Constables 6 members of staff were disciplined after internal investigations during 2013 resulting in 3 being given management advice, 2 given a First Written Warning and 1 member of staff being summarily dismissed (i,e, dismissed without notice). Further information with regard to Police Officers and transparency and integrity in general of the Force can be found by looking under the About Us pages on this website. STAFF LEAVING OR JOINING THE FORCE Table 10 (below) gives an overview of staff (by Gender) who have left and also joined the organisation during The main reason for leaving given by Police Officers was Retirement on Pension. However in all other categories, Voluntary Resignation was the most common reason. 11

12 Table 10: Summary of Leavers and Joiners (by Gender) during CATEGORY LEAVERS MALE LEAVERS FEMALE JOINERS MALE JOINERS FEMALE INCREASE OR DECREASE OF STAFF - MALE INCREASE OR DECREASE OF STAFF - FEMALE POLICE (42) (6) OFFICER POLICE STAFF (2) 20 PCSO (3) 1 SPECIAL (5) (4) CONSTABLES TOTALS (52) 11 EXIT MONITORING The Force forwards an Exit Monitoring Questionnaire to all staff who leave on a voluntary basis, asking questions about their experiences as members of the Force and their reasons for leaving to gain insight into positive and negative aspects of working with us. Comments are picked up anonymously and raised as appropriate in an effort to improve working conditions for new employees and those remaining with the Force. In 2013, the return rate for the questionnaires was just under 55% and as already stated the majority of leavers (i.e. 42.5%) retired on pension. On average 66% of the staff leaving stated they would either join the Force again, or recommend it to other people. The form also asks leavers whether they would consider working for us as a Police Volunteer, positive responses are forwarded to the Volunteer Co-ordinator for follow up. POLICE VOLUNTEERS The Force aims to deliver an excellent customer focused service to the people of County Durham and Darlington and value the commitment of the Police Support Volunteers who help us achieve that aim. The Force currently has 219 Volunteers registered, the breakdown of these people in respect of Equality and Diversity is shown in Table 11 below. We are always looking at ways of encouraging communities to get involved in the issues which directly affect them. Police Support Volunteers are drawn from all parts of the community including as already stated ex workers. Volunteers are not members of staff, they do not wear uniforms and are not warranted. They perform roles alongside, but not instead of police staff and officers and are vetted to a level commensurate with the roles they are asked to fulfil. For further information about volunteering for the Force please either check the Information/Advice section of this website or contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector to discuss opportunities further and complete an application form. 12

13 Table 11: BREAKDOWN OF VOLUNTEERS WORKING WITH THE FORCE AS AT Age Group 21 and Under Gender Female Male Total Ethnic Origin White Ethnic Minority Not Stated White Ethnic Minority Not Stated Not Recorded Total EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY TRAINING The Force fully appreciates the need to keep its staff up to date in all changes and emerging issues around Equality and Diversity, and implements reasonable adjustments where possible to ensure the training packages delivered are inclusive to all staff who work for us. For example, all Joining Instructions given to students in advance of an event identify the type of learning activities, venues which will be incorporated to allow the students to present any specific difficulties they may encounter, for example, additional time is given to staff who have identify themselves as dyslexic who are required to sit written or oral tests, or examinations to achieve a qualification or pass mark. Equality and Diversity is incorporated as a common thread in all training packages delivered either by or on behalf of the Force. In addition, all staff have access to e-learning training packages and recently 25 Senior members of staff have achieved a Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity delivered by an external supplier 13

14 EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE FORCE EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY INITIATIVES The following are examples of initiatives which are either currently on-going or have been adopted within the Force:- 1. Re-launch of the Gender Support Network (STAR women in policing) took place on 5 th February 2014 and was well attended and supported by the Force. The main aim of this association is to improve and develop opportunities for female staff members and be a consultation/advisory group for the Force in respect of issues which specifically affect women in all aspects of policing. 2. Neighbourhood staff are being trained to Level 1 and 2 in British Sign language (BSL) and given Deaf Awareness Sessions in an effort to enable/ promote greater engagement/involvement of hard of hearing members of the community. 3. With regard to supporting Disabled staff, the Force continues to be an active member of the Business Disability Forum and is looking at undertaking the associated Disability Standard to assess and where necessary improve our performance in becoming disability-smart for customers, service users, staff and stakeholders. 4. With regard to supporting Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender staff, the Force is looking at submitting an application to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the near future to assess and where necessary improve our performance in becoming LGBT-smart for customers, service users, staff and stakeholders. 5. The Force strategic Equality and Diversity Tasking Group and practitioner led Equality and Diversity Forum ensure that equality and diversity issues are given appropriate strategic support and drive. 6. All staff members leaving the Force are sent a confidential Exit Monitoring Questionnaire which on completion and return is reviewed and where necessary addressed with regard to both negative and positive input from a central point within Human Resources. 7. The Force operates a number of facilities for staff to address their concerns, issues and complaints on an informal and formal basis e.g. via Whistle Blowing, Bad Apple, First Contact Person Scheme, Support/Staff Association Networks, Welfare, Health Management Unit, Human Resources amongst others. In addition the Force Fairness at Work Procedure has recently been reviewed and amended in light of recent problems encountered and feedback provided from both members of staff and line managers who have experienced the process in the last 12 to 18 months. 8. Recruitment and Selection the Force takes positive action both to prior and during recruitment and selection campaigns with regard to encouraging under-represented groups to apply and succeed through the process. For example Awareness Sessions are held for applicants who have identified themselves as ethnic minority, and reasonable adjustments are made to members of staff who identify themselves as disabled e.g. the Force has recognised its legal responsibility to offer all applicants who are disabled an interview so long as they meet the essential requirements of the post they have applied for. 9. The Force has upgraded/adapted its Computerised Human Resources System (Origin) to enable every member of staff to disclose personal equality and diversity information should they so wish. The completion of this will give us a greater overview of how we are made up and where gaps/under representation exists. 14

15 The information included within this report is as accurate as our systems allow. The Force is always open to opinion and comment around how we can improve the service we provide to the Public. We are continually looking at ways of improving how the information provided is presented and will be updating the new website on regular occasions with this in mind. Therefore should you have any ideas or suggestions around how we can do this with specific regard to Equality and Diversity please do not hesitate to make contact via the following links:- Either write to:- Personnel Services (Diversity) Durham Police Headquarters Aykley Heads Durham DH1 5TT Or Telephone Or via OR 15