The Police Service for Northern Ireland Submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body for Federated and Superintending Ranks 2016/17

Transcription

1 The Police Service for Northern Ireland Submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body for Federated and Superintending Ranks 2016/17 January

2 Contents Page Executive Summary 4 Chapter 1 Introduction 6 PSNI s Vision 6 Chapter 2 The Policing Environment and Security Situation 7 The Policing Environment 7 Policing Parades, Protests and Related Disorders 9 The Security Situation 10 Security Funding 11 Crime Funding 13 Chapter 3 Economy and Earnings 15 The Northern Ireland Economy 15 Earnings 16 Chapter 4 Government Pay Policy and Affordability 18 Pay Policy 18 PSNI s Pay Proposal 19 Affordability 20 Parity with England and Wales 21 Chapter 5 The PSNI Police Officer Workforce 22 Police Officer Numbers 22 Recruitment Background 24 Recruitment Assessment of Need 29 Recruitment 2015 Campaign 30 Mapping Demand to Resources 31 Police Promotion Process 31 Wastage 33 Exit Interviews 34 Talent Management Background 35 The National Position Fast Track Inspectors Scheme 35 The PSNI Position Fast Track Inspectors Scheme 36 The Current England & Wales Position Fast Track Supts Scheme 37 The Current PSNI Position Fast Track Superintendents Scheme 38 2

3 Crime and Leadership Training 38 Absence Management Background 40 Absence Management - Current Position 40 Chapter 6 Pay Proposals and Recommendations for 2016/17 42 Impact of Implementation of Winsor Recommendations 42 Pension Reforms 43 Basic Pay Uplift Scenarios 44 Allowances 46 Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) 46 Dog Handlers Allowance 48 Compensatory Related Threshold Payment (CRTP) 48 Transitional Rent/Housing Allowance 49 On-Call Allowance 50 Temporary Supplement for Inspectors and Chief Inspectors 52 Recommendations for 2016/17 52 Way Forward 53 Chapter 7 Appendices: 54 Appendix A Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Police Service of 55 Northern Ireland - Policing Plan Appendix B Pay Remit Approval Process/Contractual Legal 79 Entitlement to Pay Awards Appendix C Pay Remit Approval Process and Guidance 82 Appendix D Minister of Justice s letter to PRRB 93 Appendix E Chief Secretary to the Treasury s letter to PRRB 96 3

4 THE POLICE SERVICE FOR NORTHERN IRELAND SUBMISSION TO THE POLICE REMUNERATION REVIEW BODY FOR FEDERATED AND SUPERINTENDING RANKS 2016/17 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the PSNI s second report to the independent Review body on the remuneration of police officers in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) up to and including the rank of Chief Superintendent. This report details the PSNI s pay submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) including information on the Northern Ireland Executive Pay Policy, recruitment and retention issues, pay progression, affordability, motivation, the modernisation of terms and conditions and a detailed account of the policing and security context in which officers operate. The PSNI continues to work in a challenging environment and the ongoing financial cuts continue to add to these challenges. Despite this, the most recent Perceptions of Policing survey indicates that overall confidence levels have been maintained at 80.6%. This achievement is a tribute to those officers and staff who continue to work every day to keep people safe through working with the community. The terrorist threat to PSNI remains at SEVERE. PSNI officers continue to operate under significant threat from violent Dissident Republican Paramilitaries whilst on and off duty. Over recent months, officers have dealt with a number of security alerts and viable explosive devices at various locations including the site of recent PSNI recruitment events. The impact of these incidents on Policing causes disruption to both the local community and availability for police resources for other duties. Officers are also injured as a result of these ongoing incidents. The situation continues to have a detrimental effect on conventional Policing. Ultimately there is an impact on the level of resources available to other core areas of Policing. This could have a negative impact on public confidence. The Chief Constable has received funding relating to National Security and Reserved Matters. This funding is provided from the Northern Ireland Executive and Her Majesty s Treasurer. The PSNI is required to report on security funding expenditure to the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB), the Department of Justice [DOJ] and the Department of 4

5 Finance and Personnel (DFP). This funding is subject to the normal PSNI policies and procedures including external and internal auditing processes. It has been estimated that PSNI spends approximately 27% of its main grant budget dealing with the current security situation. In this pay submission, the PSNI have requested that the PRRB considers the Service Executive Team s recommendations for 2016/17 which are as follows: pay progression for Federated and Superintending ranks in line with public sector pay policy (up to 1% increase for staff in post): retention of Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance with an increase of 1%; and retention of the Dog Handler s Allowance with an increase of 1%. This is in compliance with the Northern Ireland Executive s Pay Policy, which is awaiting confirmation from DOJ. 5

6 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION PSNI s Vision The Policing Plan published in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB) communicates the vision of the PSNI, which is to help build a confident, safe and peaceful society. The Plan outlines PSNI s purpose, which is Keeping People Safe. This is achieved through the prevention of crime, the protection of people and communities and the detection of those who commit crime by bringing them to justice. Underpinning the plan are the PSNI strategies to support service delivery, as well as the revised Policing with the Community (PwC) Framework. PwC reinforces how the PSNI connects with people as members of the general public, or as victims or witnesses of crime. PwC also means connecting with partner agencies in criminal justice, public service and voluntary and private sectors with the aim of supporting community safety and well-being. To acknowledge the importance of Policing with the Community, the Plan was revised for to reflect a strengthened emphasis on quality of service, partnership working and a focus on policing priorities (Appendix A). The main theme of the plan is to improve community confidence in policing by: reducing the level of harm from crime and anti-social behaviour and domestic burglaries; increasing rate of crime outcomes; continuous improvement, effectiveness and efficiency in our service; and enhancing our engagement, consultation and involvement with the community; and working in partnership to deliver effective community engagement and joint problem solving. 6

7 CHAPTER 2 THE POLICING ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY SITUATION The Policing Environment The PSNI, like other public sector organisations is already under substantial financial strain and has been impacted with budget cuts totalling some 364m since In the last 4 years alone, from , the PSNI budget had been reduced by 217.3m. Over the same period, the Service has implemented organisational wide change programmes, dealt with increasingly complex operational demands and absorbed many collateral pressures from partner agencies. The current Policing environment and reducing budgets present daily challenges for officers facing a changing social environment with emerging crime patterns at a time when Government spending is limited. Like all public sector organisations, the PSNI must continue to deliver financial savings. In the past 5 years, Policing has realised savings of 175m. The budget cuts for 2016/17 amounted to 40m representing a 5.1% cut, with further cuts of 26.2m introduced in year at short notice. The Chancellor has announced his Autumn Statement and unexpectedly provided protection for the Police Services in England and Wales, in line with inflation. How this is translated to the Police budget in Northern Ireland is yet to be determined. The draft Budget announced by the Finance Minister indicated the reduction to the PSNI budget will be limited to 2% in 2016/17. The Stormont Agreement has allowed the Northern Ireland Executive to finalise the November Monitoring exercise. This resulted in PSNI contributing 22.6m to Departmental and Block pressures. The January Monitoring exercise is currently under consideration. Whilst the PSNI must share in the cuts impacting across the public sector, any reduction in budgets will impact on our ability to deliver the scale of demands placed on Policing. The PSNI has fewer officers and last year the Chief Constable had to make some difficult decisions directly linked to head count. This resulted in a reduction in recruitment plans and an end to the Agency Staff contract. The PSNI has had to look at ways of reducing the cost of Policing in 2005/06 the cost of Policing per person per day in Northern Ireland was 1.72; in 2013/14 it was These challenges will continue and going forward the Chief Constable will have to prioritise available resources to address the greatest threat, risk, harm and/or vulnerability. 7

8 This will follow on from the work that has already been undertaken on the Review of Public Administration (RPA) launched by the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) in June The remit of the review included an evaluation of the arrangements for the accountability, development, administration and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland. The review saw Northern Ireland move to a new 11 Council structure on 1st April 2015 and the NIE charged with new powers and responsibilities including Community Planning. The PSNI has realigned its frontline delivery from the previous 8 Districts to 11 which are coterminus with the 11 new Councils. A key purpose of this alignment was to ensure Policing remains accountable to the public, works effectively in partnership, has a clear local identity, and is responsive to local concerns. Effective collaboration between service providers and partnership working between Councils, Departments and Agencies equates to better co-ordination of service delivery and less duplication. This will lead to more efficient, high quality services. Engaging with the community and understanding local issues will also allow service delivery to be more responsive to citizens needs. Management of this new structure has involved the creation of an Area tier which divides the 11 Districts into 3 Areas; Belfast, North and South. The PSNI saw the first real effects of RPA on 20 th October 2014 when A and B Districts merged under the Service First Programme to form Belfast City Policing District. This was the initial phase in a re-design of the organisation. One of the central themes and objectives of the District Policing Command (DPC) Change Programme was to embed Policing with the Community as the culture, ethos and attitude across all frontline delivery resources. This is being achieved through the establishment of Local Policing Teams (LPTs). This has facilitated more effective management of demand through streamlining core policing functions, consolidating roles and making efficiencies where possible. A significant amount of work has been undertaken to make sure that these changes have been implemented as seamlessly as possible by the deadline of 1 st October The following work is planned in Phase 2 for completion by April 2016: Review of Public Administration (RPA) Phase 2: systems realignment Apr 2016; 8

9 Review of Crime Operations Department (RPA) Phase 2: Demand analysis Apr 2016; Review of Operational Support Department (OSD) (RPA) Phase 2: Scoping of (OSD) review of future OSD arrangements Apr 2016; Review of Business Services (RPA) Phase 2: Scope full re-structuring project Apr Policing Parades, Protests and Related Disorders The PSNI continues to experience considerable pressures in the summer months relating to the parading issue in Northern Ireland. Parades in contested areas continue to require a huge public order deployment. The PSNI is required to provide significant levels of public order and other related resources to keep people safe over the marching season. This leads to long hours for officers in potentially violent and confrontational situations and requires backfill in the Districts to keep the day-to-day business running. The provision of Mutual Aid from other Police services may also be required. The total cost for the 5 month period from 1 st April 2015 to 31 st August 2015 for policing parades, protests and related disorders was in the region of 6,744k. As the table below shows, this represents a decrease on the 2014 costs due to the reduction in additional costs with the 12 th July taking place on a Sunday and the 13 th July on a Monday. Table 1 - Summary year on year costs of policing parades, protests & related disorder The indications for political progress on the issues of flags and parades is positive and the Chief Constable hopes that progress can be sustained on these complex issues in the weeks and months ahead. 9

10 In the incoming year, PSNI will have to police a series of competing events, including: 100 th anniversary of the Easter Rising; and 100 th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and other significant World War I commemorations. Effectively this will extend the number of days when the PSNI will potentially have to deploy large numbers for Public Order related duty. And on some of these dates, there may be events taking place involving both communities. Additional commitments have resulted in the accumulation of Modified Rest Days (MRDs)/Monthly leave days. Officers are often accumulating these days for taskings which are not associated with their normal duties. The management of MRDs and monthly leave days is set out in the PSNI Regulations 2005 and associated Determinations. It was identified that through custom and practice there was a divergence from the Regulations which resulted in the number of banked MRDs/Monthly leave days reaching an unacceptable level. In August 2014 in excess of 50,000 MRDs/Monthly leave days were banked and unused. The Service Executive Team issued instructions at that time to instigate a phased reduction in the number of days held with a view to clearing the banks by the 31 st March PFNI Chairman, Mark Lindsay, stated in a press release on 28 th October 2015 that our officers are working in trying conditions, day in, day out. They re not able to take time off, rest days are cancelled at short notice and their work-life-balance is severely affected which impacts on their families and home life. In October 2015 the Service Executive Board chaired by the Chief Constable gave approval to extend the time limit for the reduction of MRDs/Monthly leave days to 31 st March As of November 2015 there are a recorded 37,266 days remaining on the Options system. The Security Situation The Security Service (MI5) assess that the overall threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism remains SEVERE meaning that at any time an attack is highly likely. This threat (which has been at this level since February 2009) comes primarily from dissident republicans (DRs) who have rejected the political and peace process and seek to keep alive the flame of violent republicanism. Since 1998 these groups have mounted between 15 and 40 attacks each year, killing nine people. 10

11 Attacks on Police The PSNI remain the principal targets for DRs and a number of police officers have narrowly escaped injury in the past twelve months. Officers have been targeted both on and off duty (brief details of a number of these attacks are detailed in Table 2 below). Members of the armed forces and prison officers are also at risk and commercial premises have been attacked. The level of DR threat and activity has remained significant throughout There have been 15 DR attacks on national security targets as well as dozens of other serious incidents including shootings, paramilitary shows of strength and munitions seizures (details of the 2015 national security attacks are detailed below). DR intent and capability remain high and all groups are actively engaged in attack planning. Although pressure from the PSNI and security partners is constraining the threat, and all DR groups are under pressure, some attacks continue to get through as shown in Table 2 below. Table 2 Attacks on Police 2006/ / Shooting Incidents Bombing Incidents / / / / / / / / / /16* * Data supplied covers the period 1 st April 2015 to 31 st October 2015 Many DR attacks involve small relatively unsophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as pipe bombs and postal IEDs. However recent attacks involving under vehicle UVIEDs containing military-grade high explosive, as well as attacks in 2014 involving improvised anti-armour weapons, are a reminder of the lethality of the threat. Improvised mortars, rockets, radio controlled and larger vehicle borne IEDs are also in the DR repertoire. They have also conducted close quarter shooting attacks using automatic weapons. The terrorist threat picture in Northern Ireland (NI) is unlikely to change significantly in the coming years. DRs retain the intent, arms, money and manpower to sustain their campaign at current levels for the foreseeable future the threat will remain SEVERE. DRs will continue to be innovative and there will be a continued risk of police fatalities. Security Funding In 2011 the National Security Council (NSC) agreed to provide additional annual funding to assist PSNI to tackle the increased terrorist threat in Northern Ireland. In June 2013, the UK Government, through its spending review announced that an annual amount of 31m would 11

12 be allocated to the PSNI. The DOJ funded an additional 30m per annum. Both funding streams were to be specifically utilised in tackling the ongoing terrorist threat. This level of funding continued to the end of the financial year. The PSNI submitted a bid covering the financial years , requesting an additional 161m from HM Government (HMG) and 164m from the NI Executive (approx. 65m per annum in each financial year). Her Majesty s Government (HMG) have recently announced approval of 160m for that period. The additional security funding is used to support and enhance a number of different operational areas, these include: operational capability; technical support; close protection; station security; additional surveillance capability, and additional capability in regard to terrorist investigations. As the PSNI are the only routinely armed police service in the United Kingdom this additional funding will allow the PSNI to develop the capability to be used as a national resource to provide assistance with terrorist incidents. According to David Anderson Q.C. global terrorist casualties increased sharply in There were no Islamist or extreme right wing attacks in the UK but numerous Northern Ireland related incidents, some of them potentially deadly. Northern Ireland s progress towards a post-conflict society is unfortunately far from complete. A real terrorist threat persists in parts of Northern Ireland, as the following facts demonstrate: in 2014/15 there were 3 security-related deaths, 73 shooting incidents and 36 bombing incidents, together with 58 casualties resulting from paramilitary-style assaults. In the current financial year up to 31 st October 2015 there was 1 security related death, 23 shooting incidents, 28 bombing incidents and 31 casualties resulting from paramilitary-style assaults. there were 16 dissident republican attacks on national security targets during 2015, ranging from rudimentary letter bombs to explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) 12

13 demonstrating a developing armour-piercing capability. None caused injuries or fatalities. The Director General of MI5 has said that for every one of those attacks we and our colleagues in the Police have stopped three or four others coming to fruition. the threat level to Northern Ireland from Northern Ireland-related terrorism remains at SEVERE (an attack is highly likely) while the threat to Great Britain is MODERATE (an attack is possible but not likely). Europol stated in its annual Overview of Terrorism in the EU that the 109 shooting and bombing incidents reported in Northern Ireland during 2014 were the only terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom, and represent more than half of the total number of terrorist incidents in the European Union (EU) for the reporting period. It is striking to note that more than three times as many people were arrested under the Terrorism Act in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain. This is despite the fact that according to the 2011 Census, Northern Ireland comprises only 2.9% of the population of the United Kingdom. In August 2014 the threat from International terrorism was increased to SEVERE indicating that attacks were highly likely. This was followed by attacks in other Western countries and the interruption of several life threatening terrorist operations in the UK. The recent terrorist related incidents in Hanover and in Saint Denis, Paris have served as a stark reminder of the unprecedented attack on the way of life, freedoms and the peace and security of our nations. It is clear that Europeans now demand a police response that is unlike anything ever seen in Europe before. These expectations must be matched by commitments from European Governments to enable the police to provide safety for our citizens. The security funding provided by HMG to the PSNI will go some way to ensure that the PSNI makes a positive contribution to this overall effort. Crime Funding In 2015 the political talk s processes in Northern Ireland considered the issue of investigating Paramilitary Organised Crime Gangs. A PSNI proposal providing the minimum resource levels required to deliver the NI Secretary of States vision was developed and submitted to the value of 18m covering a four year period. The plans outlined a dedicated investigation team whose work would seek to tackle the grip that paramilitary groups have within 13

14 communities and encourage support for the relevant Criminal Justice Agencies. The Secretary of State (SoS) for Northern Ireland has recently announced the approval of this additional funding. 14

15 CHAPTER 3 ECONOMY AND EARNINGS The Northern Ireland Economy The recession has had a pronounced on-going effect in Northern Ireland, however, according to the Executive, local economic conditions are slowly improving. In the Spring 2015 report of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre for Northern Ireland (UUEPC) it has been highlighted that the NI economy enjoyed a relatively strong Increased employment levels have supported high levels of business and consumer confidence. Furthermore, the positive shock of lower oil prices has created a boon for consumers and businesses alike. As a consequence it is expected that 2015 will deliver relatively strong economic growth. Stronger growth is forecast in manufacturing and private sector more generally, but with job losses expected in the public sector. The NI employment rate has consistently been below the UK average over the last 10 years. The most recent NI employment rate for those aged for the period July to September 2015 was estimated at 816,000 or 67.9%, which represented an increase of 2,000 over the quarter and a decrease of 5,000 over the year. The UUEPC forecast that there will be an employment growth of approximately 12,400 net new jobs over the next 4 year period which contrasts with over 27,000 created between 2012 and The reduction in public sector employment explains the sharp fall in job creation however almost 21,000 private sector jobs are expected to be created over the forecast period. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast the wage growth increasing from 1.5% in 2014 to 4% in This level of wage inflation assumes an economy approaching full capacity and requires a willingness of firms to increase pay settlements at levels not seen since before the financial crisis. The UUEPC consider that a more modest wage growth will be seen due to the additional supply of labour from public sector job losses and the potential from inward migration and the desire of firms to rebuild their margins. The UUEPC have reported that austerity will be the new normal for the rest of this decade. Northern Ireland is still catching up with the rest of the UK in terms of public sector job losses. The forecast is for a loss of 8,400 jobs across the public sector over the next four years as head count reductions, rather than changing pay and conditions, is the chosen response to reduced public funding. In this environment the PSNI recognise that work force 15

16 planning is important to ensure internal capability continues to meet critical service delivery needs. Earnings Provisional results from the 2015 Northern Ireland Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) were published on 18 th November 2015 by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). The key findings are that: In April 2015 median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees were 485, up 5.4% from 460 in This represents the largest annual percentage increase in earnings since 2004 and the first increase in inflation adjusted earnings since In the UK, median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees were 528, an increase of 1.8% since 2014 ( 518). At 92%, the ratio of NI/UK full-time weekly earnings is the highest since the ASHE time series began in The increase in median gross weekly earnings was more marked in the private than in the public sector. The full-time median gross weekly earnings in the private sector increased by 6.7% to 429, compared to a 1.6% increase in the public sector, to 577. This is the largest annual increase in private sector earnings since However, NI private sector full-time weekly earnings were 86% of those in the UK. Those in the lowest 25% of the full-time weekly earnings distribution experienced a larger increase (6.4%) than those in the highest 25% (2.2%). In 2015, median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in NI were 25,800, an increase of 5.5% over the year. This was lower than the UK annual earnings of 27,600 (an increase of 1.6% since 2014). The average earnings of a police officer in the PSNI continue to be higher than the average earning of a full time employee in Northern Ireland. This may be due to the difference in remuneration of the number of hours that are worked and the conditions under which police are required to perform. Table 3 below shows details of the average earnings for a PSNI officer per rank excluding and including overtime. Pay rates in Northern Ireland continue to be one of the lowest rates of pay across the UK; however pay rates for officers would rank among the top end for all pay sectors UK wide. Median gross weekly earnings for all employees in Northern Ireland at April 2015 were 383, or 90% of the UK figure ( 426). This gap partly reflects differences in the composition and changing structures of the respective workforces, by full-/part-time status, gender, industry and occupation structure. 16

17 Table 3 PSNI Average Earnings excluding and including overtime Rank Average Earnings (Exc. OT) Average Earnings (Inc. OT) Chief Superintendent 90,241 90,241 Superintendent 79,619 79,619 Chief Inspector 61,623 61,623 Inspector 57,669 57,669 Sergeant 47,300 58,200 Constable 40,066 47,001 Student Officer 22,545 24,345 17

18 CHAPTER 4 GOVERNMENT PAY POLICY AND AFFORDABILITY Pay Policy The UK Government s policy for public sector pay for 2016/17, as set out in the Chancellor s summer budget of 8 th July 2015, is for an average pay award of 1%. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has emphasised that the Government s approach to public sector pay expects that pay awards should be applied in a targeted manner to support the delivery of public services and to address recruitment and retention pressures. The Chief Secretary s letter has stated that this may mean that some staff could receive more that 1% while others could receive less but there should not be an expectation that every employee will receive a 1% pay award. The enforcement of pay growth limits is devolved to the Executive within the overarching parameters set by HM Treasury. The Northern Ireland Executive has endorsed the principle of adherence to the UK Government s public sector pay policies. The PSNI must comply with the Northern Ireland Executive s pay policy. Annual guidance on the application of public sector pay policy is endorsed by the NI Executive and published each year by way of a Financial Director s letter (Appendix B). The Executive s Pay Policy, and associated pay remit approval process, applies to the staff costs of all NICS Departments, Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPB) and other public bodies. The Minister for Finance and Personnel retains responsibility for monitoring; controlling and approving pay remits for the above staff groupings. All public bodies, including NDPBs, are required to submit a pay remit pro-forma and business case template (via their parent department) to DFP Supply for Ministerial approval (Appendix C). This applies even if the public body follows the NICS pay award or a nationally determined pay award. Public bodies covered by the Executive s Pay Policy are not permitted to enter into pay commitments or implement pay awards, including contractual commitments, prior to the appropriate approvals, including DFP Ministerial approval, having been secured. The Executive s control of public sector pay is based on the principle that a pay and reward package should be offered to recruit, retain and motivate suitable staff. Public sector pay should also reflect the circumstances specific to the local labour market. 18

19 PSNI s Pay Proposal The PSNI submitted a request to the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice that the PRRB that the PRRB considers the Service Executive Team s recommendations for 2016/17 which are as follows: pay progression for Federated and Superintending ranks in line with public sector pay policy (up to 1% increase for staff in post): retention of Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance with an increase of 1%; and retention of the Dog Handler s Allowance with an increase of 1%. The Northern Ireland Minister of Justice then wrote to the PRRB on 20 th October 2015 to provide the specific remit for PSNI for 2016/17 (Appendix D). This stated that the Northern Ireland Executive had not yet agreed the public sector pay policy applicable to Northern Ireland for 2016/17. It was proposed that in the absence of a clear policy for Northern Ireland, the Review body should operate within the parameters set out below whilst noting that these might be subject to further restraint: the application of any pay award for PSNI officers, effective from 1st September 2016; whether any increase should be applied to Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) and whether to change its current non pensionable status; whether any increase should be applied to the Competency Related Threshold Payment (CRTP) and/or Dog Handlers Allowance; a review of the operation of current On-Call arrangements for Federated and Superintending ranks - including compensation levels and accessibility by those ranks. The Minister also suggested that the Review Body may wish to consider the full package of remuneration paid to police officers in Northern Ireland and consider any specific challenges that they face. Commitment to a review of the CRTP Scheme was also referred to along with consideration of the ongoing reforms being taken forward by the College of Policing (CoP). 19

20 Affordability The PSNI appreciates that whilst it is imperative that police officers have the necessary skills and expertise and are properly motivated, it is also vital that increases in public sector pay are affordable within the limits determined by the Executive and represent value for money. Every effort has been made to drive costs out of non-pay budgets to protect the frontline and ensure the police continue to deliver on our purpose of Keeping People Safe. To support this activity going forward the service has introduced Priority Based Resourcing (PBR). This is a process that involves staff in delivering more effective and efficient services, fostering a culture of improvement, innovation and cost control amongst key managers and leaders. In doing so this will provide the PSNI with even more detailed information about where we invest our money and the risks generated by reduced budgets. PBR involves reviewing all of the services that PSNI currently delivers and then considering why the service exists, what value it offers the public and, what objectives and public demands it is achieving. A list of 92 services has been identified which includes: safeguarding individuals; people management; legal representation; forensic and special property exhibit management; intelligence gathering; custody management; transport affairs; payroll/pension services; vetting and protective security; and maintenance and support of IT operations. A pilot application of PBR is currently underway in 15 Business Areas to test the concept. The pilot process is focussed upon delivery of financial efficiencies in the 2015/16 year. Proposals will be presented at the end of November/start of December 2015 to a PBR Panel comprising the Deputy Chief Constable and members of the Service Executive Team (SET). The PBR Panel will act as a sounding board for innovative ideas for method, volume and service delivery changes that are proposed. They will also sign off on options that can be utilised to balance the resources of the PSNI to the strategic model. 20

21 Police forces in England and Wales were protected as part of the chancellors autumn statement. The Finance Minister recently announced a draft Executive budget for and this states that the reduction to the PSNI budget will be limited to 2%. Parity with England and Wales The Minister of Justice in his remit letter to the PRRB stated that it was important that no barriers to movement are created between forces and so parity in key areas remains desirable. The PSNI does not wish to operate independently from the rest of the UK. Indeed, officers in the PSNI hold the office of Constable as do other officers in England and Wales. The budgetary constraints, within which the PSNI operates, require a need for Mutual Aid, collaboration and interoperability in pay systems in policing. Chief Constables in England and Wales, in managing their budgets, have at their disposal financial facilities such as precept powers to raise revenue through local Council Tax and the ability to build and carry forward reserves. They are also able to consider collaboration and share services with neighbouring Forces to protect Service Delivery and save money. The Chief Constable of the PSNI does not have the same financial tools as Chief Constables in England and Wales with which to manage his Policing budget. Other police forces have the discretion to pay regional allowances however, the Chief Constable of the PSNI must work within the parameters of the Executive s public sector pay policy. Informal and formal collaboration with other forces is important, for example, to provide Mutual Aid for large scale operations in order to bolster PSNI s capability. It is accepted that a degree of parity is required to ensure the exchange of skills, expertise and experience. Any differences to terms and conditions between PSNI and other forces could lead to barriers in interoperability, as is the case in the permanent transfer of officers between PSNI and An Garda Síochána. Differing pay structures may result in the loss of officers to police services with higher salaries. Pay drift and an uncoordinated approach with other forces may also ensue. This is an important factor as officers may no longer be willing to take part in Mutual Aid for forces where the rate of pay is lower than their own. Officers may be aggrieved at having to perform the same task for differing rates of pay. The environment in which the police service operates in Northern Ireland and the particular financial pressures faced by the PSNI, have required a slightly different approach to that of England and Wales. 21

22 CHAPTER 5 THE PSNI POLICE OFFICER WORKFORCE Police Officer Numbers The Workforce Model, also referred to as the HR Distribution Plan (HRDP) defines the allocation of police and police staff across the PSNI. This is the means by which non pay budgets are set and distributed in the devolved environment and identifies the focus for necessary actions to manage the allocation of resources. The background within which the PSNI has developed an effective and affordable staffing model has been complex due to: the removal of all Temporary Workers as of 31 st December 2014; reduction in the Managed Service Contract; continued uncertainty regarding the 2015/16 budget settlement; the reconfiguration of the organisation to reflect changes in the operating model, and the new council areas. The PSNI is committed to maintaining an operational capability against an Establishment Model of 6963 police officers. All Police officer posts are funded from main grant funding as per the table below with the exception of 309 where additional security funding has been made available and 10 which are externally funded. The Establishment Model reflects an overall reduction in numbers as the anticipated leavers are in excess of the numbers to be recruited. In the face of decreasing levels of police officers the PSNI Establishment Model was suspended for an anticipated period of one year in April However as a consequence of major reshaping of District Policing following the implementation of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) reintroduction of the Establishment Model was further suspended until 1 st October When considering the re-introduction of the police officer Establishment Model the PSNI have taken into account that there is a differentiation in costs of almost 50 posts based on actual headcount and full time equivalencies. This is due to a number of regular police officers on career breaks and a number of officers working reduced hours. Using the headcount figure to set the police establishment provides a financial saving of 2.75m (average of 55k per police officer) when contrasted against maintaining a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) establishment of 6963 police officers, which equates to a headcount of Therefore given that the current Medium Term Resource Plan (MTRP) dated February 22

23 2015 projects a shortfall of 57.3m, financial prudence has determined that the 6963 establishment for police officers is based on attaining this figure as a headcount rather than FTE number of posts. Table 4 Police Funded Posts Police Funded Posts Department Area / District CC DCC ACC Ch Supt Supt Ch Insp Insp Sergt Con COMMAND CORP COMMS CRIME OPS FIN & SUPPT HR DEPT OP SUPPORT SERV IMPROVE DIST POL COM BELFAST AREA BELFAST AREA A District Belfast City BELFAST AREA Total NORTH AREA H District Derry City & Strabane NORTH AREA J District Causeway Coast & Glens K District Mid & East Antrim L District Antrim & Newtownabbey NORTH AREA Total SOUTH AREA B District Lisburn & Castlereagh City C District Ards & North Down SOUTH AREA D District Newry, Mourne & Down E District Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon F District Mid Ulster G District Fermanagh & Omagh SOUTH AREA Total SERVICE O/HD Total Grand Total Student Officer Total 23

24 Recruitment Background The PSNI is legislatively required to outsource the function for recruitment of regular police officers. The specified aim of the outsourced arrangement is to design and administer an effective, efficient and fair recruitment and selection process for the PSNI. This process must produce a precise number of police trainees to an agreed standard at a predetermined time. These trainees in turn will be responsible for delivering a high quality police service to all the people of Northern Ireland. The PSNI outsourced the recruitment function for the provision of police trainees in 2001, implementing the recommendations ( ,124 and 128) relating to recruitment contained in the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland, published in These recommendations were primarily to address the historic compositional imbalance within the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and therefore to create a Police Service which would be more representative of, and more acceptable to, the community as a whole in Northern Ireland. As a result of the Patten recommendations, the PSNI recruitment processes from did not include formal qualifications as an eligibility criteria. This was to create the widest pool of eligible applicants, thereby maximizing the opportunity for applications from the Catholic community, which was needed to make the 50/50 appointment process possible in large numbers. Whilst there is no doubt that without this rule, the PSNI could not have attracted the volume of applications necessary to address the historic compositional imbalance and turn Patten s vision into reality; it presented a variety of issues for the Training College. The external recruitment provider contract allowed for a number of recruitment deliverables which took account of the following challenges: positioning the PSNI as a credible employer of choice; engaging the right candidate with the required level of qualifications; overcoming potential issues regarding a career with the PSNI among particular underrepresented audiences. The PSNI reached the 30% target for appointments from the Catholic community in 2011, corresponding with the withdrawal of the Government 50/50 legislation, and the beginning 24

25 of the economic downturn. officers. At this stage the PSNI had appointed over 4,200 student As a result, no police recruitment processes ran between 2010 and Prior to recruitment resuming in 2013, the PSNI reviewed the criteria and the Recruitment Project Board agreed to implement a minimal educational standard of 5 GCSEs and a level 1 computer literacy qualification for the new campaign. The educational standards do not appear to have had any significant impact on applicant numbers to date as shown in the table below: Table 5 - Competitions 1 18 under the 50/50 legislation Applicants Date Advertised Comp March 2001 Comp September 2001 Comp March 2002 Comp September 2002 Comp March 2003 Comp September 2003 Comp March 2004 Comp September 2004 Comp March 2005 Comp September 2005 Comp March 2006 Comp September 2006 Comp June 2007 Comp March 2008 Comp March 2009 Comp January 2010 Comp September 2013 Comp May 2014 Comp 19 September 2015 Total The applicant figures can be influenced by a number of external and/ or prevailing circumstances, which include, but are not limited to: 25

26 uncertainty over sustainability of future job opportunities subsequent to budget cuts; perception of impact of recruitment in the post Patten era; prevailing security situation and threat levels; absence of open support for the police recruitment process; reduction in starting salary from Campaign 18 on; some campaigns administered within a short timescale. As at 3 rd November 2015, the number of student officers appointed since the inception of the PSNI in 2001 is 4,813, from a total applicant pool of 134,332. The recruitment campaign has clearly targeted audiences and the set percentages for each performance criteria (Table 6 below) have to be achieved over the period of the contract. Table 6 Recruitment Contract Performance Criteria Contract Requirement Performance Measure Metric Performance Campaign 1 in Performance in Campaign 2 Proportion of Roman Catholics applying 35% (average to be achieved over term of recruitment contract) 30.6% 29.3% Proportion of women applying 30% (average to be achieved over term of recruitment contract) 35.2% 35.5% Outreach/ Advertising Proportion of young people (aged 18-24) applying 40% (average to be achieved over term of recruitment contract) 47.1% 43.8% Proportion of applications from F District area >10% (average to be achieved over term of recruitment contract) 7.6% 6.6% Proportion of applications from G District area >10% (average to be achieved over term of recruitment contract) 8.9% 7.9% * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November To date the young people and female targets have been achieved. The age bands of successful applicants for competitions one and two (to date) are detailed in the tables below. The largest percentage of applicants in both competitions is in the age bands with 26

27 39.5% and 44.62% respectively. The proportion of young people applying (aged between18-24) is 39.40% in Campaign 1 and 31.72% in Campaign 2 to date. This shows progress towards achieving the 40% average in the age categories over the term of the recruitment contract. Table 7 - Age Bands of Successful Applicants Total No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % Comp Comp 2* * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November Table 8 Comparison of Competitions one and two Age of successful applicants * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November For the Catholic community and rural Districts, between 66 and 80% of the targets set have been achieved. The tables below show the educational standard of the applicants for Campaigns 1 and 2. Over half of the applicants in both competitions have a degree level or higher qualification. 27

28 Table 9 Educational Qualifications of Successful Applicants Highest Educational Qualification of Successful Applicants Comp 1 Comp 2* No. % No. % 1 "A" Level or more "A" Levels - including GNVQ Advanced or more GCSEs, including Maths and English (A*-C grades), including GNVQ Intermediate, NVQ Level 2, "O" Level grades A-C CSE Grade AS Level BTEC (Higher), BEC (Higher), TEC (Higher), HNC, HND, and NVQ Level BTEC (National), BEC (National), TEC (National), ONC, OND, and NVQ Level Degree Level or Higher Other ROI Leaving Certificate - Pass Scotland - Advanced Highers Scotland - Highers Total * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November Table 10 Number of applicants with educational qualifications * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November The following table shows analysis of the number of applicants for competitions one and two by employment sector. For both competitions the highest percentage of applicants is from the retail and retail management sector followed by the hospitality and leisure sector. 28

29 Table 11 Number of applicants by employment sector * Recruitment from Competition 2 is ongoing. These are the latest figures up to 27 th November 2015 Recruitment Assessment of Need The recommendation of the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing that the Police should contract out the recruitment of police officers into the Police Service was subsequently enshrined in legislation. The specified aim of the outsourced arrangement is to design and administer an effective, efficient and fair recruitment and selection process for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. This process must produce a precise number of police trainees to an agreed standard at a predetermined time. These trainees in turn will be responsible for delivering a high quality police service to all the people of Northern Ireland. The PSNI has tendered and awarded 3 separate contract terms for the provision of police officer recruitment to date. The external recruitment agent administers the recruitment process in two stages: an Initial Selection Test (IST), which is a shortlisting mechanism using critical reasoning, and an Assessment Centre, which is a range of interactive exercises (such as role plays). Candidates who attain the required standard in the Assessment Centre are placed on a merit list, which is then transferred to the PSNI. The PSNI are responsible for managing 5 further pre-appointment stages these are medical, vetting, substance misuse, physical competence and on-line learning. Candidates who pass all stages, and who are within the 29

30 appointable band corresponding to the number of places required, are offered an appointment. Based on experience gained from previous recruitment campaigns, the PSNI anticipate an attrition rate of approximately 50% of successful candidates from the merit list supplied by the external recruitment agent. This fall-out rate includes those who fail, or do not attend, one or more of the 5 PSNI stages. The PSNI manages the risks in regard to the attrition rate by securing a merit list of broadly double the number of appointments anticipated from a competition, this figure being subject to affordability and sustainability in the face of budgetary cuts. Intakes of Student Officers currently take place every 5 weeks, and the training programme is 22 weeks duration in total. Recruitment 2015 Campaign In the summer of 2015 the PSNI suspended recruitment and police trainers from the PSNI College were attached to operational units to ensure that the organisation had sufficient surge capacity in what is typically a busy period for policing. This suspension of police officer recruitment between June and August 2015, combined with slightly increased levels of wastage has meant that the projected timescale for achieving a police officer headcount of 6963 has now been revised from December 2015 to May On 30 th September 2015 the police recruitment campaign was advertised with a closing date of 23 rd October In this most recent competition Recruitment advertising was amplified in rural Districts. Free radio interviews were conducted across the Q network stations featuring recent recruits from the immediate area. In addition there were increased outdoor advertisements in these areas and social media advertising was increased to target people living in Mid Ulster, Fermanagh and Omagh. Familiarisation Sessions took place in a number of geographical areas of underrepresentation in advance of the campaign launch, with the aim of encouraging those who would not normally consider a career in policing to find out more about the role and the opportunity. Running parallel to this was a layer of stakeholder engagement, including: Northern Ireland Policing Board through the Recruitment Working Group 30

31 Church Leaders local politicians and community leaders through local District Commanders. PSNI continues to work with the external recruitment agent to evolve the media strategy to amplify messaging to underrepresented groups. Testing will commence in November 2015, and first appointments are expected around September Subject to affordability, this competition should allow for up to 500 appointments during the next two financial years (2016/ /18). The final number of applications in Campaign 3 is 5,498. Of these, 65% were from the protestant community, 32% from the catholic community, and 3% other. Just over a third (35%) were female. Successful applicants will now be invited to complete the 22 weeks of intensive training at the Police Training College, beginning summer This training will include practical and operational policing skills, to ensure they are mentally and physically equipped to perform the crucial role of a Police officer in Northern Ireland. Mapping Demand to Resources As discussed in Chapter 2, the PSNI have implemented significant structural changes to match the implementation of the new district council boundaries in April 2015, to ensure that co-terminus boundaries are retained. In progressing this restructuring the PSNI has rolled out a new operational policing model to ensure that we continue to Keep People Safe and provide the appropriate infra-structure to embed our Policing with the Community ethos. The current HR Distribution Model was developed based on resources available for distribution in January The PSNI is currently developing a process to allocate officers as we move closer to the established headcount of Police Promotion Process A promotion process for all officer ranks within PSNI was implemented to substantively fill resourcing gaps which had been filled by temporary promotion arrangements. A Strategic Promotion and Examinations Board was established from key business areas, co-chaired by 2 ACCs, as oversight body to ensure that all promotion processes supported the following approach: defining and delivering standards; 31

32 promoting representativeness; involving local management in decision making; minimising operational impact, and ensuring value for money. The promotion competitions were established, invoking high levels of eligibility criteria which included discipline, attendance and performance standards. The intention of the board, with the endorsement of Service Executive Team, was to have an iterative promotion programme for all ranks. The Strategic Promotions and Examinations Board considered the projected wastage rates for each year and the number of vacancies which would ensue. The current position on anticipated vacancies to 31st March 2017 at each rank is as follows: Table 12 Anticipated Vacancies up to 31 st March 2017 Rank Anticipated Vacancies Chief Superintendent 4 Superintendent 10 Chief Inspector 13 Inspector 3 Sergeant 51 Defining the position on future officer numbers, against a reducing headcount, is complicated by the current financial uncertainty. PSNI has previously faced challenges, including Judicial Reviews, within the implementation of promotion processes. It has therefore been essential to design and deliver robust assessment processes which not only identified the best candidates but which could withstand intense scrutiny and legal challenge. Extensive research and analysis is performed to devise the assessment material and best practice is adapted to brief and advise potential candidates of the assessment procedures and corporate standards for the management roles going forward. 32

33 A Superintendent promotion process was launched on 30th September 2015 and invited applications from cross channel forces and An Garda Síochána. The process is now completed. It is anticipated that there will be postings for 13 Superintendents however this is subject to the standard having been met and numbers confirmed against affordable and sustainable posts. It is intended that the iterative promotion programme for Chief Superintendent, Chief Inspector, Inspector and Sergeant will commence in early Wastage The following table illustrates projected police officer recruitment and wastage to March Table 13 Wastage and Recruitment of police officers Police Officers Month Recruitment Wastage Headcount FTE Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar *The above table refers to all police officer ranks. 33

34 Table 14 Comparison of recruitment against wastage April 2015 March 2017 Exit Interviews During the period 1 st April 2012 to 31 st March 2015 there were a total of 678 Police Officer (Regular) leavers. 386 (57%) of whom retired, 139 (20.50%) who voluntarily resigned and 139 (22.5%) who left the PSNI for other reasons e.g. dismissal, medical retirement. Of those who retired or voluntarily resigned, 51 (10%) completed an exit interview. Analysis of this data is as below: 27 (53%) of those who completed an exit interview had less than 5 years service and their primary reason for leaving was self-improvement (11) followed by domestic reasons (9). The main factors in their decision to leave were gaining new employment (9) followed by emotional wellbeing/stress (5). 9 (18%) of those who completed an exit interview had 5 10 years service and their primary reason for leaving was domestic reasons (5) followed by self-improvement (4). The main factor in their decision to leave was gaining new employment (5). 44 (86%) of those who completed an exit interview had less than 30 years service and their primary reason for leaving was self-improvement (17) followed by domestic reasons (14). The main factors in their decision to leave were gaining new employment (16) followed by emotional wellbeing/stress (7). 34

35 Table 15 - Reasons Cited* by Officers Leaving the PSNI with Length of Service *More than one reason provided by some officers Talent Management - Background The Winsor Review of Policing in England and Wales recommended replacing the national High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) with an accelerated promotion scheme. The new scheme was to be used to directly attract high calibre recruits, provide a means for eligible staff to become police officers and to harness the high potential of serving constables. The acceptance of this recommendation by government has resulted in the winding up of the High Potential Development Scheme. As the PSNI has successfully used the HPDS as a means of supporting talented and highly motivated officers to achieve their potential within the PSNI, the removal of this scheme nationally has consequently left a gap in this regard. The National Position Fast Track Inspectors Scheme The HPDS scheme has now closed to new members. A range of new fast track programmes that supports a National Policing Vision have been developed and are in the process of being implemented. The new programmes support individual police services in the development of talent management strategies. The College of Policing (CoP) has implemented the new fast track schemes through a phased approach and the roll out of the Direct Entry (DE) programmes is included in the first 35

36 phase. The Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme has a 3 year development time line. Serving constables can enter the Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme cohort in year two to form a joint cohort for the remaining two years of the Scheme. To date two cohorts of the Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme have been launched. A number of England and Wales services have participated in this programme. The benefits of this approach are that the two different groups within the cohort can learn from each other. The serving officers support technical skill development for new entrants and the new entrants are helping the serving officers in terms of business skill development and application of differing perspectives. A number of other services have opted not to make any external appointments but to use the scheme to support serving officers. The CoP are proactive in monitoring the progress of those on the scheme and the evidence to date has highlighted that the timescale for the direct entry applicants from appointment to Inspector may be too short. Plans for the next phase of the Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme have therefore been placed in a short abeyance to allow for a more detailed evaluation and review of the programme to be undertaken following the second cohort. Whilst this is taking place the CoP are continuing to progress the next tranche of the Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme in respect of Constables who are to join the second cohort in year 2. The CoP have acknowledged issues with the level of knowledge that direct entrants need to amass during the programme. There has been no indication that the serving officer cadre has been similarly problematic. It should be noted that the PSNI did not implement this scheme. The PSNI Position Fast Track Inspectors Scheme In recent times the PSNI has on an annual basis supported a pre-specified number of applicants on the HPDS scheme. This approach had been introduced for a number of reasons but primarily because: historically there were 25 officers on various versions and cohorts of the scheme at one time due to the lack of a corporate approach; many of those on the schemes were not evidencing the high quality that would be expected while being afforded such a significant development advantage; and 36

37 there was recognition that the scheme could be flooded by PSNI applicants as we were heading into a period where there would be very limited promotion opportunities. In 2013, in recognition of the imminent closure of the Scheme the PSNI opted to support 3 Constables and 3 Sergeants if they were successful in securing a place on the scheme. Only 1 individual at each rank managed to gain a place on the national scheme saw the last intake onto the scheme within its current construct and the PSNI may not have immediate access to the replacement scheme if Winsor is not implemented here at the same pace as England & Wales. PSNI currently has 6 officers on the HPDS at the ranks of Sergeant (1), Inspector (4) and Chief Inspector (1). The PSNI did not participate in the first cohort of the Direct Entry Fast Track Inspector Scheme tranche but has opened applications to serving constables for the national assessment centre in April Initial discussions with the DOJ indicate that the enabling legislation to promote any officer who is successful in securing a place on the scheme after September 2016 should be deliverable. Similarly the PSNI have not to date participated in the Direct Entry Superintendent programme which seeks to draw from highly talented and proven leaders from other sectors. The Current England & Wales Position Fast Track Superintendents Scheme Cohort One - 7 forces expressed their interest in participating in cohort one of the Direct Entry programme. There were 867 applications, of which 46 (5.3%) were supported to attend the National Assessment Centre. The final 2014 cohort consisted of 9 superintendents (subsequently 1 superintendent resigned from Avon & Somerset in April 2015). The cohort began their 18-month training programme in November Cohort Two - Again 7 forces expressed their interest in participating in the second Direct Entry programme. There were 542 applications, of which 39 (13.8%) were supported to attend the National Assessment Centre. The final 2015 cohort consisted of 6 superintendents. The cohort began their programme of training in October

38 The Current PSNI Position Fast Track Superintendents Scheme In evaluating the implementation of the recommendations in the Winsor Review the PSNI decided that the Direct Entry Superintendent Scheme should not be implemented at that time. The DOJ have been consulted and have advised that to enable direct entry into the PSNI at Superintendent level to take place, it will be necessary to amend regulations to allow direct entry to the police service above trainee. PSNI have agreed to implementing this scheme and thus achieve the required actions by 2017 subject to the necessary changes in regulations being approved. Following the implementation of the Policing Professional Framework on the 1st October 2015 the PSNI is currently developing wider talent management arrangements. This work is at an early stage. Crime and Leadership Training The CoP is an excellent source for establishing what the current thinking on police training is in England and Wales. Police Scotland provides another view. At the service level there are benefits of having access to the wider national picture via the CoP. The CoP provides training materials that are in line with Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP). Additionally the CoP has laid down procedures that must be followed to gain accreditation for courses delivered and to enable the delivering service to obtain a licence to deliver their product. Unfortunately for the PSNI some of the processes and procedures that the College require do not conform to the current position within PSNI. For example, all detectives must complete the National Investigators Exam and progress through the full range of courses from Detective Constable to Detective Superintendent. This does not make best use of our resources or meet our immediate needs. The Senior Executive Team has written to the College proposing a pragmatic approach to overcoming this problem that will enable the PSNI to remain within the spirit of PIP and APP but ensure that we deliver value for money training. PSNI are seeking to concentrate on the outcome rather than the process when it comes to training. 38

39 The training materials supplied by the CoP are generic in nature and the PSNI are required to adapt them to NI legislation and local procedures. They are valuable in that they identify issues and standards at a national level but again these must be adapted for the local context. Ideally the CoP would provide the research and development facility for training courses that PSNI could then use as a base line for delivering potentially a mix of CoP and PSNI material. Whilst there would be benefits in developing materials and topics specifically for the PSNI it is appreciated that there would be cost implications involved. The relationship needs to be a collaborative approach with PSNI adjusting materials produced by the CoP. Development of the relationship further is dependent on the CoP recognising the specific needs of the PSNI, who in turn can use their experience to contribute to the wider debate about police training. Going forward the PSNI must decide whether to follow APP as detailed by the CoP or use APP as the starting point. If the latter option is adopted then agreement on a case by case basis would need to be approved by the CoP. This approach may better fit the needs of organisation. Leadership Training has similar issues with generic courses being delivered by the CoP. Recent experience has indicated that whilst there are elements that are relevant to the PSNI we are required to adapt materials and provide other materials that relate to the context in which we operate. Whilst the Foundation Programmes and SOB training have a limited relationship with the CoP, Combined Operational Training continues to develop their relationship with the CoP which includes the Firearms licensing and governance process. The PSNI are currently procuring a new Firearms Management System to improve our training information to better meet the CoP licensing standards. The relationship with Cop is being further developed with regard to our Search practices and Public Order as PSNI move towards standardising equipment and tactics through several of the College working groups. Driver and Traffic Training has increased its work with CoP due to the development of the Fatal SIO course. There is scope to further develop the CoP relationship to include the PSNI current training portfolio of foreign work to ensure best practice and costing information is shared across all services. 39

40 The Learning Technologies Unit (LTU) currently manages the PSNI s online and simulated learning which includes the use of CoP s NCALT e-learning service and Hydra Minerva simulated learning system. At a College level PSNI is represented at the Large Forces (Metropolitan Police Service, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands, Police Scotland, Northumbria, West Yorkshire, PSNI) meetings which are facilitated by the CoP and these valuable benchmarking and best practice sharing events are planned to increase in frequency and depth. Absence Management - Background The Policing Plan has set a target of reducing officer sickness by 25%. This is a challenging target and a Sickness Gold Group was established chaired by an HR Strategic Lead. Absence Management - Current Position The Gold Group have identified that a key enabler in reducing absence is to ensure line managers actively manage the absence and have the necessary tools to make an impact. Four key strands of work have been undertaken and these are: 1. Policy Review A review of the existing absence management process has recently been conducted which has resulted in changes to our process. Under the existing process, line management have discretion on whether the formal process for attendance management is initiated. Under the new process this discretion is removed and all cases, with the exception of statutory protected cases e.g. Pregnancy related, will be progressed to an Attendance Management Panel. 2. Education and Empowerment It is recognised that line management should be more actively involved in managing and supporting those absent from work. The Gold Group issued a direction that all officers off on long term absence (90+ days) should be visited by a member of their Senior Management Team. The purpose of these meetings was to review any actions taken to date and to review and implement any additional supportive measures that could assist in a return to work. If there were no measures that could be put in place to facilitate an early return to work, then an outline of how the matter 40

41 would be progressed should be provided. A toolkit and action plan was developed to assist managers with the three stages of the meeting pre, during and post meeting. 3. Welfare The Absence Management Team have been actively engaging with Staff Associations in order to obtain a better understanding of the reasons why people report sick and to discuss and explore what support can be provided to assist individuals in an early return to the workplace. 4. Maximise the use of IT The Absence Management Team are in the process of implementing a paperless process for the Attendance Management Panels and are also in consultation with stakeholders with a view to improving and updating the Management Information provided to Commanders and Branch Heads. The indications are that the overall absence situation is improving with a 13% reduction in the figure for September 2015 as illustrated in the table below. Table 16 Average Working Days Lost 2014/15 to 2015/16 Comparison The October 2015 figure (not included in the table) shows a 17% reduction. To achieve the overall target of Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) will require a further sustained and significant reduction in the remaining 5 months of the 2015/16 financial year. 41

42 CHAPTER 6 PAY PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2016/17 Impact of Implementation of Winsor Recommendations This submission provides an update on the implementation of Winsor recommendations in respect of those relevant to the PRRB. PSNI has undergone some minor pay reforms during the last 18 month period reflecting some of the issues as highlighted by the Winsor review. The first of these reforms took effect from the 1 April Table 17 below shows the financial impact of the reforms. Table 17 Financial impact of Winsor reforms Winsor Reference Description Estimate Actual Estimate Actual YTD Apr 14- Mar 15 m Apr 14- Mar 15 m Apr 15- Mar 16 m Apr 15- Mar 16 m All Ranks Maternity Entitlement (0.5) (0.3) (0.5) (0.2) Federated New recruit trainees start at 19k salary. Move to point 1 on payscale when attested Federated Abolition of Special Priority Payments Federated Introduction of revised payscales (0.7) (0.5) Federated Federated Federated Retain CTRP as is - link to IPR process. (0.4) (0.2) (0.8) (0.2) Overtime- reduce the notice period to 3 days for double time On call allowances- move to 15 flat rate, with 23 for public holidays effective 01/09/2014 (0.4) (0.5) (1.1) (0.6) Superintending Removal of Post related Allowance Superintending Migrate onto new payscales (0.05) (0.05) (0.01) (0.01) Superintending Superintending All Ranks Abolish double increments Abolition of bonus scheme Motor Vehicle Ratesalign to NICS Total Saving/(Costs) *Costs shown in red font 42

43 Some of the recommendations have been implemented unchanged whilst others were adapted or rejected as part of the consultation and negotiation process. It is recognised that some recommendations may take some time to embed however, the PSNI has taken cognizance of the pressures it now faces and this has influenced the need for a review of all pay and allowances over the next 5 years. It is important that the overall reward package for police officers attracts the best candidates for the roles and ensures that sufficient numbers are retained to maintain resilience. In doing so, budgetary pressures being placed on policing and the public sector finances must be taken into consideration. In terms of police pay the Winsor recommendations included shortening of the police pay scales for all ranks with a reduced starting salary for constables. Transitional arrangements were put into place to ensure that new entrants to the service did not leap frog existing officers. This has resulted in some officers moving between pay points either with less than or more than one year s reckonable service. Unlike England and Wales, the PSNI did not introduce the two year pay freeze which had the effect of slowing down many officers progress up the pay scales. A recent PFNI survey of officers has indicated that amendments to the remuneration following the Winsor Review along with the change from a final salary to a career average pension and pay uplifts that are below inflation have resulted in a significant reduction in officer remuneration packages. Pension Reforms Wide ranging pension s reforms were introduced in April 2015 across the whole of the public sector. Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) schemes were introduced with officers transferring from old final salary schemes, with the exception of those within 10 years of retirement who will remain on their schemes or those close to Full Protection who will receive Tapered Protection. For PSNI the officer workforce was split with around a third of officers falling into each of these categories. The reforms have to date not impacted on the scheme membership with no opt outs received to date. These reforms have also led to an increase in pension contributions being paid by officers in their respective schemes. As part of the Government s reform of Public Service Pensions, the contribution rates for existing Police Pension Scheme Members 43

44 increased annually from April 2013-April 2014 with the introduction of tiered contribution rates, based on a member s salary. The current level of PSNI employee contributions, as set out below, is higher than most other public sector schemes. Table 18 Officer Pension contributions by scheme 1987 Scheme 2006 Scheme 2015 Scheme (CARE) Tier 1 Salary under 27,000 n/a 11.00% 12.44% Tier 2 Salary 27,001-60, % 12.05% 13.44% Tier 3 Salary over 60, % 12.75% 13.78% The change from a final salary pension scheme to a career average scheme (Career Average Revalued Earnings - CARE) means that officer s pensions will be worth considerably less in the future and so their lifetime remuneration package is significantly reduced. Whilst the impact of this will not be felt on their take home salary in the immediate future, officers are concerned about the overall loss over the longer term. Basic Pay - Uplift Scenarios Table 19 below shows the costs of various uplift scenarios for federated and superintending ranks. The provision of a 1% uplift to all pay points and incremental progression as per the PSNI s pay submission creates an increase of just over 1% to the overall pay bill. This is based on the current wastage and recruitment patterns assuming that the PSNI reaches and maintains 6,963 officers. 44

45 Table 19 Cost of uplift scenarios Proposal % Increase/ for staff in post % Increase/ for staff in post (inc Recyc) Pay freeze 0.00% 0.00% Incremental progression with no change to scales or NCB 0.71% 0.11% Incremental progression & 1% NITA uplift only 0.77% 0.17% 1% increase in pay scales with no progression 0.90% 0.30% 1% increase in pay scales & NITA- no progression 0.96% 0.36% Incremental progression with 1% NCB 1.27% 0.67% Incremental progression with 1% NCB & 1% on NITA 1.34% 0.74% 1% increase in pay scales with incremental progression 1.58% 0.98% 1% increase in pay scales & NITA & progression 1.64% 1.04% Officers who are in receipt of an incremental uplift will receive more than the overall uplift cap. The table below shows that the average uplift for incremental progression is 4.72% for constables; this is higher than the other ranks due to the collapsing of pay-points during the pay period. The percentage uplift for Superintendent is also high at 5.1% due to the reduction in salary point from five to four. Table 20 Average percentage uplift by rank Rank Average % uplift Chief Superintendent 2.71 Superintendent 5.71 Chief Inspector 2.04 Inspector 2.75 Sergeant 2.81 Constable 4.72 The PSNI owing to recruitment patterns in recent years has a significant number of officers currently at the maximum of the pay scales with over half of all officers at the max point for their rank. The table below shows the percentage of police officers on the maximum of their pay scale at the start of the 2016/17 pay remit period: 45

46 Table 21 Officers at the scale maximum by rank Rank % at scale max Chief Superintendent 56.25% Superintendent 68.75% Chief Inspector 78.13% Inspector 66.57% Sergeant 73.30% Constable 55.92% Allowances With the exception of the Special Priority Payment none of the main allowances for PSNI were impacted by the reforms. The main allowances paid by PSNI are as follows: Table 22 Main PSNI Allowances Allowance Number in Receipt of Allowance Total Cost ( Inc. pensions and ERNI costs) k NI Transitional Allowance1 6,741 24,257 1 CRTP 3,249 5,523 Rent/Housing Allowance 2,066 7,799 Compensatory Grant Inspectors Allowance All officers in post receive the NI Transitional Allowance, currently 3,162 Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance (NITA) A claim for NITA was lodged by the Police Staff Associations in 1972 at the height of the troubles in Northern Ireland for the payment of an allowance to police officers for the dangers to which they were exposed. This claim was not successful but the matter was reconsidered in 1974 when it was agreed that a Special Duty Allowance be paid for all ranks up to and including Chief Superintendent. In December 2005 a review of the allowance (now named the Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance NITA) was initiated. The review was undertaken by Mark Baker and his report concluded: 46

47 The successful completion of the current programme of security normalisation and participation by all major political parties in the NIPB are necessary pre conditions of any further reduction in the NITA. However, such a reduction would need to be justified by significant reductions in attacks and threats against the police. Whilst the overall threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism remains SEVERE and an attack is likely at any time, the pre-conditions set out in the Baker Report for a reduction in NITA do not currently exist. The SEVERE level of threat that police officers face from violent dissident republicans is likely to continue. It is likely that a number of the many attacks planned will continue to materialise but the police, working closely with the Garda, will exert every effort to disrupt this violent criminal activity to keep people safe and prosecute those responsible. The additional security funding for is to be used specifically to support and enhance a number of operational areas to tackle the ongoing terrorist threat. With effect from 1 September 2015 NITA has been paid as a special allowance at the rate of 3162 per annum to officers in recognition of the extraordinary circumstances under which they serve in Northern Ireland. The table below shows that there are 6,741 officers currently in receipt of NITA at an annual cost of 24,257k. This allowance is non pensionable. The PSNI has requested that the PRRB consider the retention of NITA with an increase of 1%. This is affordable within the public pay limits determined by the Executive. Table 23 Officers in receipt of NITA by rank Rank NI Transitional Allowance Chief Superintendent 15 Superintendent 48 Chief Inspector 96 Inspector 335 Sergeant 1,015 Constable 5,149 Student officers 83 Grand Total 6,741 47

48 Dog Handlers Allowance Dog Handlers allowance is payable to officers who keep and care for a dog owned by the Policing Board at their home. The allowance is provided for the care provided to the dog during the officer s rest days, non-working days and public holidays. The rate of payment is 2196 with effect from 1 st September This rate is increased by 25% for each additional dog being cared for by an individual officer. There are currently 28 officers in receipt of Dog Handlers allowance at a total annual cost of 81,844 including ERNI. Competency Related Threshold Payment The Police Arbitration Tribunal recommended that Competency Related Threshold Payments (CRTP) be phased out over 3 years from April 2013 to April Police services in England and Wales have implemented a phased withdrawal of the allowance over three years to be abolished in 2016 as follows: From 1 April per annum From 1 April per annum From 1 April per annum From 1 April As part of the Winsor reforms the PSNI froze the value of CRTP but agreed that officers could still apply when they reached the maximum of their scale point and met the criteria. The PSNI has committed to conduct a review of the payment of the allowance with a view to commencement in January The amount of CRTP paid to an officer who meets the eligibility criteria is 1,224 per annum (with effect from 1 st September 2013). The cost of CRTP to the PSNI in the last year was 5,523k (including pensions and ERNI costs). The total cost of CRTP has increased by 200k since last year and is due to increase further as large numbers of constables will reach the maximum of their pay scale in the coming 24 months. This expenditure is broken down by rank in the table below: 48

49 Table 24 Number of Officers in receipt of CRTP by rank Rank Annual CRTP Chief Inspector 39 Inspector 199 Sergeant 683 Constable 2,328 Grand Total 3,249 In order to assist officers with a change to their pay it is proposed that CRTP in PSNI will be phased out as in England and Wales rather than implement an immediate withdrawal which would place considerable hardship on individual officers. Transitional Rent/Housing Allowance New recruits who joined the PSNI after 1 st September 1994 are not entitled to receive a Replacement Allowance referred to as a rent/housing allowance. Housing is capped at 3,500 for federated ranks and the transitional rent allowance maximum is 3, The transitional rent allowance attracts a compensatory grant payment every year to account for the tax paid. The allowances for rent/housing will naturally phase out as officers retire but it is likely to take another 10 years before this is achieved. The tables below show the number of officers by rank in receipt of rent/housing allowance/compensatory grant along with the service profile. It is currently anticipated that a saving of 500k will be generated in 2016/17 though natural wastage. Table 25 Number of officers by rank in receipt of Rent/Housing Allowance/Compensatory/Grant Rank Annual Rent/Housing Allowance Compensatory Grant Chief Superintendent 15 7 Superintendent 38 8 Chief Inspector Inspector Sergeant Constable 1, Grand Total 2,

50 Table 26 Service profile Service Profile Number in Receipt of Allowance < On-Call Allowance PSNI require a number of functions and authorisations are available to be carried out on a 24/7/365 basis. To achieve this availability of resource on call rotas exist for a number of functions. Most of these functions are not rank specific and are covered by appropriately trained and qualified officers. Some of these officers will include but are not exclusively Superintendent ranks and would cover the following roles: Strategic and Tactical Firearms Commander (Strategic Firearms Command (SFC) in PSNI is only performed at Superintendent/Chief Superintendent rank); Specialist Operations Strategic and Tactical Firearms Commander; Post Incident Manager (firearms); Public Order Gold and Silver Commander; Crime Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), branches within Crime Operations will each have separate Duty officers which will include Superintendents on a rota); RIPA Cadre Authorisations officer (in PSNI only performed by Detective Superintendent and above). The Senior Executive Team requires Departments, Districts and Area Command Units to make Senior Managers available for duty officer s on-call rotas. These rotas will therefore include Superintendents and Chief Superintendents. The resources committed to provide these roles on a rotational basis can result in 10 or more duty officers across different Departments and functions. 50

51 The only legally mandated areas where Superintendent ranks can only perform the required duties relate to two custody functions: PACE custody extension of detention and authorisations for sample reviews; and Serious Crime Suite (SCS) duties where similar functions are performed under terrorist powers legislation. Both of these functions must be provided 365 days per year at Superintendent rank. Currently 3 separate rotas exist in PACE, and one for SCS, which cover the geographical spread of custody suites. It is proposed to review and reduce the total numbers of on call requirements across the PSNI estate. With regard to the provision of on-call for custody duties it is proposed that the number of Superintendents required is reduced to one for both the PACE and SCS functions. This is based on analysis of available data as detailed below: NICHE data for the financial year 2014/15 re PACE and SCS Superintendent Authorities show that there were a total of indicate of 257 Custody Record entries relating to Superintendents; authorisations for the whole year indicate that 212 of these were Extensions of Detention, however only 63 occurred between Friday PM and Monday AM; furthermore 5 of the 63 occurred at 2 locations, Musgrave and Antrim Serious Crime Suite. From September these 2 functions will be at one site Musgrave. An anecdotal survey was conducted of PACE Superintendents whose PACE weekend fell within the last three months. Of the 11 respondents only 2 indicated that they had been required to attend a Custody Suite to conduct a review over their on call weekend. The requirement to provide 24/7/365 Superintendent availability for the on-call functions will incur the following commitments: Custody and SCS 730 days; Strategic Firearms Command 365 days; RIPA Cadre 365 days. 51

52 These figures will be substantively enhanced to take into account Superintendents on-call requirements which are dependent on their qualifications rather than their rank. Temporary Supplement for Inspectors and Chief Inspectors In 1994 the Police Negotiating Board agreed the payment of a temporary supplement for Inspectors and Chief Inspectors given that the unique policing circumstances of Northern Ireland warranted separate consideration in view of the average additional hours worked which were far in excess of those in Great Britain. A non-pensionable supplement is paid to certain Inspectors and Chief Inspectors who held such ranks substantively on or prior to 15 th May Chief Inspectors or Inspectors transferring into the PSNI from other Police Services after 15 th May 2006 are not eligible for payment. The current rate of Temporary Supplement is 4,389 per annum. Table 27 PSNI officers in receipt of Inspectors/Chief Inspectors Temporary Supplement Rank Inspectors Allowance Chief Inspector 54 Inspector 99 Grand Total 153 It is estimated that in 6 years time there will be 40 officers in receipt of this allowance taking into account natural wastage, attrition and promotions resulting in a loss of the allowance, it is expected that it will take 8 years to phase out payment. It is anticipated that costs should reduce by approximately 80k per annum until the allowance is phased out at the end of year 8. Recommendations for 2016/17 The PSNI would wish to make the following recommendations to the PRRB: pay progression for Federated and Superintending ranks in line with public sector pay policy up to an increase of 1% for staff in post; 52

53 retention of NITA with an increase of 1% and non-pensionable status of the allowance to remain unchanged; retention of Dog Handlers allowance with an increase of 1%; the value of CRTP to remain at its current rate of 1,224 per annum and PSNI to commence a review of the payment of the allowance in January 2016; and a programme of allowances to be developed by PSNI for review in subsequent years. Way Forward The PSNI s Service Executive Board have approved the creation of a programme of allowances, including those listed below, to be reviewed in subsequent years by the PRRB. In the majority of cases, an Equality Impact Assessment will have to be conducted along with a review of numbers and age profile of officers in receipt of payment. Where an allowance will be phased out through natural wastage, this has also been shown below (list not exhaustive). Table 28 Allowances for Review by PSNI Allowance Pensionable Yes/No EQIA Required Yes/No Compensatory Related Threshold Payment* Yes Yes Will allowance be phased out over time? Northern Ireland Transitional Allowance No No Dog Handler s Allowance No Yes Temporary Supplement for Inspectors and Chief Inspectors No Yes Yes Telephone Rental Allowance No Yes Instructor s Allowance No Yes Housing Allowance No Yes Yes Motor Vehicle Allowance No Yes On-Call, Standby and Hardship Allowance No Yes Detached Duty Allowance No Yes *already scheduled for review to commence in January

54 Chapter 7 Appendices Appendix A Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Police Service of Northern Ireland - Policing Plan Appendix B Pay Remit Approval Process/Contractual Legal Entitlement to Pay Awards Appendix C Pay Remit Approval Process and Guidance Appendix D Minister of Justice s letter to PRRB Appendix E Chief Secretary to the Treasury s letter to PRRB 54

55 Appendix A 55

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