PEEL Report 2023-25 special edition of The Brief

THE VOICE OF GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE

SPECIAL EDITION · DECEMBER 2023

PEEL REPORT 2023-25 Forcewide improvement and innovation hailed

2 THE BRIEF: PEEL REPORT 2023-25

DECEMBER 2023

A note from the Chief Constable The findings of the 2023-25 PEEL report show dramatic improvement and exemplary policing.

The changes we have made and the new measures we have adopted in the last few years are showing results: we came out of special measures in record time, and we are now the most improved police force in the country for the second year running.

We know we’re on the right track, and every indication suggests that we can achieve our goal of being the best police force in the country within the next two years. This is already a force filled with talented, dedicated people who are doing good work for the public; and we’re delighted to see that acknowledged in the report.

We were assessed in eight distinct fields, of which four had improved by two grades compared to our 2021-22 performance and three had improved by one. In half of the areas in which we were assessed, we jumped two grades – this is unprecedented. All but one field were assessed to be good or adequate, less than two years after our highest result in any field being ‘requires improvement’.

Seven GMP initiatives were singled out in the report as examples of promising or innovative practice: the Geo Alerts AtHoc scheme; our Prevention Branch; the stay team; active listening training; our stop and search governance meeting; our use of online platforms for the public to get in touch; and the updated recruitment process for FCCO call handlers. They are all profiled in this issue.

This is a great achievement worthy of celebration, and all of you deserve to share in the credit. Everyone has had a role to play in going back to the basics and doing it well, and I am hugely thankful to each and every one of you for your continued commitment to improving what we do and for your dedication in keeping our communities safe.

This represents a monumental change, but we all know that there is more to be done. ‘Adequate’ is not enough. These results are excellent and we have all worked very hard – but the

results are excellent precisely because we have worked very hard. We have come a long way since 2020, but there is still a long way to go.

Our management of offenders and suspects remains at the ‘Requires improvement’ grade, with the report highlighting a need to review our risk management of registered sex offender visits, as well as a further need for timely risk assessment and safeguarding referrals in online child abuse cases.

There is room for improvement in our responses to non-urgent calls, and a need for improved training around domestic abuse risk assessment and how to correctly record reasonable grounds for stop and search incidents.

While GMP’s support for the welfare and wellbeing of its workforce was lauded overall, there remains a lack of consistency in the adoption of Personal

Development Reviews; while student officers in different districts are receiving varying levels of support, and the report indicated that there is still more to be done to support the career progression of colleagues from under-represented groups.

The journey has not been easy, and it will no doubt continue to be testing; but with our collective and steadfast commitment we have shown that we can do more and be more for the people we serve. I intend for us to be a worldleading force, and I know that most of you share this ambition.

I also know that if we continue to work as hard as we have been doing, with full commitment to our plans, we will achieve this.

We are no longer an underperforming force. We are a force to be reckoned with.

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Key points from the PEEL report In 2020 GMP was placed in special measures by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) after failing to log more than 80,000 crimes in a single year.

Following extensive, targeted efforts towards improvement in all areas of concern, and with the unwavering support of GMP officers, staff, partners and communities, the Force was taken out of engagement in 2022; although investigators highlighted a need for continued improvement in a number of areas. The 2023-25 police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) report, released on Friday 1 December, has recorded further improvements across the board.

The Force was rated good in four out of eight categories and adequate in a further three, with just one field – the management of offenders and suspects – rated as requiring improvement.

To put this achievement in context, the last PEEL review just two years ago assessed all eight fields as either inadequate or requiring improvement.

The report highlighted a number of key improvements and successes across GMP, noting the Force’s clear strategic plan, visible and effective leadership and management, and successes in crime prevention and problem-solving.

The Force was further praised for its ability to address local

and national priorities, manage demand and resources, and provide ongoing value for money.

The report noted significant and ongoing improvements across the board, with particular reference to crime prevention and investigation, productivity and efficiency; and efforts to grow and support the workforce.

While the findings of the PEEL report were largely positive, investigators highlighted a need for further improvement in some areas. Correct recording of reasonable grounds for stop and search has deteriorated since 2020, and the investigation found a continued need for engagement with communities which traditionally interact less with police. The average response time for non-urgent calls is well below the target.

While the quality of investigations has improved, the number of crimes solved following investigations is low. There remains a further need for risk assessment training for officers and staff working on domestic violence cases, and for consistent risk management and safeguarding policies around sex offenders.

Personal development reviews should be consistently and effectively applied across the workforce, and GMP still needs to do more to support career progression for staff from underrepresented groups.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “The changes that we have already put in place are now showing results, but GMP will not be satisfied with adequacy.

“While we have made incredible strides in the last two years, there is still a great deal to do. I am proud of our force, and I’m confident that we will continue to advance towards excellence.”

Number crunching • Operation Vulcan (tackling organised crime in Cheetham Hill) carried out 90 search warrants, arrested 160 people, shut down 200 shops, recovered more than £400,000 cash and over 400 tonnes of counterfeit goods; contributing to a 50 per cent reduction of violent crime in the area.

• Operation Heartbeat, tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) and robberies in central Bury, ran for 12 months and reduced ASB and associated crime by more than 50 per cent.

• Bee in the Loop has around 20,000 community users.

• The Marple platform saves the Force around 25 minutes per crime recorded, equating to around £2,000 per day or £365,000 every six months.

• The number of offenders arrested increased by 43 per cent in 2022-23, compared to 2021-22.

• 1,000 first line managers have received active listening training.

• Between September 2022 and March 2023, the Stay Team successfully retained 70 police officers who were actively in the process of leaving GMP and 38 who were considering leaving. The team has a 71 per cent retention rate and has retained a total of 1,305 years of experience and saved £31.8 million in staff replacement costs.

• Waiting times for the Occupational Health Unit have halved from 42 to 21 days.

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PROMISING: monitoring preventative orders using Geo Alerts

A number of teams within GMP’s Specialist Operations (SpecOps) Branch have adopted a novel initiative which uses geofencing to detect when officers on patrol are close to locations where Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) are in place.

Officers are notified of active DVPOs through the AtHoc communication tool, which provides a copy of the order and key information on the victim and the

perpetrator, enabling the officers to conduct checks on the welfare of victims and perpetrators’ compliance with the orders.

The PEEL investigation found that, since its introduction in May 2023, the Geo Alerts scheme had triggered 422 DVPO alert notifications, which resulted in police officers visiting 165 addresses where DVPOs are in place.

These checks have resulted in seven arrests being made so far for order breaches, and the success of the initiative has seen approval given for the initiative to be rolled out across all SpecOps at GMP, with other departments set to follow.

Inspector Darren Spurgeon, GMP’s AtHoc lead, said: “I am immensely proud of this innovative safeguarding programme, and I’m delighted that it’s being more widely adopted.

“The Geo Alerts initiative makes effective use of technology and data to enable officers to provide targeted support and protection to vulnerable

members of the public.

“It is very satisfying to be recognised in the PEEL report, but the important thing to focus on is that Geo Alerts has been successful in what we set out to do: making use of digital innovation to augment the service we provide to the public.”

The potential of the Geo Alerts scheme was further recognised when it won the Public Safety Award at the 2023 CIR Risk Management Awards on Thursday 30 November.

Insp Spurgeon commented: “I am delighted that our use of AtHoc has received more national recognition. The DVPO Geo Alerts initiative is a fantastic safeguarding tool for victims of domestic violence with incredible potential for policing and thoroughly deserves national recognition – and the same goes for AtHoc as a whole.

“It is hugely exciting that the work we have done in Greater Manchester is influencing national policing, with GMP leading the way.”

PROMISING: crime prevention structure An increased focus on crime prevention spearheaded by the Chief Constable led to the creation of a Prevention Branch, based at Force Headquarters, to prevent and deter crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB).

This was followed by neighbourhood prevention hubs, which were instituted in each of GMP’s districts as a result of 2023’s Neighbourhood Policing Review. These hubs work with local partners to tackle repeat offenders, repeat victims and repeat locations of crime, ASB and harm to communities.

Alongside its use of dedicated resources and engagement with strategic partners, the branch relies on a comprehensive Structured Problem Solving Framework, which provides an overarching model for effective, sustainable crime prevention and problem solving activities.

The branch has a ‘design for security’ team of trained architects, who work with local councils and developers to integrate public safety and crime reduction techniques into applications for construction and housing planning.

Prevention Branch head Chief Superintendent Emma Taylor said: “We’ve gone up two places in the grading, which is quite unusual and shows great improvement. Everything plays a part – the structure, the training, the investment in staff and resources.

“It’s a fantastic achievement to be rated Good in this area,

and I think that’s testament to the investment GMP has made in prevention.

“The best performing forces in the country always perform well in crime prevention, and this result shows we’re on the right track to becoming an outstanding force.

“The branch has won two Tilley Awards, which are presented to the best examples of problem solving in policing – this is just further evidence of how far we’ve come and how invested we are.

“I am immensely proud to head up this branch. We still have a way to go to achieve ‘outstanding’, but the PEEL report feedback is testament to how well we’ve done and what we can accomplish.”

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INNOVATIVE: the stay team In September 2022, after reviews showed that GMP’s workforce turnover was higher than average, the Force launched its stay team, headed

by Chief Inspector Mike Russell, with the goal of improving retention of both student officers and veteran members of the workforce.

The stay team meets with officers and staff who are considering potentially leaving GMP, and those who are actively planning to leave, to gain insight as to what issues and considerations factor into their decision.

Where possible, the team will work in partnership with managers to address the concerns which are driving people to leave, whether through training, additional support with workload, or altering shifts.

Even in cases where people continue with their decision to leave after engaging with the stay team, its members are able to gain unfiltered insight into how colleagues experience working for GMP and where changes could be made in the future.

Ch Insp Russell said: “I am very proud to have been able to launch the stay interview initiative – a first in British policing – which has proved to be immensely successful and is recognised as being national best practice.

“I am particularly proud of how we have been able to help retain so many good staff for GMP: we don’t promise the earth or post people into specialist posts; what we do is listen and allow them to speak in confidence about what is making them leave or think about leaving GMP. “We have also introduced concepts into GMP and national policing that have not previously existed such as psychological safety and recognising the importance of Gen Z and how we need to celebrate their differences of those being born into the digital age.

“I’m grateful to CC Watson and ACO Charlotte Layton for allowing me to develop and run this initiative.”

There are eight pathways to arranging a stay interview, including self-referral, and attendees are under no obligation to disclose to colleagues or management that they have met with the stay team.

While the process is confidential, the team has received a significant intake through word of mouth, due to satisfied users sharing their experiences with colleagues. The team’s retention rate is around 71 per cent, and the workforce turnover rate at GMP has now dropped below the national average.

Ch Insp Russell commented: “In terms of numbers, we have saved GMP over

£11 million in staff who were definitely leaving but were retained via the stay interview process thereby retaining years of experience and negating recruitment and training costs.

“This retention also increases performance. If we add on those who were thinking of leaving, the total saving is over £31 million. We have retained over 1,000 years of police experience in GMP.” The stay team analyses the reasons why colleagues are ready to leave at a granular level, breaking down data by cohort – including under-represented groups. By assessing the available data, including issues relating to workloads or dissatisfaction with specific elements of the job, the team is able to determine whether single issues are more or less present within specific locales or demographics. This broadened understanding enables the Force to develop ways to address these issues before they become so severe that people look to leave.

Ch Insp Russell said: “Another benefit of this work is that we have developed a robust evidence base that explains why people are thinking of leaving. This allows us to get upstream and improve our organisation and culture to make GMP an attractive place to work.”

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INNOVATIVE: active listening training for supervisors GMP recognised that work-related stress was a key issue affecting the morale and mental welfare of staff.

As part of a concerted effort to shore up mental wellbeing in the workplace, GMP adopted the REACTMH active listening training programme, which has been rolled out to around 1,000 first-line managers across the Force to date.

REACTMH is an evidence-based tool, developed in 2017 by a team of experts led by academic psychiatrist Professor Neil Greenberg, which aims to help supervisors have productive, psychologically informed conversations with colleagues about their mental health. It provides users with a basic grounding in active listening skills, enabling them to identify when a colleague is struggling with their mental health, reach out and provide support where it is needed.

A small study in 2021 examining the effectiveness of REACTMH training for healthcare managers found that the programme was “associated with significant improvements [to the managers’] confidence in recognising, speaking with and supporting [workers] with suspected mental health conditions”.

More broadly, there is a strong base of evidence showing that receiving appropriate, informed support from line managers or supervisors can have significant benefits for the mental wellbeing of workers.

Because psychological and emotional distress often develop gradually over time, people often do not immediately notice when their mental health is declining – or if they do, they may be reluctant to seek help. The available data suggests that training managers in identifying the need for conversations around mental health and wellbeing at an early stage, and in engaging in those conversations in an appropriate and productive way, can reduce the risk of longer-term mental ill health by up to 90 per cent.

Having supportive wellbeing conversations enables people to continue to effectively perform, as psychologically healthy people are likely to perform better. When line managers are well-equipped to recognise and

address symptoms of poor mental health, they can intervene early to provide support, signpost resources and – by extension – improve workplace productivity and reduce rates of sickness absence.

Delegates attended training sessions lasting around 90 minutes, where they received a broad grounding in observing signs of stress and trauma, initiating and guiding supportive conversations and identifying productive next steps, using the key REACT principles: • Recognise early signs of poor mental health.

• Engage with colleagues who appear to be struggling.

• Actively listen to their responses.

• Check the potential risk of selfdestructive impulses or behaviour.

• Talk about specific actions they can take to alleviate their distress.

The overarching goal of the REACTMH training sessions is to

equip delegates with the necessary skills and confidence to identify people in their team or community who may be struggling with their mental health, initiate a supportive wellbeing conversation, hold the conversation using active listening skills and signpost them to appropriate support.

The training can be particularly beneficial for those who are relatively new to a line management role or to policing as a whole.

One delegate who had undergone the training said: “This input has been incredibly valuable to me in the new era of policing I find myself now leading in – it will help me identify, support and assist in rehabilitating my staff and others within the force who need the support.

“For those that need more advanced professional support, this input has armed me with the knowledge of what I can do and how I can get the right support for my staff.”

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INNOVATIVE: stop and search governance GMP operates a quarterly force-level governance meeting on stop and search, which benefits from a broad external membership providing the perspective of bodies which work with those who have experienced stop and search first-hand.

In addition to police representatives from each district, the meetings are attended by academics; youth workers; representatives of charities that work with young people; members of external scrutiny panels; and Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) childcentred policing lead.

As well as providing the Force with a wider insight into the experiences of people who have been stopped and searched, the inclusion of external perspectives offers the opportunity for open conversation and debate: the PEEL report highlights an example of a panel member suggesting the introduction of QR codes to encourage feedback.

The Universities of Liverpool and Manchester provide strong academic support, with representatives of both institutions actively involved in understanding use of police powers in an operational context and bringing academic thought and rigour to the work of the panel. Meanwhile, some members of external scrutiny panels have themselves received training in the

police use of stop and search powers, enabling them to observe and deliver informed feedback on the use of stop and search at public events and preplanned police operations.

While the stop and search panel does assess headline data, it is not a performance review meeting; rather, its mission is to drive quality. The panel’s overall goals are the continued implementation of intelligence-led stop and search; effective communication with subjects; maximising positive outcomes; and gaining a full understanding of the disproportionate use of this important police power.

Superintendent Phil Spurgeon, who leads the panel, said: “When I took on this lead role two years ago I inherited a strong group from my predecessor, and we have been able to develop that group further with strong support from our partners.

“There is a real commitment from the districts and Specialist Operations to attend the meetings each quarter, make a contribution and take any learning points back to their teams. People don’t just turn up and pay lip service – there are meaningful conversations which have real impact.

“We have great support from a wide partnership, including youth workers providing the voice of children and young people; other partners from

the child-centred policing world; and charities. It’s particularly important to give a voice to young people, who we know are most affected by stop and search; and then within that group we want to give a voice to those young people who are further disproportionately affected, such as the Black community.

“The academics on the group are a good critical friend for us. They are sensible people conducting useful real world research on the use of police powers – just recently, they have offered to review our use of Section 60 powers and provide feedback from an external perspective.”

In the PEEL report, the stop and search panel falls under the area of Police Powers and Public Treatment, which has risen from ‘requires improvement’ in 2021 to ‘adequate’ in 2023.

Supt Spurgeon commented: “It’s great to see us move from inadequate to adequate, but we need to continue with determination on that quality stop and search journey; not least in relation to the correct recording of good grounds for stop and search, which HMICFRS have identified as a formal Area for Improvement. I’m very pleased we’ve been recognised in the PEEL report, but adequate is not enough: we continue our push for excellence.”

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PROMISING: online contact methods

The police force has implemented several changes to improve the efficiency of its accessible and monitored online methods for the public to contact the police.

One of the main changes is the adoption of the single online home (SOH) service, which provides a unified platform for GMP’s online services.

The single online home service allows the public to report crimes, request information, provide feedback, access support services, and more, all from one website. The service also enables the

police to track and monitor the online interactions, and to allocate resources accordingly.

Since it was introduced, GMP has worked with SOH and other forces nationally to continually make improvements to the service, introducing new reporting tools, features and functionality. For the public, this has included new tools to report crimes such as spiking or missing persons; and service improvements include our neighbourhood policing offer with named neighbourhood police offers for

every area and more information about local policing priorities.

Internally, work has been done to integrate SOH reports into ControlWorks and a PDF reader has been launched that standardised and automated the process of recording incident on ControlWorks that saves these being manually entered by crime recording teams.

The SOH service is a national online reporting service which allows members of the public to report crime to the correct police force irrespective of where they choose to make that report.

For example, if you travel to another area of the country and are a victim of a crime, you can report that crime on GMP’s website and the report will be directed to the police force where the crime occurred seamlessly.

The single online home service aims to enhance the public’s trust and confidence in the police, and to reduce the demand on other channels of communication, such as phone calls and visits to police stations.

The service is designed to be user-friendly, secure, and responsive, and to meet the diverse needs of the communities served by the police force.

PROMISING: FCCO recruitment With 999 response times well below target, and more 999 calls coming into GMP than the national average, the Force recognised an urgent need to increase staff levels in its Force Contact, Crime and Operations (FCCO) branch.

More staff were needed to answer both emergency and non-emergency calls, in order to ensure officers could be deployed to incidents promptly.

After a request for additional funding to bolster staffing was authorised by Deputy Mayor of Manchester Kate Green, FCCO assessed and revised its recruitment strategy. The existing recruitment and vetting processes were found to take too long, meaning that a large number of candidates were dropping out of the process or starting other jobs in the lengthy period between applying for call handler roles and receiving a formal offer.

In collaboration with the HR

Recruitment team and the People and Development Branch, FCCO operated a series of bulk recruitment events for crime recording, dispatch and call handling. Up to 30 candidates were invited for assessment per session, with additional sessions taking place at weekends and one evening a week.

Following an introductory address from the Chief Superintendent, candidates were divided into groups to complete four assessments – a writing exercise, data review, customer service and team building – and given the opportunity to speak with an experienced call handler.

Staff at the events were empowered to make conditional offers to candidates on the day, significantly accelerating the recruitment path. Once a candidate had received a conditional offer, their vetting was flagged as a priority to further streamline the process.

Recruitment Coordinator Millie Egan said: “It’s really rewarding to see the

FCCO’s strategy acknowledged in the PEEL report. A lot of hard work goes into recruiting these mass intakes and the staff involved have given up their weekends and evenings to help out, so it’s certainly nice to have this recognition.”