Recommendations - Kent Police, November 2020

The IOPC recommends that Kent Police should take proactive steps to improve oversight of the work carried out by PCSOs and introduce measures to ensure their work is recorded more effectively. An Inspector of the Maidstone Community Safety Unit has already implemented many changes which are likely to be beneficial to other similar teams around Kent.

These changes include:

1. Briefings each morning between the supervisors and PCSOs where activities for the day are discussed. Supervisors to be more intrusive around PCSO engagements and to provide appropriate support and guidance where necessary.
2. A daily return form for each PCSO for them to note completed activities (i.e. Computer Aided Dispatches (CADs) attended, Themis cases updated, intel reports submitted etc.).
3. Monthly one-to-one meetings between PCSOs and supervisors to discuss their work and activities.
4. An Inspector was able to secure an increase in supervision which meant there were four sergeants overseeing the PCSOs rather than just one overseeing the majority. Sufficient supervisory coverage is of high importance to the success of these recommendations.

The College of Policing are planning to publish new guidelines on the general supervision of police officers and staff. There is not yet a confirmed publication date, but we wanted to alert you to its existence and suggest you consider this when producing your own guidance.

Do you accept the recommendation?

Yes

Accepted action:

The overarching recommendation to try and improve oversight of work and recording activity is agreed.

Following our NHP review, the implementation of the NHP principles and the IOPC recommendations the following work is being undertaken.

1. Daily PCSO briefings at 08:00 hours are held with PS/Insp Mon-Fri or with the PCSO TL’s when these officers are not available. All district reporting sites can utilise MS Teams for teleconference / remote briefings / meetings.
2. CSU Focus Group happens once a month between PCSO Team Leader’s and CSU Inspector / Sgts – this forum provides an opportunity to discuss their work and activities. Daily returns will not be undertaken to reduce administrate burden, ensuring greater community contact time.
3. Formal monthly 121 will take place with PCSO’s to track progress of OSARA plans and community engagement and pocket notebook checks regarding daily activity.
4. The new NHP Delivery / Implementation Plan requires each district to ensure that there are enough PCSO Tutors – this will form part of the current training / development review with L&D. A review of the existing supervision structure using the CSU sergeants, CPT Sergeants, Task Force Sergeants will be undertaken to ensure appropriate supervision coverage.

The Problem-Solving Task Force teams, the Team Leader will perform an operational and administrative function within the team, they will have responsibility for the day to day lead, direction and support of the team. It will be the responsibility of the PCSO Task Force Team Leader to update daily the “One Note” Tasking & Returns document for review each morning by the Partnerships & Communities Sergeant. To support the Team Leaders to manage their teams and drive performance, we have secured supervisors training modules for all three PSTF T/L’s. They will complete two elements of the Leadership training course, (Organisational and Personal Leadership). We have also submitted a request to include our T/L’s on the extra Command module.

The IOPC recommends that Kent Police takes steps to reduce the risks inherent in police officer/staff member interactions with vulnerable members of the community. One suggestion would be for Kent Police to ensure those with Axon body worn video (BWV) cameras are aware of the new ‘vulnerable person concern – no offence disclosed’ retention category and its potential uses.

This recommendation was made following allegations from a woman against the PCSO. The PCSO refuted the allegations and said the evidence would be on his BWV, however, the type of BWV used at that time did not have the ‘vulnerable person concern – no offence disclosed’ retention category and therefore the footage was no longer available.

Do you accept the recommendation?

Yes

Accepted action:

Kent Police has moved to the Axon Body Worn Video Camera which is issued to all front-line staff. On the 1st July 2020 the ‘vulnerable person concern – no offence disclosed’ category went live for users to apply to their footage. This was broadcast to the Force via a Spotlight article. Local Chief Inspectors directed compliance checks via their Inspectors for the use of all new categories and MOPI marking compliance has been implemented with all front-line staff. This was scrutinised on a team level with compliance results returned up the chain of command. Student Constables receive specific training inputs regarding the use of Axon BWV and ‘evidence.com’ to ensure they understand the categories and the importance of applying them correctly. An additional Spotlight article was released in October 2020 to reiterate the mandatory use of BWV Categories and retention conditions, of which the category mentioned in this recommendation was one. To date, 7637 users across Kent and Essex have utilised the ‘vulnerable person concern – no offence disclosed’ category to marked body worn video footage.

Comprehensive guidance is available via Kent Police InSite (as per link below) insite.ecis.police.uk/operational/bwv/axon/H ow-to-guides.html

The IOPC recommends that Kent Police provides their operational employees with clarity on the different definitions of the term ‘vulnerable.’ There are two strands to this recommendation:

1. Kent Police to ensure officers and staff sufficiently understand how to assess whether someone is vulnerable and the impact this should have on working practices, for example, risk assessments.
2. Kent Police to ensure officers and staff appreciate the difference between a ‘vulnerable adult’ (as per the College of Policing definition) and a person vulnerable to abuse of position for sexual purpose (as per the College of Policing guidance on maintaining professional boundaries).

This recommendation was made after some of the evidence appeared to suggest Kent officers and staff were inconsistent in identifying vulnerabilities. Furthermore, and given the nature of this investigation, it seemed prudent Kent employees were aware of the differences between the more strictly defined College of Policing definition of ‘vulnerable adult,’ and the less strict definition of the term in relation to people potentially vulnerable to an abuse of position for sexual purpose.

Do you accept the recommendation?

Yes

Accepted action:

The Central Referral Unit (CRU) are available 24 hours for tactical advice for frontline officers / staff.

Comprehensive guidance in relation to all aspects of ‘Vulnerability’, to support operational officers / staff, is available via Kent Police InSite (as per link below) –

insite.ecis.police.uk/operational/vulnerability.html

As a force we have also driven Operation Engage – an initiative which aims to ensure PVP wraparound for those very vulnerable repeat callers, while appropriately managing the demand they create on Kent Police services and indeed other partner agencies. Where appropriate Operation Engage will also link into the District Vulnerability Panels and ensure a multi-agency ‘problem solving’ based approach to managing this demand, while implementing supportive interventions for those most vulnerable individuals identified through the Operation Engage process.

Kent police are currently preparing to launch the AWARE principle. A framework to develop officers’ professional curiosity to identify flags or markers in relation to CE or other criminal behaviour. The acronym is not a checklist but designed to act as an intelligence gathering tool to create the bigger picture.

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