Chief’s reflections from national performance meeting

The Commissioner Ben Adams and Chief Constable Chris Noble attended the latest Police Performance and Oversight Group meeting in late January. Chris offers some brief reflections on how it went and what it means for the force going forward.

I’m pleased to say that the mood of the meeting, which included senior leaders from His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), the College of Policing, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, and the Home Office, was very positive. All of our stakeholders noted the continuing progress of the force in improving its performance, not least in Force Contact, that had led to the discharge of our accelerated cause of concern in this area.

Our HMI Wendy Williams CBE talked positively about the improvement of performance in Force Contact which had led to the discharge of the accelerated cause of concern (ACoC). And while this is good news, I was clear that we will continue to focus on improving performance in this area, particularly for 101 and abandoned calls, as every improvement means a better service to victims and increases our ability to protect the most vulnerable.

The investment we continue to make to support and improve the capabilities of our officers has also been noted. In response to our second ACoC, quality of investigation, we have invested in investigative quality sergeants, established a programme of investigative quality masterclasses for all PCs to attend, and enhanced a rigorous internal audit and assessment system to review the quality of investigations across the force. This performance data tells us where improvements are needed and assists leaders to target resources more effectively.

There was a positive response to my presentation from our stakeholders. The mood music at the end was one of confidence that we continue to make significant progress. Reality testing until April will confirm the progress we are making, while recognising that there is more to do.

The Commissioner stated his ambition to support further investment in technology, officers and staff, whilst reflecting that future finances were likely to be challenging. He confirmed that in his view there was real progress under the force’s new leadership team and he was confident this will continue.

The positive message we received from our stakeholders reflects the efforts and commitment of officers and staff, and the improvement in our service to the public and victims that this is leading to. I am confident that our journey to become an outstanding local police service is well underway, and moving out of ‘Engage’ status is a key milestone on that journey.

Chris Noble
Chief Constable