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STATES OF JERSEY
GOVERNANCE OF THE STATES OF JERSEY POLICE (FOLLOW-UP) (R.59 /2022): EXECUTIVE RESPONSE
Presented to the States on 15th August 2022 by the Public Accounts Committee
STATES GREFFE
2022 R.59 Res.
FOREWORD
In accordance with paragraphs 115-116 of the Code of Practice for engagement between Scrutiny Panels and the Public Accounts Committee' and the Executive', (as derived from Standing Orders of the States Assembly) the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee') presents the Executive Response to the Comptroller and Auditor General's Report entitled: Governance of the States of Jersey Police (Follow-Up) (R.59/2022 presented to the States on 27th April 2022).
It is intended for the Committee to be fully constituted after the appointment of Lay Members during the States sitting on 13th September 2022. As such, the Committee will review the responses in detail after its formation and present any further comments to the States Assembly in due course.
Deputy L. Feltham
Chair, Public Accounts Committee
SUMMARY OF RESPONSE
The Chief Executive and Treasurer thank the C&AG for their review and have accepted or partially accepted all recommendations as:
ACTION PLAN
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
Government of Jersey | |||
R1 Notify the Police Authority formally of its budget for 2022 and beyond. | Accept. Completed | Completed | Head of Finance Business Partnering, Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) |
R2 Review the level of Finance, HR and ICT support provided to the Police Authority so that the Police Authority can function efficiently and effectively. | Accept. Finance: Treasury & Exchequer support is being reviewed to ensure that the Jersey Police Authority (JPA) have the appropriate level of finance support to: • manage their own budget • scrutinise the Police budget from a technical perspective Regular meetings have been set-up with Finance Business Partners and the JPA Executive Officer to oversee this HR: HR support is being reviewed to ensure that the Jersey Police Authority (JPA) have the appropriate level of HR support to function efficiently and effectively not only as a public body, but also to; • Review Police officer numbers regularly | End 2022 | Head of Finance Business Partnering, JHA; Senior HR Business Partner for JHA; Senior Business Enablement Manager for JHA |
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
| • Review and scrutinise the absence levels from a technical perspective • Have an overview of the workforce plan Regular meetings have been diarised with the JPA EO to discuss people data in more detail, operational people dashboard access has been requested for the JPA EO. ICT: IT provision, administration and support, is being reviewed to ensure that the JPA have the appropriate level of IT support to function efficiently and effective in order to carry out its functions as required by statute. Access to JPA States of Jersey Police statistics (Incidents etc) is provided to them via access from a Police managed PowerBi Dashboard accessed by the administrator on a Police networked laptop. |
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R3 Ensure the approved Annual Policing Plan is submitted to the States Assembly as required by the Law. | Partially Accept. This was completed in April 2022. The JPA is required to submit to the Minister. Not the Assembly. | Completed | Executive Officer, JPA |
R4 Undertake a formal review to evaluate whether the role of the Police Authority could be extended to cover other services where operational independence is important. | Partially accept. The JHA Director General and the C&AG are both of the view that this should be accepted as a recommendation, but that it would be reasonable to give it a long target date, due to the fact that (a) the JPA needs time to mature to | End 2024 | Director General, Justice and Home Affairs |
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
| a point where it could take on other services, and (b) the Services need time to mature their positions, and have other priorities at the moment (FRS and JCIS being the Services in scope), however we will need to have regard to the White Paper on FRS which was published recently in the UK and continue to have a watching brief on that and consider how it may affect this recommendation. |
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R15 Ensure that internal operating procedures clearly document the respective roles of different parties for police human resources issues. | Accept. Completed – these were provided to the C&AG in October 2021. | Completed | Senior HR Business Partner for JHA; Chief of Police |
R16 Ensure that the planned review of the Police Terms and Conditions of Service is undertaken in 2022. | Partially accept. This is being included in the Uniformed Services review, which includes Fire & Rescue, JCIS, Prison, Ambulance and Police. The review was on hold but has been restarted, steering group meetings set, and engagement with Unions/ Associations is now underway. It is likely to conclude later than the end of 2022, and therefore this recommendation is only partially accepted. | Mid 2023 | Director General, JHA; Group Director for People and Corporate Services |
R17 Ensure that reports accompanying all Ministerial Decisions include details of the advantages and disadvantages of different options considered in making the decision. | Accept. This recommendation also needs to be shared with the Ministerial Support Unit so that responses incorporate this recommendation across Government. | End 2022 | Chief of Police; Executive Officer, JPA |
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
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R18 Introduce mechanisms for a stronger dialogue between Treasury and Exchequer, JHA and the Jersey Police Authority about resourcing requirements for the States of Jersey Police. | Accept. JPA are now meeting regularly with Treasury & Exchequer - specifically the Head of Finance Business Partnering for JHA will meet with the JPA Executive Officer and will also attend the SOJP & JPA meetings to ensure stronger dialogue'. | July 2022 | Head of Finance Business Partnering for JHA; Chief of Police; Executive Officer, JPA |
Police Authority | |||
R5 Undertake a full assessment of training requirements and develop and implement an appropriate training plan. | Accept. Ongoing – that JPA are looking at equivalent jurisdictions and organisations as examples of good practice. This assessment will be in place for 2023. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA |
R6 Undertake a review at the end of 2022 to establish whether the Police Authority has been able to undertake the duties conferred on it by the legislative changes within the resources allocated. | Accept. This is a pre- existing piece of work which has been discussed with scrutiny and is on- going. Whilst there is no requirement in law for the JPA to report upon itself, the Chair had already expressed his intentions to provide a report to the Minister and Scrutiny. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA |
R7 Ensure the Four-Year Policing Plan is brought up to date and approved and is updated and approved on an annual rolling basis. | Accept. This is a statutory requirement and is complete and was aligned with the budget process. An annual amendment is put forward. | Completed | Executive Officer, JPA |
R8 Produce a detailed Annual Policing Plan for approval by the Minister for Home Affairs. | Accept. This is a statutory requirement and is complete. | Completed | Executive Officer, JPA |
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
R9 Establish, based on the aims of the Four-Year Policing Plan and Annual Policing Plan: • a performance baseline for the States of Jersey Police • objectives and targets to meet strategic and operational aims; and • arrangements to monitor performance and take action where targets are not achieved. | Accept. During the pandemic the reporting was not as robust as in previous years. This has now been corrected. Work is ongoing with regards to the performance baseline, objectives and targets, and performance management when targets are not achieved. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA |
R10 Develop and publish Annual Reports for the States of Jersey Police in accordance with statutory requirements. | Accept. This has been done and is up to date. | Completed | Executive Officer, JPA |
R11 Document a clear plan for the proposed 2023 and future independent inspections of the States of Jersey Police setting out when these will be undertaken, and by whom. | Accept. The JPA arranged for representatives from the HMICFRS to visit Jersey (w/c 18 July 2022) they have agreed to book a visit for thematic inspection during 2023. Date to be confirmed as they work on UK financial year planning and the diary has not yet been agreed. There have had further discussions and it is on the agenda for the next joint meeting next week. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA |
R12 Consider formally whether the time commitment envisaged for independent Police Authority members is realistic, and whether the current expectation in respect of time commitment and remuneration will continue to attract members with the right skills. | Accept. The JPA is currently reviewing the member role profile and the duties of the Chair as it enters into a period of recruitment. A new Chair will be required to be in place by February 2023, pending ministerial decision. | Mid 2023 | Executive Officer, JPA |
Recommendations | Action | Target Date | Responsible Officer |
R13 Formalise the structure and documentation of Police Authority meetings to include: • formal agendas • papers posted in advance of the meeting • records of all decisions taken at the meetings • secure storage of records and minutes including appropriate back up facilities; and • making minutes or summaries of meetings available in a transparent way. | Accept. Agreed. This is being actioned. There is an additional action to ensure that the level of system support is appropriate so that records are held in accordance with good governance practices. The JPA are to work with M&D on this. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA |
R19 Formally determine in preparing the Annual Policing Plan whether the resources attributed to States of Jersey Police are sufficient. | Accept. This will be achieved via regular meetings between T&E continuing in July 2022 at the six-month joint meeting with the SOJP and JPA. | End 2022 | Executive Officer, JPA; Chief of Police |
R20 Incorporate targets and resources aligned to the four- year Government Plan in the Four-Year Policing Plan. | Accept. Agreed and in place. | Completed | Executive Officer, JPA; Chief of Police |
Government of Jersey & Police Authority | |||
R14 Following the review undertaken to implement R4, evaluate whether the role of the Police Authority could be extended to cover other services where operational independence is important. | Accept. As per answer to R4 | End 2024 | Director General, Justice and Home Affairs |
RECOMMENDATIONS NOT ACCEPTED
Recommendations | Reason for Rejection |
None |
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