PCD 1950 Intensification Transforming Leadership

Executive Summary:   

This paper seeks approval for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to implement a series of Leadership Interventions designed to ensure that its leadership cadre possesses the capability to deliver both the cultural reform and performance ambitions required to support the commitments set out in New Met for London 2 (NMfL2). The two principal interventions are: 

• A Voluntary Exit Scheme 

• A Development Centre 

These initiatives are targeted at the ranks of Chief Inspector, Superintendent, and Chief Superintendent, and both activities require investment that exceeds the MPS delegated authority. 

Recommendation: 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to: 

1. Approve the proposed approach for delivering NMfL 2 commitments to strengthen leadership capability across Chief Inspector, Superintendent, and Chief Superintendent leadership tiers. All officers at these ranks will complete a Development Centre, with a voluntary exit route offered ahead of the Development Centre for those who do not feel able to align with the future direction of travel. 

2. Approve an investment of up to £15m, capped, to enable up to 20% of officers at these ranks (equivalent to 142 individuals) to leave the MPS under voluntary exit terms, with exits starting from May 2026. This will be met as a prioritised call on the workforce reserves. 

3. Approve a utilisation of funding of c£3.5m to design and deliver a robust Development Centre for officers at the target ranks, utilising £2.5m from re-prioritising Learning and Development L&D) funding and £1m from wider People and Resources (P&R). 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

Decision required – supporting report 

1. Introduction and background 

1. A New Met for London (NMfL) makes clear commitments to delivering cultural reform and the highest level of service for the communities of London. Central to this is the transformation of leadership, ensuring that those entrusted with leading our people are fully aligned to our values and guiding principles, demonstrate the highest levels of professional and ethical behaviour, and can deliver sustained improved performance for the communities of London. 

2. Over the last three years, the MPS has made record levels of investment in fixing its foundations to better equip staff to do the roles required of them. Despite these advances, challenges remain in ensuring the MPS has a cadre of leaders with the capabilities needed to deliver against both its NMfL cultural reform and performance commitments. 

3. This is not to imply that there are no high-performing and committed leaders doing exceptional work, as there undoubtedly are.  

2. Issues for consideration 

1. The MPS has leadership development activity underway at all levels of the organisation, from first line leaders up to Management Board level. The focus of the current proposals is on the MPS’s middle leadership layers, specifically the ranks of Chief Inspector, Superintendent and Chief Superintendent. 

2. Leaders at these ranks have some of the greatest influence over both MPS officers and MPS performance. Many have made significant contributions to progress so far, but if the MPS is to overcome the challenges it faces, then the commitment and capability of those who hold these ranks will be pivotal to MPS success. 

3. There are three key strands to this work: 

• Forced distribution of Performance Development Review (PDR) ratings: To align them to the expected distribution to evidence more candid conversations about performance and ability, identify development areas and in more than a handful of cases start a process of Unsatisfactory Performance & Attendance Procedures (UPP).  

• Development Centres: These will provide support and actionable feedback alongside PDRs and feed directly into the Leadership Academy to allow for more structured and focused training. They will also help provide clear evidence for those not performing.  

• Time-limited Voluntary Exit Scheme: There are a small number of leaders that are not willing or able to meet the high bar the MPS is setting. For those that recognise themselves in this group, a quick and dignified route out of the organisation will be provided. 

4. The MPS’s strategic plan for the next three years is encapsulated in the refreshed NMfL 2. It remains anchored to the tenets of cultural reform and performance. Strong leadership is essential for successful delivery. The MPS will intensify the emphasis and pace of its work with local senior leaders, focusing on the ranks of Chief Inspector, Superintendent, and Chief Superintendent. 

5. Further information on these strands of work can be found in the restricted section of this report. 

3. Financial Comments 

1. The voluntary exit scheme is modelled at £16.05m, covering exit costs for up to 142 officers, programme delivery, career transition support, and legal fees. Departing officers will be replaced through promotions, generating salary savings as newly promoted officers enter at lower pay points than those leaving at the top of the scale. These savings reduce the net cost to £15.02m, funded from workforce reserve. 

2. The costs associated with the design and delivery of the Development Centre for c700 in-scope officers are modelled at £3.5m. Of this, £2.5m is incorporated within the L&D 2025/26 budget, with the remaining £1.0m to be met through underspend within the wider P&R budget. 

3. Additional financial detail is provided in the restricted section of this report. 

4. Commercial Implication 

1. There are no new commercial considerations linked to the voluntary exit scheme. It will be managed through internal resources and an enhanced pensions settlement service, covered under the existing Shared Services Lead (SSL) remit and specification. 

2. The Development Centre will require an external specialist partner for both design and delivery. Independent professional expertise is integral to the approach, ensuring confidence in the Centre and enabling its outcomes to support wider people's processes. 

3. Services from the external partner will be procured through the existing, commercially compliant Learning Managed Service Framework contract with Premier Partners. This Framework provides MPS access to a wide range of professional providers in the Learning and Development space. Subject to approval of this investment paper, the preferred supplier will be confirmed by late-November, allowing on‑boarding to begin and a detailed implementation plan to be developed under Steering Group oversight. 

5. Legal Comments 

1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (“MOPAC”) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”), and that all awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £0.214m or above shall be procured in accordance with the Regulations. This report confirms the value of the proposed contract exceeds this threshold.   

2. The MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (“DMPC”) has delegated authority to approve:   

• Business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £0.50m and above (paragraph 4.8); and  

• All requests to go out to tender for contracts of £0.50m or above, or where there is a particular public interest (paragraph 4.13).   

3. Paragraph 7.23 of the Scheme provides that the Director of Strategic Procurement has consent for the approval of the award of all contracts, except for those called in through the agreed call in procedure. Paragraph 4.14 of the Scheme provides the DMPC reserves the right to call in any MPS proposal to award a contract for £0.50m or above. A request for approval by the DMPC for the Director of Strategic Procurement to approve the eventual award will be required. 

4. Regulations state that Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are responsible for deciding whether to run a voluntary exit scheme in their force and for determining the eligibility criteria within the terms outlined below. If a scheme is launched, officers who meet the criteria may decide whether the offer is right for them. An exit should proceed only if both the officer and the force agree to the terms and are satisfied that they are appropriate. 

5. In launching this scheme, the MPS is clear that provided officers are not currently subject to UPP or misconduct the choice is theirs: to lead the culture change within the MPS, which may require leading or working differently. This is not underperformance; it is a matter of interest and motivation to deliver organisational change and cultural transformation. 

6. Equality Comments 

1. Equality impact assessments are ongoing for both the Development Centre and the exit scheme. They will be completed and used for consultation when the criteria for the exits are settled and when the design of the Development Centre is finalised. Both projects are establishing metrics to track their impact on underrepresented groups within the target ranks. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy 

1. The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a 'State' body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals. 

2. Under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Section 57 of the DPA 2018, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) become mandatory for organisations with technologies and processes that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights of the data subjects. 

3. The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project meets its compliance requirements.  

4. The project does not use personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered over and above those taken into consideration in MPS’s usual processing of staff and officer data. Data in relation to this scheme will not be shared other than for the purposes of making decisions within this scheme and will be retained, reviewed and destroyed in line with GDPR and DPA 2028 requirements. 

8. Background/supporting papers 

1. MPS Report – Intensification Transforming Leadership Investment Case.