Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

MANAGING DIFFERENCE
5.54 An approach needs to be devised which engages all within the workforce of
the MPS community which would overcome the cynicism and resistance we have
seen. This approach would emphasise that diversity encompasses all aspects of
difference, including gender, faith, disability, sexual orientation and transgender
issues, as well as race. It is as applicable to the majority group as to minorities.
5.55 Officers and staff must become more confident with discussing issues of difference
on a daily basis as part of their normal interactions with colleagues in the workplace.
We recommend that the MPS gives adequate priority to all aspects of
diversity, particularly in light of the Framework Equal Treatment Directive
2000.
We recommend that the MPS refreshes and revitalises its work in managing
difference and devises a way of truly engaging all officers and staff on this
important issue.
The Diversity Excellence Model
5.56 One tool that has been suggested to us is the Diversity Excellence Model
(DEM). Devised by the civil service, the DEM provides a framework to assess the
integration of diversity in an organisation’s business processes and to evaluate its
effectiveness.
5.57 The assessment tool is a detailed questionnaire which enables assessors to find
out what their organisation is and is not doing in respect of equality and diversity
and whether they are at the stage of moving towards best practice or excellence.
“Rhetoric needs to be converted into reality.”
(Introductory Booklet on the Diversity Excellence Model, Centre for Management and
Policy Studies.)
5.58 HMIC has recommended the use of the DEM. Members of the MBPA
executive have been able to introduce the DEM in their respective OCUs. The
MBPA argues that these pilot sites “have shown the merits of having a ‘diversity lead’ in
each of the MPS business groups who will feed directly into the Diversity Directorate, carrying
out numerous internal and external benchmarking exercises to ensure the exchange of good
practice and the raising of standards; thus developing the lateral golden thread of diversity
among the business groups.”
5.59 We understand that the DEM is now operating in the Child Protection Team,
the Information directorate, Special Operations and Westminster BOCU.
109