Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

THE CASE FOR CHANGE
Recommendation Evidence Inquiry’s Observations
4. Notwithstanding the constraints of the
existing Regulations, the MPS should address
the perceived blame culture, recognising
that an early apology may be the only
desired outcome and should support
staff who admit to honest mistakes.
The MPS
In his oral evidence, the Deputy Commissioner acknowledged the existence of a blame culture: “Well, it is a serious dilemma here, I have
to say. It is the absolute centrepiece of the Commissioner's leadership programme … Any blame culture that exists runs through the organisation.
“I have no doubt that there has been, in the last four to five years, such an emphasis on performance, such an emphasis on getting the Met's
figures right, that there has been very little room – it is this bit about, where are the soft skills in all of this? … And there is clearly a sense of
a blame culture. That is what, I think, this inquiry will help, but it is my fourth pillar; you have actually got to make the organisation mature.
We have received evidence
that there is still an established
blame culture within the MPS.
“But I am positive we will move on, and I am quite clear that, as always, you are going to kind of drag behind the truth.
“I am sure that when your survey is completed it can then be compared in some way with the staff survey that we did just before the
Commissioner took up office and with the response to some of the other smaller staff surveys that we have done, and I think you will see
an upward curve in a feeling that the people are supported and looked after. But there is a long way to go.”
MET-TUS
In their submission, the MET-TUS stated that: “We have seen no change in the way managers behave when things go wrong.”
5. That appropriate actions arising from these
recommendations should be included in
the requisite action plan to comply with
requirements of the Race Relations
(Amendment) Act 2000 and that the MPS
should produce a strategy to reassure the
community of its commitment to comply
with the legislation.
The MPS
In his oral evidence, the Deputy Commissioner said that the MPS had implemented this recommendation in full: “… we issued
our Race Equality Scheme in 2002 with the full backing of the CRE, and the CRE in fact use it as a template for other forces. So my
hope is that this is one area where we have got this absolutely right. There is always the danger, in saying that, that we found something
that is wrong, but in general, the penetration of the Race Relations Amendment Act, the Race Equality Scheme, the impact assessment
is very strong, and this is one part of it … I am quite comfortable that this is a major recommendation that we have complied with.”
MET-TUS
In their submission, the MET-TUS stated that: “The Virdi Inquiry recommendations have not been incorporated into the RRAA Action Plan.”
The Inquiry was unable
to assess this.
6. The MPS should seek to address the
perceived difficulties associated with the
Directorate of Legal Services, namely:
• the use of early intervention strategies
to limit the number of cases going to
employment tribunal;
• to ensure that the structure of decisionmaking,
where legal advice is a critical
consideration but not the final arbiter,
is transparent to the MPA.
The MPS
In relation to the use of early intervention strategies, the Deputy Commissioner told us his view: “My very strong sense, talking
to people, is that it is about first line supervisors listening and understanding the lesson that what this person is complaining about in
this instance may not be the main issue; there may be something further back that they have got to deal with, and it is taking time.”
With regard to the transparency to the MPA of the MPS’ decision-making, we are aware that a draft model protocol is being
drawn up but we were informed by the Deputy Commissioner that other efforts have been made to include the MPA more:
“The transparency to the MPA, there are some difficulties here, and I have got to be clear on this. There were one or two members of the
MPA who have got a very specific viewpoint on this, and I am not sure it is as widely shared as it might be ... As I say, it is just a question of
getting the MPA to be more involved in David Hamilton’s department. We have made many offers; some have been taken up, some have
not been taken up. This is a perception that is quite deep-rooted about a number of cases, but it seems to be only deep-rooted with two or
three members of the MPA rather than the whole of the MPA, but it is something we have to deal with and we have got to get right.”
We have already commented
on the use of mediation and
the role of the Directorate of
Legal Services.
David Hamilton, the MPS Director of Legal Services, drew our attention to a document MPS Decision-making in Malfeasance
Litigation submitted to the MPA in 2002, which deals with the role of his directorate in decision-making in malfeasance litigation.
MET-TUS
In their written submission, the MET-TUS stated that: “No action has been taken to implement this recommendation.”
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