Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

BUILDING CAPACITY
9.85 This is recognised by the MPS: “The responsibility for motivating and developing
people is shared by all managers and by individuals themselves.”
(MPS Dignity at Work Guidance and Best Practice.)
9.86 Managers develop by learning ‘on the job’ from their own peers and managers;
by discussing problems when they arise and being coached through the journey. This
requires a cultural shift rather than new formal procedures. However, all managers need
to take their responsibilities for playing their part in the process. Coaching, mentoring,
developing, managing – whatever it is called – needs to be part of every working day.
We recommend, therefore, that the MPS implements a more effective
management development programme.
Developing police staff
9.87 If the focus is to be on development as opposed to training, it is important to
ensure that it is not only police officers whose development needs are catered for.
HMIC has pointed out that, although it is possible for police staff to attend the
Strategic Command Course, the Senior Leadership Development Programme and
the Core Leadership Development Programme, very few police staff actually take
advantage of this opportunity.
9.88 In addition, there is no scheme for police staff equivalent to the High Potential
Development Scheme (HPDS) for police officers and there is no mechanism for
identifying exceptional talent amongst police staff.
9.89 HMIC has therefore recommended that the Home Office develops a HPDS for
police staff and that each police service should have systems in place to identify
police staff with high potential and actively develop their careers. We would
endorse this.
We recommend that the MPS takes immediate action to implement the HMIC
recommendation on a High Potential Development Scheme for police staff.
We also recommend that the MPS’ management development programme
should be available to police staff as well as police officers.
Finally, we recommend that the MPS ensures that it has systems in place to
develop all its officers and staff.
219