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Theme 6: The Role of the Chief Executive and the Chief Finance Officer
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Every Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) requires a Chief Executive to support and advise the PCC in delivering all his/her statutory duties and responsibilities.
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The Chief Executive works with the PCC to enable delivery of the PCC’s vision, strategy and identified priorities and facilitate appropriate scrutiny of the police force’s activities. The Chief Executive also ensures the effective strategic and operational leadership of the Office of the PCC (OPCC).
The Chief Executive also holds the role of the Monitoring Officer, with a remit to draw to the PCC’s attention any actual or possible contravention of law, maladministration or injustice. Additionally, the post fulfils the statutory function of the Head of Paid Service. The post of Chief Executive is politically restricted and the post holder must be appointed on merit.
The current Chief Executive is James Payne
The Chief Executive’s main role is to support and advise the PCC in delivering his/her manifesto, as expressed through the Police and Crime Plan, and in undertaking the statutory duties and responsibilities, including:
Partnership working, oversight of the local criminal justice system, commissioning and service delivery
In order to discharge a PCC’s statutory responsibility to ensure the local criminal justice system operates efficiently a senior member of the team is a member of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Criminal Justice Board, engaging with the senior representatives and judiciary who oversee the operation of the local system. They also chairs the reducing reoffending subgroup which oversees how organisations work in partnership to reduce reoffending by targeting specific offending groups such as the young.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) also represents the PCC at national bodies providing an opportunity to influence policy, including the Ministry of Justice and Home Office and on a local level regular meetings are undertaken with senior officials, such as the Chief Crown Prosecutor to talk through local issues.
Engagement and consultation (including obtaining the views of the public and partners, engagement events and media relations)
*Please note during 2020 much of the consultation and engagement activity was undertaken online and all activity was carried out within the appropriate COVID-19 guidelines
The OPCC Communications and Engagement team develop a comprehensive programme of engagement events throughout the year to create opportunities for the Police and Crime Commissioner to undertake his/her statutory duty to consult with and meet local residents, partners and a range of stakeholders to ensure their views on policing and crime are heard. The events range from county shows and local authority events through to diverse community celebrations and OPCC created events with partners.
A range of face to face consultation is also undertaken through the Performance and Information team focus groups with local residents who have expressed an interest in giving their views and coffee consultations reaching members of the public in coffee shops. The voice of young people is heard through the annual Big Conversation consultation led by members of the Youth Commission, which informs their priorities for the year. In addition to the face to face engagement and consultation activity, consultation is also undertaken through the use of online surveys that reach a larger volume of people, this has been particularly effective in reaching views on the annual policing precept.
Media planning is set out in a proactive 12-month plan to create opportunities to raise awareness of the role of the PCC and to encourage members of the public to have their say through the consultation or to educate the public on crime prevention. In addition, reactive media enquiries are also handled and managed through the OPCC to support the PCC in his/her response.
Information management, performance review and scrutiny
The production of high quality, varied and accessible information is managed through InterACT, a portal for professionals in crime reduction. Reports and profiles are collated on a wide range of topics, including the results of focus groups and surveys. We also provide access to the College of Policing’s research map and ‘what works’ evaluations and similar activity of other agencies. Through collective efforts, the range of data that constructs Hampshire’s evidence base is continually updated. In turn, Community Safety Partners are equipped to write detailed and timely Strategic Assessments, evaluating the effectiveness of services in their districts and any known gaps or needs. Within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, strategic assessments are reviewed in conjunction with proposals for the grants round as part of our ‘evidence cycle’. This ensures that performance findings and advice can be used to challenge or support decisions made through the grants round and to test the extent to which outcomes are met.
In addition to InterACT, the OPCC manages SafetyNet, a case management system to support partnership working. This ensures that various agencies working with vulnerable people or individuals at risk are able to share their assessment of risk and activity surrounding that person.
Our evidence base is also used in conjunction with Police performance measures and supports fact finding exercises to ensure that scrutiny of the Constabulary is informed and timely. Scrutiny takes place in a publically accessible way through ‘COMPASS’, which includes questions from the public. The PCC meets with the Chief Constable on a one to one basis enabling updates and discussions around topics which might be sensitive and not suitable to share more widely.
The Commissioner’s team supports the scrutiny of the Out of Court Disposals panel, chaired by the Head of Performance and Information. The team are also engaged in matters of victim satisfaction, victim’s code of compliance, legitimacy within the constabulary, youth voice and community consultation through a range of partnership boards and meetings.
Research
The Performance and Information Team and Communications and Engagement Team utilise a range of methods to capture public view on a range of police and crime related issues. We recognise the range of perspectives that different communities have and the need for them to receive accurate information in return.
Our surveys include wide-scale, national services through YouGov, who are valued for their high methodological standards. This tool enables us to track responses to questions about perceptions of police and safety in addition to attitudes and behaviours on relevant issues such as community cohesion and responses to media topics. We also conduct a biannual survey, weighted using the same methodology but containing bespoke questions to monitor public concerns and priorities. Surveys are subject to further testing through local and targeted focus groups, engagement with community safety managers and more spontaneous opportunities to speak to people who would not otherwise be able or likely to commit to a focus group setting.
Standards, governance and complaints (including legal and HR)
In Hampshire, it is the responsibility of the Standards and Compliance team to ensure the statutory requirements of the PCC are met. The team is responsible for the management of the PCC’s complaints functions, which includes overseeing the local police complaints system, acting as the independent review function, and handling complaints against the Chief Constable.
The team is also responsible for ensuring compliance with the legal responsibilities of any organisation, including compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), the Data Protection Act, and employment and equality legislation. Some functions are provided by other public sector partners such as Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Constabulary, and the team is responsible for managing the relationship with those organisations and ensuring it is delivering an effective service for the OPCC.
Commissioning and partnerships
Commissioning involves the use of money and influence to ensure that the needs of the communities are met with the best possible services, targeted at where it will be most effective, provided by the best possible organisations, at the best possible cost.
The OPCC Commissioning Team has the scale, expertise and influence to bring together a wide range of local, regional and national partners to bring about real change that will impact on the quality of life of vulnerable people, reduce offending and support victims of crime.
By working in partnership at the pan Hampshire level we can both gain from commissioning across the whole area where that is most appropriate, foster local voluntary organisations for smaller locally based services, and deal with the whole spectrum of need.
Strategy, programme management and resource planning
The Programme Management and Business Support teams provide a range of governance and support services to the PCC and the wider office and manage the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan.
The team oversees the end-to-end governance process of planned delivery, from strategic decisionmaking and project governance through to benefit realisation. The management of strategic risk is an important part of this function, effectively minimising potential threats to the delivery of the Commissioner’s priorities, whilst enabling opportunities for innovation to thrive.
The team provide support the PCC in discharging his/her statutory duties and work directly with the scrutiny panels who hold the Commissioner to account, the Police and Crime Panel and Joint Audit Committee, cultivating positive and productive working relationships with our key stakeholders.
The Business Support team provide a first point of contact service for the public, managing enquiries, correspondence and Freedom of Information requests on behalf of the PCC. The team provide the day-to-day functional management of the office, by delivering a variety of administrative and support services to all the teams within the OPCC.
The Chief Executive also has responsibility for the management and day to day running of the OPCC.
The PCC’s professional adviser on policing is the Chief Constable and it is important for these two individuals to have a close and effective working relationship. The Chief Executive is expected to work closely with the PCC and Chief Constable (collectively and one to one), and to support the PCC in influencing and shaping the leadership and strategic direction for the Force.
The Chief Executive also works with other senior police officers/staff. There is a particular focus on strategic matters, significant current issues and future direction. It is important for all these parties to develop mutual trust and respect and to work together constructively to deliver positive outcomes for their communities.
THE CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER
The PCC must also have in post a Chief Finance Officer, who has similar and complementary statutory duties and responsibilities to those of the monitoring officer in connection with any unlawful, or potentially unlawful, expenditure of the PCC or those acting on the PCC’s behalf.
Interestingly, the law requires the Chief Constable to designate a Chief Finance Officer, who has the same responsibilities to that office, but there is no such obligation on the Chief Constable to have a Monitoring Officer.
The PCC’s Chief Finance Officer has a direct reporting relationship to the PCC and is a key member of the OPCC leadership team. They should maintain strong and constructive working relationships with the Chief Constable’s Chief Finance Officer.
Statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State under the Local Government Act 2000 advises that local authorities need to ensure that the Monitoring Officer and the PCC’s Chief Finance Officer have access as necessary to meetings and papers, and that members must consult with him/her regularly. These arrangements do not apply to the PCC but the guidance represents best practice and the principles of access and consultation should be applied.
The current Chief Finance Officer is Andy Lowe.
