DCC Roger Bannister launches Blueprint 2020
Blueprint 2020 is a five year programme that will redesign police services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It is looking at how future savings could be made and how services can be delivered more efficiently so that the force can become smarter in how it operates.
The force is facing an unprecedented financial challenge. The government has indicated that some public sector organisations must make savings. For Leicestershire, this means further savings of between £17m and £28m. The exact figure will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) on Wednesday 25 November. This is on top of the £36.1 million the force has already saved between 2010 and 2015.
To make the savings, the force is looking to do things differently and improve the way it operates, while still offering a service that is responsive to the needs of local communities. Prevention will remain at the heart of policing and the Blueprint 2020 programme will look closely at all aspects of the organisation to identify potential transformations that can be made to design a service that is fit for the future.
Blueprint 2020 has five key themes and is looking at a range of ways to save money through the equipment we use, the fleet and our buildings. However, since 83% of the force’s budget is spent on salaries it will inevitably need to operate with fewer officer and staff posts. It will also identify new opportunities created by the growing use of technology and digital channels, including reporting and tracking crime online and contacting officers.
Before any decisions are made, the force wants to capture the opinions and ideas of its staff, its partners and its communities. During the coming months, we will ask a wide range of organisations and communities about their views to understand the best way forward.
Whether at events, face-to-face or through social media the force will ask you how services should be changed to meet new demands. It wants to understand what the most important services are to partners and communities to understand how best the savings can be met. The force also wants to make sure it is fit for the future and continues to offer an excellent service.
Through Blueprint 2020, the force will make sure:
Prevention is at the heart of policing
It has the right people with the right skills
Residents know how to access and influence policy priorities
It uses technology and social media to reach out to the public to help address issues
There is effective engagement with partners and other organisations
Due to the large savings that the force will need to make, the transformational programme will inevitably bring some difficult decisions. This is also about doing things differently and improving the way that the force operates to offer an effective service that is responsive to the needs of local communities.
Blueprint 2020 is broken down into five main themes. Each one has projects underneath it which are being looked at in more detail. As ideas and opportunities present themselves, each one is developed, investigated thoroughly and the benefits understood.
People
Investing in people is the most important of the five themes.
This work stream is about having the right people with the right skills, developing the right culture and defining the correct shape and size of the force for the future.
The force wants to open up new ways of reporting and tracking crime and keeping up to date with their investigation. This can only be done by investing in technology and using online services more effectively such as video, portals, apps, websites and social media.
To make the service more efficient the force needs to look at its existing tools and data and make sure they are being used effectively to understand the hidden demands on the force. We want to make sure that we are in the right place at the right time.
By working closely with partners, other forces and other blue light services, it is possible to understand how better to deliver a joint service and how it will help the force to deliver more efficient operations, making better use of shared data. All these complex opportunities are being explored.
This is looking at all of the policies and supporting services processes, such as office functions and team tasks that will help the force to reduce costs and duplication, share resources and operate more efficiently.
The financial challenge
The police service is funded in two ways. Government grants make up 67% of Leicestershire Police’s budget and the other 33% is raised through council tax.
Between 2010 and 2015 the force found savings of £36.1m which has put us in a stronger position. However, a true understanding of the additional savings that are needed won’t be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announcement on Wednesday 25 November. The CSR will set out how the government plans to deliver the £20 billion savings required to get rid of Britain’s deficit by 2019/2020.
The government has suggested that some public sector organisations need to expect cuts of between 25% and 40% to our overall budget - this would mean that the force would need to find another £17m to £28m by 2020.
Clearly, this presents a significant challenge and the force will have to be radical and do things differently. Blueprint 2020 will help to redesign the force to deliver the best service to those at most risk and harm.
What is Blueprint 2020 and why is it needed?
Between 2010 and 2015 Leicestershire Police has found savings of £36.1m. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has indicated that public sector organisations need to expect financial cuts of between 25% and 40%. In Leicestershire, this means savings of between £17m and £28m. We will know the exact figure after the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement on 25 November 2015. This presents the force with a significant challenge. It will have to be radical in its approach if it is to meet this challenge and do things differently.
Will the public see a change to the service they receive from the police?
Yes they will. But we hope that some changes will be positive and be provided in the ways that the public want them. This is why we are consulting with the public and our partners because we want to hear people’s views on what their policing priorities are. Technology, for example, can help us open up new channels of communication and enable people to do things like report and track their crime online or talk to an officer online. There will inevitably be changes to the service the public receive; however, what is paramount is the force's commitment to continuing to give an excellent service.
Is this the end of neighbourhood policing?
Leicestershire Police is committed to neighbourhood policing and ensuring officers and PCSOs are visible in their communities. We already have more than 90 neighbourhood offices in shared buildings in the heart of communities. The intention to share space and costs is one which most partners across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are already signed up to. The proportion of police officers on the frontline has grown from 91% in 2010 to 93% in March this year. We aim to maintain the number of frontline officers over the next three years.
Will you stop turning up to some crimes?
Our number one priority is to make sure that if someone needs our urgent help that they will receive a response. We also know that counter terrorism, fraud and child sexual exploitation are growing areas of crime and need significant resources. We already prioritise calls to establish those that need immediate attendance and those that we could make a diary appointment for at a mutually convenient time. With a significant financial challenge ahead of us we need to ensure our resources are focused where we are needed the most. This might mean that for some crimes, such as where no one has been hurt or where there is no evidence, we police it in a different way.
Will the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland be less safe after these changes?
No. We are absolutely committed to protecting the most vulnerable, reacting quickly to emergencies, and protecting people and property. Crime has fallen by 3% in Leicestershire in the last year and by 26% in the last five years at a time when the force has remodelled and saved £36.1m. Our plans are being carefully worked through and are based on research and evidence. Our resources will be put where they are most needed. But with significant financial challenge some things will have to be done differently, but that does not mean people will receive a poor service. We hope they’ll receive a more efficient and effective one.
Are police buildings going to close?
We are committed to being in the heart of the communities we serve and we now have police officers based in more than 90 neighbourhood offices in shared buildings and three shared front enquiry services in Coalville, Loughborough and Oakham. It is right that we first look at non-staff savings (such as equipment, buildings and fleet). It is important to remember that buildings don’t offer a public service, police officers and staff do. Many of our buildings are too big, too old and too expensive to run, and we have built some that are modern, efficient, cost effective and smaller such as those in Loughborough and Oakham.
Will you merge with other forces?
We are looking at the options to work more closely with other forces. A ‘Strategic Alliance’ with Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire Police is already being explored, but this does not mean it will become one force.
What about the announcement that forces are looking at the feasibility of G4S running call handling departments?
This is something that is being scoped by the 'Strategic Alliance' which would see Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire working more closely together. A small team is pulling together a “proof of concept” about the feasibility of an alliance prior to a formal decision being made in December about the viability of such an arrangement. One of the many areas of service it is currently examining is how each force delivers call handling services to local residents and to that end, G4S have been asked by the three forces to complete a feasibility study about what a future Contact Management Service might look like. There are a number of options that need to be explored before any decisions are made – the options will include each force retaining and delivering its own call handling function.
Are people going to lose their jobs?
83% of the force’s budget is spent on salary costs. The force has already seen a reduction of 180 officers and 190 staff since 2010. Non-staff related savings will be looked at first and staff numbers will be managed through natural attrition i.e. retirement or people who choose to leave. But, inevitably, redundancies cannot be ruled out, either voluntary or compulsory.
Leicestershire Police want to know your views regarding these proposed changes and cuts
Personally I still think Leicestershire Police is still top heavy meaning there are too many
senior officers stuck in Enderby a few cuts there, would save a fortune.
Blueprint 2020 is a five year programme that will redesign police services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It is looking at how future savings could be made and how services can be delivered more efficiently so that the force can become smarter in how it operates.
The force is facing an unprecedented financial challenge. The government has indicated that some public sector organisations must make savings. For Leicestershire, this means further savings of between £17m and £28m. The exact figure will not be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) on Wednesday 25 November. This is on top of the £36.1 million the force has already saved between 2010 and 2015.
To make the savings, the force is looking to do things differently and improve the way it operates, while still offering a service that is responsive to the needs of local communities. Prevention will remain at the heart of policing and the Blueprint 2020 programme will look closely at all aspects of the organisation to identify potential transformations that can be made to design a service that is fit for the future.
Blueprint 2020 has five key themes and is looking at a range of ways to save money through the equipment we use, the fleet and our buildings. However, since 83% of the force’s budget is spent on salaries it will inevitably need to operate with fewer officer and staff posts. It will also identify new opportunities created by the growing use of technology and digital channels, including reporting and tracking crime online and contacting officers.
Before any decisions are made, the force wants to capture the opinions and ideas of its staff, its partners and its communities. During the coming months, we will ask a wide range of organisations and communities about their views to understand the best way forward.
Whether at events, face-to-face or through social media the force will ask you how services should be changed to meet new demands. It wants to understand what the most important services are to partners and communities to understand how best the savings can be met. The force also wants to make sure it is fit for the future and continues to offer an excellent service.
Through Blueprint 2020, the force will make sure:
Prevention is at the heart of policing
It has the right people with the right skills
Residents know how to access and influence policy priorities
It uses technology and social media to reach out to the public to help address issues
There is effective engagement with partners and other organisations
Due to the large savings that the force will need to make, the transformational programme will inevitably bring some difficult decisions. This is also about doing things differently and improving the way that the force operates to offer an effective service that is responsive to the needs of local communities.
Blueprint 2020 is broken down into five main themes. Each one has projects underneath it which are being looked at in more detail. As ideas and opportunities present themselves, each one is developed, investigated thoroughly and the benefits understood.
People
Investing in people is the most important of the five themes.
This work stream is about having the right people with the right skills, developing the right culture and defining the correct shape and size of the force for the future.
The force wants to open up new ways of reporting and tracking crime and keeping up to date with their investigation. This can only be done by investing in technology and using online services more effectively such as video, portals, apps, websites and social media.
To make the service more efficient the force needs to look at its existing tools and data and make sure they are being used effectively to understand the hidden demands on the force. We want to make sure that we are in the right place at the right time.
By working closely with partners, other forces and other blue light services, it is possible to understand how better to deliver a joint service and how it will help the force to deliver more efficient operations, making better use of shared data. All these complex opportunities are being explored.
This is looking at all of the policies and supporting services processes, such as office functions and team tasks that will help the force to reduce costs and duplication, share resources and operate more efficiently.
The financial challenge
The police service is funded in two ways. Government grants make up 67% of Leicestershire Police’s budget and the other 33% is raised through council tax.
Between 2010 and 2015 the force found savings of £36.1m which has put us in a stronger position. However, a true understanding of the additional savings that are needed won’t be known until the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) announcement on Wednesday 25 November. The CSR will set out how the government plans to deliver the £20 billion savings required to get rid of Britain’s deficit by 2019/2020.
The government has suggested that some public sector organisations need to expect cuts of between 25% and 40% to our overall budget - this would mean that the force would need to find another £17m to £28m by 2020.
Clearly, this presents a significant challenge and the force will have to be radical and do things differently. Blueprint 2020 will help to redesign the force to deliver the best service to those at most risk and harm.
What is Blueprint 2020 and why is it needed?
Between 2010 and 2015 Leicestershire Police has found savings of £36.1m. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has indicated that public sector organisations need to expect financial cuts of between 25% and 40%. In Leicestershire, this means savings of between £17m and £28m. We will know the exact figure after the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement on 25 November 2015. This presents the force with a significant challenge. It will have to be radical in its approach if it is to meet this challenge and do things differently.
Will the public see a change to the service they receive from the police?
Yes they will. But we hope that some changes will be positive and be provided in the ways that the public want them. This is why we are consulting with the public and our partners because we want to hear people’s views on what their policing priorities are. Technology, for example, can help us open up new channels of communication and enable people to do things like report and track their crime online or talk to an officer online. There will inevitably be changes to the service the public receive; however, what is paramount is the force's commitment to continuing to give an excellent service.
Is this the end of neighbourhood policing?
Leicestershire Police is committed to neighbourhood policing and ensuring officers and PCSOs are visible in their communities. We already have more than 90 neighbourhood offices in shared buildings in the heart of communities. The intention to share space and costs is one which most partners across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are already signed up to. The proportion of police officers on the frontline has grown from 91% in 2010 to 93% in March this year. We aim to maintain the number of frontline officers over the next three years.
Will you stop turning up to some crimes?
Our number one priority is to make sure that if someone needs our urgent help that they will receive a response. We also know that counter terrorism, fraud and child sexual exploitation are growing areas of crime and need significant resources. We already prioritise calls to establish those that need immediate attendance and those that we could make a diary appointment for at a mutually convenient time. With a significant financial challenge ahead of us we need to ensure our resources are focused where we are needed the most. This might mean that for some crimes, such as where no one has been hurt or where there is no evidence, we police it in a different way.
Will the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland be less safe after these changes?
No. We are absolutely committed to protecting the most vulnerable, reacting quickly to emergencies, and protecting people and property. Crime has fallen by 3% in Leicestershire in the last year and by 26% in the last five years at a time when the force has remodelled and saved £36.1m. Our plans are being carefully worked through and are based on research and evidence. Our resources will be put where they are most needed. But with significant financial challenge some things will have to be done differently, but that does not mean people will receive a poor service. We hope they’ll receive a more efficient and effective one.
Are police buildings going to close?
We are committed to being in the heart of the communities we serve and we now have police officers based in more than 90 neighbourhood offices in shared buildings and three shared front enquiry services in Coalville, Loughborough and Oakham. It is right that we first look at non-staff savings (such as equipment, buildings and fleet). It is important to remember that buildings don’t offer a public service, police officers and staff do. Many of our buildings are too big, too old and too expensive to run, and we have built some that are modern, efficient, cost effective and smaller such as those in Loughborough and Oakham.
Will you merge with other forces?
We are looking at the options to work more closely with other forces. A ‘Strategic Alliance’ with Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire Police is already being explored, but this does not mean it will become one force.
What about the announcement that forces are looking at the feasibility of G4S running call handling departments?
This is something that is being scoped by the 'Strategic Alliance' which would see Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire working more closely together. A small team is pulling together a “proof of concept” about the feasibility of an alliance prior to a formal decision being made in December about the viability of such an arrangement. One of the many areas of service it is currently examining is how each force delivers call handling services to local residents and to that end, G4S have been asked by the three forces to complete a feasibility study about what a future Contact Management Service might look like. There are a number of options that need to be explored before any decisions are made – the options will include each force retaining and delivering its own call handling function.
Are people going to lose their jobs?
83% of the force’s budget is spent on salary costs. The force has already seen a reduction of 180 officers and 190 staff since 2010. Non-staff related savings will be looked at first and staff numbers will be managed through natural attrition i.e. retirement or people who choose to leave. But, inevitably, redundancies cannot be ruled out, either voluntary or compulsory.
Leicestershire Police want to know your views regarding these proposed changes and cuts
Personally I still think Leicestershire Police is still top heavy meaning there are too many
senior officers stuck in Enderby a few cuts there, would save a fortune.
We'd like to hear your views - which of our services do you feel are the most important? Comment below #LP2020 https://t.co/LPw6DAmxNF
— LeicestershirePolice (@leicspolice) November 11, 2015
