THE OFFICE of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Thames Valley has released the findings of a report examining the failings of the police in a landmark race discrimination case.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber has announced the outcome of an independent review which was launched in October last year following an employment tribunal which ruled against Thames Valley Police.
Thames Valley Police lost a tribunal on race discrimination grounds, which examined a case where three white officers were passed over in favour of other officers for promotion.
The OPCC launched an investigation following the tribunal’s outcome, appointing Kerrin Wilson QPM, a senior associate fellow at The Police Foundation UK and a panel member at the Judicial Appointments Commission.
Now the report has published its findings, with recommendations covering wider issues as part of the review to ensure that there is a robust response to the findings.
These include a need for clarity on sections of the Equality Act 2010 to avoid positive discrimination when an employee is treated more favourably because of their protected characteristics.
Key recommendations cover areas such as getting buy-in from the whole organisation for diversity initiatives and utilising existing networks and schemes already established.
It also highlights the importance of Equality Impact Assessments, management and other staff training, reviewing internal selection and recruitment processes and striving for parity in how different staff groups are treated.
In the wake of the findings, PCC Matthew Barber said: “Thames Valley Police was found to be wrong when making an appointment for a posting in the Priority Crime Team and I wanted to properly understand what happened and how this case fitted in with their general approach to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion in the force.
“The findings show that mistakes were made and that there was a lack of consistency, information and inclusion in the way policies were applied, leaving parts of the organisation feeling left out and overlooked.
“Due regard should be given to all staff–a wide range of recommendations focuses on key areas of central oversight, training, better alignment with relevant bodies, internal communications, internal recruitment and career advancement programmes.
“These, if implemented, will go a long way to address the issues identified.”
The report’s author, Kerrin Wilson QPM, said: “The creation and activation of the PAPP programme, designed to enable and encourage officers from an ethnic minority background to develop their skills and abilities to an extent that they were ready for future promotion opportunities, was the crux of this case.
“The programme itself was not properly consulted upon or transparent in how it was managed.
“The direct posting of an individual into a specialist role led to parts of the organisation feeling excluded and was deemed by the tribunal to be positive discrimination rather than positive action.”
In the report, Ms Wilson explained: “This review marks an important point in time for the force to look at how it operates in the complex world of creating a fairer police force for all, giving opportunity to those who would otherwise be disadvantaged without creating additional barriers of unfairness to the majority population of Thames Valley Police”
