The
Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is still failing to embrace diversity and
make it part of the service’s culture, according to officers and staff.
The
Morris Inquiry, an independent investigation into professional standards and
employment matters in the Met, surveyed more than 15,000 of the 43,000 staff,
and found “little confidence that the Metropolitan Police is embracing all
aspects of diversity”.
It
went on to say there was "little confidence that diversity has yet become
part of the police culture".
Although
most respondents said they had a good understanding of what diversity is and
why it is important to the MPS, the report found there was little confidence
that it was embracing all aspects of diversity – such as women, the disabled or
gay people – rather than just focusing on ethnicity issues.
The
inquiry also found:
–
Levels of job satisfaction in the MPS were, on the whole, lower than expected
–
Respondents were most likely to say that their job offered a friendly working
atmosphere and made good use of their skills and abilities, but these results
were lower than the inquiry benchmarks
–
More than half of the respondents also agree that their jobs provide them with
flexible working opportunities, but less than half say their jobs give them the
scope for personal growth, the opportunity to use their potential, recognition
for what they do, and opportunities for career development
–
Just over half of the survey’s respondents said that their workloads in the MPS
are reasonable, but the result just fell short of Inquiry benchmarks
–
The majority of respondents agreed it was important to strike a reasonable
work-life balance, and the vast majority agreed that they get the support they
need from their line manager to help them achieve this
–
The majority believe the MPS could and should do more to help all staff,
regardless of caring responsibilities, to achieve a satisfactory work-life
balance
–
Ratings of line managers in the MPS are extremely positive, with most scores
exceeding the inquiry’s benchmarks by significant margins
–
The majority of respondents are confident that their manager is managing them
effectively
For
the full findings see: http://www.morrisinquiry.gov.uk
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