FCCC Scrutiny Outcomes
The FCCC Scrutiny reports and recommendations are available via this website to look at or download. Go to the FCCC Scrutiny pages to find out more.
On reviewing the evidence gathered from the internal survey, focus groups and the interviews with officers and staff, the Scrutiny Panel made the following comments and detailed 11 recommendations for improvement.
Name, Purpose and Role
- In order to maximise the public’s confidence in the Force, the role and purpose of the FCCC (as it is often the first point of contact for members of the public), needs to be understood and embedded across the organisation. This is of particular significance as the Policing Pledge is implemented. The Panel are of the opinion that internal communications could be improved.
Command
- There was a recurring theme about the lack of clarity about ‘who is in command and when’ and the variations in opinion and perception about this in the FCCC and on Division.
Control
- The Panel noted the feedback that some improvements could be made in the way it ‘controls’ resources. There was a common acceptance that with regard to firearms and major incidents, the FCCC perform an excellent job. However, there was a perception from the consultation that there were issues with the ‘day to day’ routine control.
Communication
- There was a general perception from FCCC staff and staff/officers in the divisions that internal communications could be improved.
Local knowledge
- One of the recurring themes that was highlighted through the focus groups and survey was the view that FCCC staff benefit from having an understanding and knowledge of the local geography of the area they work with.
Shared understanding
- One other key theme that was highlighted throughout the consultation exercises was that FCCC staff and divisional officers felt that a mutual shared understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities would be beneficial in developing an improved service.
Issues Management
- The Panel noted an apparent lack of consistency across the divisions in how issues and problems relating to the FCCC are raised, addressed and resolved.
Scheduled Incident Desk
- The Panel noted the overall perception that the SID could operate more effectively.
Training
- The Panel noted a number of issues around the provision of training in the FCCC.
Positive Outcomes
- The Force wrote the FCCC Communication and Confidence Plan in order to the scrutiny. The plan details the primary purpose of the FCCC, Confidence Plan and Roles and Responsibilities in addition to other key functions within the department.
- The Force is working on their draft command and control protocol to outline the effective management of routine, urgent and priority incidents.
- Better management of police ‘airwaves’ and better monitoring of multiple channels.
- Blue world 8 applications and Google earth allow staff to identify with callers on locations and general local areas. Student officers currently carry out research on the locality in which they will be working and present their findings to the course.
- Scheduled officer and staff visits to FCCC for familiarisation purposes.
- The Head of FCCC explored ways of releasing key staff including Supervisors for Divisional and Departmental attachments to increase knowledge and understanding of force with a view to
- Develop better working relationships
- Increase efficiency through identification of best practice
- Identify lessons learnt and disseminate to all staff
- Develop self to facilitate individual advancement within the organisation.
- A trial was conducted in late 2009 which was positively received and there are more planned for the future.