HMIC recognises signs of improvement within the Force

25 November 2022

Derbyshire Police Federation chair Tony Wetton said members were determined to deliver an effective and proactive service to the people of the county after an official report highlighted areas in need of improvement.

Tony said officers showed dedication and professionalism as they carried out difficult work in challenging circumstances and were proud to serve with the Force but he acknowledged some issues still had to be addressed.

He was speaking after His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) graded Derbyshire Constabulary’s performance across nine areas of policing and found the Force was ‘adequate’ in four areas and ‘requires improvement’ in five areas.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher praised officers and staff for the progress they had already made and said he looked forward to seeing further improvements.

But Mr Wilsher said he found some officers felt disconnected from the Force which they felt was not proactive about wellbeing and support.

And he warned there were also issues around officer training and development that were having a negative impact on members of the public.

Responding to the report, Tony said: “The overwhelming majority of our members became police officers because they wanted to help people, solve crime and keep their communities safe from harm and they do that to the very best of their abilities, day in and day out.

“But it is no secret that Derbyshire Police is going through a difficult time as it tries to change the culture within the Force and there are still some historical issues that are yet to be resolved.

“The HMIC report recognises this in his report and in fairness he has acknowledged the good work our members have already done to help move the Force forward in the right direction.

“It is not going to happen overnight but our members are determined to ensure the people of Derbyshire receive the service they deserve and have every right to expect.”

HMICFRS said the areas requiring improvement are responding to the public; investigating crime; protecting vulnerable people; building, supporting and protecting the workforce, and strategic planning, organisational management and value for money.

Mr Wilsher said: “I recognise the current leadership’s work on improvement, but I have some concerns with aspects of the performance of Derbyshire Constabulary in keeping people safe and reducing crime.

“There are areas where the force still needs to improve. I do not underestimate the difficulty caused by the constabulary’s legacy issues, such as a lack of policy, governance, and performance scrutiny.

“We spoke to many staff who said they felt disconnected from the organisation and it is not proactive about wellbeing and support.

“The constabulary should improve how it manages the training and development of its workforce – staff need to know what is expected of them, to feel included and make sure the public are treated fairly.

“We found a lack of clarity regarding responsibility within the constabulary’s governance and there is inconsistency across the constabulary when it comes to measuring performance.

“This means the constabulary is not always able to measure performance forcewide and whether it is making progress against force priorities.

“While I acknowledge the good work officers and staff have already carried out in other areas to keep the public safe, I look forward to monitoring the Force’s progress towards addressing the areas I have identified for improvement.”

Read the full report.