Race & disproportionality Plan Delivery

In the summer of 2020, the Force commissioned an external company to assess our culture, in relation to inclusion and any potential discrimination.

The project brief was very simple:

“Change is the only certainty in the world of policing. We understand that you and your colleagues are grappling with significant operational complexity, increased workloads and ambitious expectations. We have seen evidence of this in your most recent staff survey, with feelings of frustration and challenge increasing across the Force.

The project seeks to inform Devon & Cornwall Police in the delivery of their ambitious targets, whilst also supporting the wellbeing of colleagues and the communities they serve.
We want to help you shape a culture that’s fit for purpose – to be a place of safety, security and responsiveness to the needs of all the people who are part of it. The data charting levels of crime, complaints and discrimination gives us one story – but people tell a more nuanced story, with the context attached.

How can you build an inclusive culture that everyone feels safe in? Only with your voice, your insights and your outlook.

We want to hear your truth – warts and all – and importantly anything you say will be covered by a non-disclosure agreement and be non-attributable. It’s important you feel free to speak your truth. Our questions will be focused on your world of work, as you experience it, both internally with colleagues and out in the community.”

During this cultural audit, they interviewed more than 350 people across the organisation to gather stories of their lived experience. They viewed these stories through the lens of neuroscience and psycho-educational tools to understand, without blame or shame, the systemic nature of behaviours that led to dysfunction, dysregulation and discrimination across the Force.

Working with the Executive, they developed a three-day programme aimed at raising the awareness of leaders across the organisation to nurture a greater sense of psychological safety. The impact has been a significant and measurable, with individuals reporting high double digit per cent increases in the dimensions of psychological safety immediately after the intervention. This was sustained at both three months and six months.

This work was recognised by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as the only case study of best practice in their November 2022 inspection into vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service.