FUTURE POLICE CONTACT MANAGEMENT - THE SINGLE CITIZEN VIEW - May 2021
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A CoPaCC Policing Report
May 2021
FUTURE POLICE CONTACT MANAGEMENT:
THE SINGLE CITIZEN VIEW
MAY 2021
FUTURE
POLICE
CONTACT
MANAGEMENT
THE SINGLE CITIZEN VIEW
A CoPaCC Report in partnership with Salesforce
Published by
Copyright ©2021 CoPaCC/Policing Insight.
FUTURE POLICE CONTACT MANAGEMENT:
THE SINGLE CITIZEN VIEW
MAY 2021
Information and acknowledgements
Credits Future Police Contact Management: The Single Citizen View Report
This is an independent report, researched and produced by CoPaCC. The report was commissioned by Salesforce whose involvement
was limited to specifying the theme of the report and selection of the questions for the Freedom of Information request. All the research,
EDITORIAL
stakeholder interviews and editorial were conducted independently by CoPaCC with any content by Salesforce published in the report clearly
Keith Potter
marked as ‘Commercial partner’ content.
Editor of Policing Insight
DATA ANALYSIS
Gavin Hales
Independent researcher, policing commentator and former
Deputy Director at the Police Foundation
CoPaCC was established shortly after the first PCC elections in November 2012 to monitor policing governance in England and Wales. CoPaCC
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS
now has a portfolio of services, working together to help organisations meet their governance or management challenges and opportunities.
Simone Hatchard
Research Analyst, CoPaCC/Policing Insight
These include:
Consultancy CoPaCC works with police and criminal justice organisations to improve policy and practice
Information and insight CoPaCC publishes PolicingInsight.com the leading platform to keep up with the latest in global progressive policing.
REPORT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION CoPaCC produces thematic reports and expert events covering key issues of policy and practice in the policing and criminal justice sectors
Ian Barrett
CoPaCC Director of Publishing and Product Development To find out more about CoPaCC email: office@copacc.org.uk
For information about Policing Insight content, subscriptions or advertising email: enquiries@policinginsight.com
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
David Devonport
Freelance designer
Special thanks
We are hugely grateful for the generous time and contributions to this report Salesforce is the platform that helps the Public Sector transform its engagements - giving public servants a 360-degree view of citizens,
from key stakeholders in police contact management who are leading the way stakeholders and partners. We help public services quickly evolve in a modular way by streamlining services, increasing efficiencies, and
in developing and delivering the future of public contact with the police: supporting innovation. Salesforce offers the complete public engagement platform that gives Police Forces the omni-channel contact capability
ACC Alan Todd (NPCC Lead for Contact Management), CC Simon Cole (NPCC
required to provide the public with channel choice.
Lead for Digital Public Contact), CC Olivia Pinkney (Chair, National Police Co-
ordination Committee for Local Policing), CC Gavin Stephens (NPCC Lead for
Social and Digital Engagement), Ch Supt Richard Fisher (Head of Force Contact, Our single platform approach enables Police Forces to consolidate citizen touch points and ensure that all information related to a case is
West Midlands Police), Ch Supt Dave Jackson (Head of Metropolitan Police presented in a single view. Police Force systems can also connect with the Salesforce platform - using any one of our integration solutions - to
Contact, Command & Control service), Supt Aimee Ramm (National Product
Owner, Single Online Home), Ch Insp Nigel Huddlestone (Suffolk Police Contact automate the easy exchange of data, better inform decision making at public contact, and share the right information with Officers.
and Control Room), Tom Donahoe (Head of Customer Contact Centre, West
Yorkshire Police), Sarah Durston (Head of Contact, Surrey Police), Chris Philpott For more information visit www.salesforce.com/uk/publicsector
(Head of Force Control Room Operations, Humberside Police), and Patrick
Robins (NPCC Operations Manager for Digital and Social Media). Thanks also to
the force staff who managed and responded to our FoI requests.
Copyright © 2021 CoPaCC Ltd / Policing Insight
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FUTURE POLICE CONTACT MANAGEMENT:
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MAY 2021
Contents Easy content navigation!
l Click article titles to jump to the required
article page.
l Click 'Back to contents' links at the bottom of each
page to return to Contents page
04 Forewords
05 Police contact management: Stakeholder voices
06 Introduction A challenging year has seen huge changes in police contact demand and delivery with growing demand and
a diversity of channels
07 Interview Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, NPCC Lead for Contact Management
Reports and strategy
12 Inspection and objectives: A call for help and the National Contact Management Strategy
14 Prioritisation of contact
15 Vision for 999 emergency contact
16 Vision for non-emergency contact
Demand and challenges
17 Telephony While 999 call volumes continue to rise, the more complex 101 picture suggests failure demand and the start of
channel shift
20 Digital contact Forces with advanced digital channel offerings see contact levels soar in the pandemic, as others play catch up
23 Single Online Home With the pandemic driving contact and crime reporting increasingly online, the national non-
emergency platform has provided a vital resource
27 Charting the impact of online crime reporting Levels of online crime reporting are variable across forces, but the
underlaying direction of travel is towards multichannel contact
28 Social media Both public channel choice and new European legislation are paving the way for social media to become a
crucial route for police contact
31 Vulnerability and accessibility New channels are supporting early resolution and vulnerability assessments – but
integration and effective use of infromation will be essential in the digital future
35 Staff wellbeing Multichannel contact and new technology could transform a workforce that has already coped with Covid
with professionalism and adaptability
39 Future opportunities Technological advances at both national and force level are helping to address challenges around
understanding demand, integration and the citizen experience
Commercial partner content
42 The right product is key to ‘creating the loop’ for multichannel transformation Steve Norris explains how the right
product is key to ‘creating the loop’ for multichannel transformation
44 Managing and consolidating citizen interactions using a platform approach Salesforce provides a digital-first
platform that empowers forces to engage with their citizens across different types of channel and share this view internally
Appendices
45 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests
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FUTURE POLICE CONTACT MANAGEMENT:
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Forewords
Police are no longer just a call away Making a difference transforming
Ian Barrett
CoPaCC Director of Publishing and Development
increasing multichannel demand. These strategies
will need to incorporate a focus on the experiences
citizen service
and communications choices of the public – We also look into the impact that social media will
Steve Norris
particularly those who are vulnerable – as well as have on this landscape and how this will become
L
Police Market Director at Salesforce UK
ong before the words ‘Covid’ and ‘lockdown’ the often forgotten consideration of the wellbeing an invaluable channel to engage and interact with
entered the common lexicon, policing had been of police staff, as the growing complex demand and citizens as this capability is deployed into the force
facing turbulent times. Forces had been dealing
with the fallout of austerity and the resultant
cuts, as well as with increased demand beyond
advances in digital contact, and technologies such
as live streaming, expose those staff to greater
levels of pressure and the potential for increasingly
S alesforce is a trusted digital advisor to Public
Sector customers around the world. We have
focused our effort on establishing ourselves in
control room for agents to use.
Salesforce’s capabilities are uniquely aligned
to the changing needs of policing and provide a
the traditional scope of crime prevention and law traumatic contact. key markets that we feel are a match for our scalable platform that is updated three times per
enforcement, all in tandem with challenges to This report follows on from our CoPaCC Police capabilities and where we think we can make a year to ensure that customers can benefit from
perceived police legitimacy in terms of stop and Contact Management: Demand Analysis difference in transforming citizen service the latest innovations. We have created a pathway
search, use of force, discrimination and diversity, to report early last year, which focused very much on Police is a market that aligns with these of adoption to guide police forces through the
name but a few. And then came the pandemic. the numbers, highlighting the growing demand on capabilities. There are a number of different various stages of deployment that can add
What underpins and influences many of these police contact via telephony and online reporting. channels in existence that have been created immediate value and ROI.
challenges is the public’s experience of contact with This time, we again requested contact data via over time for citizens to engage with the police
“
the police – whether out on the street, via a call Freedom of Information (FoI) requests from UK and these have been layered upon existing alesforce’s capabilities
S
handler or contact centre or, increasingly rarely, at police forces, across the breadth of police contact applications without consideration of data flows or
a police station front counter. Whatever the nature channels. However, this report uses that data to how they interconnect.
are uniquely aligned to the
of that interaction, the public want the police to set the scene for the main focus of understanding When we analysed the market, we observed changing needs of policing
respond quickly, efficiently, and with empathy the issues and highlighting the way forward in many factors where we felt we could make a and provide a scalable
and understanding, not to mention lawfully police contact. positive impact.
and ethically. This forward focus was achieved through the It was the combination of various contact
platform that is updated
We hear about police contact on the streets all generous time given by key stakeholders in channels, coupled with differing approaches three times per year to
the time through the media and rarely in a positive the development of UK police contact. These to citizen engagement around the country that ensure that customers
light, with the focus very much on when things go contributors include the heads of police contact helped us to formalise our understanding of the can benefit from the
wrong. In modern policing a huge volume of public from several police forces, the product manager technical challenges but we also wanted to use
contact happens through technology rather than in of Single Online Home and of course the input of some factual inputs. latest innovations
person, with growing demand via telephony, email, National Police Chiefs’ Council UK National Lead We decided to work with CoPaCC given their
online forms, live chat or social media; there may for Contact Management, PSNI Assistant Chief standing as independent policing information We are excited to continue our work with
have been more channels invented in the time it’s Constable Alan Todd. We should also thank the experts and to continue the theme of their police forces in addressing their transformation
taken me to write this foreword! police staff from around the country who had to previous research, Police Contact Management: requirements as summarised in the National Police
This is an independent report, with CoPaCC process our somewhat onerous FoI request! Demand Analysis, report that they published in Chief Councils Contact Management Strategy.
commissioned by Salesforce to research and Thank you all for facilitating a report we hope will early 2020. I would also like to express my gratitude to all
report on the future of police contact management. help the policing and criminal justice community at This report provides some valuable insights into of the contributors of the report for their time
It aims to highlight the current challenges of police large understand the challenges of police contact how the demand on the police service is changing and input and I hope the content provides some
contact management, and explore the forward- management, and the ambitious plans being put in and how this is being influenced by technology. interesting insights.
thinking strategies being put in place to handle this place to improve the service to the public.
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Stakeholder voices
Police contact management: Stakeholder voices
“It is okay for us as a service to prefer one route over another;
it’s okay to have a suite of routes, but certainly not an endless, “There seems to be that feeling that resolution without
exhaustive supply, and I think we need to be quite clear on that.” deployment means you’re offering less of a service, when
actually, early resolution, or resolution at first point of
Hampshire Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney contact, suggests you’re actually offering a more efficient
Chair of the National Police Co-ordination Committee for Local Policing
service … it’s an interesting change in terminology”
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
“[Social media is] an everyday part “More people are Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd
of policing – whether that’s in our contacting us digitally NPCC Lead for Contact Management
interactions with local communities, for non-emergency
the contact that we have with them contact than they are
through our contact centres, or the on the telephone. It’s “Whether it’s fair or not, the public judge us on the
crimes that we investigate, it’s woven a real ‘blink’ moment interaction they have with us on whichever channel they
through so much of when you explain to choose. That’s a pretty tall order for us, but it just shows you
what we do.” people how much more digital contact social media is now part of our whole range of channels and
than telephony we’ve taken.” we’ve got to bring up our standard.”
Surrey Chief Constable
Gavin Stephens Chief Supt Dave Jackson Patrick Robins NPCC Operations Manager for Digital and Social Media
NPCC Lead for Social Media Head of the Metropolitan Police’s Contact,
& Digital Engagement Command and Control service
“I’ve spoken to a couple of forces “It’s difficult for many forces to
recently who were worried about the justify that level of investment in
“We’ve been building that online presence over the last 20 years, demand coming in – the extra hate engagement platforms when the
starting with business crime reporting, and have developed things crime, the extra domestics return is not tangible on the bottom
significantly over the past decade with a range of other options, and so on – but that’s line, and where there’s already real
including webchat.” got to be positive. pressure on resources just to get
We’re reaching out boots on the street. It’s a
Tom Donahoe Head of the Customer Contact Centre, West Yorkshire Police to people, we’re challenge for policing
building confidence and the public sector
in people who in general.”
“We had grand plans to grow both the number of forces and
haven’t felt they can
services on the platform [Single Online Home]. Then COVID-19
contact us before.“ Chris Philpott
arrived and everything changed.” Head of Force Control Room
Sarah Durston Operations, Humberside
Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole Police
Head of Contact at
National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital Public Contact
Surrey Police
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MAY 2021
Introduction
A long year in police contact management
The past 12 months has seen huge changes and challenges, with increasing, more complex demand across a wider range of channels
the need for forces to commit to digital and social media contact change and service delivery at a national level, the independence
Keith Potter
Editor, Policing Insight projects, were among those concerns. And like those senior officers of individual forces has also meant that in some areas, forces have
talking to politicians back in March, HMICFRS Inspector Phil Gormley been able to adopt and adapt solutions that best match their
had a pretty clear warning: “The demand on control rooms is demand. It has also meant that those forces who were already
W riting in the foreword to CoPaCC’s Police Contact
Management: Demand Analysis report in March last year –
published as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, and the day after the
increasing and needs careful management to make sure the police
service doesn’t become overwhelmed.”
These messages about the call handling function and the pressure
blazing a trail with the use of new technology in areas of contact
management have been able to move forwards faster than others,
leaving some to play catch up.
UK entered its first national lockdown – Chief Executive Bernard Rix on control rooms were both penned before society in general, And while the pandemic has been the most obvious influence, other
talked of how “these are unprecedented times”. Bernard rightly set out and policing in particular, had felt the full impact of the COVID-19 issues – including the changing nature of public use of technology and
why, despite such difficult times, it was still crucial to focus on contact pandemic; so how could police contact management weather the the communication ‘channel choices’ that people make, the advances
management and the way police interacted with the public. approaching storm, and would those warnings come true? in technology itself, and new legislation around emergency contact –
That focus was perhaps even more important than usual, given that Here we are a little over a year after the last CoPaCC publication, have all played their part.
just days before, senior police officers had spoken at the Home Affairs and approaching the first anniversary of the HMICFRS report, and So while it may seem that this report is revisiting an issue that was
Select Committee on the UK’s preparedness to deal with the crisis, it’s testament to the commitment, professionalism, innovation and covered in some detail only 12 months ago, a year – and this year in
pointing out that “the approach to call handling was amongst the most adaptability of UK police officers and staff that the answer is clearly particular – can be an awfully long time in policing.
critical elements in police forces’ response to the pandemic”. no. Call handlers, contact staff and control rooms have continued to We again submitted Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to all
The CoPaCC report drew on a wide range of data collated through provide an impressive and essential service to the public at large and forces to gauge their levels of calls and contact, and establish the
a series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests. The data reinforced victims in particular, often in the most challenging of circumstances. channels they use, this report – published in partnership with CRM
concerns about the police service’s ability to cope with the continuing That’s not to say the impact of COVID-19 should be underestimated. and tech specialists Salesforce – is not intended to be a deep-dive
increase in 999 calls, the apparent inability of the 101 non-emergency As Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole – the National Police statistical analysis. Instead, the FoI responses have been used to guide
number to ease that demand, the ‘patchwork’ nature of the levels of Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Digital Public Contact, and the person our conversations with some of the key leads and stakeholders in
service offered by different forces and at different times of year, and ultimately responsible for the roll-out of UK policing’s Single Online police contact management, and to get a clearer understanding of
– with one or two notable exceptions – the slow progress in online Home digital platform – told Policing Insight back in May 2020: the direction of travel. It also explores how policing has tried to meet
crime reporting and digital contact. “We had grand plans to grow both the number of forces and services the multiple challenges it faces in relation to call handling, contact
on the platform. Then COVID-19 arrived and everything changed.” and communications, and how it has been able to navigate those
Pressures from growing demand In which case, why this report now? Because the issues and “unprecedented times” described by Bernard in March 2020.
Against this backdrop, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and concerns highlighted by the HMICFRS, and evidenced by CoPaCC,
Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) report – A call for help: Police existed before the pandemic, and needed addressing. The question
CLICK HERE
Report
Police contact management: Demand analysis
contact management through call handling and control rooms is, has UK policing been able to address some or all of those concerns, Examining trends and performance in UK call handling and online
in 2018/19 – was published in July 2020, having been delayed from and if so, how? reporting
policinginsight.com
earlier in the year by the pandemic. Equally, while COVID-19 has been a major challenge, many working
Many of the points raised and recommendations made by in police technology and elsewhere have pointed out that it’s also
CLICK HERE
Report
HMICFRS reflected the picture painted by CoPaCC; an emergency been a huge driver and opportunity for change. From implementing A call for help
999 service groaning under the pressure of growing demand, some new staffing systems and ways of working, to introducing new contact Police contact management through call handling and control rooms
in 2018/19
forces struggling to meet their 101 target times (despite a largely and reporting channels, coping with significant increases in the levels justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/
falling demand), and an inconsistent approach across the service to of contact, and anticipating how new restrictions and regulations will
managing increasingly complex demand. impact contact management and control rooms, the pace of change
CLICK HERE
Article
But there were other worries too. Variable performance across has never been greater, nor more necessary. Digital Public Contact Police Lead: “Then Covid-19 arrived and
everything changed”
forces in assessing and responding to vulnerability, a call for better That pace has inevitably led to an inconsistent and occasionally policinginsight.com
support and supervision of call handling and control room staff, and fragmented landscape. While there has been a focus on driving
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Interview: Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd
Increased channel choice will improve our service –
but don’t expect it to decrease demand
Strategy is definitely helping.”
Keith Potter
Editor, Policing Insight While there is considerable focus on the move to multichannel and
digital contact, Mr Todd is quick to point out that “the ‘single channel in’
is still a really, really, really big piece of business, in the region of 10 or 12
The National Contact Management Strategy (NCMS) sets out million emergency calls a year”. The volume of 999 calls had increased
a framework and guiding principles for the delivery of police pre-Covid, with the dip during the pandemic reflecting a dip in demand
contact management through to 2022 and beyond. But the generally: “All the indications are that it’s returning to its pre-Covid state
Strategy was drawn up and adopted by chief constables in as demand returns,” said Mr Todd. By contrast, he expects the pre-
2019, and within months the arrival of COVID-19 and the Covid dip in 101 calls, which then continued to fall during the pandemic,
accompanying lockdowns and restrictions changed policing and to continue declining “not massively, but significantly”.
the wider societal landscape significantly. “We’re getting some comparative data from the Digital Public Contact
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief Constable Alan Board around 101 volumes in those service and forces that have Single
Todd is the National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Contact Management, Online Home (SOH) and a digital offering, and those that don’t. Even in
and author of the NCMS; so how does he feel the Strategy has withstood Covid, 101 calls are broadly down 20-25% in SOH forces, but only down
this period of increased pressure and considerable change? 10-15% in others.
“I think broadly the Strategy has aged pretty well,” said Mr Todd. “A lot
of the paths we’re treading are those that are outlined in the Strategy, A simplistic expectation
with a bit more detail from the principles and practice document that “It’s only emerging data, but it suggests that as you open up SOH
supports it. I don’t feel, as the lead, that I’m having to rush to rewrite it, and digital – what we would call digital 101 – standard telephony 101
which is a good thing! And seeing it delivered is quite reassuring as well. probably comes down. And if you add SOH, 101, 999 and social media,
“We shouldn’t forget that the Strategy maps have changed, from what you get is a much bigger piece.
contact management where, by and large, there’s been a single channel “I think initially, there was almost a simplistic expectation that if you
in – somebody lifts the phone and dials the contact centre – much more opened up digital 101, you could shut down the telephone lines,
to multichannel in and out. And contact management, as a business because it would just shift, manage and reduce the demand. That was
area, is merging over time with the areas of public engagement and almost the attraction to some people.
communications; they are three separate business areas, but the “The quote I used on the back of that was that if you think opening up
overlap is becoming very, very large. more channels reduces the demand on policing, you probably also think
“That engagement space, that communication space and contact building more lanes on the M25 reduces the traffic. If you make it easier
space is becoming closer all the time. I think the Strategy talks to that, to use and a better service, more people will use it… I think the M25
and we’re seeing that evolving quite sharply. As services and forces see analogy is probably quite accurate.
the benefits of that change, I think that will continue to grow. And in “So that’s what we’re seeing; 999 probably up, 101 down on the
that move from single channel in, to multichannel in and out, I think the telephones but up on digital. I don’t think there’s any net reduction
“
If you think opening up more channels reduces the demand on policing, you probably also
think building more lanes on the M25 reduces the traffic. If you make it easier to use and a
better service, more people will use it…
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– probably net growth – and then when you Digital Public Contact Board came out of the because policing can’t drive that on its own, it would need central
add the social media contact as well, probably conversations between Simon Cole and I about government to drive that. We think 101 digital going back to its
more contact generally. That reflects what I that ambition; Gavin Stephens work on the original intentions should play in that space, and that view is driven by
said earlier, that contact, plus engagement, plus social media project has come in alongside that. understanding the demand coming into us – and how much of it actually
comms is likely to be a bigger space.” The three very much sit together, and I think belongs elsewhere, with other service providers.”
we’ve positioned it pretty well.” Mr Todd said that rather than being the “clearing house” for demand
Digital impact saving lives Mr Todd also sits on the board of directors of that was often non-policing, more effective and automated signposting
Although SOH is not yet implemented in every the Police Digital Service (PDS), which recently at the front end of 101 contact could direct the demand – whether
force, the vast majority have now signed up, and published a new national framework for the telephony or digital – to the appropriate agency. “So I think option three
Mr Todd believes it’s “a capacity and capability Social Media Management Engagement product, is where we would want to get to, and I think short-term, because of
issue” which will determine how quickly the and he believes the role of the PDS in the contract dates, etc, it will be option two; and Olivia, I and others are
roll-out continues: “The funding seems to be in “commissioned services space” will help to drive engaged with central government to try and create the appetite for
place in the next two or three years for that to things forward even further. “The Salesforce something more collaborative.”
happen.” product has now become available, and we The HMICFRS report picked up on that potential use of automated
“
But the impact of digital contact management That has effectively very much see this as strategy drives direction, processes, particularly to address non-emergency demand and increase
has not just been seen in the headline initiatives; and the Digital Programme Board drives the ‘resolution without deployment’, leaving skilled call handlers to answer
Mr Todd said that some smaller projects had
already saved lives. It protocol, sign up and everything else, but the more complex calls. Going forward, how much of that assessment,
already illustrated the very real potential, might only be in the you need product; with commission services signposting and early resolution will rely on AI and automated processes,
including some work with Facebook around region of 100 a year, but involving PDS, I think we’ve almost created the rather than human interaction?
suicidal people who take to social media loop now to make a lot of this work.” “Mental health, vulnerability, and threat, risk and harm assessments
platforms “in their last minutes and hours”.
that’s 100 people’s lives… are a much more complex environment now than when I joined policing,
“Because of the new digital engagement, it’s a small but important Re-contracting 101 frankly,” said Mr Todd. “That means call times increase, the complexity
because of the strategy, because of the example of how our There’s little doubt that telephony will play a increases, and the amount of information increases. So I think both the
partnerships we formed in those spaces – major role in police contact for the foreseeable opportunity and the necessity drive you in the non-emergency space to
business is changing
particularly through the social media project – future, but one significant change to the non- more automated service delivery with AI.
we opened up a methodology and a protocol emergency service could be on the horizon. The “While not everybody is a lover of automated processes, the
for those to be identified, and pushed on to 101 number was originally set up as a multi- requirement for efficiency and effectiveness to drive that space, to keep
the 999 system, and reported immediately to the police. agency project, but those partners fell by the wayside before the launch, the capability and capacity to service an ever more complex, ever higher
“That has effectively already saved lives. It might only be in the region leaving policing to run the service. Speaking at the Police Digital Summit threat and vulnerability space, becomes more important.”
of 100 a year, but that’s 100 people’s lives… it’s a small but important earlier this year, Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney confirmed that the 101 Mr Todd said the working assumptions were that post-Covid budgets
example of how our business is changing.” service was coming up for re-contracting with the Home Office, and that were unlikely to increase, so it was going to become more important to
Another key element for Mr Todd of the engagement on social media as part of that process some of those other agencies could be asked to distinguish between “complex” and “transactional” contact. “You need
and through digital is its importance to the younger demographic: “The join the party again. So is that likely to happen, or is it just something that to add the value into the complex, and you need to try and automate
evidence says that’s probably their communication channel of choice, as policing would like to happen? the transactional,” continued Mr Todd, pointing to some of the “front
opposed to the phones, so it’s important that we continue to be in that “I think it’s a longer-term aspiration,” said Mr Todd. “There were three end” services on SOH – such as reporting an RTC, licensing a firearm or
space as the demographic changes.” broad options for retendering the 101 contract: re-contract it as it is; re- applying for vetting – as examples of things that could be broken into a
So not only is the NCMS withstanding the short-term challenges, but contract it with additional functionality to enable the multichannel in and business flow transaction.
it is setting the direction and laying the foundation for the long-term out, which I think was important; and option three, which was option two “You can set the AI to check records, cross reference details, print
evolution. “We took a view of where the business was going, where plus partners. letters – all very transactional stuff. But what’s much harder to do is talk
we wanted it to go, and the Strategy was built with that in mind. The “Olivia has engaged with senior politics, and we’re pushing for that to somebody on the wrong side of the parapet of a bridge, over a river
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Interview: Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd
“
that’s in flood… that’s the complex end of our business, and that’s where
we need to be investing in our people.” here seems to be
T
While the HMICFRS focused on ‘resolution without deployment’, that feeling that
Mr Todd said the terminology had been changed in the PSNI to ‘early
resolution’ – a small but important difference: “All the indications are
resolution without
that you can get much better performance through early resolution deployment means
and much higher public satisfaction,” explained Mr Todd. “And it’s a you’re offering
very slight change in words, but there seems to be the feeling that less of a service,
resolution without deployment means you’re offering less of a service,
when actually, early resolution, or resolution at first point of contact, when actually,
suggests you’re offering a more efficient service… it’s an interesting early resolution, or
change in terminology. resolution at first point
“Language is important when you’re trying to change cultural thinking.
The danger is that if you use the phrase ‘resolve without deployment’,
of contact, suggests
you’re almost putting the pressure on the person dealing with it, not to you’re actually offering
deploy officers – not deploying becomes the success measure. a more efficient
“If you make it about early resolution to the satisfaction of the caller,
the fact that you didn’t have to deploy an officer is the second win, not
service … it’s an
the first one.” interesting change in
terminology
Digital consistency
Our Freedom of Information requests sent out while collating the data
for this report confirmed that while quite a few forces have yet to adopt “However, I think the Strategy has shown that if you have what the to be confirmed, although Mr Todd said it was unlikely there would be
SOH for online crime reporting, most are using it to offer a wide variety consultants would call a ‘solid value proposition’, a good sales pitch, then “any shocks or surprises”: “I think there will be three or four mainstream
of other services, such as firearms licensing, crime tracking and so on. you give yourself the best shot at it.” platforms, and the Strategy talks to this. Because of the complexity,
But some forces we spoke to felt that the online service they were That proposition is backed by the practice and principles set out in the policing and the rest of us have to go, ‘These are the channels we’re
already able to offer was technically as good if not better than SOH, and NCMS, which in turn become benchmarks and thresholds for HMICFRS servicing,’; and at some point we may also go, ‘And these services here
while they wouldn’t rule out taking on the platform, in the words of one, inspections. “As a national lead, if you’ve got consensus through Chiefs’ are only going to be available on these channels’.”
it would have to be “irresistible” before they did. So does there come a Council, if our body politic of policing has decided this is what good While acknowledging that forced channel shift could be difficult – a
point where, for the sake of national consistency, you need to mandate looks like, it’s entirely reasonable then for the inspection body to use situation his own force had faced when introducing firearms licensing
forces to take it on board? that as a reference point – and for us to seek clarity or explanation, or exclusively online – in some cases it was necessary, to improve
“I don’t think we’ll ever get to the mandate position with 43 services, encouragement, or support where people aren’t quite meeting that,” effectiveness and ensure investment in new channels paid off.
43 chief constables and the same number of PCCs,” said Mr Todd. “As added Mr Todd. “I think the European legislation will drive some of this debate… But if
a national lead, soft power is the answer, with a small ‘p’ – we’re in the While SOH will be important in delivering digital consistency, so too will we’re going to leverage the investment in AI and machine learning, then
business of persuasion and showing people the art of the possible. be the service’s response to the use of social media as a contact channel, we’ll have to drive the volume on those channels to get payback. PCCs
with the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) due to will potentially have a different view, but I think necessity will end up
come into force shortly – effectively putting contact via digital channels driving the argument.”
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Legislation
European Electronic Communications Code (EECC)
with the emergency services on the same footing as telephony, in terms Whichever channels are specified under the EECC, it seems clear that
eur-lex.europa.eu of the response the public can expect. adding extra channels – just like adding those extra lanes to the M25
The digital channels to be covered under the new legislation have yet – will generate more users, and more demand. So how is that growing
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Interview: Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd
digital demand likely to shape the call or contact handling role? “I think Covid has accelerated some of the changes we would have exposure to it and people make decisions. That’s how we try to
Are we heading for a long-term aim of omnicompetent staff in a liked to have seen anyway,” said Mr Todd. “Taking PSNI as an example, exercise that soft power I was talking about.
contact centre, switching between incoming digital, incoming 999, within six or eight weeks of Covid restrictions coming, we had 4,000 “But I do think the welfare and wellbeing of contact management
incoming 101, and potentially other channels? Or in practice, is the laptops across the organisation utilising remote working with direct staff hasn’t been as important in some places as it should have been. I
answer more likely to be a standalone digital desk staffed by one group access into our systems. I think that would have probably taken years to think people forget just how visceral it can be. It’s the front end of our
of people, and the continuing telephony demand met by call handlers? do in the absence of an imperative. business, but it doesn’t always get the attention, and every time there’s
“There’s a long debate in policing about whether the constable on “There are examples across the country; we’ve got soft phone linkages a budget cut they seem to come and look at contact management.”
the frontline should be omnicompetent or how much they should on a secure basis with our remote working facilities, where actually
be specialised, and I don’t think we’ve ever got to the space where remote working from home for contact management staff is now not Future challenges
omnicompetence has delivered the standard and consistency that’s only possible, but a reality. Covid has inevitably had an impact on some areas of development;
been required,” said Mr Todd. “But I don’t think we should close our “There’s a difference between what you can do and what you want to work is still ongoing on the National Contact Management Learning
minds to either, I’m sure people will try it in different ways. do… It’s not without its challenges; some of the contact management Programme being developed by the College of Policing (and
“I think there will be an element of multi-skilling and multi-capability, work can be pretty graphic and pretty visceral referenced by the HMICFRS), as policing
but I suspect there will always have to be some sort of more specialist at times. If you’re working in a centre with your generally focused resources on the pandemic.
“
oversight of that.” supervisor and other people, then the support Within six or eight weeks So as we emerge from lockdown, and from
There is also a clear focus in both A call for help and the NCMS on available to you is more tangible. It’s not the his national lead perspective, what does Mr
ensuring that the increase in digital contact shouldn’t lead to any fall in same if you’re working at home and waiting for
of Covid restrictions Todd see as the two or three key challenges
standards, and that systems “should be in place to evidentially prove that the kids to come in from school.” coming, we had 4,000 for contact management over the next 12-18
digital contact for prosecution purposes”. With that in mind, where are The pandemic has shown that remote laptops across the months?
we in terms of ensuring that the digital contact process is auditable? Is it working for call handlers is possible – although “People’s lives have changed, and that impact
achievable, and can those processes be integrated into other systems? part-time shifts covering peak demands are
organisation utilising shouldn’t be underestimated; establishing what
“I think we’re managing some of that risk by largely using digital “probably riper for people working remotely” remote working with the new normal looks like, with that balance
channels in a non-emergency space at the moment, but once you put in – and Mr Todd agrees that many will be direct access into our of a blended workforce and blended working
your higher threat, risk and harm, then obviously the risks around that considering ‘blended working’ going forwards. arrangements, will be an issue,” said Mr Todd.
increase,” said Mr Todd. “I think it is achievable – and for those who tell However, the wellbeing of call handlers, an issue
systems. I think that “On the business front, with the economic
me it’s not, what sort of sums of money are we moving electronically highlighted by both A call for help and the NCMS, would have probably impacts of Covid and the EU exit, and the
around the international banking system? clearly remains a key concern. taken years to do in the stresses and strains on employment numbers
“We all get on our phones and trust the system to move X amount of One new piece of tech currently being tested absence of an imperative that will invariably fall from that, as well as
pounds from our account to the credit card company, in an auditable – a wearable stress and wellbeing monitor – is the high levels of national debt, you could
way. So I think it’s absolutely achievable, and I think it will probably be a for Mr Todd another example of the need to reasonably anticipate that it will be a busy
requirement for us if we’re going to leverage some of this going forward. always be looking to the future, and exploring space for policing – not just on the crime
That world of digital contact, digital evidence management and digital “the art of the possible”. side, but on the vulnerability and threat side, which will play into the
asset management will have to be brought in closer over time.” “We’ve offered the company one or two forces to act as a trial, to emergency response demand.
almost show the proof of concept. Those people can go to the Police “So the people pressures are there, and there’ll be business
The post-Covid landscape Digital Service, who can do the commercials and make the contract pressures as well. And on the tech side, people will be more tech
While the advances in digital technology were already ushering in a available, and then chief constables can draw down on it as they hungry, because they’ve seen what Covid can drive in terms of change.
new era of ‘blended’ contact management pre-Covid, the pandemic has choose,” he explained. Taking that forward for a consistent, corporate, standardised service
clearly hastened the pace of technological change and working practices “We try to do that work; I mean, Salesforce went with us three delivery will be a challenge strategically.
in this sector as in many others. But how much of that change has or four months ago, and that’s part of telling your audience what’s “And then there’s unknowns around how effective partners are
proved effective enough to remain in place post-lockdown? available – Police Digital make it available, chief constables get going to be… so probably quite a range of challenges there!”
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Reports and strategy
Inspection and objectives: A call for help and the
National Contact Management Strategy
efforts to recognise the various types and nature of demand so that 0.4% in a third, to applying the process to more than 56% of calls in
Keith Potter
Editor, Policing Insight their service delivery could offer the most effective response, overall the another. The report stated simply: “These differences cannot continue.”
picture on understanding that demand was unclear. It added: “Wherever someone lives in England and Wales, the
response and service they receive should be of a consistent quality. If it
Having originally been due for publication early in 2020, The Understanding and assessing vulnerability is correct to do so, forces should resolve the call at the earliest point of
HMICFRS A call for help report was eventually launched in July While many (although by no means all) forces were improving their contact rather than sending out officers or staff.”
last year. assessment of and response to vulnerable people, the report found that
The report and its findings were based on statistics relating to police both elements were inconsistent across contact management generally. Care and support of control room staff
contact management during 2018/19. In normal circumstances a The PEEL Inspection Reports for 2018/19 recognised that police Alongside appropriate training across a range of issues – including
report published a year after the data on which it is based would need are getting better at identifying vulnerability, usually by implementing THRIVE, vulnerability, domestic abuse, mental health, cybercrime and
no caveat; but in light of the pace of change the THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, crime recording – the report highlighted the need for an enhanced skills
“
(due both to development that was already Vulnerability, Engagement) assessment, but this mix as well as improved management support and supervision for call
underway, and that undertaken in response While many forces then had a knock-on effect on demand. Having handlers and control room staff. It found that 20 forces had already
to the COVID-19 pandemic) it’s important to were improving their identified vulnerability, forces couldn’t always identified that wellbeing was adversely affected in the control room by
read the report with that changing landscape in assessment of and provide the right response within the necessary the overwhelming demand and stress.
mind. Indeed, even the title of the report – A call timeframe. A call for help highlighted a number of In a role where sickness levels and absence are already high, and
for help – could be argued to be out of date by response to vulnerable good practices in this area, as well as underlining with the prospect of increased exposure to stress and trauma as
July last year, given the volume of digital contact people, the report found that assessing vulnerability was an area for technological advances potentially expand contact channels to add
some forces had received between March and that both elements improvement for around a third (14) forces. video coverage to voice calls, the need for a greater focus on mental
July. Concerns were raised too about the lack health support will undoubtedly increase. So too will the need to be able
The few media headlines around the report
were inconsistent across of identification of repeat victims. HMICFRS to recruit, recognise and retain good staff.
focused on the warning that the public demand contact management reiterated the need for forces to identify repeat
on police forces, and particularly on the 999 victims “as early as possible”, as doing so “should Contact management moving forward
channel, was in danger of overwhelming the help them to recognise patterns of abuse”, The report was pretty blunt about the progress that needs to be made:
service. While this was undoubtedly one of the main findings, the larger particularly where individual incidents might not appear to be high risk “The service that control rooms provide to the public needs to improve.
picture – much like the demand itself – was considerably more complex. or serious. Not only did forces’ ability to identify vulnerable and repeat To meet the increasing and changing demand, forces need to redesign
victims vary significantly, but inspectors were “extremely concerned” contact management. Forces need better systems for call handling and
Call demand that not all had appropriate technology in place to flag up repeat victims contact management.”
The report highlighted the 11% increase in 999 calls in the two years on their call-handling systems. It set out some of the ways that service will need to be improved, such
between 2016/17 and 2018/19 as a major cause for concern. The
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Report
101 non-emergency number, set up initially as a multi-partner option Resolution without deployment State of Policing
but soon abandoned by other agencies and left for the police to Although described variously by different forces – other terminology The Annual Assessment of Policing in England and Wales
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary 2018
maintain (as highlighted in the HMICFRS State of Policing 2018 includes resolution at first point of contact, and telephone resolution justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/
report), was failing to alleviate that demand. Indeed in some cases it – the key point is that resolving a call for help without needing to send
was exacerbating demand, as callers became fed up with waiting for an an officer or member of staff can significantly reduce the burden on
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Report
answer on 101 and ended that call, only to follow up by dialling 999. frontline policing, while satisfying the needs of the caller. Yet the report PEEL Assessments
Calls to both numbers have also become increasingly complex, and as found “notable differences” in the use of resolution without deployment, justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/
a result, take longer to resolve. While some forces had made concerted ranging from not using the approach at all in two forces and in only
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Reports and strategy
as recognising the public’s changing channel choices, offering more that is nationally consistent and that appropriately meets the needs through other channels; it also means that systems should be in place
opportunities for digital contact including Single Online Home (SOH) and of the individual. Delivering a service that is intelligent, personalised, to evidentially prove that digital contact for prosecution purposes.”
social media, and using technology – such as Live Chat, chat bots and reassuring and effective at the earliest point of contact.” Interestingly, the Strategy also highlights the concerns that while
web forms – to manage calls and contacts more efficiently. As well as supporting the wider NPCC Policing Vision 2025 advances in technology can be an enabler in managing increased
document – which it admits represents “challenges for contact demand, it can also present “challenges to accessibility and inclusion”,
Next Steps management” – the Strategy sets out a number of key objectives and be a barrier to those unable to use it, or those in deprivation. As we
To address these findings, the report highlighted eight ‘Next Steps’ that including the greater use of technology to meet demand, maximising outline later in this report, in practice the advances in technology – when
the police service needs to take: the use of SOH as the preferred non-emergency contact channel, incorporated as part of a diverse public offering of contact channels –
z Forces must assess risk effectively at all points of contact with supporting the delivery of nationally consistent 999 and non-emergency appear far more likely to improve accessibility and promote inclusion,
the public and the community to provide the best response to contact channels, and promoting compliance with the Home Office according to those leading contact management development.
vulnerability. Counting Rules for Recorded Crime and the National Standard for Detailing the desired outcomes from improvements in contact
z Where forces have a vulnerability desk it must make a positive Incident Recording. To achieve these objectives, the NCMS sets out management, the NCMS notes: “Whilst contact management will
contribution to initial safeguarding. three key principles of contact management: remain a crucial link between the public and the police there is a need
z Contact staff need to be fully trained, supervised and supported in z Public Focused – All contact channels must be accessible, meet for a fundamental shift in how that link operates. Over the last decade,
their control room roles, including assessing the effect of better terms the policing needs of the public, and provide information and sign- against a rising tide of demand, police services have sought to open up
and conditions and career development. posting to self-service, with grading of calls and attendance based on new contact channels to meet demand.
z Forces must invest in technology and work with each other to use the needs of both the individual and the wider public. “When new channels have been opened far from reducing demand,
it to inform and improve their risk assessments, their responses and z Effective Channel Management – While 999 telephony will those channels have presented new demand – that approach is not
their investigations to keep the public safe. remain the preferred emergency contact channel, a nationally sustainable and must change.”
z All forces must make their service meet the new National Contact consistent range of other contact channels will be required to meet The HMICFRS report, and the NPCC’s National Contact
Management Strategy. Forces will be assessed on how well they public demand – but not all content will be serviced on all channels. Management Strategy, provided the backdrop to this latest CoPaCC
adopt the contact management principles and practice as well as the Higher risk contact should be the highest priority and serviced by study. With both the report’s ‘Next Steps’ and the NCMS objectives
learning standards during the 2020/21 PEEL inspections. police, while lower risk content should primarily be self-serviced. as reference points, we set out to discover if and how forces have
z All 43 forces should get involved in the SOH and social media projects. z Prioritisation of Contact – Contact relating to real and immediate improved their contact management service delivery since these
z During 2020 the police service must make sure it has effective threat to life will always be prioritised. However, where appropriate, publications. Using both the data gathered through the FoI process,
national guidelines, quality assurance and assessment in place for contact will be resolved at first point of contact, without deployment, and interviews with national and force leads and senior officers on
resolution without deployment. and not all contact will be attended or investigated, with decisions various elements of contact management, we have explored the
z During 2020 the service must also make sure it has agreed a on whether to investigate or attend informed by the availability of direction of travel for contact management over the past 12-18
standard for how quickly forces must respond to 999 calls. resources. Vulnerability will be considered when prioritising demand, months, the inevitable impact of COVID-19, the advances made
and partnerships with other agencies should support the most as well as the areas still requiring attention, and what those at
The National Contact Management Strategy (NCMS) suitable response to contact. the forefront of contact management believe will be the biggest
HMICFRS reference the NPCC National Contact Management The strategy also looks at a range of enablers for contact challenges in the near future.
Strategy (NCMS) and its supporting principles and practices at various management, including leadership, collaboration, resources and skills,
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points throughout the report, and it’s this document that is designed to and technology. Recognising the impact that social media has had on Guidance
provide a national framework for the delivery of contact management the changing nature of public engagement and contact, the NCMS Policing Vision 2025
npcc.police.uk
by individual forces. states: “Increasing digital contact should not, however, see any fall in
Written by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Assistant Chief standards. It is right that, as services move to digital channels, the same
Constable Alan Todd, the NPCC Lead for Contact Management, the regulatory standards should be applied.
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Guidance
NCMS was adopted by chief constables early in 2019. It sets out the “In contact management this means that incidents reported digitally National Contact Management Strategy
following vision – to be applied to all contact channels – for: “Contact should be risk assessed and prioritised; crimes reported through digital npcc.police.uk
management enabling the police service to manage all contact in a way channels should be recorded in the same way as crimes reported
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