Public Servant Lifestyle

When it comes to leadership and management, officers and support staff at the Liverpool North division of Merseyside Police have got it taped. For the team in this challenging policing area have scooped their third national award in just 12 months.

Leadership Accreditation

Two of them reflect the success of the innovative Leadership Accreditation Scheme (LAS) introduced by the area in 2001 in a bid to develop the leadership skills of more than 80 managers in the area and meet the daily policing challenges faced by officers and staff.

The latest national award bestowed on the area is the national Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's People Management Award for 2004, for "an outstanding achievement in the field of people management and development."

The area was one of 105 initial entries for the award and was up against prestigious private sector industries including BAA - Terminal 5, Hewlett Packard, INA Bearing and the national catering conglomerate, Compass.

Pictured (right): Merseyside Police officers (from left) Annette Clarke, Mike Langdon, Mark Harrison & Julia Shaw take the plaudits at the CIPD People Management Award ceremony.

It is the first time that an organisation from the public sector has won this award and a delighted Chief Superintendent Mike Langdon, Area Commander for Liverpool North, said: "Liverpool North places a great deal of emphasis on strong leadership and the quality of our team, which is crucial to delivering improvements in police performance.

Neighbourhood

"Since the introduction of the Leadership Accreditation Scheme in 2001 we have seen the area go from strength-to-strength. The Scheme fits in well with the Neighbourhood style of policing which was introduced in April 2001 as it allows our officers and support staff the opportunity to own solutions as well as problems.

"In the past, front line officers were hesitant to make decisions and they preferred to be told what to do, but now officers recognise that they are empowered to come up with solutions that can make a difference in their local communities.

"Through the LAS, managers encourage their staff to take ownership of problems and develop personal responsibility. This ensures that people feel valued and take a pride in their work and it also creates an atmosphere in which people enjoy working. People want to come to work here and that's because they know their work is valued and they are being given the opportunity to make a difference."

Since the introduction of the scheme, in April 2001, the area has also seen an improvement in its performance.

Since April 2002, Liverpool North has seen:

10% reduction in all crime. Detections have increased by 32%;

54% reduction in robberies. Detections have increased by 217%;

31% reduction in burglaries. Detections have increased by 56%;

42% reduction in thefts of motor vehicles. Detections have increased by 73%;

23% reduction in thefts from motor vehicles. Detections have increased by 332%.

Personnel Manager, Julia Shaw, adds: "A key challenge for any personnel manager is to create simple to use products which help line managers to support and develop their staff to improve the service they provide to their local communities. This local scheme has seen a massive increase in our managers' confidence in trusting and empowering their staff to develop solutions to their neighbourhoods' problems, of which they have the best understanding."

Within the last 12 months, Liverpool North became the first Basic Command Unit in the country to be officially recognised for its management and leadership style and the implementation of the Leadership Accreditation Scheme, when it received Investors in People status. And received a runners-up award for outstanding achievement in caring for witnesses in the national Justice Awards - the area was one of 30 finalists shortlisted from 450 nominations.

For more information about the People Management Award, please contact the CIPD (telephone: 020 8263 3840).

More information available in Incentives & Rewards