Met Police to press ahead with outsourcing business support services

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Management Board have decided to go ahead with privatising business support services, specifically finance, procurement and certain HR transactional services (‘Hire to Retire’).

The Management Board specifically ruled out retaining these services in-house. The options they are considering are to outsource these functions through an existing framework contract provider, Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL) or through a competitive tendering exercise via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) process. SSCL is a joint venture between Steria and the Cabinet Office.

Prospect, PCS and Unite have been closely involved in consultation on this over the past four months. Each of the unions submitted detailed comments on a redacted outline business case which explored the various options. A copy of Prospect’s submission was circulated to members in early December.

The Management Board’s decision will be considered by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime in January. If the decision is endorsed, a full business case will be considered by the Management Board for a final decision by April 2015.

It is expected that 715 MPS staff will be in scope for outsourcing and could be transferred to the private sector as early as June 2015.

Prospect negotiator David Luxton said: “Prospect is bitterly disappointed at the decision as we believe that outsourcing these important support functions will affect all MPS employees and remove direct control and accountability for delivery of these services.

“Evidence from the National Audit Office indicates that it is likely that the savings from outsourcing will prove to be much less than those anticipated in the outline business case presented to the Management Board.

“Prospect will ensure that members are kept informed of developments and will continue to directly represent the interests of members who are in scope within the identified areas.”

“There are of course much wider political considerations about the financial squeeze being placed on the Metropolitan Police and we will be campaigning on this in 2015,” he added.