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EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT FUND
Stage 1 application - expression of interest
Part 1: Summary Table
Bid number (for EG use) | |
Lead bidder | Fife Constabulary per Stan McLeod
01592 418466 stan.mcleod@fife.pnn.police.uk |
Brief description of the aims of the project | To explore the possibility of providing Police Custody Unit(s) Co located with Court facilities and with other Criminal Justice Partners. Additionally, the provision of enhanced levels of care for persons in custody with a reduced commitment from police officers, improving service to victims and standard of care of custodies. |
Clear description of what the EGF money would be used to buy | EGF money would be dedicated to funding work to:- i) Exploring and planning the scope of the project in terms of staff time and consulting support. ii) Mapping and re-engineering processes both Police and partner organisations including I.T. processes. iii) Assistance with I.T. infrastructure, refurbishment/re-equipping of existing buildings and/or providing replacement ones if required. iv) Staff training. |
Partners to the project likely to commit resources | Initial meetings and discussions have been held with the Scottish Prison Service, the Fife Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service. |
Names of other organisations with whom the project has been discussed (to assist the introductions process) | Meetings with Scottish Court Service representatives have taken place with the shared facilities being acknowledged and agreed as an attractive option to be pursued. Discussions are at an early stage but there is a clear opportunity for partnership working. The Prison Service and Procurator Fiscal Service are unwilling to commit to the project but the Procurator Fiscal Service have intimated they are willing to review dependent on developments. |
Evidence that suggested approach has been deployed successfully elsewhere | Within Warwickshire, the Northern Justice Centre has recently been completed and opened in Nuneaton. The partners in this scheme include Warwickshire Police, the Crown and Magistrates' Court Service, HM Prison Service and the Criminal Justice Information Technology unit. Within the Justice Centre is a "state of the art" custody facility with 32 cells providing accommodation for adults and juveniles, including an area set aside for persons in Prison Service custody, situated on the ground floor. There are three courts situated on the first floor. Both sets of facilities are interlinked to provide secure access between them for persons in custody. |
Are there any restrictions to potential for enlargement of the project (i.e. technology, number of partners etc) | No restrictions are anticipated to the potential for enlargement of the project. |
Benefits projected from the project | The Criminal Justice System and victims will benefit from improved facilities and joined up justice through the co-location of criminal justice partners. Security and care of custodies will be enhanced significantly while staffing costs in terms of uniformed officers used in the custody care process will be reduced. Co-ordination of effort, the tackling of re-offending and centralising of facilities and staff effort, to find a single source solution in delivery of summary justice. Some of the major benefits include:- Custody Process - Improvements in the custody process resulting in efficiencies in arrest and escort, reception, investigation, prisoner processing, custody care, arrest referral report administration and build security. Savings in Police Officer Time - The proposed centralisation of court will allow an opportunity for police officers to return to duty. There will be the opportunity to review opening hours at police offices with consequential property/overtime savings and staff time release. There will be the ability to offer a more professional service in terms of searching, conditions, reduced risk of litigation and improved call management Reduction of staff time on custody matters will also accrue. Medical Provision - There will be an opportunity to improve risk assessment, engage custody nurses under more efficient FME arrangements. Custody Arrangements - more efficient use of police vehicle and potential reduction in vehicle fleet by minimising the need for police transfers. Aids to Investigation - Efficiencies will accrue in terms shared production storage, sampling, data collection identification and investigation. Community Partnership - more effective joint working with partner agencies in areas such as drugs court, community safety, road safety licensing and child protection Facilities Management - Savings will be generated by the shared location in reception, administration welfare facilities etc. Consequential savings to be accrued for future capital costs of new police builds removing the need to consider cell accommodation. i.e. office accommodation only. Purpose built shared accommodation delivered under secure by design. |
Estimated financial projections | Total | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
Overall project cost - capital | £11,771,258.26 | £51,202.50 | £1,664,824.65 | £6,496,714.13 | £3,558,516.98 |
Revenue Recurring Costs | | | | | 5 months running costs of £278k in 2008/2009 Full year running costs of £685k thereafter. |
Estimated projected benefits | £173k confirmed recurring savings from 2008/2009 per annum * | Nil | Nil | | Part year savings in 2008/2009 0f £66k |
Is a pilot required - see guidance notes | No |
Additionally: why is EG funding required | To contribute to the initial capital costs involved in any new or refurbished buildings associated with the project and to assist with initial costs. |
Is this project complementary in anyway to other EG work | The project is complimentary to a bid from Fife Constabulary aimed at the development of a suitable model for a "place of safety" as an alternative to police cells for persons found to be drunk and incapable of looking after themselves. A similar bid in relation to facilities for persons found to be vulnerable due to mental health issues is being investigated in conjunction with Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. |
Is "stage 2 development funding" requested? | Yes. |
Part 2: Narrative bid
Fife Constabulary has recently undertaken a review of Custody within the Force area and are currently considering the options open to them to further progress the project.
A project of this nature has provided the force with an opportunity to be radical in their thinking and along with opportunities to refurbish existing estate; two options on the table involve building new police custody units. Potential sites for any such development remain to be identified but they are likely to be sites close to arterial routes around major population centres.
Development on this scale provides an opportunity for the Scottish Court Service and other Criminal Justice Partners to consider any advantages that might accrue from a move to such a site, either as part of or adjacent to any custody suite that might be built. This proposal is supportive of the findings in recent reviews by the Scottish Executive and must facilitate more efficient partnership working across the various agencies
Fundamental to either approach is the physical co-location of two major Criminal Justice partners in modern purpose built facilities that provide security combined with flexibility in their use.
Whilst Custody Care will be enhanced within that part of the facility devoted to custody, despite a reduction in the number of police officers required to provide that care, creative design in relation to the court can provide scope for the centre to be used by any legal authority, including Civil Courts, Fatal Accident Enquiries, Industrial Tribunals and Government Department Reviews.
The overall project cost and estimated project benefits have been calculated on the basis of the following table.
The estimated benefits have been derived from the expected opportunity costs realised by the freeing of police officers to beat and operational supervisory duties by having their commitment to custody reduced by the employment of dedicated custody teams, comprising in the main of civilian support members of staff.
* Not all the benefits listed have been fully costed as yet, dedicated work with Criminal Justice Partners is required to fully cost these. Work is on-going but it must be emphasised that one of the main benefits is one of improvement to custody care, which is difficult to cost other than through a reduction and elimination of litigation costs.
Estimated financial projections
Financial Year | 2005/06 | 2006/07 | 2007/08 | 2008/09 |
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Overall Project Cost |
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Capital Costs |
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Site development | £2,600,000.00 | | £550,000.00 | £2,050,000.00 | £0.00 |
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Construction | £6,600,000.00 | | £0.00 | £3,950,000.00 | £2,650,000.00 |
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Equipment | £600,000.00 | | £0.00 | £0.00 | £600,000.00 |
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Professional Fees | £1,400,000.00 | | £1,000,000.00 | £300,000.00 | £100,000.00 |
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Planning Team | £571,258.26 | £51,202.50 | £114,824.65 | £196,714.13 | £208,516.98 |
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| £11,771,258.26 | £51,202.50 | £1,664,824.65 | £6,496,714.13 | £3,558,516.98 |
Estimated Project Benefits |
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Opportunity Costs |
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Time Returned to Frontline Duties | | | 5 months | 12 months |
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Booking 15 mins | Nil | Nil | £9,780.00 | £26,856.00 |
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Searching 4mins | Nil | Nil | £2,274.00 | £6,235.00 |
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Processing 30 mins | Nil | Nil | £17,060.00 | £46,766.00 |
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Watching 10% of Special Risk | Nil | Nil | £7,506.00 | £20,577.00 |
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General Care/Admin 10min | Nil | Nil | £5,686.00 | £15,588.00 |
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Total | | | £42,306.00 | £116,022.00 |
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Custodies | 16100 | 17388 | 18779 | 20281 |
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Based on an initial throughput of 16100 custodies per year rising at 8% per annum |
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FME savings using custody nurses | | | £5,208.33 | £12,500.00 |
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Savings on running costs | | | | |
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14 no cells at Dunfermline | | | £11,284.72 | £27,083.33 |
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| | | £7,179.60 | £17,231.05 |
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| | | £65,978.65 | £172,836.38 |
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