Gwent Police Authority ‘strongly committed to addressing inequality and disadvantage’

24 February 2010

Gwent Police Authority has received an incredibly positive report following its recent inspection by the Government’s Inspection bodies Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary (HMIC) and the Wales Audit Office (WAO).

Following an intensive inspection process the Inspectorates have today published their report which concludes that Gwent Police Authority has demonstrated effective leadership and has developed a constructive and challenging relationship with the Force. The report also identifies a strong commitment from the authority to addressing inequality and disadvantage through engagement with black and minority ethnic communities, hard to reach and vulnerable groups.

Gwent Police Authority is one of a handful of authorities to undergo the new inspection process and is the first in Wales to have been inspected. The inspection focused on performance in four key areas; value for money, leadership, scrutiny and community engagement  and Gwent Police Authority scored consistently well across each of the areas.

Cllr Lindsay Whittle, WLGA spokesperson for Equality, Social Justice and Community Safety congratulated Gwent Police Authority on its achievement saying:

 ‘This is an incredibly encouraging result and is a testament to the dedication and hard work of members and officers to ensure that Gwent Police Authority secures an effective and efficient policing service for local people.’

‘I was particularly encouraged to see the Authority perform so well in the area of value for money and productivity. In this challenging financial climate, front line services are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that public money is being spent prudently and the report shows that careful planning and comprehensive assessment have been rewarded with great results.’  

Ends

For further information, please contact:

Lucy Sweet 029 2046 8678 or lucy.sweet@wlga.gov.uk

Note to editors

The Wales Audit Office covers all sectors of government except those reserved to the UK government. The Auditor General for Wales, as head of the Wales Audit Office either directly audits bodies, such as the Welsh Assembly Government and the NHS or, as in the case of local government, appoints auditors to do so.

HMIC is an independent inspectorate, inspecting policing in the public interest and rigorously examines the effectiveness of police forces and authorities to tackle crime and terrorism improve criminal justice and raise confidence.

Copies of the full inspection report are available from the Wales Audit Office website www.wao.gov.uk

For more information contact: Lucy Sweet

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