Gloucestershire Constabulary takes ‘positive’ approach to public feedback

Caroline Clennell-Jaine, feedback and customer care lead at Gloucestershire Constabulary, says while the approach captures trends and better identifies learnings, it now also considers the often overlooked positive feedback and praise from the public

The force says this mirrors the approach taken by the commercial sector, which “has long understood the importance of customer feedback”.

“Providing the ability to give feedback or having an efficient complaints process is a basic principle of good customer service – but it is far more than that – the data it produces can serve as a useful tool to analyse strengths and weakness,” it added.

“Although the word and connotation of ‘customer’ hasn’t always translated well into the world of policing – with many feeling that this is not an adequate description of its relationship with the public – the principals of feedback are the same. As Bill Gates says, ‘we all need people who will give us feedback – that’s how we improve’.”

Gloucestershire Constabulary says that perhaps because the police have a structured complaints process, resources have historically been focused on “managing, recording and, quite rightly, accountability resulting from negative feedback”. However, it believes useful insight into performance can be equally gleaned from taking a more analytical approach to positive feedback.

Ms Clennell-Jaine explained: “Our feedback process now captures trends and better identifies learnings to pass on to our colleagues in the wider constabulary, but something overlooked by many forces has been a consideration of positive feedback and praise from the public.

“In the past thank you cards may have been pinned up in a police station, but rarely has anyone sought to dig down into what aspects of our performance the public are most happy about.

“After three months of analysing ‘thank yous’ and speaking to the grateful public, we are already beginning to see some interesting trends.”

She added: “As an example, here in Gloucestershire the constabulary previously received a fair amount of complaints relating to roads and traffic collisions – so it might have been assumed this was an area of low performance.

“However, our ‘thank you data’ shows that roads and traffic collisions receive a lot of praise too – so instead it can be concluded that this area of policing is highly emotive for the public as, not surprisingly, it is often where police are most visible.

“We have also seen that non-crime related incidents, for example involving concerns for welfare or mental health, are an area of policing in Gloucestershire that the public are most thankful for.

“But it is useful to understand where the constabulary has scored well within that and what specifically it can understand as a strength.

“Initial data shows that compassion, understanding and empathy are all qualities regularly highlighted as strengths of Gloucestershire Constabulary staff by the public. There are certainly good practices being carried out by officers that can be learnt from.”

Ms Clennell-Jaine said the constabulary also ensures that positive feedback process includes recognition for those involved through their line managers, and where performance is exceptional, through the chief constable.

“This is great for morale, especially at times of high demand and makes it easier for the same team to deliver learnings from dissatisfaction – if we promote an ethos of being open to feedback of all types,” she said.

“This openness and a renewed value put on feedback can allow for a wealth of opportunities: It allows the chance to engage with the public – it helps to build positive perceptions, provides an opportunity to learn and reflect and allows for things to be put right where possible.

“Very few organisations outside of policing focus just on their complaints as a measure of how well they are doing – if we are gathering evidence on performance, it doesn’t give an accurate, fair or balanced picture.

“At Gloucestershire Constabulary the establishment of a public feedback team, which triages reports of dissatisfaction, manages the service recovery process, records general feedback and manages the ‘thanks inbox’, means that feedback is considered in better context and meaningful analysis and learning is more possible.”

Ms Clennell-Jaine said the next step may well be to emulate the commercial sector further and proactively seek out feedback by making ‘feedback experts’ available at public events.

“We are of course very mindful and sensitive to the fact that our ‘customers’ are very unique in that they rarely seek us out for good reasons in the first place,” she added.