Response to HMCPSI Leadership Review – July 2019

On 22 July 2019 Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published a Leadership Review of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

The review was conducted at the request of the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the SFO to assess staff engagement. The Director and COO wanted to understand the drivers behind a drop in what had previously been higher than average Civil Service People Survey engagement scores.

The review recognises both the desire of the Director and senior leadership team to foster improvements to the culture of the SFO, and the goodwill of its staff in support of those efforts to promote positive change. The inspectors identified that the SFO works to support its staff in a variety of ways but that there would be benefit from a holistic strategy to draw these together. They also noted the need to be more consistent in the application of performance management and development of staff across the SFO.

The Leadership Review did not provide any formal recommendations. However the SFO fully accepts the findings and in response has introduced a three year Culture Change Programme and a new People Strategy. The Strategy has four key objectives:

1. Implement effective organisational development to deliver the SFO’s vision, ensuring staff feel valued and supported by having adequate resources and information available to get their jobs done.
2. Create a balanced, effective workforce fairly reflecting the Roskill Model by recruiting and retaining the right people, at the right grades and disciplines to deliver high quality outputs.
3. Improve and maintain learning and development opportunities for all to enhance staff careers and further develop their skills.
4. Support improvements in staff wellbeing to offer an excellent staff experience at work and become an employer of choice.