Public consultation
At Durham Constabulary we expect our staff to adopt a professional approach when delivering your policing service, in line with our values of ‘positive, fair, courageous and inclusive with integrity’.
We encourage people to exercise well-reasoned judgement and discretion, with the ultimate aim of ‘doing the right thing’ by policing in a way that is bespoke to the needs of those we serve.
To understand how well we are delivering our services we carry out regular public consultation and survey work, including victim satisfaction surveys. These are surveys of people who have recently come into contact with the police after reporting:
- anti-social behaviour
- an incident of hate
- burglary
- criminal damage
- domestic abuse
- fraud
- harassment
- vehicle crime
- violent crime
The results of these surveys are analysed and the findings used to drive improvements to the services that we provide to the public.
We also carry out a programme of public consultation on a wide range of policing issues, via surveys, focus groups and engagement with specific minority groups to ensure the views of the public are represented across all communities.
Victim satisfaction surveys are telephone (genuine opinion) surveys carried out on our behalf by SMSR Ltd. (Social and Market Strategic Research).
SMSR is an independent social research agency, based in Hull, which meets the requirements of the national framework contract developed by the Home Office. The only purpose of these surveys is to ask victims of offending, incidents and crimes about the quality of service that they received from Durham Constabulary in a consistent and independent manner.
This information is then passed to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) enabling them to conduct Victim Service Assessments, done for each police force as part of an independent and mandated inspection process.
These satisfaction surveys are not in any way market research surveys, direct or indirect marketing surveys or promotional/advertising surveys.
SMSR sample 15 per cent of all victims and, if selected, a person may be contacted by SMSR up to 8 to 12 weeks from the reported event.
Victim feedback 2022/23 results
The latest annual results from Durham’s victim satisfaction survey work shows that when taking the whole experience into account, 82 per cent of the victims of crime surveyed were satisfied with the service provided to them. Further, 93 per cent of those victims were satisfied with the treatment they received from the officers and staff that they interacted with.
Additionally, and a specific area of focus for Durham, a small improvement was made in terms of how satisfied victims feel regarding how well we keep them informed about the progress of their crime, with 78 per cent of victims stating they were satisfied with the follow up they had received.
Work continues across the force, working with staff from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, focussing on victim and witness service improvement actions and we hope to see this work reflected in the 2023/24 results.
Victim feedback 2021/22 results
In general, victims told us that they were satisfied with the service that we provided to them and taking the whole experience into account 82 per cent of victims said that they were satisfied with the way their crime was dealt with. Victims were satisfied they could get in touch with us with 96 per cent satisfied with ease of contacting us and victims felt they had been treated well, with 94 per cent stating they were satisfied with the treatment they had received. Further, 77 per cent of victims stated they were satisfied with the follow up information we had provided.
Statutory legal gateways for surveys
This telephone survey processing is fair and necessary as in the significant public interest. This is because it accords with public task and legitimate interests policing requirements, to improve public confidence and trust in policing and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of policing services across Co Durham.
All forces in England and Wales are expected by the Home Office and also by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service (HMICFRS) to seek feedback from victims via surveys or via other means. Victim satisfaction surveys form part of Durham Constabulary’s official functions to ensure we provide an efficient and effective policing service.
The statutory need to be efficient and effective is set out in primary legislation, namely the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Order 2011. The lawful basis for surveys is also derived from Section 143 (1) of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 that enables local policing bodies (a local policing body is a Police and Crime Commissioner or a Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) to arrange for the provision of services in their own right or via their associated police force, that, in the opinion of the local policing body will secure, or contribute to securing, crime and disorder reduction in the body’s area.
In order that we can independently gather information that helps us to understand the services we are providing, we share a limited amount of information with SMSR for the sole purpose of allowing them to contact you and ask for your views on the quality of service you were provided with through the victim satisfaction surveys.
How this works with the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
SMSR act on our behalf to do work that is directly connected to the core business of Durham Constabulary.
We do not seek service users consent for this necessary survey function, as we use the alternative and equal to consent DPA 2018 and GDPR enabling legal conditions of public task and legitimate interests to then legally process personal data for the survey purpose.
We have a data processing contract with SMSR, which deals specifically with issues relating to the use of personal information. This contract states that SMSR may use the information only for the purpose of conducting victim satisfaction surveys on behalf of Durham Constabulary. It also states that this personal information is not to be used or retained by SMSR for any other purpose, that approved security measures are put in place to protect the data and that all SMSR staff having access to the information must sign a confidentiality agreement.
More information about the Data Protection Act 2018 and your rights can be found on the Office of the Information Commissioner website.
If you don’t want to take part in a survey
If you are contacted to take part in the survey but you do not want to, simply tell the SMSR caller and they will end the call and remove your contact details from their system.
If you would prefer not to be included in any more potential satisfaction survey, please let the caller know this as well; alternatively, please contact us directly by email providing your name, address and telephone number.