West Mercia Police: Accelerated Cause of Concern
I am writing to you in response to the cause of concern identified by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS), published in September 2025. This relates to West Mercia Police’s approach to managing safeguarding referrals and includes 5 associated recommendations.
As Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, I am disappointed that the force has received this accelerated cause of concern. I recognise the seriousness of the issue and expect the force to demonstrate swift and sustainable improvement.
Immediately upon notification of the cause of concern, I held urgent discussions with the Chief Constable and his senior leadership team to have reassurance that the force’s response is robust, transparent and effective.
Whilst the force has been directed to produce an action plan setting out their plans to address the concerns, I have also taken steps to strengthen my oversight and governance.
The force has introduced daily monitoring arrangements to track backlog clearance and maintain visibility of operational progress. My office observes the Gold Group meetings established by the force, which take place on a weekly basis, to ensure I remain up to date on force progress and barriers to improvement.
In addition, I have scheduled a deep dive on safeguarding within my Assurance and Accountability process for December to examine the force’s wider approach to safeguarding. To ensure that partner perspectives inform this work, I have engaged safeguarding partners through a survey to understand their experiences and concerns.
Recognising the importance of learning from best practice, I have also engaged with the PCC performance lead of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to benchmark governance arrangements and better understand how I can support the force.
While my focus remains on addressing the areas of concern, I am also keen to recognise and build on positive developments. The force has demonstrated commitment to change, and I will continue to highlight where progress is evident to reinforce good practice and maintain momentum.
West Mercia Police Activity
Through the mechanisms highlighted above I have been updated around the forces approach to make improvements against each of the recommendations. Against each recommendation below I provide detail of the operational activity.
Recommendation 1: Understanding the risks of the backlog
New performance data systems have been introduced to improve risk identification and prioritisation of cases, with further work underway to ensure consistency across the force area. I will continue to seek assurance that these measures are effective through ongoing scrutiny within my Assurance and Accountability process other oversight mechanisms.
Recommendation 2: Clear backlogs and assess referrals
Additional resources have been allocated to accelerate backlog clearance, supported by improved performance reporting to understand demand. While some progress has been made in partnership engagement, I have emphasised the need for further improvement and will use my convening role to support stronger multi-agency collaboration.
Recommendation 3: Governance structure and oversight
The force has implemented daily touchpoints and Gold Group meetings to oversee immediate actions. Planning now includes identifying trigger points for surge capacity to manage extraordinary demand. A letter has been issued to partners outlining the progress made on the Vulnerability Hub transformation, the police action plan developed in response to HMICFRS’s accelerated cause of concern, and the ongoing need for collaborative improvements.
Recommendation 4: Capacity and capability of the vulnerability hub
Partnership meetings have been held to review analyst proposals, and a revised safeguarding process has been presented to partners with scheduled reviews once implemented. Workforce planning has been formalised, and the force is exploring how artificial intelligence can improve efficiency. I have asked for regular updates on these developments to ensure they deliver sustainable improvements.
Recommendation 5: Right skills, training and experience within Vulnerability Hub.
A bespoke posting panel has filled 21 posts within the Vulnerability Hub, with further recruitment underway. Once staffing is complete, the force will deliver Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) training and partnership training to all staff. A tailored wellbeing offer is being developed, and a peer review is scheduled to benchmark practice against other forces. I have stressed the importance of these measures to ensure resilience and quality of service.
Summary
I remain committed to working in partnership with HMICFRS to ensure West Mercia Police delivers the high standards expected by our communities. While this represents a good start in addressing the cause of concern, it is essential that these initial steps develop into a mature, sustainable approach that embeds safeguarding at the heart of policing practice.
John Campion
Police and Crime Commissioner
West Mercia