Metropolitan Police Service
The challenge
The police force faced the challenge of managing a shrinking estate alongside a growing and more flexible workforce. There was a clear need to optimise how space was used, improve workplace behaviours and ensure infrastructure no longer acted as a barrier to collaboration or productivity.
The aim was to support mobile and location-flexible working, enhance the day-to-day experience of staff and officers and align the estate with broader organisational priorities, including the Turnaround Plan and professional standards.
The result
We worked across several estate-related initiatives to improve how teams used space and experienced their working environment. Our support ranged from tactical improvements to strategic planning, with a consistent focus on practical change and user experience.
The key areas of delivery included:
Blended working vision: we defined a clear vision for blended working, co-designed with senior leaders. This included agreed outcomes, measures and behaviours to support better use of space and technology.
Collaborative workspace pilots: we ran five workplace pilots, including for Specialist Crime and the Directorate of Professional Standards. These tested new workplace models for staff with limited home working capacity. Workshops explored current behaviours, team dynamics, workspace use and wellbeing. Outputs informed a self-assessment tool to help teams manage their own behavioural development.
Personal storage project: we delivered targeted improvements to ensure lockers and other personal storage were available where needed, supporting more mobile and flexible working.
Change management support: at both the programme and project levels, we provided change impact assessments, stakeholder plans and engagement strategies to support implementation.
Workplace deep dive with the directorate of Professional Standards: we worked with teams to better understand workspace needs and usage assumptions, providing insight to inform future estate decisions.
Strategic estates alignment: we supported the refresh of the wider estates strategy to ensure it aligned with the Turnaround Plan and evolving ways of working.
Outcomes delivered included:
Shared vision for improved workplace experiences, shaped by senior leaders.
Five successful workspace pilots supporting c.45,000 users.
Self-assessment tool created to support team-led behaviour change.
Cross-functional working group established to take shared ownership of workplace issues.
Evidenced benefit cases and change impacts for workplace improvement initiatives.
Greater understanding of workspace needs in critical areas such as the Directorate of Professional Standards.
What made it successful
Practical engagement: we worked closely with staff and leaders to design solutions grounded in operational need.
Clear line of sight: each intervention was linked directly to frontline experience and estate priorities.
Joined-up working: our work brought together estates, HR, design partners and senior leaders to shape solutions collectively.
Pilot-led approach: rapid testing allowed the police force to build on what worked and make evidence-based decisions.
Sustainable outcomes: we equipped teams with tools and processes to continue developing the workplace experience independently.