Senior Management Meeting Minutes - 15 July 2022
Apologies
Minutes of previous SMT meeting
Actions from previous meetings
Commissioner
Director of Operations
Accountable Officer
Head of Legal Services
Finance
Communications
Reviews
Investigations
Corporate Services
Any other business
Attendees
Michelle Macleod Commissioner
Phil Chapman Director of Operations
Sharon Smit Accountable Officer / Head of Corporate Services
Ilya Zharov Head of Reviews and Policy
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services
William Little Senior Investigator
Rhoda Braddick Communications Manager
Jennifer Fisher Secretariat
1. Apologies
PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Management Team (SMT) members.
Apologies were noted from John McSporran, Head of Investigations and Laura Duguid, Finance Manager.
2. Minutes of previous meeting
2.1 Draft Minutes
The minutes of the June 2022 meeting were approved.
3. Action from previous meetings
3.1 Action Log
SMT noted the updates to the action log.
4. Commissioner
4.1 Commissioner’s update
MM provided a detailed summary of the update paper (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Website Accessibility update
Public Inquiry and associated legal costs
Dame Angiolini Review – Public Consultation
Civil Case
Stakeholder Engagement
Reviews – Single Point of Contact officers
SPA Complaints and Conduct Committee
Heads of Justice Inspectorate Forum
Sponsor Team Meeting
Heads of PIRC, PONI and SPSO Meeting
Revised Statutory Guidance
Audit: Joint Audit between PIRC and SPA
Recruitment
SMT noted the update provided.
4.2 Frequency of Team Meetings
MM advised that at the Business Continuity Group meeting, held on 12 July, member(s) had requested clarification of the appropriate frequency for team meetings to be held.
Following discussion, it was agreed that Heads of Department / Managers should discuss the optimum frequency of such meetings with staff in their respective departments and implement a meeting schedule that meets with the views of the majority. (i.e. daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly).
SMT noted the update provided.
Director of Operations
PC provided an update to members with regards to a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:
Articles 3 and 5 Process Review
Statistical Business Rules
Hybrid working
5.1 Website Publication of Meeting Minutes
PC proposed that future SMT Meetings are divided into two sessions;
Part I – Update papers and discussions / decisions regarding Non-Operational agenda items would be recorded and included in the published minutes.
Part II - Update papers and discussions / decisions regarding Operational issues, personnel issues, commercially sensitive contract / tenders etc. would be recorded however NOT included in the published minutes.
A template agenda for future SMT meeting’s is to be drafted and circulated to members prior to the August SMT meeting for consideration and use at the August SMT.
Additionally, MM advised that consideration should be given to archiving historical information and proposed that going forward, PIRC should publish a rolling year of meeting minutes on the PIRC website. RB agreed to undertake a review of the publications available and remove anything out with this timescale.
SMT noted the update.
6. Accountable Officer
SS provided a detailed summary of the Risk Register and summary update to June 2022 (circulated in advance).
6.1 Risk Register Update
SS advised that Richard Mackie, RSM Auditor, will provide training to the designated Risk Coordinators.
6.2 Audit Log
SS advised that Actions 51-56 (Review of Trainee Programme) and 59 (Flexi-time Audit) are now completed, Actions 57 and 58 (Review of Trainee Programme) are ongoing.
SS further advised that the report in relation to the IT Audit is to be provided ahead of the Audit and Accountability Committee scheduled for 21 July.
The next scheduled audit will focus on Recruitment.
Additionally, SS advised that External Auditors are due to attend PIRC offices week commencing 18 July, for a two-week period, to undertake the Finance Audit.
SMT noted the update.
7. Head of Legal Services
7.1 Update Report
SC provided an update to members with regards to a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:
Civil Case
Public Inquiry
SMT noted the update provided.
8. Finance
8.1 Management Accounts
SS provided a summary of the DRAFT Management Accounts to end June 2022 (circulated in advance).
Upon return from leave, LD is to update the Management Accounts paper which will be presented to the Audit and Accountability Committee on 21 July.
SMT noted the update provided
9. Communications
9.1 Update Report
RB provided a detailed summary of the Communications update as at end of June 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Website / Intranet Development
Accessibility
Media enquiries / Pulse news articles / Staff Messages
SMT noted the update provided.
10. Reviews
10.1 Performance Report
IZ provided a summary of the Reviews Workload report to June 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Number of CHR’s received / issued / under review
Number of complaints found to be ‘not reasonably’ handled
Average age of pending cases
Number of cases completed 2021/22
Performance against KPI’s
Staff Training
MM highlighted that recommendations issued to Police Service of Scotland are of interest to the Audit and Accountability Committee and therefore the recording of recommendations issued and any implementation of those recommendations, should be formalised.
IZ advised that PIRC and Police Scotland regularly feedback and provide updates on implementation of recommendations at a monthly ‘hub meeting’. IZ agreed to forward the most recent meeting report to MM.
RB asked if recommendations issued / implemented were published on the PIRC website. Further discussion is to be held in order to progress this.
SMT noted the update provided.
11. Investigations
11.1 Performance Report
WL provided a summary of the Investigations Workload report to June 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Number of Investigations undertaken in 2021/22
Performance against KPI’s
Investigations Team Structure
PIRC / PSD Liaison Event
Report Writing & Correspondence Workshops
SMT noted the update provided.
12. Corporate Service
12.1 Performance Report
SS provided a detailed summary of the Corporate Services Workload reports to June 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Recruitment
Accommodation Business Case
Performance against KPI’s
Learning Point publication
Occupational Health referral timescales
Staff hybrid Guidance for Staff document
SS advised that there was a slight increase in number of staff reporting positive Covid tests.
Heads of Department / Managers are asked to remind staff of the Hybrid Working Guidance for Staff document (available on Pulse) and the safety measures that remain in place at this time:
open windows,
clean desk’s / equipment before and after use,
wash / sanitise hands,
Booking desk via Admin Team prior to attending office etc.
12.2 Whistleblowing Policy
SMT were provided with a DRAFT copy of the above policy for approval.
SS advised of one additional appendix that is to be added to the policy.
SMT noted and approved the updated policy.
13. Any other business
Nil discussed.
DEA Public Consultation Strategy Session
Notes taken during this session will be provided to members under separate cover.