Senior Management Team Meeting - 12 October 2022
- Welcome
- Minutes and Actions from previous meeting
- Commissioner
- Accountable Officer
- Corporate Services
- Finance
- Communications
- Reviews
- Investigations
Attendees
Michelle Macleod Commissioner (MM)
Phil Chapman Director of Operations (PC)
Sharon Smit Accountable Officer / Head of Corporate Services (SS)
Jacqueline Jeffrey Senior Review Officer (JJ)
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services (SC)
Richard Casey Senior Investigator (RC)
Rhoda Braddick Communications Manager (RB)
Laura Duguid Finance Manager (LD)
Jennifer Fisher Secretariat (JF)
1. Welcome and Apologies
1.1 Apologies
PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Management Team (SMT) members.
Apologies were noted from John McSporran, Head of Investigations (JMcS) and Ilya Zharov, Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ).
1.2 Matters proposed to be considered in private
SMT agreed to consider agenda items 10 to 12 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda.
2. Minutes of previous meeting
2.1 Draft Minutes
SMT approved the minutes of September 2022 meeting.
2.2 Action Log
SMT noted the updates to the action log.
3. Commissioner
3.1 Update paper
MM provided a detailed update to members (circulated in advance) with regards to a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:
- Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry
- Lady Angiolini Review – Public Consultation
- Civil Case
- Performance Reporting Review
- Stakeholder Engagements scheduled for October and November 2022
- Revised Statutory Guidance issued to EHRC
- Joint Audit between PIRC and SPA – of Complaint Triage by Police Scotland’s National Complaint
- Assessment and Resolution Unit (NCARU)
SMT noted the update provided.
4. Accountable Officer
4.1 Risk Register Update
SS provided a detailed summary of the Risk Register to September 2022, (circulated in advance).
SS highlighted that there had been no significant changes to the Risk Register within the month.
SS highlighted that this was the first monthly report provided by the Risk Coordinators appointed in August 2022 and that the work produced and comments provided during feedback sessions had been excellent.
SS advised that further work was being undertaken in respect of obtaining an online Risk Management System. SS will continue to liaise with iTECS to ascertain if such a system is compatible with the SCOTS Network.
SMT noted the updates provided.
4.2 Audit Update (Audit Log)
SS provided a detailed summary of the Audit Log to September 2022 (circulated in advance).
SS highlighted that actions 57-60 are now ‘complete’ and action 61 is still ‘in progress’.
SS advised that she was in receipt of audit reports relating to audits of ‘HR Recruitment and Selection’ and ‘Creditor Payments including Procurement Cards’ recently undertaken. These reports will be reviewed by the AAC Committee, scheduled for 19 October 2022.
SMT noted the update provided.
5. Corporate Services
5.1 Performance Report
SS provided a detailed summary of the Corporate Services Workload report to September 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Annual Leave and Flexi Balances
SS asked that managers again remind staff of the importance of using annual leave and flexi.
SMT noted the update provided.
5.2 Procurement Manual
SMT noted the procedural amendments to the PIRC Procurement Manual (circulated in advance). The Procurement Manual was approved.
6. Finance
6.1 Management Accounts
LD provided a summary of the Management Accounts as at end September 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
- Staffing costs
- Running costs
- Overspends and Underspends
- Overspends in relation to Legal Costs
- Cost of Living increase
- Director of Finance Forum reaction to Chancellor’s mini-budget
SMT noted the update provided.
7. Communications
7.1 Update paper
RB provided a detailed summary of the Communications update as at end September 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
- Internal Communications / Staff Messages
- Media enquiries received
- Project updates: Accessibility, Website/Intranet development, Media Management Tool, Annual Report and Learning Point
- RB advised that further to presentations from vendors, the contract has been awarded. A meeting with the successful vendor will be arranged for week commencing 31 October 2022. It is hoped that the new PIRC website will be launching in Summer 2023.
SMT noted the update provided.
8. Reviews
8.1 Performance Report
JJ provided a summary of the Reviews Workload reports to September 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Number of applications received / CHR’s issued / Discretionary Decisions / Cases closed within the month
Increase in the number of Heads of Complaints per complaint
Meetings scheduled with PSD staff
SMT noted the update provided.
9. Investigations
9.1 Progress Report
RC provided a summary of the Investigations Workload reports to September 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
- Number of LIVE investigations
- Number of Referrals received within the month
- Number of Investigations commenced within the month
- Number of Article 3 referrals received within the month
- PC advised that Ryan Martin, Training Coordinator (RM) has been asked to liaise with College of Policing, as well as counterparts in IOPC and PONI to identify suitable training providers to undertake Family Liaison Officer (FLO) training of PIRC staff.
SMT will be provided with an update when available.
SMT noted the update provided.