Senior Management Team Meeting - 15 November 2022
- Welcome
- Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting
- Commissioner
- Risk and Audit
- Training
- Policy Documents – Amendments and Updates
- Communications
- Finance
Attendees:
Michelle Macleod Commissioner (MM)
Phil Chapman Director of Operations (PC)
Sharon Smit Accountable Officer / Head of Corporate Services (SS)
Ilya Zharov Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ)
Keith Harrower Senior Investigator (RC)
Laura Duguid Finance Manager (LD)
Rhoda Braddick Communications Manager (RB)
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services (SC)
Jennifer Fisher Secretariat (JLF)
Welcome and Apologies
Apologies
PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Management Team (SMT) members. PC noted KH would be representing for the Head of Investigation.
Matters proposed to be considered in private
SMT agreed to consider agenda items 9 – 14 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda.
Minutes of previous meeting
Draft Minutes
SMT approved the minutes of October 2022 meeting.
Action Log
SMT noted the updates to the action log.
Commissioner
Update paper
MM provided a detailed update to members (circulated in advance) containing updates on a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:
- Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry
- Lady Angiolini Review – Public Consultation
- Civil Case
- Performance Data Review
- Stakeholder Engagements scheduled for November and early-December 2022
- Joint Audit between PIRC and SPA – of Complaint Triage by Police Scotland’s National Complaint Assessment and Resolution Unit (NCARU)
MM noted that she will attend the Complaints, Investigations and Misconduct in Policing Strategic Oversight Group on 16 November with the Complaints, Investigations and Misconduct in Policing Ministerial Group scheduled to be held on 7 December 2022.
SMT noted the update provided.
Accountable Officer
Risk Register Update
SS provided a summary of the Risk Register to October 2022, (circulated in advance).
SS highlighted that there had been no significant changes to the Risk Register within the month.
SS advised that MM, PC, SS and Janice Carter (JC) had attended an online presentation of the RSM ‘4Risk’ software on 2 November. She advised that further discussions will be held with RSM in respect of Risk software.
SMT noted the updates provided.
Audit Update (Audit Log)
SS provided a summary of the Audit Log to October 2022 (circulated in advance).
It was noted that the Risk Register provided has been superseded. SS agreed to circulate the updated paper to members following the meeting.
SS provided a verbal update to members in respect of the amendments to the action log; actions in respect of the ‘Creditor Payments (including Procurement Cards)’ and ‘HR and Recruitment’ audits. SS advised that all actions are either in progress or completed.
SS advised that the next scheduled audit will be an audit of ‘previous Internal Audit Management Actions’ and will review and examine the extent to which agreed management actions have been implemented in relation to previous audit reports; Business Continuity Planning, Review of Trainee Programme, IT Health Check and Follow up of Previous Internal Audit Management Actions of 2021/22.
SS advised that PIRC will shortly commence a procurement process for Internal Audit services.
SMT noted the update provided.
Training
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training - Feedback
SS provided members with a paper (circulated in advance) highlighting feedback collated from recent in-house Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training sessions.
SS highlighted that the feedback suggests that there is an appetite for learning more about EDI. Further training sessions in relation to EDI are being considered. SS will update members when additional training has been sourced.
SMT noted the update provided
Policy Documents – for approval
Policies circulated on 31 October 2022
SS advised that a number of PIRC policies are due for review / renewal and in the following months members will be asked to review and approve policies at each SMT meeting. The minutes from the SMT meeting, endorsing or rejecting suggested amendments to the policies, will be retained as an audit of the approval process.
SS advised that she had received no significant amendments to the policies circulated on 31 October 2022 by email and asked members to approve the following policies:
- Adverse Weather Policy
- Hybrid Working Policy
- Pay Policy 2022
SMT approved the policies.
Code of Conduct 2022 Policy
SS provided members with an updated Code of Conduct policy and summary of proposed changes (circulated in advance). No objections or concerns were raised.
SMT approved the policy.
Communications
Update paper
RB provided a detailed summary of the Communications update paper as at the end of October 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
- Website / Intranet Development update
- Media enquiries received
- Annual Report
- Learning Point
- Internal Communications
- Review of website Publications
RB advised that she had been made aware that a small number of service users are unable to complete the online CHR form when accessing the website from a mobile telephone or tablet device. In order to assist, details have been added to the website directing users to download free software. RB noted that this is an interim solution until the new website is functional.
RB advised that the current Press Monitoring List will be reviewed and updated. Following review by staff within Investigations, Reviews and by the Head of Legal Services, the updated monitoring list will be shared with members and approved.
SMT noted the updates provided.
Finance
LD provided a summary of the Management Accounts as at end of October 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
- Staffing Costs
- Running Costs
- Overspends and Underspends
- Overspend in relation to Legal Costs
LD advised that SC had provided a forecast of legal fees in relation to the Public Inquiry and advised that the previous forecast had decreased by approximately £30,000. LD advised that the Scottish Government has been advised of the Legal Costs forecast, stipulating that the position is fully dependant on Counsel fees.
SMT noted the updates provided.