Our business

Attendees:

Michelle Macleod     Commissioner (MM)

Phil Chapman          Director of Operations (PC)

Sharon Smit            Accountable Officer / Head of Corporate Services (SS)

Sharon Clelland       Head of Legal Services (SC)

Ilya Zharov              Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ)

Laura Duguid           Finance Manager (LD)

Steven Carr             Senior Investigator (SC2)

Rhoda Braddick       Communications Manager (RB)

Jennifer Fisher        Secretariat (JLF)

Welcome and Apologies

Apologies

PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Management Team (SMT) members.

PC noted apologies from John McSporran, Head of Investigations. It was noted that SC2 would stand for the Head of Investigation.

Matters proposed to be considered in private

SMT agreed to consider agenda items 8 - 13 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda.

Minutes of previous meeting

Draft Minutes

SMT approved the minutes of the December 2022 meeting.

Action Log

SMT noted the updates to the action log.

Commissioner

Update paper

MM provided a paper to members (circulated in advance) containing detailed updates on a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:

Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry: future hearings scheduled for 2023 and PIRC witnesses scheduled to attend.
Civil Case
Performance Data Review
Stakeholder Engagements in January 2023 and early February 2023.
Progress on completing the 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.

Training

Business Continuity Plan
Members were provided with an updated Business Continuity Plan (circulated in advance). SS highlighted that all internal risks had been verified and updated where necessary and all staff / contractor contact details have been updated.

SMT noted the amendments and approved the plan.

Call Cascade Test – Event and Action Log 2022
Members were provided with a summary of the event log of the Call Cascade test carried out on 18 November 2022 and the resultant Action Log.

SS further noted that the Call Cascade event and action log would be shared with the Audit and Accountability Committee (AAC) on 1 February 2023.

SMT noted the update provided.

Policy Documents – Amendments and Updates

Fraud Prevention Policy - Updated December 2022
SS provided a verbal summary of the updates to the Fraud Prevention Policy (circulated in advance). SS highlighted that the amendments to the policy were minimal (amended job titles and updated links to relevant legislation).

SMT approved the policy.

SS advised that she is in discussion with the Personnel Security Officer with regards to reviewing the vetting levels PIRC staff are required to hold. SS will provide further information to SMT when available.

Recruitment and Selection – Updated December 2022
SS provided a verbal summary of the updates/amendments made to the Recruitment and Selection Policy (circulated in advance).

SS noted that the amendments were as a result of a management action identified during recent internal audit.

SMT approved the policy.

Communications

RB provided a summary of the Communications update paper as at the end of December 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:

Website/Intranet Development update
Media enquiries received
PSD Short Life Working Group (SLWG)
Strategic Plan
Engagement
Internal Comms messages issued
RB noted that Learning Point is scheduled to be published in March 2023. RB advised that Lynsay Cooper, Communications Officer (LC) would be overseeing publication of the March 23 issue of Learning Point.

RB further advised that LC would make contact with Reviews and Investigations senior personnel to discuss potential content in the coming weeks.

Following discussion, it was agreed that a meeting is to be scheduled to agree content and layout of the PIRC Strategic Plan.

MM noted that the plan will be a succinct document, covering a 2-year period and will contain information in relation to.

New Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Public Confidence
Support for PIRC to undertake additional work as per DEA Recommendations (if funded)
SMT noted the update provided.

Finance

LD provided a summary of the Management Accounts as at end of December 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas.

Staffing Costs
Running Costs
Overspends and Underspends
Overspend in relation to Legal Costs
LD noted that the Scottish Government have indicated that a budget revision of approximately £278k (the legal costs associated with the Public Inquiry) will be made.

SS advised that she is yet to receive written confirmation of the PIRC budget allocation for 2023/24. SS / MML agreed to raise this with the Sponsor Team at the meeting scheduled for 18 January 2023.

SMT noted the update provided.