Our business

• Welcome and apologies
• Minutes and action log from previous meeting
• Commissioner’s update report
• Corporate communications update
• Policy documents
• Training
• Finance
• Any other business

Attendees

Ilya Zharov Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ) 
Irina Wilkie Head of Corporate Communications (IW) 
Janice Carter Information Officer (JC) (agenda item 9 only) 
Jennifer Fisher Secretariat (JLF) 
Laura Duguid Finance Manager (LD) 
Laura Paton Commissioner (LP) 
Phil Chapman Director of Operation (PC) (Chair) 
Raymond Brown Head of Investigations (RB) 
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services (SC) 
Sharon Smit Head of Corporate Services (SS)

Welcome and Apologies

PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members. 

Apologies 
With full attendance, no apologies were noted. 

Matters proposed to be considered in private 
SLT agreed to consider agenda items 9-18 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda. 

Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting

Draft Minutes 
SLT approved the minutes of the May 2025 meeting. 

Action Log 
2024/2025 3 – RB / SC to review Investigations Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). 

Update: 17 June 2025 – SC advised the MOU had been sent to Police Scotland for review, countersignature and onward transmission to the SPA. PC noted that Police Scotland have shared the MOU with SPA, who will require to consider and advise of any revisions. 
Action: complete

Commissioner’s Update Report

Update Report 
Further to the report circulated in advance, LP updated members on the following matters. 

Council of Europe – Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) 
LP advised that a delegation of the CPT carried out an ad hoc visit to Scotland from 4 to 13 June 2025 . 

The delegation visited the following Police stations and Prison establishments. 
  
Police Stations

• Dunfermline
• Govan
• Levenmouth
• London Road (Glasgow)
• St. Leonards (Edinburgh)

Prison Establishments

• HMP Barlinnie
• HMP Low Moss
• HMP Perth
• HMP Bella Centre (Dundee)
• HMP / YOI Polmont
• HMP Stirling

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented its preliminary findings to the Scottish Government. 

Meeting with Deputy Crown Agent 
LP reported on her meeting with the Deputy Crown Agent held on 27 May 2025. Key points of discussions included:

• The disclosure process for PIRC reports.
• A notable increase in workload following implementation of the Lord Advocate’s references.
• Proposed revisions to PIRC report templates

LP confirmed that further updates will be provided as they become available. 

RB noted that he is scheduled to meet with representatives from Police Scotland and COPFS on 19 June 2025 to discuss Article 3 referrals. RB committed to updating members of the discussions held, following the meeting. 

Members noted the update provided.

Corporate Communications Update

Update Report 
IW provided a summary of the Corporate Communications update report, which had been circulated in advance. Key highlights included: 

PIRC Annual Report 
Work is ongoing, with the first draft expected to be available for SLT review in early July 2025. 

Business Plan 
Development is progressing as planned. 

Strategic Review 
The Communications team is finalising the communications plan for the staff profile survey, with completion targeted by the end of June 2025. 

Advocacy Support 
Work is underway to incorporate Advocacy Support into the ‘Help’ section of the PIRC website. 

Communications Database 
The database is now actively logging all communications activity, including project work, stakeholder and partner engagement, and reactive media enquiries. 

Social Media Engagement (LinkedIn) 
A decrease in engagement metrics was noted, attributed to a reduced number of posts during the reporting period:

• Page views: 163
• Unique visitors: 61
• Impressions: 1,652
• Engagement rate: 10.2%
• Followers: 827

Members noted the updates provided.

Policy Documents

PIRC Media Policy 
IW provided a summary of the changes to the PIRC Media Policy (June 2025), (circulated in advance). 

The following amendments were noted: 
 Page 4, para 4 – ‘Police Scotland / PIRC event’ 

Members approved the policy subject to the above amendment. 

PIRC Engagement Policy (draft) 
IZ provided a summary of the draft PIRC Engagement Policy (circulated in advance). 

Following discussion, it was agreed that additional detail regarding Investigations, along with the inclusion of PIRC Discrimination Guidelines, is required. 

IZ agreed to make the necessary amendments and re-circulate the revised policy to members for review. 

PIRC Records Management Policy 
SS provided a summary of the changes to the PIRC Records Management Policy (June 2025), (circulated in advance). 

Members approved the policy as circulated. 

Managing Occupational Road Risk – MORR Policy 
SS provided a brief summary of the changes to the PIRC MORR Policy (circulated in advance). 

Members approved the policy as presented.

Training

Training Report 

Members noted the Training Report as circulated.

Finance

Management Accounts to end May 2025 
LD advised that no report was available at this time, as the Ledger is currently being concluded. LD agreed to circulate draft Management Accounts to members when available. 

LD reported that Finance staff continue to liaise with SG colleagues regarding the Annual Accounts, and it is hoped that a draft position will be available later today. 

LD further reported that Finance staff have now adopted Oracle Cloud EPM as the primary system for planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting finance performance. 

Members noted the update provided. 

Any other business 

Nil of note.