Our business

• Welcome and Apologies
• Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting
• Training
• Commissioner
• Communications
• Child Friendly Complaints Handling Principles
• Policy Documents
• Finance
• Any other business

Attendees 
Sharon Smit Acting Commissioner (SS) (Chair) 
Hazel Wyper Training Coordinator (HW) agenda items 1-3 only 
Ilya Zharov Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ) 
Janice Carter Information Officer (JC) agenda item 10 only 
Jennifer Fisher Secretariat (JLF) 
Laura Duguid Finance Manager (LD) 
Raymond Brown Head of Investigations (RB) 
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services (SC)

Welcome and Apologies

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

Apologies 
Apologies were noted from Phil Chapman, Director of Operations (PC) and Irina Wilkie, Head of Corporate Communications (IW). 

Matters proposed to be considered in private. 
SLT agreed to consider agenda items 10-18 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda. 

Senior Leadership Team – Terms of Reference (ToR) 
SS provided members with a summary of the minor amendments made to the SLT ToR (circulated in advance). 
Members approved the SLT ToR, as circulated.

Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting

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

Action Log 
AP3 – RB / SC to review Investigations MOU. 
Update: 18 February 2025 – SC advised that there had been no progress in agreeing the PIRC / PSoS MOU. 
RB noted that PC had held discussions with PSoS and that Chief Inspector Hamilton had been identified as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for reviewing and progressing matters in respect of the PIRC / PSoS MOU. 
SC / RB to review with PC on his return. 
Action: ongoing 

AP12 – Establish if LTS and Maternity Leave can be extracted from Annual Leave Balance remaining data reported within CS Performance Report. SS to provide update when available. 
Update: 18 February 2025 – SS advised that CS staff were progressing with amendments to the CS Performance Report. Further update(s) will be provided when available. 
Action: ongoing

2024/25 AP15 – IZ to provide comparative analysis of conversion rates of Complaints – FLR  - CHR over 3-year period. PC / IZ to further review – update(s) will be provided when available. update to be provided when available. 
Update: 18 February 2025 – IZ advised that the data provided by PSoS required review. IZ to review with PC on his return. 
Action: ongoing

Training

Training Report including Training Plan 2025-2026 
HW provided a summary of the Training report for February 2025 (circulated in advance). 

Members noted the content of the report. 

Individual Training and Development Plan 
HW provided members with an overview of the proposed introduction of a PIRC ‘Individual Training and Development Plan’. 

HW explained that each staff member would require to complete the individual plan and discuss the content at their mid-year and year-end appraisal meeting, highlighting any developmental training / training requests identified with line managers. 

Members agreed to review the proposed form and provide feedback to HW and SS by Wednesday 5 March 2024. 
AP16: members to provide feedback to Training Coordinator on proposed Individual Training & Development Plan as circulated on 18 February 2025.

Commissioner

Update paper 
SS provided a summary of the previous Commissioner’s update report to 14 February 2025  (circulated in advance). 

Members noted the update provided. 

SC advised that all core participants of the Public Inquiry received notification on 17 February 2025, that the Inquiry have suspended the timetable for closing submission, pending a decision by the Deputy First Minister on the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry. Further update(s) will be provided when available. 

SS advised that she had attended a Public Sector Reform (PSR) Summit at Strathclyde University on 17 February 2025. The summit was hosted by MSPs and focused on SG’s upcoming PSR Strategy. Further update(s) will be provided when available.

Communications

Update paper 
SS provided a summary of the Communications update report (circulated in advance). 

Members noted the content of the update report.

Child Friendly Complaints Handling Principles

IZ provided members with a summary of the Child Friendly Complaints Handling Principles (CFCHP) briefing paper and appendices (circulated in advance). 

IZ detailed some of the work undertaken by the internal Short Life Working Group (SLWG) to address identified actions ensuring that PIRC are fully compliant with statutory obligations to ensure that policies and procedures do not adversely affect the rights and wellbeing of children in Scotland. 

IZ advised that draft guidance documents prepared would be shared internally and with PSoS for feedback, prior to being incorporated into the PIRC Statutory Guidance. 

IZ asked members to review the CFCHP documents circulated, and provide feedback by 5 March 2025. 
AP17: Feedback to HoRP on proposed CFCHP documents as circulated on 18 February 2025. 

IZ proposed that any amendments required to the PIRC Statutory Guidance be postponed until the Commissioner commences post on 1 April 2025. This will allow the Commissioner an opportunity to review and approve any proposed amendments. 

Members agreed to review the documents provided and provide feedback. Members agreed to delay any amendments to Statutory Guidance, until April 2025.

Policy Documents

PIRC Finance Manual 
LD provided a summary of the administrative changes made to the PIRC Finance Manual (circulated in advance). 

Members approved the manual. 

PIRC Complaints about the PIRC 
SS provided a summary of the changes made to the PIRC Complaints about the PIRC policy (circulated in advance). 

Members approved the policy. 

PIRC Code of Conduct Policy 
PIRC Attendance Management Policy 
SS advised members that the above policies (as circulated on 25 January) had been approved via correspondence on 31 January 2025.

Finance

Management Accounts 
LD provided members with a summary of the Management Accounts to the end of January 2025 (circulated in advance), highlighting the following:

• Grant in Aid (GiA) cash drawn down related to spend in January 2025 was £590k.
• Staff costs approx. £24k under spent within the month due to staffing vacancies.
• Running costs approx. £72k over spent YTD, due to delays associated with Oracle implementation and Legal costs associated with the Public Inquiry.
• Forecast of approx. £45k underspend YTD reported to SG.

OS upgrade to Windows 11 
SS advised that Corporate Services (CS) staff will review all PIRC laptops and workstations to identify devices that would NOT support upgrade to Windows 11. Any devices identified as non-compatible, will be replaced. SS advised that all new SCOTS laptops now come with Windows 11 installed by default. Further update(s) will be provided when available.. 

Investigations – potential expenditure 
RB advised that DSI Taylor was collating various purchase requests from the Investigations team (various requests for new and replacement IT equipment within the Technical Investigations office, software updates, monitors etc). The proposal will be submitted to RB when available for review and further discussion with SS. 

Members noted the updates provided.

Any other business

Nil