Senior Management Team Meeting - 20 September 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)
Ilya Zharov Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ)
Sharon Clelland Head of Legal Services (SC)
Steven Carr Senior Investigator (SC2)
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).
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 August 2022 meeting.
2.2 Action Log
SMT noted the updates to the action log.
3. Commissioner
3.1 Update paper
MM provided an update to members with regards to a range of ongoing work, drawing attention to the following areas:
Lady Angiolini Review – Public Consultation response submission
Civil Case
Public Inquiry proposed timetable 2022/23
Police Scotland / PIRC Liaison Event held on 2 September 2022 at Jackton Police College
Stakeholder Engagements scheduled for September and October 2022
SMT noted the update provided.
4. Accountable Officer
4.1 Risk Register Update
SS provided a detailed summary of the Risk Register to August 2022, (circulated in advance).
SS reviewed in detail the changes applied to section, 3 – Manage Finances, and advised that a submission will be produced and forwarded to Scottish Government advising of the additional funding required to maintain current staffing levels.
SS advised that the Risk Coordinators, identified in August 2022, have now attended an initial training session. Risk Coordinators will provide an update to SMT on individual risk areas at the October 2022 SMT.
SS advised that she was in receipt of a proposal for an online Risk Management System. SS will liaise with iTECS to ascertain if the system is compatible with the SCOTS Network. If the system is compatible, SS will arrange for a demonstration for SMT members.
SMT noted the updates provided.
4.2 Audit Update (Audit Log)
SS provided a detailed summary of the Audit Log to August 2022 (circulated in advance).
SS advised that actions 57 – 59 were completed prior to the July 2022 Audit and Accountability Committee meeting, actions 60 – 61 are ongoing.
SS advised that she had received draft audit reports relating to the audits of “HR Recruitment and Selection” and “Creditor Payments including Procurement Cards” recently undertaken. These reports will be reviewed and finalised prior to the October Audit and Accountability Committee meeting. SS noted that there was no concerns noted in either draft report.
SMT noted the update provided.
5. Corporate Services
5.1 Performance Report
SS provided a detailed summary of the Corporate Services Workload report to August 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Annual Leave
Flexi Balances
SS advised that all staff are required to update the Flexi Online system and submit a request for ‘PUB - Public / Privilege Leave’ for 19 September 2022.
SMT noted the update provided.
5.2 Whistleblowing Police
SMT noted the amendment to the Whistleblowing Policy. The policy was approved.
5.3 The Green Stuff proposal
SMT noted the content of the proposal submitted by Corporate Services staff.
The proposal was approved.
6. Finance
6.1 Management Accounts
LD provided a summary of the Management Accounts as at end August 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Staffing costs
Running costs
Overspends and Underspends
Overspends in relation to Legal Costs
LD advised that Azets (external Auditors) had completed their audit of financial statements and was pleased to advise that no substantial concerns had been highlighted.
SMT noted the update provided.
7. Communications
7.1 Update paper
RB provided a detailed summary of the Communications update as at end August 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 publication, PIRC / PSD Liaison event
SMT noted the update provided.
Website – Content Review
RB asked that members nominate a member of staff from each department to undertake a content review of the current website and highlight to the Communications Team any update requirements.
Action 8 – Members to nominate staff to undertake content review of current website and highlight any update requirements to Communications Team.
8.Reviews
8.1 Performance Report
IZ provided a summary of the Reviews Workload reports to August 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Number of CHR received / issued within the month
Decrease in the number of Heads of Complaints
Decrease in the number of complaints found to be ‘not reasonably’ handled
Decrease in the average age of pending cases
SPOC engagement with stakeholders
Centurion software update scheduled to take place on 26 September 2022
PIRC / PSD Meetings
SMT noted the update provided.
MM asked that IZ prepare correspondence to EHRC in response to points raised in relation to the PIRC Statutory Guidance (issued June 2022).
Action 10 – IZ to prepare correspondence to EHRC in response to points raised in relation to PIRC Statutory Guidance document (issued June 2022)
Following discussion in respect of the number of CHR’s concluded within the month, MM asked that Reviews prioritise concluding CHR’s that are within agreed target date for submission.
9. Investigations
9.1 Progress Report
SC2 provided a summary of the Investigations Workload reports to August 2022 (circulated in advance), drawing attention to the following areas:
Number of LIVE investigations
Category A Investigation commenced 20 September 2022
Recruitment (staff due to commence on 4 October 2022)
New departmental structure (as of 4 October 2022)
Referrals and Assessment Unit
SC2 advised that he was conscious that the KPI targets for the month had not been achieved.
SMT noted the update provided.
Following discussion in respect of the number of Investigation reports concluded within the month, MM asked that Investigations prioritise concluding reports that are within agreed target date for submission.