Our business

• Welcome and Apologies

• Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting

• Commissioner

• Communications

• Policy documents

• Training

• Finance

• Any other business

Welcome and Apologies

Apologies
PC opened the meeting and welcomed all Senior Management Team (SMT) members. Apologies were noted from Michelle Macleod, Commissioner (MM) and Ilya Zharov, Head of Reviews and Policy (IZ).

Matters proposed to be considered in private
SMT agreed to consider agenda items 9 - 18 in private, for the reasons set out on the agenda.
PART 1 – for Publication

Minutes and Action Log from previous meeting

Draft Minutes
SMT approved the minutes of the September 2024 meeting.

Action Log
2024/25: AP3 – RB/SC to review Investigations MOU
Action:  ONGOING
SC advised that the PIRC Investigations MOU is being reviewed by Police Scotland (PSoS). Further update will be provided when available.  

Commissioner

Update paper
Members reviewed the Commissioner’s update report (circulated in advance).

JLF advised of an inaccuracy contained within the report: “Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry – para 2 should read, “The next hearing, Closing Submissions, is due to commence on 3 December 2024”.

Members noted the update provided.

Communications

Update paper
IW provided a summary of the Communications update report (circulated in advance), highlighting the following:

Commissioner advert
Commissioner advert is now live and will close on 11 November 2024. The advert can be viewed here -  Police Investigations and Review Commissioner - Scottish Government Recruitment Careers

A Staff Message will be prepared for MM’s approval ahead of issue.

Annual Report 2023-2024
Annual Report copy to be provided to designer’s today (21 October). The final Report (inclusive of artwork) will be provided to members of the Audit & Accountability Committee (AAC) at the meeting on 31 October, for final approval.

A Staff Message will be prepared and issued following the AAC meeting.

Staff Survey 2024
Communications plan progressing.

PIRC / PSD Liaison Event
PSoS Senior Leadership Team are currently reviewing the agenda for this event.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity – Café Culture Sub Group
Members of the PIRC EDI Group met today (21 October). A communications briefing will be prepared and shared with SS for approval ahead of issue.

Recruitment Events
A briefing will be prepared for SMT review.

Website Animation
Lynsay Cooper, Communications Officer (LC), is progressing with the website animation (CHR process). The final animation will be provided to PC for final review ahead of go-live.

Unacceptable Actions Policy (UA Policy)
IW and SRO McGruer are currently reviewing the UA Policy. The updated policy will be provided to SMT for approval at a future meeting.  

Investigations – Op Skirza
IW and SI Carr to review briefings ahead of publication.

Staff Messages
An increase in the number of Staff Messages issued in September 2024 (16). The majority of Staff Messages contained important information / actions in relation to Oracle Cloud go-live and key updates in relation to the Staff Survey 2024.

Publications – Negative impact of publications
IW to prepare briefing for SMT consideration when publishing reports where suicide / self-harm is present and consider addition of signposting readers to sources of support i.e. Samaritans.
2024/25: AP8 – ONGOING

Members noted the update provided.

Policy Documents

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

The amendments provide clearer guidance to staff in respect of receipts of gifts.

PC sought clarity in respect of the process for donating gifts provided to staff to charity organisations. SS undertook to provide clearer guidance within the Policy document.

It was agreed that any further comments would be sent to SS by 25 October 2024.

Members approved the amended policy.

PIRC Personal Relationships at Work
SS provided a summary of the changes made to the PIRC Personal Relationships at Work policy (circulated in advance).

The amendments provide clearer guidance to staff in respect of the definition of, and need for declaration of a relationship, where there is potential for a compromise of professional standards, conflict of interest or potential breach of confidentiality may exist
Members approved the amended policy.

PIRC Equality Strategy
SS provided a brief summary of the PIRC Equality Strategy (circulated in advance).

SC / RB / IZ to review the Equality Strategy and provide feedback to SS by 1 November 2024.
2024/25: AP9 – Ongoing

Training

Training Update
SS provided a summary of the Training report for October 2024 (circulated in advance).

Members noted the updates provided.

Finance

Management Accounts
LD provided members with a summary of the Management Accounts to the end of September 2024 (circulated in advance), highlighting the following:

Due to transition from SEAS to Oracle Cloud, the September 2024 Management Accounts have been derived from the PIRC Expenditure Log.

• Grant in Aid draw down is £97k less than budgeted Year to date (YTD), due to vacancies (in the process of being filled) and budget phasing in running costs. 

• Staff costs £223k under spent YTD due to delays in filling posts along with vacancies arising within the year. NB – these are non-recurring savings.

• Running costs are £5k over spent YTD, due to legal costs associated with the Public Inquiry and Scott v PIRC Civil Case, offset by underspends caused by budget phasing.

• LD provided a detailed breakdown of “other” running costs YTD
  
  Members noted the updates provided.

Any other business

Nil of note.