Minutes of the CPS Board meeting on 18 November 2009
Present
Keir Starmer (Chair)
Peter Lewis
Mike Kennedy
Paul Staff
Rob Sykes
Doreen Langston (left after Item 3)
Apologies
Gerard Lemos
Guests
Richard Hughes
Mark Sunderland
Ros McCool
David Green
Secretariat
Veena King
Tamara Moore
Saif Rahman
Item 1: Note of last meeting and actions arising
The Board agreed the note of the last meeting held on 18 September 2009 and the update on actions arising from previous meetings.
Item 2: Director's update
The Director gave an update to the Board on:
Assisted Suicide
Hundreds of responses have so far been received. The public consultation period closes on 16 December.
Charging
Work on the new national 24/7 Charging model, delivery measures and standards, charging guidance and improved ICT has taken place over the last eight weeks, and is progressing well.
Core Quality Standards
These have been developed since September's Board and will be issued for staff consultation on 23 November, with public consultation a week later.
Senior recruitment
Alison Saunders and Christopher Long have recently been appointed CCPs for London and Cumbria respectively.
Out of Court Disposals
Discussions have been had with MoJ and Home Office to develop a coordinated approach to out of court disposals.
The Code
The public consultation on the revised Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code) has begun and will close on 11 January.
Annual Lecture
The second Annual Lecture received much coverage in the media.
Autumn Planning Event
A successful Autumn Planning Event was held earlier in the week the outputs of which will come to the Board at its December meeting.
Item 3: Capability Review Implementation
Peter Lewis introduced the work done by Richard Hughes on implementation of the Capability Review. The Board agreed the following:
- creation of a new Strategy and Policy Directorate and of a streamlined Operations Directorate
- no change to its current composition
- the retention of a visible and strong E&D head supported by a streamlined EDU
- the pursuit of improved ways of working in areas such as change and performance management, in support of the structural changes
- the direction of travel on governance arrangements
- the move from 15 to 13 Groups in the short term.
Item 4: CQS Engagement Strategy (taken out of sequence)
Ros McCool presented a paper that developed the high level Core Quality strategy approved by the Board in September. The Board agreed the proposals in the paper and the appointment of an overarching PPS project and programme lead by December's Board meeting
Item 5: Financial Management
Paul Staff presented the latest forecast for the year based on expenditure to end October 2009.
Item 6: Delivery Assurance Report
Paul Staff presented the update on Q2 performance. The Board consider the changes to the Delivery Assurance Report for 2009/10, exceptions and wider assurance issues and endorsed the recommendations.
Item 7: Futures
Mark Sunderland presented a strategic update covering public service approaches driven by local demands and local accountability; and the development of CJS/CPS policy paper.
Item 8: Strategic Stakeholder Management (below the line)
The Board noted the papers submitted by the Strategic Stakeholder Management Project (SSMP), fully endorsed the Stakeholder Management Knowledge Centre (SMKC) and asked for its development, testing, training and implementation across the organisation.
Item 9: AOB
There was no AOB.
Next meeting: Wednesday 17 February, at Ludgate Hill
