Minutes of the CPS Board Meeting on 21 September 2005
Present:
Ken Macdonald (Chair)
Richard Foster
Neil Franklin
Philip Geering
John Graham
Claire Hamon
Peter Lewis
Angela O'Connor
Portia Ragnauth
Deborah King
Judith Hunt
Philip Oliver
Anjali Arya
Jim England
Dru Sharpling
Mark Burch for item Item 7
Pam Teare for Item 8
Secretariat:
Gary Cox
Nicol Harlow
Apologies
Moira Wallace
Seamus Taylor
Item 1: Previous minutes and actions arising
1. The note of the last Board meeting held on 20 July 2005 was agreed.
Item 2: Director's Update
Police reform
2. The Director reported on the Government's proposals and consultation to restructure and rationalise the existing 43 police forces. A small project team is being established to co-ordinate CPS views on the police restructuring, consider the implications of emerging police reform proposals for CPS and develop a consequential implementation plan.
Counsel Fees
3. The Director has had a preliminary meeting with Lord Carter of Coles, who is conducting a fundamental review of Legal Aid.
Item 3: The CPS Information Systems Strategy
4. The Board considered the emerging IS/IT strategy which sets out how technology will support CPS business strategy to 2008. The strategy has been developed through extensive consultation with CPS people and external stakeholders.
5. A key issue for the strategy is to develop a resilient infrastructure that can support more flexible and dispersed working arrangements. The network now has to support CPS staff working in 800 differing locations, including at home and in police stations. The Board noted that the strategy would come to the next meeting in November for approval.
Item 4: Delivering the CPS Efficiency Plan
6. The Board noted progress in delivering efficiencies of 20 million, 27 million and 34 million for the three years from 2005 to 2008 as required from the 2004 Spending Review. The CPS has produced a detailed plan to show how the efficiencies are to be achieved, including through charging, COMPASS, improved procurement and Service Centre reform. Delivery of the efficiencies is being overseen by the Finance Committee.
7. The Board noted that the next Spending Review (SR) had been deferred for 12 months to 2007. This will be a comprehensive spending review, which will look again at baseline funding levels and which will set budgets for the three years 2008-2011.
Item 5: Stocktake of Victim & Witness Services
8. The Board noted the range of initiatives underway, being piloted or being considered in support of victims and witness care. These initiatives are changing the way the CPS provides support and information to victims and witnesses.
9. The Board agreed that the Policy, Strategy and Diversity Committee should produce a coherent strategic framework of the range of CPS commitments to victims and witnesses, to manage their impact, demands and requirements on the CPS and to equip prosecutors and caseworkers with the skills and experience are equipped to provide these services as effectively as possible.
Item 6: Legal Trainee Scheme: Graduate Recruitment
10. The Board considered and endorsed proposals to extend the legal trainees scheme to Law Graduates. The Board recognised that the CPS was the major legal employer in England and Wales, had an ambition to be an employer of choice and agreed the Service should extend the existing legal trainee scheme to law graduates.
11. The Board invited the People and Equality Committee to develop more detailed proposals for the placement and supervision of trainees and for the Finance Committee to consider funding issues in time to advertise the scheme to attract law graduates from 2005 and 2006.
Item 7: Performance Management and Reward Strategy
12. The Board considered proposals for a new performance management and reward strategy and endorsed a work programme for grading and job design; reward; performance management; and employee relations.
13. The Board recognised this work will provide a new and more flexible job structure for the Service, a new job evaluation process, new job descriptions and performance appraisal arrangements, a new pay structure, an enhanced recognition scheme and a performance management toolkit to help managers deal with performance issues. The Board invited the People and equality Committee to report on progress at the next Board meeting.
14. The Board recognised that there would be considerable consultation across the Service in developing proposals, including discussion at the next Senior Mangers' Conference, so that an agreed strategy would fully support delivery of the Service's business strategy and ambition to become a world-class prosecuting authority.
Item 8: CPS Communications Strategy
15. The Board considered a CPS Communications Strategy which sought to raise the Service's public profile, to engage staff on the vision for the Service and the impact those changes will have on them and their jobs, and to celebrate and promote positive performance.
16. The Board welcomed the work on the strategy and invited the Delivery and Change Committee to oversee production an action plan to support it and to report back on progress every six months.
Item 9: Autumn Senior Managers Conference
17. The Board agreed the agenda for the forthcoming Senior Managers Conference.
Item 10: Draft Agenda for next Board Meeting
18. The Board agreed the agenda for the next meeting on 16th November 2005.
Item 11: Any Other Business
COMPASS Gateway Review
19. The Board noted that the Office of Government Commerce had completed a rigorous Gateway assessment of delivery of benefits from the COMPASS IT infrastructure and case management system. The result was very positive and the Board passed on its appreciation and congratulations to all those involved.
Strategy Planning & Change Division
October 2005
