CPS Board meeting minutes - March 2021
Tuesday 30 March 2021, 12:30-16:00
Microsoft Teams Meeting
Members
Monica Burch (C), Max Hill QC, Rebecca Lawrence, Simon Jeffreys, Caroline Wayman, Mark Hammond
Guests
Ann Meatyard (Item 3), Yin Jones (Items 3, 4, 5), Helen Starkey (Item 5), Anita Misra (Item 4), Susan Hemming (Item 6), Sandra McKay (Item 6), Baljit Ubhey (Item 6), Marie Southgate (Item 6), Siobhan Blake (Item 6), Nicola Haywood (Item 6), Gregor McGill (Item 6)
Secretariat
Board Secretariat, Head of Private Office
Item 1: Minutes of the Last Meeting and Matters Arising
1. The Board reviewed and agreed the minutes of the last meeting.
1.1 Progress was noted against outstanding actions, for detail see updated Action Log.
Item 2: Update from the DPP
2 The DPP provided an update on the following:
a. Backlog
b. Economic Crime Strategy
c. Changing Nature of Crime
d. Advocacy Strategy
e. Spending Review
f. Whitehall engagement on court recovery and RASSO
2.1 The Board welcomed Yin Jones, Strategy Advisor and reverse mentor to the Lead Non-Executive Board Member, to the meeting as an observer.
Item 3: Common Platform Stocktake Interim Update
3.1 The Chief Executive (CE) provided an update on the following:
a. Programme delivery
b. Outline of the CPS position
c. April 2021 Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) Risk Review
3.2 The Board discussed the timing for required CPS decisions.
Item 4: Budget Allocations/Financial plan 21-22
4 Anita Misra, Head of Strategic Financial Planning, provided an overview of the proposed Financial Plan, which noted:
a. Increase in caseload has been considered
b. RASSO pilot rollout timing
4.1. The CE stated the Financial Plan should be further considered factoring in in-year options and any increase in Court sitting days and work emerging from cross CJS initiatives.
4.1 The Board discussed:
a. Contingency within existing budget and impact of additional court capacity
b. Investments in People and Equality
c. The Beyond Smarter Working Programme and future travel and subsistence spend
d. That a staged approach would be needed on strategic planning due to the developing understanding of the epidemiology of CV-19
4.2. The Board asked for an indication of direction of travel for the future working model. The Board agreed that a future Board item should be scheduled on ways of managing in year pressures and modelling options for multi-year spend
4.3. The Board supported the Financial Plan and noted the comments.
Item 5: Nominations and Governance Committee Terms of Reference and governance responsibility proposal
5.1. Caroline Wayman, as Chair of the Nominations and Governance Committee, commended the item for the Board’s consideration.
5.2. Helen Starkey, Head of Strategic HR, provided an overview of the item context.
5.3. The Board raised:
a. That reviewing responsibilities of the Non-Executive Board Members should be included in the Terms of Reference (ToR)
b. That the committee’s minutes should be made available to the Board. It was agreed that Secretariat will circulate the minutes to the Board and that the ToR would be updated to reflect.
c. The light touch annual committee appraisal should be led by the CE but overseen by a Non-Executive Board Member
d. Defining the Senior Independent Director (SID) role within governance documentation.
5.4. The Board agreed that the Terms of Reference be adopted, subject to the changes requested
Item 6: RASSO Update
6.1. Sue Hemming, Director of Legal Services, provided an update which included:
a. Joint National Action Plan delivery
b. Progress on early advice MOU and legal guidance
c. Case Progression Group activity
d. Governance update
6.2. The Board noted support for the progress demonstrated.
6.3. The Board asked for and received an update on action being taken where RASSO case issues are flagged.
6.4. The Board asked for and received an update on planning for any cases which may arise from the schools culture issue being reported in media.
6.5. The Board supported the tone taken in the media response to the RASSO JR judgment outcome, and particularly thanked Siobhan Blake for her media engagement work.
6.6. The Board asked for and received an update on how standardisation geographically will be achieved. Sue noted that best practice nationally will be reviewed and adopted.
6.7. Sandra McKay, Director of Communications, provided a wider contextualisation of the JR outcome from a communications perspective.
6.8. The Board expressed thanks to all involved in the work described.
Item 7: AOB
7. The Chair opened a discussion on the below the line paper to re-start the Shadow Board in 2021. The Board supported the proposal as outlined, subject to the following comments:
a. Launch should take place in September 2021
b. Shadow Board attendance at the CPS Board should be widened (rather than having only the Chair attend)
c. All Shadow Board meetings will be virtual as default. The Board advised that the September induction, if possible in light of CV-19, should be in-person.
d. CPS Board member attendance at the induction was encouraged
e. The suggestion of Directors’ deputies being invited to volunteer to present to the Shadow Board, as a development opportunity, was accepted
f. It was agreed that members’ home departments would be asked to cover any reasonable travel expenses, this would be noted in the application materials
g. The Board stated that the intention to have a geographically diverse Shadow Board should be communicated in the recruitment materials
7.1. It was agreed that Secretariat would initiate the planning and activities for a September 2021 launch.
Below the line update paper on delivery of the Economic Crime Strategy:
7.2. The Chair noted the below the line paper on Economic Crime Strategy. The CE commended the strategy to the Board.
7.3. The Board asked whether proceeds of crime was adequately reflected. The CE noted that the strategic drivers behind Proceeds of Crime (POC) were covered by the strategy, and that POC will be considered in the strategy delivery.
7.4. The Board encouraged a high risk appetite to the activities that will cover POC.
Below the line update paper on Corporate Performance:
7.5. The Corporate Performance below the line update was noted.
7.6. The CE advised that as part of the performance and sub-executive group governance review, an integrated presentation for Finance and Areas will be produced to ensure a single version of analysis and insight.
7.7. The Chair noted the upcoming Board member Inclusion and Community Engagement Workshop.
7.8. The Chair advised that the Board members’ reverse mentors were invited to observe future meetings up to and including July 2021.
7.9. The Board requested an update on EU transition. It was agreed that Board members would receive the March 2021 Ministerial Strategic Board EU Transition paper for information, and that a meeting update would be scheduled in 6 months.
Secretariat
March 2021