Committees
A meeting of the Northern Joint Police Board will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, on Friday, 27 November 2009 at 10.00 am.
You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Clerk to the Board
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Scottish Policing Awards
There is circulated Report No. pol-49-09 dated 13 November 2009 by the Chief Constable on Northern Constabulary successes in the recent Scottish Policing Awards.
3. Presentation – Public Protection
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Mackay will make a presentation to the Board on Public Protection issues.
4. Minutes – Previous Meeting
There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Board Meeting of 28 August 2009.
5. Minutes – Audit Working Group
There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Meetings of the Audit Working Group of 28 August and 30 October 2009, together with, for information, Report No. aud-10-09 dated October 2009 by the Senior Audit Manager for Audit Scotland, comprising her finalised Report to Members and Controller of Audit summarising Audit Scotland’s findings from their 2008/09 audit of the Northern Joint Police Board, the draft Report having previously been considered by the Working Group at its meeting on 30 October.
6. Minutes – Complaints Working Group
There are circulated for confirmation Minutes of Meeting of the Complaints Working Group of 30 October 2009.
7. Revenue Budget Monitoring Statement 2009/10
There is circulated Report No. pol-50-09 dated 7 November 2009 by the Chief Constable comprising a statement and commentary on Revenue Expenditure and Income for the period 1 August to 31 October 2009.
8. Revenue Budget 2010/11
Minutes - Finance and Policy Working Group
There are circulated Minutes of Meeting of the Finance and Policy Working Group held on 16 November 2009, together with (a) Report No. FandP-03-09 dated 13 November 2009 by the Chief Constable updating Members on progress with the 2010/11 revenue budget and (b) Report No FandP-04-09 dated 13 November 2009 by the Chief Constable providing the Working Group with details of the steps to be taken to balance the revenue budget for 2010/2011 through an Efficiency Scrutiny Plan for 2010/11, both reports having previously been considered by the Working Group at its 16 November meeting.
The Board is invited to note the progress currently being made with regard to the building of the 2010/11 budget, with a view to final approval at the Board’s January 2010 meeting, and the proposed Efficiency Scrutiny Plan for 2010/11.
9. Voluntary Severance
There is circulated Report No. pol-51-09 dated 17 November 2009 by the Chief Constable seeking Board approval of a scheme to implement voluntary severance for Police Support Staff, to assist in achieving Efficiency Savings.
The Board is invited to approve the need for Voluntary Severance and devolve responsibility for implementation to the Chief Constable.
10. Best Value Review of Shared Services and Collaborative
Working (PP.60-61)
There is circulated Report No. pol-52-09 dated 17 November 2009 by the Chief Constable advising Members of his intention, following the recent budget discussions with the Constituent Authorities, to commence a Best Value review of Shared Services and Collaborative Working. The report invites the Board to be represented on the Force’s Best Value Review Programme Board and suggests that a Member be appointed from each constituent authority.
11. Capital Expenditure Monitoring Statement 2009/10
There is circulated Report No. pol-53-09 dated 6 November 2009 by the Chief Constable comprising a statement and commentary on Capital Expenditure for the period 1 August to 31 October 2009.
12. Procurement Report
There is circulated Report No. pol-54-09 dated 7 November 2009 by the Chief Constable on recent procurement activity.
13. National Command and Control System
At its meeting held on 28 August 2009, the Board noted the then position on procurement of a National Command and Control System and agreed to support the Chief Constable in seeking to ensure that this Board was not left with any outstanding contractual penalties in relation to its current contractual arrangements.
There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-55-09 dated 3 November 2009 by the Chief Constable updating the Board on the current position on procurement of a National Command and Control System.
14. Estate Management Report
There is circulated Report No. pol-56-09 dated 7 November 2009 by the Chief Constable providing an overview of the Capital and Management Projects Programme and updating Members on the development of a Draft Sustainable Construction Statement.
15. Best Value
There is circulated Report No. pol-57-09 dated 19 November 2009 by the Clerk updating the Board on progress in respect of the recent Best Value inspection of the Northern Joint Police Board, with particular reference to actions agreed by the Board in the Self-Assessment Action Plan agreed by the Board at its August meeting, specifically in relation to Members’ training and development and the consideration of dedicated support for the Board.
The Board is asked:
i. to note the progress of the Best Value Inspection;
ii. to note the intention to conduct a Training Needs Analysis; and
iii. to agree the appointment of a Development Officer for the Board for an
initial period of 12 months, as detailed in paragraphs 10-12 of the report.
16. Single Outcome Agreements
There is circulated Report No. pol-58-09 dated 13 November 2009 by the Chief Constable informing the Board of Northern Constabulary progress on implementing its Single Outcome Agreement undertakings in relation to all four constituent Local Authorities.
17. Chief Constable’s Crime Situation Report
There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-59-09 dated 9 November 2009 by the Chief Constable informing Members of notable crimes, incidents, initiatives and convictions since the Board’s last meeting and covering the following issues:-
i. Crime and Road Accident Statistics (circulated in a separate booklet);
ii. Crime Situation
18. The Policing Pledge
There is circulated Report No. pol-60-09 dated 12 November 2009 by the Chief Constable setting out Northern Constabulary’s Policing Pledge.
19. Service Point Strategy
There is circulated for noting Report No. pol-61-09 dated 12 November 2009 by the Chief Constable updating Members on the development of the Force Service Point Strategy.
20. Equalities
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005, which came into effect in 2006, requires public bodies subject to the Disability Equality Duty to publish an annual report on progress towards meeting the Disability Equality Duty and to review their Disability Equality Schemes after 3 years. The review obligation can be met by early adoption of a Single Equality Scheme, covering all the statutory equalities strands, which will in any case become a requirement under the pending Single Equality Act.
There is circulated for noting Report No pol-62-09 dated 11 November 2009 by the Chief Constable setting out, as circulated separately in Booklet A, Northern Constabulary's Single Equality Scheme 2009-2012 and Disability Scheme Annual Report 2009.
As work on the Board’s Single Equality Scheme 2009-2012 and Disability Equality Scheme Annual Report 2009 has not yet been completed, Members are asked to delegate powers to the Clerk to finalise and publish these by the due date of 4 December 2009, in consultation with those Members appointed to sit on the Force’s Diversity Progress Group.
21. Review of Discretionary Policies under the Local Government
Pension Scheme
There is circulated Report No pol-63-09 dated 2 November 2009 by the Treasurer on changes in the Highland Council Pension Fund’s policy on Pension Transfers under the discretions contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Pension Scheme 2008.
The Board is asked:
i. to note that the Highland Council Pension Fund will no longer accept
“transfers in” from Personal Pension schemes, other than in exceptional
circumstances; and
ii. to agree in relation to its employees to restrict the period for accepting
the initiation of a “transfer in” from Other Occupational Pension Schemes
to 12 months from entry to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
22. Corporate Governance
i. Scheme of Delegation
The Board has an obligation to review its Scheme of Delegation on a regular basis.
There is circulated for approval Report No. pol-64-09 dated 2 November 2009 by the Clerk recommending updates to the Scheme of Delegation, with the revised wording highlighted.
ii. Standing Orders for the Conduct of Meetings
The Board has an obligation to review its Standing Orders for the Conduct of Meetings on a regular basis.
There is circulated for approval Report No pol-65-09 dated 2 November 2009 by the Clerk recommending a number of amendments to Standing Orders, with the revised wording highlighted.
23. Letters of Appreciation
There will be tabled for noting 62 letters of appreciation received by the Chief Constable for the period from 1 July to 30 September 2009. There is also circulated Report No. pol-66-09 dated 5 November 2009 by the Chief Constable illustrating letters of appreciation.
24. Complaints against the Police
There is circulated Report No. pol-67-09 dated 5 November 2009 by the Chief Constable regarding complaints against Police Officers from 1 July to 30 September 2009.
It is recommended that the Complaints Book specifying complaints against Northern Constabulary, which will be available for inspection by members prior to the meeting, be declared exempt by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
25. Media Coverage
A press cuttings book will be tabled and available for inspection by Members prior to the meeting.
26. Schedule of Meetings
There is circulated for approval Report No. pol-68-09 dated 4 November 2009 by the Clerk recommending a schedule of meetings for 2010.
27. Exclusion of the Public
The Board is asked to resolve that, under Section 50(A)4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act, the relevant paragraph being shown.
28. Police Housing
Paragraphs 1 & 12
There is circulated to Members only Report No. POL69/09 dated 17 November 2009 by the Clerk concerning recent developments in relation to housing.