Summary Report from People Committee

MAIN ITEMS OF BUSINESS

Q3 Wellbeing Report

Q3 Health and Safety Report

Q3 Workforce report 2022/23 and Workforce MI development and improvement plan

Ill-Health Retirement and Injury on Duty review update

External Review - Employment Tribunal Judgment update

HMICS Improvement Plan on Strategic Workforce Planning and Strategic Workforce Planning Development Plan – next steps

People Strategy Development Plan

Update of P&D activity against strategic plans

Bi Annual Leadership & Talent update

Long Term Psychological Absence Review

Senior Officer Development

Workforce Strategic Assessment

Officer and Staff Pay Considerations

KEY ISSUES RAISED

A common theme across discussions on a number of matters and reports was Members’ requests for improved insights, improved analysis and reporting of the evaluation of impact from activity.  This enhanced reporting will give provide the People Committee with assurances in respect of steps being taken to support well-being of officers and staff and steps to ensure robust Health and Safety management are effective and that approaches are being changed/flexed if desired impact is not being seen.  The Committee considered an overview of the work which is underway to development and improvement the Workforce Data.

Throughout the meeting, contributions and insights from Staff Associations and Trades Unions colleagues provided helpful additional context for many of the matters discussed.

Ill Health Retirement and Injury on Duty review update

In what was introduced as a very important matter for the organisation, the Committee discussed the report at length which provided details of the effort to ensure as swift a process as possible and Members welcomed comments from the Scottish Police Federation that the steps taken have improved the process for their members.

Future reporting to Committee will provide projections in respect of case numbers to give oversight that the arrangements continue to achieve desired outcomes and assurance that the optimal arrangements are in place for those involved. Reporting will also include analysis of feedback from those who have been through the process.

Health & Safety

The Committee considered an update which confirmed the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were content with the Legionella mitigation activity done the Scottish Police College and a return visit was scheduled for later this year to review the implementation of enhanced Legionella risk management across the police estate.

People Strategy and Strategic Workforce Planning

The Committee heard work continues to develop the People Strategy and this would be a priority area of activity for the Director of People and Development who intimated the intention to engage with external Stakeholders.

Work continues on the Strategic Workforce Plan refresh which will address all the HMICS recommendations made in their inspection report. The Committee heard that the intention was to deliver the People Strategy and updated Strategic Workforce Plan together given the significant interdependencies and linkage.

Leadership

Members considered an update from DCC Taylor on Police Scotland and SPA involvement in the work of the UK College of Policing to develop a New Police Leadership Programme which will replace the Senior Police National Assessment Centre (SPNAC) and the Strategic Command Course (SCC). Recognising the role the Authority has in appointing Senior Officers, the Committee sought and received assurance both Police Scotland and the SPA were appropriately involved and able to influence this development activity.  In the update given, the DCC highlighting her growing confidence that the end product would support the specific requirements of policing in Scotland.

Officer and Staff Pay Considerations

Members considered a summary of the extensive work being done to develop a pay offer for officers and staff which is both fair and affordable.

Deep Dive Workshop Sessions

A number of areas of work have been agreed by Members and Police Scotland colleagues as suitable for more detailed consideration. These include but are not limited to; 

Workshop on Long Term Psychological Absence, insights and actions from the data; Workshop on Modified Duties to explore the processes in place to robustly manage this and; workshop to understand the steps being taken to robustly manage Re Rostered Rest Days and ensure levels are returned to and maintained at acceptable levels

CONCLUSIONS/ACTIONS REACHED

Future reporting this Committee to provide members with improved insights and improved analysis and reporting of the evaluation of impact from activity.

Ill Health Retirement and Injury on Duty report to be a standing item at future meetings. Future reporting to provided oversight of progress made towards improving the overall processes and projections for case numbers.

Briefing to be provided to Members which gives an understanding of the end to end IHR process for both Officers and Staff.