West Mercia Governance Board
Notes of Meeting
Wednesday 17th August 2022 – 14:00 – 16:30
Willison Room, Hindlip
Attendance
- John Campion (JC) Co-Chair – Police & Crime Commissioner
- Gareth Boulton (GB) – Chief Executive Officer
- Paul Benfield (PB) – Treasurer
- Pippa Mills (PM) Co-Chair – Chief Constable
- Julian Moss (JM) – Deputy Chief Constable
- Richard Muirhead (RM) – Director of Commercial Services
- Rachel Jones (RJ) – ACC Local Policing
- Rachael Thorold (RT) – Notetaker, OPCC
Apologies
- Rachel Hartland-Lane (RHL) – ACO
- Richard Cooper (RC) – ACC C&V
Minutes
Ref 01/17/08/2022
Attendance and apologies as above.
Ref 02/17/08/2022
Minutes and action updates for the meeting held on the 20th July – (for Agreement) (paper).
Decision: The minutes for July were approved.
Action updates: Refer to the spreadsheet for updates.
The following actions were agreed as completed and can be closed.
Reference – 17/2022, 18/2022, 27/2022, 28/2022, 29/2022, 30/2022, 31/2022, 33/2022, 34/2022 .
Ref 03/17/08/2022
Prevention Network hub budget proposal – Decision (Paper).
The paper was circulated and discussed.
– The PCC is unsupportive of the paper; due to his
uncertainty around the value for money and the benefit delivered for the public. The Commissioner was not satisfied that the proposal represented the best possible use of the allocated prevention budget.
– The CC and DCC voiced their disappointment at the decision. The paper presented to the Board captured and represented their operational views on the matter, and a concern was raised that there is currently no “plan B”, in place to deliver against the prevention strategy.
resources around versus gaining additional resource, is
too big a risk to take.
Decision: The proposal was not supported by the PCC.
Ref 04/17/08/2022
Op Uplift briefing paper – for info (Paper)
The paper was circulated and discussed.
– Reassurance was given that interventions are
working and that the force is confident of achieving required targets for 2022/23 in spite of ongoing recruitment challenges.
Ref 05/17/08/2022
Op Cellar briefing paper – for info (Paper)
The paper was circulated and discussed.
– It was recognised that mitigation appeared to be working as no similar outages had been experienced since the previous heatwave.
– It was agreed (as per the recommendation in the paper) that a new project board be established, tasked with delivering required improvements to the data room environments.
– The new Board will be chaired by RHL, with GB acting as co-chair when required.
– Update reports from the project board are to be brought to WMGB on a monthly basis to provide governance.
Action: The new Project board is to be established with monthly summary updates to come to this meeting.
Action: Project board updates to be a standing agenda item going forwards.
Ref 06/17/08/2022
IITCSE recommendations – for info (Paper)
It was recognised that work is being undertaken by the Force and the PCC to ensure an appropriate response to the recommendations contained within the report.
An initial process has been carried out in the Office of the PCC to consider appropriate responses to the recommendations.
A dedicated group within the Force has been established with Terms of Reference being produced. The Force will be in a position to report fully in due course.
Action: This is to be a substantive agenda item for the September 2022 meeting of this board.
Ref 07/17/08/2022
Money Matters Monthly Report – for info (Paper)
The report was circulated, discussed and noted.
Ref 07A/17/08/2022
2022 Pay Award Cost Pressure – for info (Paper)
The paper was discussed and noted.
– Reassurance was sought from the PCC around the force coming in on budget for 2022/23. Reassurance was provided by members of the force.
– The PCC welcomed efforts being made to deliver on budget projections, given in year pressures from inflation and pay awards.
– This level of reporting is required by this Board in
between the quarterly reports going forwards.
Ref 08/17/08/2022
Confidence Strategy Report – for info (Papers)
The report was circulated and discussed.
– The PCC sought reassurance around delivery against this strategy (compared to previous iterations) and how the public had contributed to developing it.
– Reassurance was provided by JM, who pointed out the input from the policing charter and an IAG member.
– The PCC reiterated his desire to see an increase in public confidence.
Ref 09/17/08/2022
Change & Transformation update – for info (Paper)
The paper was circulated and discussed.
Ref 10/17/08/2022
ACC/ACO Update – (Papers) – (for information) and discussion.
C&V Update.
– The PCC stated he becomes the Chair of the LCJB and
Victims Board meetings from the 18th August 2022.
Local Policing Update.
– Open Days; The PCC offered some resource to invest in
equipment to support Open Days.
ACO Update.
Nothing further to report.
Ref 11/17/08/2022
AOB.
Meeting dates for 2023.
PMB asked if these meetings are to be held at the same time in the month they are currently.
The PCC stated he felt the amount of time between agenda setting and issuing of papers was short and asked if this was still sufficient for the Force, to which the response was that it is.
Action: The dates for these meetings are to be discussed between the DCC/CEO.
Transforming Road Safety through Technology.
A DN is being drafted which the CC will be consulted on.
Stylistics for the Papers submitted to this Board.
– The PCC stated that papers are to be badged in
accordance with the organisation(s) submitting them.
Action: RM and PB is to review the badging of the
Money Matters report, which the PCC feels needs to
be a shared one.
ACC/ACO Updates.
– The PCC asked if the ACC/ACO reports could be
Reduced in length for this meeting. This was agreed.
Ref 12/17/08/2022
Date of next meeting.
Thematic area:
Deep Dive:
- Inclusion
- IITCSE Action Plan
