West Mercia Governance Board
Notes of Meeting
Date: 19th September 2024
Attendance:
John Campion (JPC) Chair Police and Crime Commissioner
Marc Bayliss (MB) Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner
Gareth Boulton (GB) Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Morriss (TM) Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Richard Cooper (RC) T/Chief Constable
Rachel Jones (RJ) T/Deputy Chief Constable
Richard Muirhead (RM) Director of Commercial Services
Rachel Hartland-Lane (RHL) Director of Business Services
Caroline Marsh (CM) T/Assistant Chief Constable, Crime & Vulnerability
Grant Wills (GW), T/Assistant Chief Constable, Local Policing & Operations
Rachael Thorold (RT) Secretary
Apologies:
Paul Benfield (PB) Treasurer
Minutes
Ref/01/19/09/2024
Introduction / Attendance / Apologies. Welcome and apologies were made.
Ref/02/19/09/2024
Minutes and Action Log for the previous meeting
The minutes were recorded as an accurate record.
The action log was updated accordingly.
Ref/03/19/09/2024
Money Matters – For Information The paper was presented discussed, noted and virements noted.
The PCC asked whether the stated expected overtime expenditure is realistically achievable. This was confirmed by the DoCS.
The DPCC questioned the amount of expenditure on redundancy payouts and whether levels had exceeded previous projections and could this be more realistically calculated going forwards. The DoCS stated this was mainly due to pension strain being higher than anticipated, but overall projections had been reliable.
The CEO asked if the overall projections will be more accurately projected in the Q2 reports and whether that provides sufficient time to address any overspend that is projected. This was confirmed by the DoCS in terms of the overall overspend, but the overtime budget is a little more difficult to accurately predict.
Ref/04/19/09/2024
Budgeted Operating Model – Paper – For Information The paper was presented discussed and noted.
The PCC questioned the difference between the officer moves outlined in the Budget implementation report of January 2024 and the lists presented in this report. RHL stated a comparison exercise will be conducted.
Action 77/2024: RHL to conduct a comparison exercise and provide relevant context to the PCC regarding variations in the numbers presented (September 2024 vs January 2024).
The DPCC questioned the difference in the budgeted number of PCSOs between the January 2023 and now presented figures. RHL confirmed the number of PCSOs has not reduced.
The DPCC also questioned the presented reduction in the total number of staff for Intelligence between January 2024 and now. It was explained that a number of shifts have taken place between those points which might provide context and information to explain the differences.
RHL stated the methodology behind the presented numbers can be provided.
Action 78/2024: RHL to provide explanatory note re the variations in budgeted posts from January 2023 to the data presented at WMGB in September 2024.
Town Centre Teams numbers were discussed.
Action 79/2024: GW is to provide an update on the impacts being made by the town centre teams at the December 2024 meeting.
The resourcing of the town centre teams was discussed for clarity relating to the previous conversations held around the variations in numbers presented. Reassurance was sought from the PCC and DPCC in ensuring the resourcing of the town centre teams has not been to the detriment of other services, in particular Safer Neighbourhood teams.
Ref/05/19/09/2024
HMICFRS PEEL Preparedness Update – For Information The paper was presented discussed and noted.
The PCC raised a query regarding why the Herefordshire problem solving hub staffing levels are larger than in Shropshire, whether the figures are accurate and whether the management intervention sufficient.
Action 80/2024: GW to clarify differences in the staffing levels of problem-solving hubs for Herefordshire and Shropshire. This is to be covered off in the weekly PCC/CC one to one meeting.
Ref/06/19/09/2024
Portfolio Updates.
The portfolio reports were presented discussed and noted.
Local Policing and Ops portfolio.
The PCC asked that roads safety and other key issues from his police and crime plan be appropriately represented in the portfolio updates moving forward.
Business Services portfolio.
Op Franklin – The DPCC asked whether external organisations/other forces have been looked at for reference in consideration of a potential future operating model. It was confirmed other forces, and HMICFRS good practice desktop research has been conducted, as well as visits to other forces.
The CEO asked if there was sufficient time to incorporate the different best practice and other levels of information gathering to be fed into Op Franklin to which reassurance was offered by RM and RHL with a requirement to deliver in time for the new financial year.
Crime and Vulnerability portfolio.
Report presented and discussed.
Commercial Services portfolio.
Report was presented and discussed. Reassurance was sought that the work to exit the Citrix contract by March 2025 was on course to be delivered, RM provided assurance of his confidence that would be the case.
Ref/07/19/09/2024
AOB/Forward Plan.
Nothing further raised.
