Approved Minute

1.1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 
Tom Halpin welcomed everyone to the meeting which was being held on Webex.  

Paul Edie will join the meeting late due to a conflicting commitment and his apologies are noted for the first part of today’s meeting.

No other Member apologies have been received.

The Chair recorded his thanks for the contributions of the previous Director or HR, Katy Miller who had recently left Police Scotland.  The Chair stated that Katy provided this committee with sound advice and was instrumental in the evolution of improved reporting to this committee.  The constructive way in which Katy engaged with this committee will be her legacy and we are grateful for her work.  On behalf of the committee, the Chair wish Katy well in her future endeavours.

Colleagues from Trades Unions, Staff Associations and HMICS were welcomed and the Chair reminded attendees that, after each paper had been presented, Authority Members would be able to ask questions and thereafter Staff Associations and Trade Union colleagues would be invited to provide any perspectives they feel would be helpful to the discussion.  Comments and observations were provided following Members consideration of each item.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND CONNECTIONS
There were no other declarations of interest or connections.

DECISIONS TAKEN SINCE LAST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

No business to note.

MINUTE OF THE PEOPLE COMMITTEE 4 DECEMBER 2025
Members approved the draft minute from the People Committee held on 4 December 2025 as an accurate record of the meeting.

ROLLING ACTION LOG AND MATTERS ARISING 
Members noted the action log and the updated provided.  The Chair invited Forensic Services Chief Operating officer, Vicki Morton to confirm she is appropriately involved in this work referenced in the Police Scotland update against action PC-20251204-002.  Vicki Morton confirmed she is involved and supported the closure of the action.  She will keep the committee appraised of progress and any issues should they arise.

The updates were noted and actions proposed for closure agreed.  

DECISION ON TAKING BUSINESS IN PRIVATE (ITEM 6 -8)
In accordance with paragraph 20 of the SPA Standing Orders, the Committee agreed to consider item 6 – 8 on the agenda in private and these items would be Member only discussions.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS NEXT STEPS - LESLEY WEBBER
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to provide an update on the organisational qualitative survey results.  The report set out the post-survey action planning approach which includes the framework for enabling activity responding to the 2025 Your Voice Matters Workforce Survey results.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• The significant levels of activity were recognised by the Committee and Members sought assurance that the various strands of activity was being co-ordinated manner so that all the work is effective and efficient, streamlined and takes account on whole org whilst demonstrably contributing to the delivery of the Chief Constable’s 2030 Vision.  The Committee is keen to understand how Police Scotland will use the results of the survey along with performance measures to make sure the improvements are made.
• The Head of Strategy, Insight and Engagement explained that the coordination will be done thought the Business Plan and her team work closely with Strategic Leads and HR colleagues to ensure there is clear alignment and make sure there is no duplication.
• Work is being done to make this approach visible to leadership teams so that leaders both nationally and locally can consider it and reflect accordingly in their planning.
• The ACC Operational Support confirmed that Operational Support Division is taking forward the data from the survey in planning to make sure Police Scotland has an engaged workforce who will strive to support the delivery of objectives.  Members agreed it would be helpful for the Committee to get an update on the impact of the Divisional or Local action taken following the 2025 YVM results and for this to be shared with the committee prior to the next YVM survey being issued.
• An assurance was sought and received that Staff Associations and TU views are considered in the planning process.
• Clarity was sought on whether any feedback was available following the February launch of comms to highlight the Chief Officer Team commitments and areas of focus (estates, equipping people and workforce pressures).  It was explained that the communications have been well received and there have been positive conversations with leaders across the org about what their survey results look like and people have welcomed the opportunity to consider a digestible summary about where local leaders may want to focus activity with local nuances reflected.
• The Chief Officer, Human Resources commented that exit interview patterns demonstrate that the YVM is very reflective.  The issue of resource comes though strongly as an area of concern and there is recognition within Police Scotland this is a key factor.  There is a very close corelation between what the workforce are telling us and what the YVM Survey told us.
• In response to a question about free text analysis and the rich data that can be taken from such a source, it was confirmed that insight packs are available and  this provides disaggregated data/looks at protected groups/supports the work to understand the experience of our workforce across the various groups.  Police Scotland is looking to understand where there may be opportunities to have further conversations and better understand where is identified as necessary.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

Action PC-20260225-001:  updates on impact of the division/local action taken following YVM results to be shared with the committee prior to the next YVM survey being issued.

WORFORCE VOICE REPORT  - NICKY PAGE
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to update the Committee as to the Employee Voice mechanisms Police Scotland have in place.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• A brief overview of the report was provided.
• Members wish to consider evidence of impact and to understand how Police Scotland is evaluating what is working and what is taking up resources that could be directed elsewhere.  The importance of understanding the workforce voice is recognised by the Committee and Members requested future iterations of this report provide an understanding of the impacts and benefits from the activity.  Committee focus will be on understanding what is working well and what may be taking up resources that could be directed elsewhere.  It was explained that cultural dashboard is centre to that work.
• An area of interest for the committee that was not included in the report is the Sexism & Tackling Misogyny action plan and an assessment of impact and so it was agreed this would be captured in future reports.
• The lack of data on tackling Sexism and Misogyny was noted and it was requested that future reports to include this.
• Members heard that Trade Union and Staff Association colleagues are embedded in the Your Voice Matters work.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

Action PC-20260225-002:  Future reports to include Details of Sexism & Tackling Misogyny Work and an assessment of impacts.

Q3 WORKFORCE STRATEGIC DASHBOARD – NICKY PAGE
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to provide an update on the Police Scotland workforce as at Q3 of financial year 2025/26.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered a brief overview of the report highlights.
• The committee discussed the Q2 Strategic Dashboard at length.  Underlying trends in relation to increased grievances, leavers and Modified Duties were explored.
• The Committee was assured that robust processes are in place to ensure consistency and fairness when considering matters with appropriate help available to support anyone in a process.
• Partnership working with clinicians and the involvement of Staff Associations means that there is a good understanding of policing when considering duty modifications and ensures consistency and fairness to decisions being made.  Members sought assurance that given the increase in trend in this area, Police Scotland is supporting individuals who find themselves in the process and asked if resources are being focused in the right areas to maximise the use but also to help ensure people are supported to sustain employment in the roles they were appointed.  The Chief Officer, Human Resources confirmed that she was confident Police Scotland supports those impacted by modified duties well and robust processes are in place to ensure this is the case.
• The Committee heard that Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (PECSS) training has meant that the workforce has become more aware of acceptable standards and this has meant that more things have been reported which have required actions to be taken.  While this is a positive outcome it will account for some of the increase being reported.
• In response to a question about how exist interviews are being used to understand and learn why probationers are leaving the organisation, it was explained that the data shows a variety of reasons but nothing of current concern for the Head of Resourcing.  Police Scotland continue to engage with probationers to explore where any improvements can be made and there is a focus on early interventions through prevent and mitigate work.
• The Committee is keen to consider evidence of how Police Scotland is using all the individual data to inform strategic decisions and inform key pieces of work such as Strategic Workforce Planning.  Members heard that a Governance Group is being established to ensure that this is the case and conversations are taking place to ensure all the elements of this work are considered in the organisational resource planning and what that means for the communities of Scotland.
• The ACC Operational Support provided an overview of how strategic planning works operationally and the improvements that are being seen across the organisation in terms of having more flexibility for allocating resources.
Members noted the report.

HEALTH, SAFETY & WELLBEING REPORT - DAWN MACLEAN/DAMIAN SHANNON
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to demonstrate the criticality of health, safety, and wellbeing to the delivery of Strategic Outcomes.  The report outlines progress made in relation to relevant strategic commitments and assesses the impact in improving performance, mitigating strategic risks, and delivering recommendations from audits/inspections.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered a brief overview of the report highlights.
• The Committee commend the good progress made against the Health & Safety Strategic Plan.  Members sought and received assurances that work will continue to ensure all objectives are met.  A small number are likely to be carried over to the next plan.  Given the legal responsivities, financial implication, Members stated the importance of maintaining momentum in this important area.
• The committee request that a closure report be provided alongside the new strategy so that an assessment of what has been delivered and the impacts of activity can be made.
• Members asked if there were any issues or concerns regarding the 3 objectives which had not been achieved and were told by the Health & Safety Manager there were no major areas of concern and these delayed areas have taken longer than anticipated based on the supply chain/procurement.
• Performance in respect of IHR was discussed and the external dependencies/challenges were recognised.  Members were advised that there have been improvements and efficiencies made across the process and engagement with external providers can cause delays but the relationships are managed and focus remains on driving improvement.  It was confirmed that this is an area Police Scotland is seeing increased demand and this is impacting the timescales.
• Members explored the provision of support for those experi4encing PTSD and discussion focused on allocation of resource.  It was explained that Police Scotland has a resilience assessment available for higher risk roles and the assessment of high-risk roles is dynamic to ensure relevant changes are captured.  
• The Committee expect analysis of trends to be a feature of future reporting as this is of importance to the oversight work of the Authority. 

Members noted the report and agreed the following action. 

Action PC-20260225-003:  Closure report on current plan to be considered by the committee.  Report to include an assessment of what has been delivered, any explanation of any elements that will carry over to the new plan and an evaluation of impact from the activity.

ANNUAL TALENT REPORT – EITHNE GRAHAM
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to provide a comprehensive baseline position on performance management and talent management within Police Scotland, recognising that this is the first report presented on this thematic area. It therefore includes contextual background, current arrangements, recent learning and planned development activity to support informed scrutiny.

Future updates to the committee will be aligned to the structure and style of other thematic workforce and people papers, focusing on progress against agreed milestones, delivery of planned activity, emerging risks and dependencies, and evidence of impact. This approach will enable consistent assurance over time, reduce repetition of background material, and support members in tracking the maturity and effectiveness of performance and talent management arrangements as they evolve.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered a brief overview of the report highlights.
• The phased redesign of MyCareer was discussed by the committee and links to workforce planning were explored.  Members were updated on the effort being made to ensure previous challenges with MyCareer were addressed through this work.
• It was agreed that the areas to be included in the in the pilot of the new approach would be confirmed by correspondence.
• Members heard about the work to support those who are seeking to navigate their way through the career progression opportunities and the committee is keen to consider evidence of the effort that has been made to simplify the progression/leadership pathway so that it is more user friendly for those seeking to understand the pathways available to them.
• The significant amount of work in this area is recognised by the committee and given the critical importance of ensuring talent is developed, a progress update will be provided in August.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

Action PC-20260225-004:  Extra report to be scheduled to provide a mid-year update to keep the Committee appraised of progress with this work.

Action PC-20260225-005: Follow up requested by correspondence to confirm which areas will be included in the pilot.

ANNUAL PAY AND & REWARD REPORT – NICKY PAGE
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to provide details in respect of the key strategic deliverables under Pay and Reward.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered an overview of the report highlights which was a new report and therefore feedback was encouraged.
• Gender pay gap reporting was discussed and it was requested that opportunities to provide the committee with earlier sight of the data be explored.  The committee would like to understand where changes are taking place.
• Members also requested future reports on gender pay gap include actions taken to address gender pay gap and other protected characteristics.
• The establishment of an Overtime Group was welcomed given this has been identified as an important issue.  Members asked for a briefing on the work of this group.
• The work to mitigate risk in respect of Equal Pay was discussed and Members were provided with assurance that this is a focus of Police Scotland.  Members recognise the dynamic nature of this work and commended the commitment of Police Scotland and note the plans to evaluate the approaches taken, iteratively improve the system and address challenges.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

Action PC-20260225-006:  Future reporting on Gender Pay Gap to the committee to include actions taken to address gender and other protected characteristics pay gaps.  Opportunities to provide the committee with earlier sight of the data to be explored.

PC-20260225- 007:  Overview of the work being carried out by the Overtime Group to be provided.

STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLAN (SWP) VERBAL UPDATE – EITHNE GRAHAM
Members considered the following verbal update from which the following points were noted. 

• The organisational design and capacity creation paper that was due for discussion at this committee was withdrawn by Police Scotland because of additional work being required prior to the next iteration of the SWP.  There are ongoing discussions and planning to establish a Strategic Workforce and Oversight Authority with a proposed Terms of Reference currently with the Executive Team for consideration.
• Strong links exist between that group and Organisational Design (OD) with outcomes establishing a solid foundation and baseline position to consider what beneficial steps are necessary prior to commencing the next iteration of the Strategic Workforce Plan; particularly following the publication of the Three-Year Business Plan. 
• The SWP team within OD have commenced trend analysis and engaging with Divisions and Directorates to gather information and insight on the future workforce.  This commences tangible efforts into how we create a coherent, connected and comprehensive understanding of the growing and reducing threats risks and harm facing Policing and the workforce over the coming years.  Central to this, and the primary focus of OD in this space is building the overall picture of capability and skills of today’s workforce and the future skills needed for resilience and agility, and a long-term roadmap to deliver this. Colleagues in LTD are leading a training needs analysis and there is close collaboration between the teams to fully combine this into SWP work. 
• A full paper will be brought to a future committee.
• Members noted the ongoing work and agree this is of particular significance and importance to this committee given the findings of the recent HMICS Best Value Report.  The committee is keen to consider a plan that is a living document and which will be updated over time.  The document should be cognisant of the longer-term financial planning work and Members expect to be appropriately sighted as the next iteration of the plan evolves.
• In response to a question about whether the planning work had identified and any areas where the next significant resource challenge could arise e.g. where a change in legislation will impact significantly on delivery it was explained that there is a robust process with PS and SG to ensure early engagement so that implications of legislative changes are understood early in the process.
• Members recognise the building blocks in place to develop the strategic workforce planning and encouraged Police Scotland not to get caught in the detail as this could take a long time.  The plan needs to be built on the business analysis of where Police Scotland is going in the future but also the longer-term financial plans.  The Committee view is that given the dependencies, the SWP should be a living document that will be updated over time.
• Members sought and received assurance that the Authority was embedded in the work.

Members noted the report.

POLICE DRIVER TRAINING PROGRESS REPORT - CH SUPT LOUISE HARVIE
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to update the SPA People Committee on the status, ongoing development and future direction of Police Scotland’s driver training programme.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• The committee welcomed assurance that gaps in Police Scotland’s understanding of specific aspects of the regulations have now been clarified and action taken to achieve compliance.  
• The addition of full time, permanent resources has increased the spaces available on both Advance Driver Course(ADC) and Tactical Phase of the Pursuit Course (TPP) addressing demand in these specialist areas.  With robust strategic oversight and ongoing review, the programme is responsive to evolving operational demands and legislative requirements. This ensures that key stakeholders remain focused on continuous improvement, driving forward effective solutions to address current and future training challenges.  
• Police Scotland emphasised it is committed to maintain public confidence, prioritising communities’ safety, and delivering an agile, resilient service cross Scotland.  Police Driver Training Oversight will now be mainstreamed into bi-annual Learning & Development reporting.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

PC-20260225- 008:  Police Driver Training oversight updates to be mainstreamed into bi-annual L&D reporting.

COMMITTEE EFFECTIVENESS 
Members considered the paper that had been submitted to summaries findings of a recent survey conducted with Members and stakeholders, seeking their feedback on the overall effectiveness of the People Committee. The report seeks to inform both the overall evaluation of the committee’s effectiveness during 2025/26 and the subsequent assurance report to the Audit Risk and Assurance Committee in May 2026.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

The paper provides an overview of examples that seek to inform both the overall evaluation of the committee’s effectiveness during 2025/26 and the subsequent assurance report to the Audit Risk and Assurance Committee in May 2026.

Members noted the report and agreed the committee had discharged its Terms of Reference for the year to date.

COMMITTEE WORKPLAN

Members noted the workplan.

The following items were taken in private.
End.