Approved Minute

1.1 WELCOME AND APOLOGIES 
Tom Halpin welcomed everyone to the meeting which was being held using MS Teams.  Newly appointed to the role of committee Chair, Tom Halpin thanked Fiona McQueen for her contribution to the work of the committee in her time as a member and Chair.
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.

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

1.3 MINUTE OF THE PEOPLE COMMITTEE 27 NOVEMBER 2024
Members approved the draft minute from the People Committee held on 27 November 2024 as an accurate record of the meeting.

1.4 ROLLING ACTION LOG AND MATTERS ARISING 
Members reviewed the action log after committee discussions had taken place and the updates were agreed and noted. 

Members noted the action log, agreed the actions to remain ongoing and noted updates provided.

1.5 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.

2.1 Q3 WELLBEING REPORT & ACTION PLAN – KATY MILLER
Members considered the paper which had been submitted to provide the Committee with an update against the new Health & Wellbeing (HWB) Plan for Quarter 3.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered a summary of report highlights and attendees discussed the links across different areas of wellbeing. 
• An annual report will be available at the August committee meeting and Members welcomed the plans to report a more holistic picture of Wellbeing and Health & Safety.
• Recognising the importance of trauma focused support, the committee asked how, if officers and staff may not recognise their need for a wellbeing intervention themselves, managers would be able to support them.  The Committee heard that support is offered in several ways with TRiM referrals offered to officers and staff who have been involved in traumatic incidents.  There are also a range of other measures available with ‘Wellbeing Weekends’ cited as an example of targeted support being offered to Roads Policing officers.
• The Committee was interested to consider findings of the evaluation of these interventions.  It was confirmed that early feedback on the wellbeing weekend intervention is proving valuable to those who have used the service.
• Given the increases in psychological impacts being reported, this Committee is keen to understand the underlying reasons for Ill Health Retirement and Injury on Duty and to understand any trends in the data.  The Committee will seek to be assured that interventions are being targeted where they are most needed.
• The Director of People & Development recognises the reporting requires to improve so that it is more evidence led with fewer words and richer data.
• In response to a question about whether TRiM is opt-in or opt-out, ACC Sutherland confirmed that TRiM predominantly relies on a supervisor being able to recognise and identify where there is a need for trauma support.
• Members sought assurance that officers and staff can navigate what seems like a complex landscape of wellbeing provision.  It was agreed the selection of wellbeing offerings could be seen as a cluttered landscape and the redesign of the P&D function will ensure that our workforce is seen and treated as customers receiving a service.
• The Committee wish to be able to consider evidence and data to demonstrate better outcomes are being seen for the workforce and asked that future reporting provide this.  
• In response to a question about how this activity has been baselined, it was explained that the action plan was cognisant of the HMICS inspection and the findings of the independent expert who was commissioned by Police Scotland.
• Activity will focus on key areas;  proactive, preventative and ‘undo’
• Comments from Staff Associations and Trade Union included reflections on the resource to deliver the support to the workforce, the good effort being made to bring a focus to the wellbeing work, how stress is being seen in areas and challenges in accessing support.

Members noted the report. 

2.2 WORKFORCE SURVEY – THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES – PATRICK BROWN
Members considered the paper which sought to provide the Committee with results from the thematic analysis of open-ended responses from Police Scotland’s refreshed 2024 workforce survey.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.  

• The Committee heard that planning is now underway for the next Staff Survey and this will be done alongside the effort being made to ensure the workforce see and feel improvement following the  actions taken since last year’s survey.
• Noting the next survey will be taking place soon, Members are keen to understand if the interventions taken will be reflected in the voice of the workforce.
• An area of interest for the committee is how the Policing Together activity is addressing the challenges encountered by the workforce.  The ACC Policing Together explained that the survey results have been mapped across into the PT action plan and this will feed into the ways in which people see and feel improvements.
• The ACC explained that it was important to make sure the work to respond to the staff voice is visible and to make sure that best practice is shared between Divisions. 
• The Committee is encouraged by the work to make people feel more empowered.
• In response to a question about any known gaps having been identified from the free text, the Acting Director of Strategy & Performance confirmed there were no gaps but lessons have been learned about removing some repetition in the questions.
• DCC Speirs updated the Committee that common themes are being understood now and disaggregated data will support improvement at local level.  It was explained that flexibility of support and approaches at a local level are important because of the variety of different needs and priorities depending on business areas.

Members noted the report.

2.3 BIANNUAL HMICS CULTURE REVIEW ACTION PLAN PROGRESS REPORT – ACC CATRIONA PATON
Members considered the paper which sought to provide an overview of Police Scotland’s improvement activity in response to the findings of the HMICS Inspection of Organisational Culture.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• ACC Paton provided a brief overview of the report.
• In response to a question about the action plan, ACC Paton confirmed that the activity is well mapped and the drivers for change are linked to the original recommendation from the HMICS report.
• The Director of P&D provided a summary of the steps being taken to ensure the promotions process is as fair as it can be and the feedback being received from officers through workshop sessions is being used to drive improvements.
• Staff promotion is an area of focus and something that the Director of P&D is personally committed to improve.
• HMICS is working with Police Scotland colleagues and is content with the mapping and aligning that has been done to ensure actions are addressing the recommendations.
• Comments from Staff Associations and Trade Union included reflections on how the staff voice is seen in this work, pressure being put on a smaller cadre of senior officers and the low level of those who would recommend Police Scotland as an employer.

Members noted the report.

3.1 Q3 WORKFORCE DASHBOARD – KATY MILLER
Members considered the paper which provided the People Committee with an update on the Police Scotland workforce as at Q3 of financial year 2024/25.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• The Director of P&D drew Members’ attention to the work done in respect of Employment Policy and Mediation.
• The 15% increase in Re-Rostered Rest days was noted as significant and it was agreed that a reason/s for this would be provided and included in an update before the next committee.
• In response to a question about implications of officers being ‘out of card’ and not having completed their Officer Safety Training, DCC Speirs summarised the effort made to ensure that there are high levels of Officer Safety Training completion and that any risk to the organisation is mitigated.  Members heard that no officer who is out of card will be operationally deployed and all officers who need to be trained are appropriately trained to make them ready for deployment.
• In response to a question about low level of exit interview completion, it was suggested that one reason could be the high numbers of officers who leave through retirement but explained that PS exit interview completion is similar to other organisations.  Some improvements have been made but this will continue to be worked on to make sure the leavers’ views can be considered.

Members noted the report and agreed the following action.

PC–20250225- 001:  Underlying reason for increase in RRRD to be provided.

3.2 BI-ANNUAL LEADERSHIP AND TALENT REPORT – KATY MILLER
Members considered the paper which provided an update on progress of Leadership & Talent (L&T) development interventions from July 2024 to the end of December 2024.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• The Director of P&D provided an overview of the report and explained the ongoing work to improve this reporting so that it provides a more strategic view.
• Members recognise the work being done so that this Committee can consider evidence of the impact of the Your Leadership Matters and People Management Development programmes and look forward to considering insights at future meetings and look forward to future reports.
• The Committee raised concern about the low levels of engagement with MyCareer and asked what was being done to increase this.  The feedback from workshops and surveys which has led to a recognition that MyCareer is not the best route for colleagues to apply for promotion was of interest to Members and the Director of P&D explained that the MyCareer process and the Promotions process are to be separated and this should go some way to improve understanding and bring focus to those involved in the processes.
• The Director of P&D explained that this work is included in the People Strategy and her intention is to focus on the desired outcomes and then agree what process will deliver those outcomes.
• The Committee reinforced its need to understand timescales and outcome measures to address current areas of risk for this work so that we have the necessary arrangements in place for a thriving and developing workforce.

Members noted the report.

3.3 ANNUAL RECRUITMENT, PROMOTION & SUCCESSION PLANNING REPORT – KATY MILLER
Members considered the paper which had been submitted to demonstrate the criticality of Recruitment, Promotion and Succession Planning to the delivery of Strategic Outcomes, to outline progress made in relation to relevant strategic commitments and to assess the impact in improving performance, mitigating strategic risks and delivering recommendations from audits/inspections.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• The Director of P&D highlighted areas of work including improved understanding of the candidate experience and time to hire.
• In response to a question about the opportunities for a good mix of internal and external talent to progress in Police Scotland it was explained that there is significant data on this and it will be reported in the annual report to this committee.
• The committee discussed how the impact of advertising campaigns is tracked across multiple years and were assured that the impact of advertising campaigns on recruitment was tracked by the organisation which would inform future decisions.
• Comments from Staff Associations and Trade Union included reflections on ways that MyCareer could be improved, the improved dashboard reporting, managing officers’ expectation of what promotion may be possible/available to them. 
• The Committee is clear that MyCareer conversations are very important for our workforce and future updates will provide oversight for the Authority as the improvements continue.

Members noted the report.

3.4 BI-ANNUAL LEARNING, TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT REPORT – CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT ALAN GIBSON
Members considered the paper which provided a bi-annual update on activity across Learning, Training and Development.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered the report and noted a number of points as summaries by the Head of Learning Training and Development.
• A question was asked about challenges with recruiting driving instructors.  The work to address shortages of instructors was recognised and clarity was sought on what was being done to make sure the numbers of instructors are sufficient for the needs of the Force.
• Ch Supt Gibson explained that going to market has been more of a challenge than anticipated and the business area is being remodelled to create capacity for the training and upskilling of existing staff which brings its own challenges as it is an intensive training and takes time and not everyone who is upskilled passes the tests required of the instructor course.  One of the main challenges is Police Scotland is looking to provide advance driving train every ARV officer and that will take some time.  
• Members were told that focus will be on improving the capacity challenges down to a more manageable level but in a way that means Police Scotland continues to deliver to a high standard to large numbers across the organisation.  Multiple rotations and flexible approach to make sure the training is taken out to the areas that need it the most.
• DCC Speirs provided the Committee with an assurance that there is no adverse impact on how Police Scotland deliver a service  to communities in Scotland just now because of people waiting to get a driving course.  The DCC offered reassurance about the service Police Scotland can deliver across the communities in Scotland.
• Members welcomed this reassurance from the DCC and will look forward to seeing the impacts from the steps being taken to address challenges in this area.
• In response to a question about what was being done so that good collaborative links exist with the College of Policing so that any opportunities to collaborate exist it was confirmed that Police Scotland are always keen to work with the CoP because they give a valuable national perspective on training and this is done where appropriate.
• Comments from Staff Association were supportive of the transparency of the reporting and the effort to increase training completion was also welcomed.  Staff associations and Trade Union colleagues continue to work closely with the H&S Manager.  The 
• The issue of a H&S issue which has been raised at the Scottish Crime Campus and this is being investigated and will report through the necessary governance channels.
• The Chair of the Committee recognised the good work being done to support policing colleagues internationally and commended this work.

Members noted the report.

4.1 Q3 HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT – DAWN MACLEAN
Members considered the paper which provided provide a strategic overview in relation to health & safety within the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• An overview of the report was provided.
• In response to a question about what the data on assault reporting was telling us, it was explained that there have been a number of reductions in the numbers of reporting and this was highlighted through the number of reports through your Safety Matters compared to Crime Reports.  The Committee were clear to reinforce that no level of officer assault was acceptable but agreed this was important data to be used by divisions to highlight the need for robust reporting of assaults.
• The Committee look forward to the refreshed reporting which will provide a more holistic view.

Members noted the report.

5. COMMITTEE EFFECTIVENESS REPORT – VANESSA EWING
Members considered the report which provided the findings of a recent survey conducted with Board Members and stakeholders, seeking their feedback on the overall effectiveness of the committee. The report is for Members consideration and seeks to inform overall evaluation of the committee’s effectiveness during 2024/25, and subsequent assurance report to the Audit Risk and Assurance Committee in May 2025.  In addition to the submitted report the following was discussed.

• Members considered an overview of the report.
• Members agreed that the Committee has discharged it’s duties over 2024/25 however there should be no complacency in this regard and focus should remain on ensuring this happens in future years.
• One area for improvement will be better cohesion in committee reports so that the common themes are linked.
• Members would be keen, in future iterations of this survey, for opportunity to be provided so that contributors can provide suggestions for improvement.

Members noted the report.

Before the public session ended, the Committee Chair commented that this was Catriona Stewart’s last meeting of the People Committee and took the opportunity to thank Catriona for her contribution to the work of the committee.  Members agreed that her experience and insight have been valuable and all wished her well for the future.  Catriona thanked the Chair for his kind words.

The following items were taken in private.
End.