CPS Board meeting minutes - June 2020

Tuesday 30 June, 14:00-16:45
Microsoft Teams Meeting

Members

Max Hill QC, Rebecca Lawrence, Monica Burch, Mark Hammond, Simon Jeffreys, Caroline Wayman

Guests

Gemma Hewison, HMCTS, Mark Gray, Ann Meatyard, Sue Hemming, Greg McGill, Baljit Ubhey, Chris Sharp

Secretariat

Head of Private Office, Board Secretariat

Item 1: Common Platform

1. Gemma Hewison (GH), Crime Programme Director from HMCTS, presented the paper.

1.1. GH highlighted the cooperation and communication between HMCTS and CPS colleagues.

1.2. The Board discussed:

• Future delivery options
• Governance
• Flexible working
• Backlog
• Casework quality
• Thematic highlights

1.3. The Board was grateful for the CPS input from Rebecca Lawrence, Mark Gray, Ann Meatyard and HMCTS colleagues.

1.4. The Board asked for the Common Platform item to come back to the Board in 4 months’ time. [ACTION J1] November 2020.

Item 2: Minutes of the Last Meeting and Matters Arising

2. The Board reviewed and agreed the minutes of last meeting and progress was noted against outstanding actions

Item 3: Update from the DPP and CEO

3. The  Director  provided a short update which outlined;

• How Covid-19 had created a turning point for the CJS 
• Criminal Justice Board meeting on Wednesday 1 July
• Release of HMCPSI Inspectorate Report on CPS response to Covid-19
• Black Lives Matter, disproportionality and the Lammy review, as well as the Board diversity, and suggestion of public sector equality training.

3.1. The Board commented on the need for a joined up legal and strategy and policy leadership to be able to effectively respond to some media coverage.

3.2. The Board agreed to have a wider discussion on reverse mentors, on education and representation in light of BLM protests, commenting that any actions need to be sustainable and substantive [ACTION J2].

3.3. Rebecca Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer, provided a short update which outlined;

• Effective stakeholder relationships
• Disproportionality, the effect of Covid-19 on BAME communities and staff, the death of George Floyd, and the high engagement of BAME colleagues in the staff survey, with a continued imperative to ensure fairness in recruitment and progression
• PM announcement of investment into HMCTS.

Item 4: COVID 19 Response and Recovery Programme

4. Sue Hemming and Greg McGill, Directors of Legal Services, drew the Board’s attention to  the key areas of the paper written, and highlighted;

• A possible review in the timings on GAP and NGAP cases 
• The covid-19 guidelines causing more serious cases to come into the system, with more people being held in custody
• The different rates at which individual areas are getting through their backlogs
• The use of CVP and protocols in place across magistrate courts; and
• The CPS support for Nightingale courts, but its limitations with regards to fraud, multi-handed and youth cases.

4.1. Baljit Ubhey, Director of Policy and Strategy, updated the Board on the work on the Royal Commission, and the PM lead taskforce meeting.

4.2. The Board queried if the planning had accounted for a second wave of COVID-19. It was noted how this has been built into the business as usual process, and noted the horizon scan which will be re-evaluated in September.

Item 5: Audit and Risk Committee Chair Update

5. Simon Jeffreys, Chair of the Audit Risk and Assurance Committee provided a verbal update of the Committee on 18 June 2020, and agreed to share a copy of the minutes from the meeting with the Board. Simon highlighted the meeting focused on disclosure and the HMCPSI report.

Item 6: CPS Annual Report and Accounts

6. Chris Sharp (CS), Director of Finance presented the Annual report and accounts the Board. He outlined the positive update from NAO, and confirmed it is likely the CPS will be able to lay the accounts before summer recess and that the NAO will have the final samples from courts tested in good time.

6.1. The Board approved the accounts for signing, subject to any material matters or changes that may come out of the final NAO tests which CS would bring back to the Board.

Item 7: Corporate Performance Report

7. CS took the Board through the corporate report, highlighting the monthly backlog post charging receipts, finalised prosecutions, and Proceeds of Crime (POC) cases.

Item 8: Any Other Business

8: SJ outlined that he would ask for there to be a deep dive at the CPS ARAC into the Proceeds of Crime risk, as detailed by CS.

Secretariat 
June 2020