CPS Board meeting minutes - September 2020

Tuesday 29 September, 13:00-17:00
Microsoft Teams Meeting

Members

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

Guests

Simon Jeal, Mark Gray, Chris Davis (IAA), Chris Sharp, Baljit Ubhey, Sandra McKay, Isabel Field, Katherine Ladd, Sue Hemming

Secretariat

Head of Private Office, Board Secretariat

Item 1: Minutes of the Last Meeting and Matters Arising

1. The Board reviewed the minutes of last meeting and requested minor amendments. Secretariat to circulate updated July minutes. [Action S1]

1.1. Progress was noted against outstanding actions.

Item 2: Update from the DPP and CEO

2. The DPP provided an update on the following:

• Court listings and use of remote hearings
• Quarterly statistics release, particularly RASSO statistics and strategy launch
• Communications and recent speech on independence 
• Internal resilience and structure in light of covid-19 and ongoing recruitment
• December virtual Senior Leadership Conference.

2.1. The Board asked:

For an update on the Royal Commission
For an update on centralisation of communications functions.

2.2. Rebecca Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer (RL), provided an update on the following:

• Remote working and virtual hearings
• Cross-Criminal Justice System Gold structure
• Staff wellbeing in light of COVID-19 
• Inclusion and community engagement in COVID-19 context
• Senior staffing and internal governance
• RASSO work, noting an update would be given at item 5

Item 3: Corporate Report and Area Performance

3. Chris Sharp, Finance Director (CS) provided an update on the following:

• Charging figures
• Figures for finalised cases in Magistrates and Crown Court
• Dropped cases figures
• Speculation on possible covid-19 impact on not guilty pleas 
• Rape prosecutions figures and the overall prosecution caseload
• Finalisations versus Budget
• Key figures relating to backlog
• Workforce, particularly recruitment
• Summary of income and expenditure.

3.1. The Board asked:

• Whether centralising backlog management had been considered
• For an update on Spending Review (SR)

Item 4: COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme

4. Mark Gray, Director of Digital, Operations and Commercial, (MG) provided an update on:

• Crown Court pressures, particularly on multi-handed cases
• Readying of training efforts
• Ongoing work with partners

4.1. The Board asked:

• To what extent COVID-19 was factored in to plans
• Whether plans go far enough
• Whether there was scope for exploring different scenarios

4.2. The Board raised the following matters:

Consistency of wellbeing support across areas
Difficultly of the next COVID-19 phase for staff
Importance of support for senior team wellbeing
Level of support engagement across Areas.

4.3. The Board thanked all involved in the work to date and encouraged the senior team to make use themselves of the support available.

Item 5: RASSO Update

5. Baljit Ubhey, Director for Strategy and Policy (BU) advised that activities including stakeholder engagement are beginning to have an impact and outlined the further activities planned.

5.1. Sandra McKay, Director of Communications (SM) noted that plans will be in place before RASSO legal guidance publication and in advance of Q1 data release. 

5.2. The Board asked:

Whether press would be engaged
Whether progress had been made in shifting the narrative
What is different in the revised guidance.

5.3. The Board raised the following matters:

Value of statistics 
Limits of defensive messaging 
Need for simple messages for media
Risk of using internally focussed language with the public
Need to consider defendants as well as victims in myths and stereotypes piece.

5.4. The Board commended the joint working displayed between the strategy and legal teams.

Item 6: Board Effectiveness Evaluation

6. Simon Jeal, Deputy Director for Operational Change, (SJ) took the Board through the recommendations.

6.1    The Board discussed;

Board member diversity
Need for substantive communications strategy
Timelines for implementation of action to date
Need for actions from the substantive piece of work

6.2. The Board agreed to treat the engagement plan as draft until an action plan is produced.

6.3. The Board discussed Recommendation 6 Wider Corporate Governance Visibility, expressing caution around any suggestion of cutting through existing governance structures.

6.4. SJ noted that Recommendation 6 was motivated by desire to have further exposure to the Board. There was discussion on varying the attendees to the Board.

6.5. The Board endorsed the recommendations in the Board Effectiveness Evaluation.

6.6. The Board highlighted its commitment to continue attending a variety of CPS meetings to increase its visibility whilst maintaining appropriate governance and control and advised care in how the recommendations translate into an action plan.

6.7. The Board agreed to the drafting of an Action Plan based on the recommendations and for this to come to a future Board. [Action S2]

6.8. Isabel Field, Head of Corporate Communications, (IF) presented the Communications strategy, emphasising the need to make communications accessible and tailored to the audience. IF proposed that communications from the Board are driven by Recommendation 3 Diversity and Inclusion Profile.

6.9. The Board raised the following matters:

• The value of engaging with staff networks and joining Area/team meetings and reporting on activities at Board meetings.

6.10. The Board agreed that the next step is for an Action Plan to be drafted and brought to the Board.

Secretariat 
September 2020