22 April 2025

​Record of actions and decisions

Title: Chief Officer's Management Board - Strategic
Date: Tuesday 22 April 2025
Venue: Clift Room

Attendees

By invitation
Mr James Francomb (items 1 to 9)vc - HMICFRS force liaison lead

Apologies

• CC Tim Smith
• ACO Gavin McKinnon

1. Approval of the record from Tuesday 8 April 2025

The record of the last meeting was approved.

2. Matters arising/action updates

• Action 03/25 – the updates were noted, home working will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Change Team and the action was discharged.
  Action 05/25 – the updates were noted, and the action discharged.
  Action 08/25 - the update was noted, and the action discharged.

3. Finance delegations

PSE Jonathan Castle and PSE Philip Wilson presented the finance delegations paper as previously shared. Following a review of the force’s financial regulations as part of the mechanism of ensuring sound governance arrangements in accordance with good practice, a change to the process was proposed which moves the approval of invoice payment from central management by finance to empowering approval within each department across the force.

PSE Wilson addressed the queries raised by ACO Leicester regarding the authorisation levels, roles identified, and providing custom management information to ensure accountability overview of individual budgets.

Chief Officers approved the five proposals within the paper:

1. the authorisation of payments proposals as detailed in appendix A.
2. the delegation of the rollout of the authorisation for payments to the CFO and the DCC.
3. the budget transfer proposals as detailed in appendix D.
4. the new financial scheme of delegations and amendments to the financial regulations as detailed in appendix E.
5. the allocation of responsibilities previously held by the deputy chief officer under the financial regulations as detailed in appendix F to the deputy chief constable.

4. Financial reporting schedule

PSE Jonathan Castle presented the 2025/26 financial reporting schedule as previously shared, and this was noted and approved by Chief Officers.

5. Capital business cases

PSE Jonathan Castle presented the paper outlining the 14 capital business cases in relation to the stage 1 capital budgets that were approved at COMB on 14 January 2025 for projects that need to be progressed and delivered in 2025/26.

Chief Officers approved the 14 capital business cases for progression and/or delivery in 2025/26.

6. Estates update

PSE Jonathan Castle presented the paper providing the Estates update as previously shared. A clear focus remains on addressing all D1 defects, delivering the agreed capital budget, providing noticeable improvements to working conditions in targeted locations, ensuring statutory compliance and progressing Sutton Road decant and disposal. An internal communications opportunity was identified to highlight estates improvements.

Chief Officers noted the paper and DCC Ayling thanked PSE Castle for the comprehensive summary.

7. 2025/2026 audit calendar

PSE Gary Beautridge and PSE Gavin Griffiths presented the proposed 2025/26 audit calendar as previously shared and sought approval from Chief Officers. Once approved, the calendar will be published for the forthcoming year and will form the framework of the force’s compliance audit structure, conjoined with a review process that looks to enhance data quality across crime recording, and a more accurate application of outcome codes.

Chief Officers approved the 2025/26 audit calendar.

8. Staff survey questions

PSE Nicola Endacott presented the staff survey questions paper as previously shared which outlined the proposed Canterbury Christchurch University (CCU) staff survey questions, and options for the Oscar Kilo National Wellbeing Survey lead by Leapwise on behalf of NPCC.

Chief Officer views were sought by 23 May on the CCU draft question set and recommendations for areas to be removed/enhanced/added. Concerns were raised around survey fatigue, and it was agreed to review the timeline and compare the question sets for all upcoming surveys before agreeing the next steps for the CCU survey.

Chief Officers agreed to support option 1 for the Oscar Kilo National Wellbeing Survey. This will provide a national benchmarking provision and force unweighted data with the ability to shape the CCU survey to drill down into areas that may require further diagnosis for positive action and delivers both prior to HMICFRS PEEL. There is no financial cost for this option.

New action 09/25:
PSE Endacott to review the timelines of all the proposed surveys and return to COMB to reconsider the staff survey question paper for approval.

9. Any other business

There was no further business for the open session.

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 6 May 2025, 1pm, Clift Room.