6 May 2025
Minutes of Meeting
Meeting: COT Board
Venue: Haigh Conference Room, Alverton Court
Date and Time: 6th May 2025, 1:00 – 4:00pm
ITEM 1: ATTENDANCE
CC T Forber – Chair
DCC S Bisset
L Stitt - Assistant Chief Officer
ACC B Moseley
L Branford-White – Chief Finance Officer
R Baran – Head of Corporate Development
T/Chief Insp D Anderson – Staff Officer to CC/DCC
M Chappell – Head of Corporate Communications
S Gardiner – Governance Support Officer
APOLOGIES ACC C Clarke
ITEM 2: Review of minutes
Summary of Discussion:
The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and agreed.
ITEM 3: Review of Action Log
Summary of Discussion:
Action #633 – FSU Uplift. Agenda item. Closed.
Action #646 – Major Investigations. Assurance provided by ACC Moseley. Closed.
Action #647 – Super Cocooning Interactions. ACC Moseley updated a working group was convened. A communications and upskilling plan will be rolled out. Progress will be monitored as part of the Neighbourhood Guarantee implementation.
ITEM 4: Estate Monthly Update
Summary of Discussion:
Report on SharePoint.
Tim Edwards Head of Estates, Transport and Logistics joined the meeting and presented the briefing.
Clifton Moor Interview Training Facility The lease arrangements for this location were explained and the expiry of the current of the arrangement. The wider estate had been reviewed and the force would make savings if the site was relocated within the force estate.
The COT noted the importance of the training facility. The relocation would mitigate the impact of an annual lease cost increase following the cessation of a nominal annual lease payment.
It was also recognised other PID’s had been submitted for consideration and COT acknowledged this work is a priority.
Relocating the facility would require a financial investment to complete partitioning works and transforming the existing open plan IT training room into a multi-room facility but COT noted overall a cost saving.
The COT were asked to consider two options.
DECISION Option 1 - Maintain the existing training facility at Clifton moor. – Not Supported.
Option 2 – Repurpose existing space at Athena House to create a new interview training facility. Supported.
HQ Refurbishment
This paper updated the COT on the Northallerton HQ refurbishment project and the redesign of some areas within the site. A discussion took place around the requirements of NYP and NYFRS.
DECISION The development of a detailed costed plan and timescale – Supported.
Scarborough Custody
The HMIC Custody work had been completed and will be signed off. York The York project is continuing, and a report will come back to COT on completion.
ITEM 5: FSU Uplift
Summary of Discussion:
Report on SharePoint.
Supt Mick Roffe, Specialist Operations joined the meeting.
Supt Roffe update the board on the previous decision to uplift the FSU team and detailed the requirements needed to deliver the agreed uplift in the financial year 2025/26. Including implementation, on costs and a delivery plan.
A discussion took place around recruitment and attrition. The uplift would allow the force to move to 5 FSU Teams and to continue to meet minimum staffing levels. Additional costs would be associated with the Initial Firearms Course which included the issue of uniform and equipment.
Decision. 1. To agree the initial revenue costs required to deliver the uplift in year 1 – Supported.
2. To agree the subsequent years revenue costs to support the uplift. – Supported.
3. To agree the year 1 staff costs. Supported.
4. To agree the year 1 capital costs and subsequent capital rolling programme. – Supported.
5. To agree to move to 5 teams when sufficient resources are in place and implement the appropriate shift pattern that suited the needs of the Force, Officers and the training requirements following consultation with staff. Supported.
The COT agreed this was a high priority for the force.
ITEM 6: Volume Crime Review
Summary of Discussion:
Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Tate joined the meeting and provided a briefing on the Volume Crime Review.
DCI Tate explained the work undertaken in Phase 1 and 2 of the review.
* Mapped out end to end process of a volume crime.
* Linked in with Heads of Department
* Gained and understanding of PIP Crime allocation by department
* Resource versus demand
* Identified risks
* Identified good practice.
A discussion took place around the crime allocation policy, and it was agreed it was a priority to review the policy. Once reviewed the force could work on the data to confirm resourcing requirements.
The timeline for Phases 3 and 4 were agreed and the evidence-based proposal to be presented to COT in July with a view to implementation in the Autumn.
Business areas are required to assist the evidence-based proposal and support will be required from Commands.
The Project Manager will continue to work with the review and additional resourcing was agreed. Formal governance will be through the Specialist Change Portfolio Meeting.
DECISION. The resourcing of Phases 3 and 4 will come from, 1 person from each Command, 1 person from Criminal Justice and 1 from the Force Control Room. DCI Tate will supply names to ACC Moseley. – Supported.
Timeline of Phase 3 and 4 supported.
ACTION – Crime allocation policy to come back to COT in July. Forward Planner will be updated.
ITEM 7: People Management
Summary of Discussion:
The current requests for secondment adverts were reviewed.
ITEM 8: COT Forward Planner
Summary of Discussion:
The forward planner was reviewed.
The Cycle Crime briefing will be rescheduled, and the Annual Awards and Recognition briefing will be presented to COT on the 14th May. COT on the 9th July will be cancelled due to Chief Officers Commitments.
ITEM 9: Freedom of Information Requests
Summary of Discussion:
The Freedom of Information requests were reviewed.
ITEM 10: Urgent Financial Decisions and Updates
Summary of Discussion:
None raised.
ITEM 11: Any other Portfolio Updates by Exception
Summary of Discussion:
ACO Stitt provided an update on the Fleet Solutions Scheme available for both Officers and Staff. 17 vehicles were on order and 1909 quotations had been provided.
ITEM 12: Chief Officer Team Commitments
Summary of Discussion:
The Chief Officer Team Commitments were reviewed for the next two weeks.
ITEM 11: Any Other Business Summary of Discussion:
Procurement.
CFO Branford-White updated the board around procurement and decisions; specifically, the scoring evaluation process must be transparent and independent to stand up to challenge by all tenderers where if a pilot has been conducted then any of the tenderers can be selected. If an operational lead disagreed with a procurement evaluation, then there are processes in place within the Procurement team for a re-evaluation to occur if required (this would be the exception).
Excellence in Policing Conference.
The COT discussed and agreed the delegates to attend.
DATE, TIME AND LOCATION OF NEXT MEETING: 14th May 2025
Time: 11:00am
Location: Conference Room, Fulford Road, York.