Senior Management Team Meeting - Minutes - 25 October 2022
Attendees
Chair
Michelle Quinn (MQ) – Chief Executive
AMFC
David Torrance (DT) – Head of Ferries Contracts & Projects
BAAT
John Maxwell (JM) - Head of Accessible Travel and Bus Greening
FCS
Kerry Twyman (KT) – Director
Andy Pope (AP) – Head of Corporate Governance
David Swanson (DS) – Head of Corporate Services
Jason Connelly (JC) – Health & Safety Manager
LCE
Stuart Greig (SG) – Director
Major Projects
Lawrence Shackman (LS) – Director
Rail
Bill Reeve (BR) - Director
Roads
Stewart Leggett (SL) – Director
TSA
Fiona Brown (FB) – Director
Director
Hugh Gillies (HG)
Secretariat
Gillian McCole (GM) – Head of Chief Executive Office
Pamela Yorke (PY) – Head of Secretariat
Steven Wyllie (SW) – Corporate Governance Manager
Apologies
Frances Pacitti – Director AMFC
Bettina Sizeland – Director BAAT
General Update
BR provided an update for the Rail directorate, including staff absence and some last-minute changes to Ministerial meeting dates and times. MQ advised that there was a new Private Office team settling in at the Minister’s office, and any questions should be discussed with the office directly as they have been extremely helpful during this transition.
Finance
KT provided an update on the current budget planning work ongoing in Scottish Government. She highlighted to continuing savings exercise and how directorates should work with the finance business partners.
KT advised the SMT that there are enhanced spending controls in place. Directors should ensure that any proposed spending, new or legally committed, have an AO template completed if appropriate.
KT updated the Directors on the progress of the 2023/24 budget commissions due by 4th November.
Risk
AP provided and update to the SMT on the Corporate Risk Register.
Proposed changes included moving one risk to the issues log, reworked wording for three risks related to work in Strategy & Analysis, and another risk being deescalated onto a directorates risk register.
MQ asked that the risk on Assets be discussed in more depth with the relevant directorates. AP agreed to take this to the relevant risk owners and make any updates.
Correspondence
SW presented the statistics for correspondence issued in September.
MQ asked that all Directors ensure they are reading draft responses carefully to ensure that all correspondence is in a clear, plain speak format. She also asked that these checks do not hold up draft responses being sent to Minister for clearance and issue. SW added that he would send a more detailed breakdown of figures to directorate Business Managers.
Action: SW to send weekly reports to CEO going forward
Corporate update
JC updated the SMT on the changes within the Health & Safety Committee meetings, including having most health & safety related risks moved back to a directorates own risk register. As directorates can monitor these risks more appropriately at that level with an overarching look provided by the H&S Committee. MQ agreed directorate registers are an effective way to monitor risks ensuring nothing is missed and risk owners are responsible that way.
MQ asked that Directors to check the appropriate people are attending the committee meetings and that a substitute is identified. She also welcomed JC to future meetings to help keep the SMT more up to date on H&S matters.
DS presented the HR Management Information for TS. He covered workforce planning ,current staffing figures, vacancies, wellbeing and absences.
MQ asked that Directors ensure line managers are collaborating with their colleagues to take leave and disconnect from work as appropriate. This is vital when ensuring we look after colleagues’ wellbeing.
DS reminded the SMT that the People’s Survey closes on Friday 28th October and staff should be encouraged to complete it where possible. He advised that the current completion rate is 68% for TS.
AOB
No other business was tabled.