Public protection: national leadership group minutes - December 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Angela Scott, Chair of NPPLG, Chief Executive of Aberdeen City Council 
• Elaine Torrance, group member, Adult Support and Protection and Convener of Dundee Adult Protection Committee
• Tam Baillie, group member, Child Protection Committees Scotland
• Alison White, group member, Chair of West Lothian ADP
• Carron McDiarmid, group member Independent Chair of Highland ADP
• Tracey McFall, group member, Independent Chair of Argyll and Bute ADP
• Sophie Gwyther, group member, Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership 
• Alan Small, group member, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Tayside
• Lynsey Smith, group member, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Glasgow
• Julie White, group member, Chief Executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway
• Eddie Docherty, Vice Chair of NPPPLG, Executive Nurse Director NHS Lanarkshire
• Fiona Duncan, group member, Chief Social Work Officer for Highlands
• DCS Sarah Taylor, group member, Head of Public Protection Police Scotland
• Jon Henderson, group member, Assistant Chief Office and Director of Prevention, Protection and Preparedness Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
• Nicola Dickie, group member, Director of People Policy CoSLA
• Donna Bell, group member, Director of Social Care and National Care Service Development Scottish Government
• Andrew Watson, group member, Director for Children and Families Scottish Government
• Iona Colvin, group member, Chief Social Work Adviser Scottish Government
• Sinead Power, group member, Unit Head Public Protection Scottish Government
• Jackie Irvine, group member, Chief Executive of the Care Inepectorate

Items and actions

During the initial meetings of the National Public Protecton Leadership Group (NPPLG) the group had in-depth discussions about the landscape of Public Protection in Scotland, and the Public Protection data that is available. Iona Colvin, Chief Social Work Adviser, presented an overview of Public Protection in Scotland. The purpose of this was to help the group to develop a shared understanding of the Public Protection landscape and help to inform the focus of the work of this group. This highlighted the complexity and variation across the six key areas, including in relation to their statutory footing, national and local reporting and governance arrangements, and scrutiny and inspection. Following on from this, at the October meeting, Iona presented an overview of what national Public Protection data is currently available which prompted discussion in the group about the availability and use of data, what the data asks of local areas are. There is still work to be done to further develop this workstream in conjunction with Chief Officers Group (COG).