North East Integration Presented by Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins Recommendation to Members for Discussion Appendix Attached No

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Agenda Item 2b

Meeting Authority Meeting Date 27 November 2019 Location Council Chambers, Aberdeen Title of Paper North East Integration Presented By Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins Recommendation to Members For Discussion Appendix Attached No

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide Members of Scottish Police Authority with a high level update on the North East Division Integration Project, and proposals for a more efficient way to deliver local policing in the North East of Scotland. The project is an early illustration of the ambition and collaborative nature of the Police Scotland Estates Strategy.

Members are invited to discuss the content of this paper.

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1. BACKGROUND

1.1 At the Authority Meeting on 22nd May 2019, the Scottish Police Authority approved the Police Scotland Estates Strategy. The document sets out an ambitious strategy to develop a sustainable, modern and demand-led property estate that enables excellence of service to communities.

1.2 The strategy details our intention to increase community bases for local officers, staff and volunteers and to identify more opportunities to co-locate, collaborate and integrate with our key partners.

1.3 In order to remain relevant, legitimate and effective in a changing Scotland, it is widely recognised that policing must do the same. We also must recognise and respond to the emergence of many new, diverse and at times virtual communities and a wider and rapid change in demand for policing services.

1.4 Our estate is a key component of our infrastructure and will help us transition to a modernised, demand-led and collaborative service.

1.5 Changes to our estate in Aberdeenshire, through the exciting Buchan House Project being delivered in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council in Peterhead, along with other possibilities developing in both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, will ensure we have a greater visible presence in our communities. This will encourage people and partners to share their knowledge, experience and concerns to a much greater degree than current arrangements allow.

1.6 The North East Division Integration Project was established to provide a model for the future Divisional Estate and illustrates the ambition of our new Estate Strategy. It will set out how we intend to transform our estate across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire and achieve our long-term vision for local policing, delivering quicker and better outcomes for our communities. It will equally improve the well-being and welfare of our officers, staff and volunteers.

1.7 The proposals build on existing solid foundations between Police Scotland, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and other public service providers across the North East. As outlined within the Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan, the proposals also assist in delivering key components for local regeneration within Aberdeen and will support greater innovation, infrastructure, enterprise and

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effective service delivery for local communities and members of the public. 1.8 This will bring organisations into closer alignment and be a vehicle for greater inclusion, earlier intervention and stronger prevention of issues through increase engagement and collaboration between service providers.

1.9 There may be future opportunities within Moray to deliver similar changes to integrate services and improve outcomes in that area. This is currently out with the scope of the current project but is being closely monitored and may be considered in future proposals.

1.10 The Project is being delivered as part of the Local Policing Programme and will be informative across Scotland in relation to the development of the public estate.

1.11 Good progress has been maintained since the submission of the Strategic Outline Business Case to The SPA Resources Committee on 30th April 2019. An Initial Business Case was approved by the Police Scotland Portfolio Management Group on 2nd September 2019, and by Change Board on the 3rd September 2019.

1.12 The Initial Business Case was also presented to members of the SPA Resources Committee on 10th September 2019.

2. FURTHER DETAIL ON THE REPORT TOPIC

2.1 The Initial Business Case sets out our preferred option for Service Integration. It presents an outline of the options, preferred direction of travel along with very early indicative costs, benefits and timescales.

2.2 The Initial Business Case details how we intend to grow the opportunities for greater co-location, collaboration and integration already intended for Buchan House in Peterhead and transform policing across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. This pioneers an approach that ensures stronger integration and alignment with our public service and voluntary sector partners. It provides a platform to reduce costs, mitigate property risks and drive forward a new local policing model.

2.3 While negotiations continue to agree the basis upon which we can deliver the proposed changes, this could involve relocating all local and national resources from the North East Division Headquarters at Queen Street, Aberdeen and disposing of the ageing, under-utilised, inefficient and ineffective building. The aim is to move resources to

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nearby accommodation within Aberdeen City Council Headquarters in Marischal College and within Aberdeenshire Council Headquarters in Woodhill House, Aberdeen.

2.4 The plan will also realign resources in our remaining Aberdeen estate to create a Target Operating Model of operational and back office hubs.

2.5 This seeks to move our staff and existing partners into modern, fit for purpose office space. It will allow us to rationalise the estate and maintain visibility of and access to key front line and support services. It will also deliver annual savings and reduces our carbon footprint.

2.6 The Project is overseen by Assistant Chief Constable John Hawkins as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) and is currently undertaking the necessary preparatory work and due diligence required to prepare and present a Full Business Case. This work is heavily dependent upon a number of internal and external factors, and includes representatives and resources from across a range of Police Scotland functions working together including Local Policing, Finance, ICT, Estates, Legal, Procurement, Information Security, People & Development, Corporate Communications and Business Continuity.

2.7 The Project is structured and subject to appropriate rigour in accordance with approved good project governance set out within the Police Scotland Portfolio Management Office guidance document “Project Guidance on the Portfolio Project Planning Approach”.

2.8 The various approvals through Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority governance means the Initial Business Case has successfully passed ‘Case for Change – IBC - Gate 2’. (See Figure 1).

Go Live Strategic Fit – Investment Gate 5 Decisions – FBC PPA Project Closure Gate 1 & PMP Gate 3 Gate 7 Gate 8

Start Up Initiation Planning Delivery Closure

Gate 2

Case for Solution Transition to Change - IBC Development BAU Gate 2 Gate 4 Gate 6 Figure 1

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2.9 The project now has the mandate to progress through to ‘Investment Decisions – FBC & PMP – Gate 3’ with the development of a Full Business Case based on the preferred option and the associated Project Management Plan to support delivery of the proposal.

2.10 An initial gap analysis of the work stream products has been carried out on the development required from the Initial Business Case to the Full Business Case.

2.11 Discussions continue with work stream leads to identify all ‘Activities’ and ‘Products’ that are required to support the completion of the Full Business Case and supporting products. This liaison and planning activity includes engagement at the appropriate level with partner organisations and will continue throughout the project lifecycle.

2.12 While the work and timeline is dependent upon a number of external factors which fall out with the control of the project and Police Scotland, it is anticipated the Full Business Case will be completed in early 2020. It will then be considered within the internal Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority governance processes.

2.13 This could allow for transition to commence around Spring 2021.

2.14 In the interim, members of the project team continue to engage and work closely with partners to prepare new and different ways of policing across the North East, managing changing demand as we take advantage of significant opportunities and developments in estate and technology. This will enable greater mobility for our officers, staff and volunteers. We aim to forge new partnership arrangements and far more extensive collaboration and integration with other agencies through increased co-location.

2.15 Enhancing innovative service delivery, shared facilities and working in multi-agency teams is integral to our proposed model.

2.16 This model of policing will allow us to ‘design out’ community issues quicker by integrating our services with key partners across the North East. We will be able to utilise a full range of cross-agency intervention opportunities to overcome and address community issues earlier, more effectively and efficiently.

2.17 This will provide opportunities for multi-agency teams working together to share skills, experiences and working practices or

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geographical flexibility, allowing us to collectively respond with the most suitable resource to incidents, threats or risks within communities.

2.18 Aberdeen City Council co-ordinate a Multi-Agency Transformation Management Group (MATMG), which is a forum where public sector partners in Aberdeen City work collectively on programmes of transformation designed to support the delivery of better outcomes, as envisaged by the refreshed Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP). Chief Superintendent Campbell Thomson, the North East Division Local Commander, is a member of this group.

2.19 The MATMG leads on whole-system initiatives where the collaboration and integration of services and or/assets can lead to better outcomes and best value. Four supporting sub groups focus on the design, development, delivery and adaption of public services around the life experiences of citizens and where appropriate, will utilise existing and emergent technologies.

2.20 This structure, collaboration, influence and governance will ensure the MATMG has an important role in facilitating the physical regeneration of Aberdeen City Centre in line with the vision contained within the Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan.

2.21 By working together, there is real opportunity for us to rethink our engagement, infrastructure and network of effective partnerships across the North East and consider a series of transformational and collaborative possibilities at a strategic, tactical and operational level. This will support the regeneration blueprint that is transforming Aberdeen City Centre and delivering greater prosperity and a better quality of life for all. It will equally allow organisations to add value to existing and new activities and improve the scale, quality, range and sustainability of services.

2.22 The MATAG group will ensure the co-ordination and collaboration on the opportunities for all partners associated with the developing Smart Cities Strategy for Aberdeen.

2.23 Partners in the MATMG include Aberdeen City Council, Police Scotland, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen Health & Social Care Partnership, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, North East of Scotland College, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and Scottish Courts & Tribunals Services.

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3. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 The Financial Case set out within the Initial Business Case details the opportunities and benefits of investing in the transformation of services in the North East. The financial assessment continues to be closely scrutinised as the preparatory work required to deliver the project matures.

3.2 A comprehensive Financial Case will be presented within the Full Business Case.

4. PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS

4.1 The personnel implications of the proposals are articulated within the Initial Business Case where appropriate.

4.2 A fully supported Project Board has been established and includes representatives from senior positions within People and Development and Corporate Communications who are currently taking forward a Communications & Engagement assessment to ensure appropriate engagement with our staff, staff associations, partners, elected members and local communities.

5. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1 There are no direct legal implications associated with this paper.

5.2 There will, however, be legal implications associated with the sale, and disposal of existing estate in Queen Street, Aberdeen, and lease arrangements, along with legal conveyancing in respect of the Public Mortuary and the areas owned by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

5.3 The renunciation and renegotiation of existing and new Leases and Heads of Terms will be progressed by Police Scotland Estates, Finance and Legal Services Teams and their equivalent officers within Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Council if a Full Business Case is approved.

5.4 If the Full Business Case is approved, and following relocation of staff and full decant of the Queen Street building, the property will be declared surplus and disposed of in line with the Scottish Public Finance Manual. Options to secure best value in the realisation of the capital receipt for this property are currently being considered.

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6. REPUTATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1 A range of risks associated with the project along with appropriate mitigation strategies have been captured within the Project Risk Register, which is subject to independent scrutiny and audit. Where an issue is identified that sits out with the threshold set for management within acceptable project parameters, an escalation route exists to present issues to the Project Board and if necessary, the higher authority of a Programme Board.

6.2 A Multi-agency Relationship Chart has been drawn up to capture the escalation route for issues that cross organisational boundaries.

7. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 The social implications of the proposals will be fully articulated within the Full Business Case where appropriate.

8. COMMUNITY IMPACT

8.1 There is an opportunity for the project to be a stimulus for a more holistic approach in service delivery for the public, private and voluntary sectors. By regenerating under-utilised spaces within the existing Queen Street area to create a modern, vibrant and multi- purpose new area, there exists the opportunity to deliver more effective multi-agency working with significant regeneration which could be key to both prevention and collaborative working.

8.2 We continue to work closely with NHS Grampian and other partners, including Aberdeen City Council regarding the future provision of Public Mortuary facilities. Service providers are progressing a separate project and delivery of an Outline Business Case. The Public Mortuary is an integral component of the existing Divisional Headquarters building in Queen Street, Aberdeen, and requires to be relocated if the proposals for the North East Division Integration Project are approved.

8.3 The Aberdeen City Centre Masterplan identifies Queen Street and the surrounding area as an opportunity to develop a residential led mixed-use urban quarter, complementing the recently completed Marischal Square and Broad Street. The City Council is currently developing a detailed programme of works, which includes the site of the current Divisional Headquarters building in Queen Street, which will deliver approximately 300 new homes in the area, improvements to public realm and create the conditions for service integration in and around Marischal College.

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8.3 In addition to this, there is a strong culture focus that will develop around the historic buildings in the area. The Queen Street Redevelopment programme will be reported to Aberdeen Council’s City Growth and Resources Committee on 5th December 2019.

8.4 Key to the successful delivery of the North East Division Integration Project and the other work referenced, is internal and external engagement with our staff, partners, communities, staff associations and elected members. An internal and a joint multi- agency Communication & Engagement Strategy will ensure available information is shared at the most appropriate time.

8.5 Through the Local Policing Programme, an Advisory Panel has been established to secure the views and opinions of executive members from a wide range of key external stakeholders. This group will provide a wealth of experience in managing, delivering, auditing and scrutinising large change processes and policing functions.

9. EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1 The equalities implications of the proposals will be fully articulated within the Full Business Case where appropriate.

10. ENVIRONMENT IMPLICATIONS

10.1 The Queen Street building in Aberdeen is inefficient and compromises our energy performance. The current Energy Performance Certificate for the Queen Street building is graded as E+ (Very Poor). This also impacts upon our commitment towards biodiversity conservation.

10.2 The option to dispose of the inefficient and ineffective Queen Street building will support delivery of the commitments outlined within our Estates Strategy 2019.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Members are invited to discuss the information contained within the report and note the proposal to prepare and submit a Full Business Case for further consideration during early 2020.

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