NPCC to be governed by new board

New governance arrangements for the National Police Chiefs` Council (NPCC) have been announced.

An Audit and Assurance Board will approve business plans, budgets and proposals for large expenditures such as assets. It will also audit its achievement against six objectives.

The board will comprise three independent non-executives, three police and crime commissioners (PCCs), a representative from the Chief Police Officers’ Staff Association and the Home Office and the executive chair of the NPCC.

Deep Sagar will take on the role of independent non-executive chair. Mr Sagar has been a senior manager in private-sector multinational companies such as Coca-Cola and has more recently been chair, vice-chair or non-executive director of many public bodies. He has served as chair of Hertfordshire Probation and the South-west Reducing Reoffending Partnership and member of the Parole Board.

Other independent non-executive members include Nora Nanayakkara and Simone Pennie. Ms Nanayakkara is currently a non-executive director of the Intellectual Property Office, a senior independent trustee and chair of audit and governance at Nominet Trust, the UK`s leading social tech funder and an independent member of Epping Forest District Council`s Audit and Risk Committee.

The NPCC announcement says Ms Pennie is an accomplished finance professional having operated at board level for ten years in the private, public and voluntary sectors, including Audit Committee memberships for Ofcom and the University of Bath and a non-executive directorship for Wye Valley NHS Trust. Prior to this, she was Finance Director of BBC World News.

The PCCs on the board are Staffordshire’s Matthew Ellis, South Wales’ Alun Michael and Martyn Underhill of Dorset.

North Wales Police Chief Constable Mark Polin will be the CPOSA representative and Ziggy MacDonald, the Director of Finance and Strategy, will represent the Home Office.

Welcoming Mr Sagar to his new post, NPCC chair Chief Constable Sara Thornton said: “I look forward very much to working with the board. As the NPCC seeks to set its goals and reach its objectives, it needs critical friends like the members of this board to make sure that we are on track and operating at our most efficient and in a manner that can command and maintain public confidence. I welcome the members to their posts.”

Mr Sagar said: “I am very pleased to be chairing this board, which will help the NPCC achieve its aims and objectives through the rigorous scrutiny, accountability and transparency that both the service and the public deserve.”

The board will meet every three months and minutes will be published on the NPCC website.

In an exclusive interview with Police Professional (see PP464), Ms Thornton said the NPCC will drive collaboration and seek a new relationship with Government. Read the full article here.