Independent Oversight and Assurance Group on Tayside's Mental Health Services: Chair letter to Thomas Glen

To

• Thomas Glen, Chief Executive, Perth and Kinross Council

Copy

• Grant Archibald, Chief Executive, NHS Tayside
• Greg Colgan, Chief Executive, Dundee City Council
• Margo Williamson, Chief Executive, Angus Council
• Phil Davison, Divisional Commander, Tayside Police Scotland

21 January 2022

Dear Thomas

Thank you for your email to the Secretariat on 20 January, in response to the recent correspondence from the Oversight Group. Thank you also for the conversation we had on Teams this morning which was particularly helpful and I have also now discussed this with the other members of the Oversight Group.

I understand from our conversation that the TEP have further reviewed some, but not all, of the 49 recommendations. Given that you will have already prioritised certain recommendations for your own collective assurance, I am happy to discuss those before any others in our meeting on Wednesday. I propose, in order to make best use of the time available, that TEP colleagues provide an update on a maximum of five of those recommendations which you have focused on and on which you have satisfied yourselves in respect of the questions raised by the Oversight Group.

It is my expectation that we will still receive a full written response from you on the correspondence from the Oversight Group dated 23 December 2021 and 20 January 2022, which set out where more information is necessary to take assurance on progress for each of the recommendations. You will recall that this was our original intention and your responses to our questions will help to establish an evidenced baseline and inform our first quarterly report to the Minister. Can I now ask that you submit this to us w/b 7 February.

In the absence of having this information in advance of our meeting on Wednesday, the Oversight Group’s assessment of progress (including RAG status) will remain the same as that which we previously provided to you in my three letters noted above. As you are aware, this will form the basis of our report to the Minister due at the end of this month. We will consider if any changes require be made once we hear from colleagues next week.

In addition, Fraser McKinlay would be very happy to spend some time with your teams to explore the repository which you have cited as an example of the arrangements you have put in place. We are keen to better understand the nature of the repository and how it will help inform the assurance that we are able to give the Minister. However, I do not expect it to be a substitute for regular conversations and written responses from you, to the questions posed by the Oversight Group.

Looking ahead to our meeting, I am happy to proceed as you suggest in your email to the Secretariat - that the first substantive agenda item will focus on structures and roles and how you will continue to work together as executive partners to deliver this work. I am also content for attendance at the meeting to be extended to other colleagues for the relevant agenda items on which they can provide updates and further information, albeit this would be solely for item four on the agenda, namely your presentation of the detail behind your assessment on the five recommendations as indicated above.

You advised me in our discussion earlier that the TEP had not yet had the opportunity to address any further matters in respect of children and young people’s mental health services. On that basis, it is not my intention to include this as a specific item on the agenda for Wednesday. However, I will set out our next phase of activity and agree how we will take that forward, highlighting where we want to undertake some detailed work. Our intention has always been to focus on those areas where we can provide support and move forward together and I look forward to discussing those on Wednesday.

Papers for the meeting will be sent to the TEP under separate cover from the Secretariat, early next week.

Once again, with my thanks and best wishes.

Fiona Lees

Chair of Independent Oversight and Assurance Group on Tayside’s Mental Health Services