Independent Oversight and Assurance Group on Tayside's Mental Health Services: update letter

To

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

27 January 2022

Dear Colleagues

Ministerial reporting arrangements

Thank you for our meeting yesterday. The Oversight Group appreciated hearing from TEP colleagues on the changes you have made to the operating environment including decluttering and streamlining business arrangements. The group also noted the arrangements you have put in place to support your own leadership and to take assurance on progress, in respect of the recommendations.  It was helpful to hear from your team and to see examples of evidence in support of the work that has been undertaken thus far. Fraser is looking forward to spending time with your team to look at the repository of evidence in more detail.

At the end of the meeting, you asked if there would be an opportunity to provide further information to us, prior to the group submitting its first quarterly report to the Minister next week. I have reflected further on this and following the Oversight Group’s meeting with the Minister today, he has agreed to us delaying submission of the report to him by one week.

You will recall that our hope had been to receive responses from you to the questions that were posed in our letters of 23 December and 20 January, which would have allowed us to share our final assessment at the meeting yesterday. You are aware we have set a time frame of w/b 7 February for you to submit that information to us. However, following the Minister’s decision today, there is now an opportunity for you to respond in respect of those recommendations where you can answer our questions and satisfy yourselves in respect of your collective assurance as partners. In order to reflect any changes in our report to the Minister, we would require this information from you by 14:00 on Thursday 3 February. All other responses to remaining questions on recommendations, should follow during w/b 7 February, as originally planned.  As with previous practice, please route any submissions through the Secretariat in the first instance.

Finally, following our meeting yesterday, the Oversight Group committed to write to you with further feedback on the review of integration schemes and accordingly, correspondence from David, will be issued under separate cover tomorrow (Friday 28 January).

You have my contact details should you wish to discuss any matter arising from this letter.

Once again with my thanks and best wishes.

Fiona Lees

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