Our Board

There is an annual cycle, set in statute, of planning our budgets and operating plan, consulting on these, finalising them and laying them in the Scottish Parliament. We then report at year end through externally audit annual accounts, which are again then laid in Parliament. This year the Board reviewed our strategy (which covers the period 2020 to 2024) in light of Covid-19. They made a number of small amendments to reflect the impact on the sector and consumers, the changed business environment, and the learning from remote working.

On a quarterly basis the Board reviews KPIs and performance data, risk registers, financial reports, reports on our progress with our operating plan, reports on customer service feedback, HR reports and reports from the Audit and Remuneration Committees.

The Board also debates key issues of relevance to the SLCC. This includes tracking progress with reform work which may change our legal powers and focus, including the introduction of ‘alternative business structures’, interim changes to our legislation through statutory instrument and the longer-term debate on regulatory reform. This year the Board also examined equality issues through a review of our equality statement, an examination of the gender balance of our legal advisers, engagement in the public sector summit on race equality and involvement in the ‘Fair Justice System for Scotland’ discussions.

They also scrutinised performance improvement projects, looked at a new quality assurance framework for Determination Committees and our work on delivering clarity in our communications. They ensured the organisation was listening to the sector by discussing stakeholder engagement and consultation work and listening to consumers through receiving reports from the Consumer Panel. Other important discussions focused on cyber security, learning from appeals of our complaints to the court and reviewing our health and safety statement.

As well as their governance role, our board members also make important decisions on complaints as non-staff commissioners.

In our 2020-21 year, we said farewell to three members who reached the end of their terms and welcomed three new members.

• Amanda Pringle

• Michelle Hynd

• Emma Hutton

• Professor June Andrews OBE
• Niki Maclean
• Frank Gill
  [Frank has subsequently been appointed a summary sheriff and so has had to resign his SLCC Board position. We wish him all the best in this new role.]

On 1 January 2022 we plan to be welcoming four new board members as four current members finish their terms.