Police watchdog in morale crisis

...but boss tries to lay blame on critical report!

THE boss of Scotland’s crisis-hit police watchdog, who is facing calls to quit, yesterday claimed his staff’s morale had been ‘damaged’.

John Foley ignored demands for him to go and downplayed a bombshell report which criticised the ‘fundamental weakness’ of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).

Earlier this week, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) questioned SPA chief executive Mr Foley’s ‘capacity’ to provide expert support to the board.

At an SPA meeting in Edinburgh, where the HMICS report was discussed, Mr Foley failed to acknowledge the growing clamour for him to quit his £120,000-a-year post.

Other SPA board members appeared to show little sign that they had learned from an avalanche of criticism, after SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan was forced to announce last week that he would quit, amid claims he was a bully who ran the quango like the Kremlin.

Responding to the HMICS report, Mr Flanagan downplayed the negative findings, insisting that many of the improvements HMICS had demanded had already been ‘discussed and enacted’.

HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Derek Penman was critical of the SPA’s decision to hold key meetings in private, Mr Flanagan’s suppression of vital documentation and the board’s efforts to frustrate Press scrutiny by releasing board papers on the day of public meetings.

But Mr Flanagan said the report had not found that ‘major decisions had been taken in private that should have taken place in public’.

Asked for his comments, Mr Foley said ‘morale has been damaged’ by the report, saying he had received a ‘number of representations from members of staff in this respect’.

He added: ‘The staff themselves are feeling very bruised because they feel there are questions over their ability and capacity to do their job.’

Mr Penman’s report identified ‘dysfunction’ at the top of the watchdog, and ‘shortcomings’ in Mr Foley’s capacity to provide expert advice and support to the board.

Asked at Holyrood’s justice subcommittee on policing whether he had confidence in Mr Foley, Mr Penman yesterday failed to directly answer.

But he said: ‘My position around the chief executive is that there needs to be an effective relationship with the chair and they need to have the skill-set that’s necessary for moving on policing in the new structures.

‘I would hope that the recommendation we have put in place which is to look at the executive structures within the SPA will also look at what skill-sets and things are required... and determine what the best mix of team and staff would be.’

He also admitted that he did not believe Mr Flanagan and Mr Foley worked well together.

Scottish Tory MSP Margaret Mitchell suggested during the meeting that the SPA’s new chairman should be appointed by MSPs rather than by SNP ministers.

Mr Penman said the appointments process was a matter for the committee and parliament, adding: ‘I would agree that it’s absolutely critical that the right person is recruited.’

The HMICS inspection report said it had found evidence of improvement in SPA operations but concluded that the recent decision to move back to public meetings ‘has been made reluctantly’.

‘They are feeling very bruised’