The decision is about developing collaborative legal services across the six corporations sole:
- Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland
- Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham
- Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire
- Chief Constable of Cleveland
- Chief Constable of Durham
- Chief Constable of North Yorkshire
Such a service would, therefore, absorb and replace current legal services functions within police forces, ensure that capacity is available to meet the legal services needs of the Chief Constables (i.e. Police Forces) as well as Police and Crime Commissioners and their offices, and reduce costs to the public purse by making specialist skills available across several forces. The decision in respect of this service does not take into account future requirements that may arise as a result of one or more of the Police and Crime Commissioners assuming responsibility for the governance
of Fire and Rescue Services.
Implications for the collaborated service will be considered when necessary.
The following decisions have been reached:
- Agreement to adopt agree that the Evolve Collaborative Legal Service as the preferred model, as set out within the business case
- To endorse implementation of the temporary case management system for Durham legal team and the upgrade of North Yorkshire legal team’s current system.
- To agree progression of a business case for a single unifying case management system.
- To agree the name of the unit as Evolve Legal Services.
- To agree the main operating locations as:
- North Yorkshire Police HQ in Northallerton
- Cleveland Community Safety Hub and Middlesbrough Police Station (M8)
- Peterlee Police Station and Durham Constabulary HQ, Aykley Heads, Durham.
- To agree the funding model and financial arrangements, including the finalization of the indicative budgets for the collaborative unit.
- To agree the initial implementation plan and ‘go live’ date of 31 March 2018, to allow for consultation and planning with staff.
- To retain the longer-term ambition of exploring an Alternative Business Structure model.
Additional Recommendation from the Joint Governance Board – 16th February 2018
To include a 12 month Benefit, Cost and Funding Review