The Commissioner must have a Chief Executive and a Chief Finance Officer.

Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer - Susan McTaggart MBE
Salary: £103,683

Job summary:

Our Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer works with the Police Commissioner to ensure the commissioning of efficient and effective police and crime reduction services in Merseyside. She works to facilitate the development and promotion of the Commissioner’s vision, strategy and priorities and provide high quality guidance, advice and support to the Commissioner.

As chief of staff of the Commissioner’s office, Sue's role provides operational and strategic leadership and fosters public confidence through the appropriate and accurate scrutiny of the police & crime reduction services.

Principal responsibilities:

  • Drafting and reviewing the Police and Crime Plan for Merseyside, working with the police and other responsible agencies and the public to develop policies and priorities for policing and crime reduction and transforming the Commissioner’s vision and priorities into an effective strategy;
  • Establishing performance objectives for the Police and Crime Plan and effectively monitoring the performance of the police and other crime reduction services;
  • Assisting the Commissioner in public scrutiny of the police by maintaining the accountability of the Chief Constable, critically reviewing strategic decisions to ensure effectiveness and value for money as measured against the Police and Crime Plan;
  • Scrutinising and challenging the performance management and risk control systems of Merseyside Police to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient police force and to support continuous improvement;
  • Assisting the Commissioner with the strategic lead on partnership working, developing and maintaining partnerships with other national and regional organisations, local authorities, community groups and public representatives, to facilitate achievement of the Police and Crime Plan;
  • Devising and implementing a framework to manage the commissioning of crime reduction services across Merseyside and foster public confidence of those managing and/or providing them;
  • Ensuring that all decisions and actions by the Commissioner are lawful, fair and compliant with statutory requirements and national guidelines, that they are accurately recorded and where appropriate published to promote public confidence through transparency and accountability;
  • To provide clear and visible leadership to the Commissioner’s office, including overall responsibility for the ongoing recruitment, development and training of staff and being accountable directly to the Commissioner for personal objectives and development and having regard to equality of opportunity and the diversity of Merseyside;
  • Working in conjunction with the Chief Finance Officer to ensure propriety in the conduct of the business of the OPCC including making proper arrangements for tendering procedures and the letting of contracts;
  • Working in conjunction with the CFO to lead the development of the OPCC in the areas of strategic accounting, information management, in the management of strategic risk, human resources, learning and development strategies and ensuring that the Commissioner is compliant with current employment legislation;
  • To ensure the efficient and effective operation of both the internal and external audit functions and any other aspects of internal control and/or external inspection as they apply to both the police force and the OPCC;
  • To carry out the duties of Chief Executive as appointed under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011;
  • To carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Head of Paid Service and the Monitoring Officer and to have due regard to the role of the Police and Crime Panel;
  • To oversee and ensure the effective & efficient management of complaints;
  • To assist the Commissioner in contributing to the national consideration of issues concerning policing and crime reduction; to represent the Commissioner at high level meetings with the Home Office, HMIC; APCC, LGA and other outside bodies at regional and national level as required;
  • To support and advise the Commissioner in the process of appointing the Chief Constable and in relation to complaints or disciplinary action affecting the Chief Constable including dismissal.

Chief Finance Officer - John Riley
Salary: £92,329

Job Summary:

The Chief Finance Officer is responsible for ensuring that the financial affairs of the Police Commissioner are properly administered and that good financial management arrangements are in place across the Office and Force.

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) also acts as the Commissioner’s strategic financial adviser, ensuring all policies and plans are appropriately resourced.

This role is the Section 151 Officer for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside.

Principal accountabilities:

  • Lead professional adviser to the Commissioner on financial matters;
  • Work closely with the Chief Executive to implement strategy and to resource and deliver the Commissioner's strategic objectives sustainably and in the public interest;
  • Lead on development of the Commissioner’s medium term financial strategy;
  • Be actively involved in all strategic business decisions of the Commissioner, ensuring that all financial implications, opportunities and risks are fully considered, and align with the Commissioner's financial strategy;
  • Liaise with the Force Director of Finance to advise the Commissioner and Chief Constable on value for money in relation to all aspects of Chief Constable/Force expenditure;
  • Ensure publication of Statement of Accounts and other external reporting requirements of the Commissioner;
  • Jointly responsible with Director of Finance for managing the risk-based Internal Audit function;
  • Ensure that the financial affairs of the Commissioner properly administered and that financial regulations are observed and kept up to date;
  • Ensuring regularity, propriety and Value for Money (VfM) in the use of public funds;
  • Advising, in consultation with the Chief Executive, on the safeguarding of assets, including risk management and insurance;
  • Performing the statutory responsibilities of the CFO set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and section 114 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988.