Section one Context In the reporting year, the steering group met four times. As of March 2019, the NPM steering group membership was as follows: • • • • • eter Clarke, HMI Prisons; P Rachel Lindsay, CJINI; John Powell, HIW; Colin McKay, MWCS; Katie Kempen, ICVA. NPM sub-groups Since the NPM was designated, its members have taken the initiative to establish thematic sub-groups which allow them to strengthen collaboration, share information and prioritise topics of particular relevance to their NPM mandate. The NPM has four subgroups which worked throughout the year. The NPM’s newest sub-group is the police sub-group, which examines cross-cutting issues for the four nations, sharing good practice and identifying areas of concern in police custody. NPM members who visit police custody recognised that the issues faced by people in short-term detention are often different from those held in longer-term detention and decided that a dedicated forum in which members could discuss detention in police custody, including detention under terror legislation, would be beneficial. The police sub-group held its first meeting in May 2018, and its second in November 2018. The sub-group is organised and chaired by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland. Government. During the reporting year the group was chaired by the Scottish member of the NPM Steering Group, Colin McKay, Chief Executive of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. The group secured in principle support from the Scottish Government to recruit a part-time assistant coordinator. The mental health sub-group, which brings together the different NPM members with responsibility for monitoring mental health detention in the UK, met twice during the year, in April and October 2018. This sub-group provides an opportunity for organisations with responsibilities for the monitoring and protection of people in health and social care detention settings to work collaboratively on issues with specific mental health impacts. The group is chaired by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. The NPM sub-group which focuses on children and young people in detention continued to serve as a mechanism for NPM members to exchange information and intelligence, and to consider joint work on issues affecting detained children. The group is chaired by staff from the Children’s Commissioner for England and met in November 2018. The Scottish sub-group met twice during the year, in September and March 2019. The group coordinates NPM activities in Scotland, provides support to NPM members, raises the profile of the work of the NPM and improves liaison with the Scottish 13