National Preventive Mechanism Sixth Annual Report 2014–15 setting out the NPM’s work to reflect on its first five years, and its self-assessment methodology and process were published during the year and have been disseminated widely among the NPM’s stakeholders, including NPMs around the world.95 Independence of NPM personnel In May 2014, the UK NPM agreed guidance - Ensuring the independence of NPM personnel (see Appendix III) - which sets out members’ intention to work progressively towards a reduction in reliance on seconded staff for NPM work, among other measures. The guidance addresses the 2013 recommendation of the UN Committee against Torture, which called on the UK to 'end the practice of seconding individuals working in places of deprivation of liberty to NPM bodies’. Under this guidance, NPM members agreed to report annually on their progress in reducing their reliance on secondees. Four out of 20 members reported using secondees in 2014–15. All 10 of the NPM members who had no secondees in 2013–14 remained in the same position. Four NPM members had reduced the overall number of secondees involved in NPM work. Two NPM members had increased the number of secondees by one, but had plans to address any potential conflicts of interest. Figures provided by four NPM members were not comparable to the previous year. Preventing sanctions Taking forward the NPM’s obligation to prevent any punishment or prejudice resulting from a person or organisation’s contact with its monitors (OPCAT Art.21), NPM members worked to develop specific policies and protocols: • HMI Prisons led work to draft a protocol aimed at preventing sanctions from arising during joint HMIC/HMI Prisons police custody inspections; this protocol will be completed in 2015–16; • HMI Prisons and the IMB National Council worked with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman to implement their 2013 protocol on preventing sanctions in prisons; • HMICS began work to develop a policy on preventing sanctions and reprisals; • CJINI led the development of a protocol to prevent sanctions and reprisals for inspections in prisons with the IMB NI and the Prisoner Ombudsman NI, due to be completed in June 2015; • HMIPS developed a protocol on preventing sanctions and reprisals, and included the topic in training for new inspectors. Member-specific developments The Care Inspectorate reflected the requirements of OPCAT in its new three-year corporate plan, which sets out to provide robust inspection, support local and national policy, and contribute to a rights-based care system in Scotland. A review and consultation on its methodology and approach have provided further opportunities to integrate its NPM role into its work. During the year, the Care Inspectorate was asked to lead (with Health Improvement Scotland) on the development of Scottish National Care Standards, which will be underpinned by human rights and refer to the work of the NPM. Further efforts to take forward specific issues relating to the NPM mandate include those to raise awareness of de facto detention and child sexual exploitation and the need 95 See: http://www.nationalpreventivemechanism.org.uk/publications-resources/. 54