Section three The NPM in 2015–16 Strengthening the NPM The process to appoint an NPM chair began in 2014, when NPM members decided to strengthen the NPM’s governance by appointing a chair from outside the NPM membership. Last year’s annual report noted our disappointment that the recruitment of the chair had been delayed because of concern by the Ministry of Justice. During this year, further frustrations arose from the NPM’s attempts to reach agreement with the government on a mutually acceptable process for appointing the chair and as a result, in October 2015, the NPM steering group informed the government that it would go ahead with the recruitment of a chair via a non-executive appointment. The appointment was further delayed by the government’s request to put the process on hold until after the new Chief Inspector of Prisons had taken office in February 2016, and late questions about the case for the NPM having a chair that had to be resolved. NPM members were pleased to confirm the recruitment panel’s recommended candidate, John Wadham, at the April 2016 business meeting and induction plans were put in place. The NPM coordination continued to raise the need for the NPM to have a legislative basis through regular meetings with the Ministry of Justice throughout the year. Given the appointment of the new chair, planning of future efforts to strengthen the NPM were put on hold. It was also disappointing that the process to designate the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism to the NPM did not reach a conclusion during the year, despite frequent attempts to help move this process along. In recognition of the delays, NPM members agreed in November 2015 that the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism should be invited to future business meetings as an observer. As a result of stronger links being established with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and in response to their request to observe business meetings, in November 2015 Lorna MacGregor, Equality and Human Rights Commissioner, attended the NPM business meeting. Member-specific developments In addition to ongoing inspections, from October 2015 the Care Inspectorate (CI) has been leading the review of Scotland’s National Care Standards alongside Healthcare Improvement Scotland, covering a wide range of settings including all care services regulated by the Care Inspectorate and Healthcare Improvement Scotland. This includes secure care services for children, care homes for children and adults, and independent psychiatric hospitals. The standards will also apply to wider scrutiny work across health and social care settings and will be relevant for non-registered provision. These standards will guide the development of outcome-focused care based on human rights and individual wellbeing and will begin to roll out in April 2017. The Care Inspectorate is also reviewing its own inspection methodology to reflect these new standards. 27