Investigation - Stage 2: Decide whether to investigate - Additional guidance
Considering approving a provisional decision not to select
The senior manager should consider all incidents which the inspector line manager has marked not for investigation or cancelled, because of inadequate resources/other developing priorities and make a judgement as to whether an investigation can and should be carried out.
The basis for deciding what we do with our resources is the 'public interest'. The test is whether a proposed action - and the direct and opportunity costs it entails - will produce a net benefit to the wider community in terms of reducing risks and in targeting public resources on the most serious risks. Though these concepts are not easy to evaluate, they do provide the basis for making difficult choices when more precise guidance doesn't apply.
Good planning and decision-making about priorities are key to managing conflicting demands. Having agreed and set priorities, the ebb and flow of work will require ongoing analysis and reasoned judgements to be made at all levels about what is actually done - you may need to consider temporary transfer of staff or reassignment of the work to another team - what is postponed and what is cancelled.
The senior manager's decision is recorded on Part D of the decision recording form (DRF)