Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Personnel Committee

Item 7

19 June 2002

Establishment Report

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact:

John Bonney Deputy Chief Fire Officer Tel: 023 8064 4000 Ext 207

1

Introduction

1.1

The Service's establishment has been subjected to a series of alterations in the last twelve months as a number of posts have been deleted and others created. This report therefore brings to Committee an up to date status report on the establishment, as of 31 March 2002, and details of future changes which are programmed in the next twelve months as the Service adapts its shape to meet future needs.

1.2

The paper also reports on other key factors that influence the establishment: absence levels and medical retirements, detailing action plans in place to reduce these losses.

2

Current Establishment

2.1

The use and deployment of people in any organisation rarely remains static. This constant flux is due to the ever-changing service delivery demands, new legislation and central government initiatives.

2.2

Establishment levels are also highly influenced by age profile, retirement and overall health of the workforce. This is particularly pertinent at present as the expanded recruitment campaigns in 1974 and 1978 to meet new wholetime shift patterns are now working through with high levels of staff retiring. To ensure we work within our financial constraints it has not been possible to recruit ahead of a vacancy and thereby incur additional salary costs, albeit for a short time. Clearly planning for vacancies is undertaken but a cautious approach must be taken. As a result Hampshire, like many other Services, falls below establishment during periods of high staff turnover. The information provided below illustrates this turnover gap.

2.3

The establishment in Hampshire has undergone considerable adjustment in the last two financial years as a result of budget changes. Indeed, the attempt to spread the impact of growth bids means the overall establishment has undergone frequent small changes over an extended period. As such it can be difficult for Members to keep track of adjustments, both immediate and longer term. The tables below highlight the changes in establishment figures and reflects the actual numbers as at 31 March in 2001 and 2002 as reported to HMIEI in May 02.

2.4

The Job Evaluation and Pay and Grading Review of non-uniformed posts (Green Book) is complete and the appeals process is due to be finalised by the end of June 2002. At this point the Service will have a clear picture of the grade of all the posts covered by this Review and the final outcome in terms of any financial implications.

2000/2001

2001/2002

Rank

Establishment

Actual

Rank

Establishment

Actual

CFO

1

1

CFO

1

1

DCFO

2

2

DCFO

2

2

SDO

4

4

SDO

4

4

DO II

14

14

DO II

15

14

ADO

18

19

ADO

18

18

StnO

45

49

StnO

46

48

SubO

96

98

SubO

96

100

LFf

93

93

LFf

93

100

Ff

484

504

Ff

484

483

TOTAL

757

784

TOTAL

759

770

2000/2001

2001/2002

Rank

(24 hr Cover Units)

Rank

(24 hr Cover Units)

Establishment

Actual

Establishment

Actual

SubO

46

47

SubO

46

47

LFf

108

88.25

LFf

108

92.75

Ff

462

410.5

Ff

462

430

TOTAL

616

545.75

TOTAL

616

567

2000/2001

2001/2002

Establishment

(FTE)

Actual

(FTE)

Establishment

(FTE)

Actual

(FTE)

PFCO

1

1

PFCO

1

1

GFCO

1

1

GFCO

1

1

FCO

5

4

FCO

5

4

SFCOp

9

8.5

SFCOp

9

8.5

QCO

17

18

QCO

17

19

TOTAL

33

32.5

TOTAL

33

33.5

2000/2001

2001/2002

Establishment

(FTE)

Actual

(FTE)

Establishment

(FTE)

Actual

(FTE)

219

187

234

228.94

*Note: Due to recent Pay and Grading Review an accurate picture of the revised grades is currently unavailable as this information is in the process of being updated on to the new SAP system and awaiting the final appeals outcome.

3

Absence Levels Due to Sickness

3.1

Absence levels within the Service are a key factor in the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. Indeed, absence directly affects confidence levels (the number of firefighters crewing a responding fire appliance), which is reportable as a Best Value Performance Indicator. Although absence is not just the result of sickness, sickness is a major component, and this is reflected in two further indicators, shifts and working days lost for wholetime uniformed staff (12a) and for all staff (12b).

3.2

Listed in the tables below are those indicators for previous years.

BVPI 12(a) Working days/shifts lost to Sickness Absence - Wholetime Uniformed Staff

Out Turn

Target

Variance

2001/02

11.3

8.5

-2.8

2000/01

n/a

n/a

n/a

BVPI 12(b) Working days/shifts lost to Sickness Absence - All Staff

Out Turn

Target

Variance

2001/02

14.0

8.0

-6.0

2000/01

n/a

n/a

n/a

3.3

Implementation of the time recording elements of the new computerised system (SAP) should enable greater accuracy of cost and absence data, from which trends can be analysed and predictions more meaningfully made. There is already a growing emphasis on management control and involvement with absence recording and monitoring to establish reliable information which will be more readily accessible to managers.

3.4

Although not reportable the proportion of short term to long term sickness (28 days +) is noteworthy, as the latter is directly affected by age profile of the workforce, which has been rising steadily in recent years and stands at 39. The rise in short-term absence is of great concern. We are, however, aware that the previous figures for 2000/2001 are inaccurate and therefore need to be treated with care. It is our hope that the ongoing problems of data collection and reporting will be overcome with the introduction of the countywide SAP system.

Total

Workforce No

Short Term

Day/Shifts

% Days Lost per Year

LTS

Day/Shifts

% Days Lost per Year

2000/01

1550

4495

1.10%

3551

0.87%

2001/02

1600

6384

1.41%

4055

0.89%

3.5

Notwithstanding the rising age profile the levels of sickness remain disappointingly high. As a result, a number of key activities have been built into function workplans this year.

1.

Musclo-Skeletal Action Plan - Health & Safety Key Task 4

Research shows one of the highest causes of absence, leading to a total of 10 retirements for the financial year 01/02, is the result of muscular-skeletal problems. This is the subject of an extensive educational campaign and health monitoring programme.

2.

Accident Reduction Programme - Health & Safety Key Task 2

The largest accident group are wholetime uniformed staff and the activities which contributed most to accidents were training/drills. HFRS has set up a small working group to review reporting, recording and investigation of accidents, incidents and near misses, with the overall goal of reducing days lost to accidents.

3.

Management Information System Project - Personnel Key Task 2

Although the last year has seen dramatic improvements in the ability of the Service to generate accurate, relevant and consistent HR data, there still remains room for improvement. The introduction of HR2 SAP will allow us to provide line managers with relevant data to monitor absence levels and trends in their teams.

4.

Improving Attendance at Work by Reducing Absence Attributed to Ill Health Project - Personnel Key Task 3

A number of procedural changes have been made to the current policy to focus line managers on key aspects of attendance management, particularly the return to work interview. It is not, however, policy changes that ultimately improve staff absence but careful, consistent and appropriate management action. As such, a programme of workshops for managers on managing sickness absence is being developed and commences September 2002.

5.

Agreed District Audit Inspections - Sickness Absence

The Service has agreed with the District Audit an inspection of the key aspects of the organisation's management of absence involving information system, data collection and policy development. We have, however, requested the inspection does more than report on current performance but provides practical advice to achieving improvements.

6.

Introduction of Welfare Adviser and Employee Relations Adviser

These are two newly created posts. The Welfare Adviser has been in position for some eight months and has already been instrumental in dealing with numerous referrals and also assisting staff to remain at, or return to, work.

4

Ill Health Retirements

4.1

Linked closely with absence levels is the ultimate discharge of staff member due to ill health. Clearly it is both a measure of the effectiveness of the absence management system, overall health levels and the health and safety support of staff.

4.2

BVPI 15(a) % Employees Retiring through Ill Health - Firefighters Pension Scheme

Hampshire

Target

2001/02

2.40%

1.70%

2000/01

1.60%

n/a

1999/00

2.90%

n/a

BVPI 15(b) % Employees Retiring through Ill Health - Non-Uniformed Pension Scheme

Hampshire

Target

2001/02

0.00%

0.45%

2000/01

0.00%

n/a

1999/00

0.80%

n/a

4.3

Information establishing membership of the relevant pension scheme for those who have retired through ill health relies upon a SAP interrogation which is performed at the Castle currently. It is hoped that the new system will allow interrogations and reports to be generated in-house, in the future. Local records of ill health retirements are currently held by Occupational Health.

5

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

5.1

The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Recommendations

1.

That members note the absence and ill-health retirement statistics and the associated Best Value Performance Indicators, and endorse the Chief Officer's recommended workplan for improving performance in these areas.

2.

That members note the current establishment levels, and the adjustments that have been previously agreed and which will be implemented in the forthcoming 12 months.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report.

None

NB The list excludes:

1 Published works

2 Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act

File name - HFRA Personnel 19 June 02 - Establishment Report

CFO

-

Chief Fire Officer

DCFO

-

Deputy Chief Fire Officer

SDO

-

Senior Divisional Officer

DO

-

Divisional Officer

ADO

-

Assistant Divisional Officer

StnO

-

Station Officer

SubO

-

Sub Officer

LFf

-

Leading Firefighter

Ff

-

Firefighter

PFCO

-

Principal Fire Control Officer

GFCO

-

Group Fire Control Officer

FCO

-

Fire Control Officer

SFCOp

-

Senior Fire Control Operator

QCO

-

Qualified Control Operator