Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Item 10

Wednesday 5 February 2003

Independent Review of the Fire Service

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact:

Deputy Chief Fire Officer John Bonney

Tel: 023 8064 4000 Ext 207

1

REPORT

1.1

To appraise members of the Authority of the key issues arising from the Independent Review of the Fire Service published on 16 December 2002. The report also suggests that an officer/member working group be established to formulate a detailed response to the recommendations as they apply to the situation in Hampshire.

2

INTRODUCTION

2.1

The Independent Review chaired by Professor Sir George Bain was launched by the Government on 20 September 2002 to consider the issues facing the Service. The Review was requested by the Fire Service Employers in response to pay negotiations with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) that were then taking place within the National Joint Council (NJC). Notably, although the request for the Review was borne out of pay negotiations, the terms of reference set by Central Government went much wider than just remuneration. (Appendix A details the terms of reference). Indeed, the scope was so broad as to include pay, working practices, legislative base, structures and policy formulation. As a result the final report and its recommendations are both far reaching and fundamental to the future form and function of the Service. See Appendix B for a list of recommendations.

2.2

There are six broad areas: risk and community safety; implementation and management policy; pay, pensions; conditions of service; retained firefighters and implementation. The Review's general recommendation is that the future focus of the Service needs to move away from an operational response based on the standards of fire cover established in the immediate post-war period. Professor Bain sees a future service much more equally balanced in terms of preventative activities to reduce the likelihood of fire and a more flexible operational response which is determined by identified risk. This is described as an "integrated risk management approach". The Review strongly recommends a service no longer structured around fire danger, but rather on a much wider safety and rescue basis.

To achieve this the whole statutory base of the Service will need to change, given that at present our funding, statutory powers, local and central governance and policy formulation is founded on a fire response. As a result of this a White Paper on the Future Role of the Service is expected in March this year. To facilitate this shift Professor Bain calls for a fundamental expansion in the discretionary powers of both fire authorities and their Chief Officers. Firstly to determine the resources they need and subsequently how these will be deployed. Hence the Review's recommendation for a scrapping of the Section 19 stipulation(which requires ministerial approval for establishment changes) and a removal of national standards of operational response. In future it will be for local managers with member support to identify and address the risks as they think fit.

2.3

In order to deliver a much more tailored and flexible response (which includes preventative work), Professor Bain recommends local discretion to change working practices and conditions of service so that in future activities can be delivered, not within a national prescribed framework, but within one that suits local needs. Hence shift patterns would no longer be restricted to those currently existing under National Conditions of Service; voluntary overtime and wholetime staff undertaking retained duties would be permissible. Similarly the retained service in achieving parity with wholetime members would be effectively interchangeable with them. It is this increased flexibility of staff working together with the opportunity to be rewarded for specialist (including enhanced medical skills) or scarce skills which would allow staff to "earn" the pay increases of 4% and subsequently 7%.

2.4

The Review also calls for greater collaboration between Fire Services to capitalise on economies of scale and also exploit opportunities for improved service delivery. Specifically the combination of control rooms is quoted as an example of where such collaboration could achieve tangible benefits.

2.5

In order to achieve the flexibility required, the Review's findings touch every part of the Service. Hence, to increase flexibility both in working practice and remuneration the Review calls for a collapsing of the current National Conditions of Service to four core areas of; pay, total hours, overall ranks and basic leave, a far cry from the extensive prescription at present. For managers the Review calls for improved and expanded training, and a substantial bolstering of the human resources function operating in fire services, together with the abolition of single tier entry for uniformed officers.

2.6

From Central Government the Review calls for:

2.6.1

a radical new structure of policy formulation which simplifies the current cumbersome Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council;

2.6.2

a transfer of the inspectorial responsibility from Her Majesty's Fire Service's Inspectorate (HMFSI) to the Audit Commission and a new role of support and good practice advice for HMFSI;

2.6.3

an end to the Appointment and Promotion Regulations and Discipline Regulations and most probably the rescinding of the Fire Service's Act in its present form.

2.7

In relation to equality issues, the Review is of the opinion that the lack of ability of the Service to attract under-represented groups is a symptom of a traditional, inflexible Service, rigid in its working practices, recruitment procedures and preoccupied with operational fire response. This, the report argues, presents an unattractive and at times hostile prospect to women and ethnic minorities. Professor Bain considers that the introduction of much greater flexibilities and a commitment to the integrated personal development system (IPDS) represents the best way of addressing this.

2.8

Of significant legal and financial impact are the Review's suggestions on the Pensions Scheme which, once again, is seen as a barrier to modernisation. Calls are made for changes to the provisions which would allow operational staff no longer fit for such duties to continue in employment in different roles; similarly calls are made for a relaxation in the current stipulation of compulsory retirement on age grounds. In line with the Review's strong recommendations that retained staff are treated as an employee and resource no different from wholetime colleagues, suggestions are made for the examination of a pension provision for them.

2.9

The continuing theme in the whole Review is that reward and change are inextricably linked. As a result Professor Bain specifically calls for mechanisms to be established that will implement reform and other structures to monitor that progress. And it would be on that basis of verifiable progress, pay increases would be awarded.

2.10

Clearly the Review, which runs to over 150 pages, provides much greater explanation than the preçis above. The full document can be found at http://www.irfs.org.uk

The intentions, however, are clear that in exchange for above inflation pay settlements, considerable changes are demanded in working practices. Moreover leaving aside the performance and reward issues, the recommendations are for a massive shift towards an integrated approach to risk and response all of which will require a shift in the statutory basis, policy and audit infrastructure and discretions afforded to Chief Fire Officers and their authorities.

3

FUNDING THE CHANGES

3.1

The Independent Review is categoric that the cost of the reform can be met from the savings that the modernisation would bring. Costs incurred through increased use of overtime and elevated payscales are calculated over 3 years and amount to £162 million. Whilst the additional medical training required to operate co-responder services nationwide would amount to £15 million.

3.2

However, reallocation of resources to risk, better collaboration and improved human resource management are estimated to save £179 million which, when coupled with potential income of £100 million plus, would make the whole reform self-funding. Whilst these figures are rough approximations, what is clear is the need for some transitional costs to prime the early reforms. Effectively costs will be immediate, tangible savings will take time to work through. In recognition of this the Government has suggested that transitional funding may be available, but the mechanism of allocation and quantum is undefined at present. Members may need to give consideration to the Authority's approach to lobbying for such transitional funding. Unfortunately, there is an assumption that the current picture around working practices nationwide is consistent and that the relative positions of authorities to benefit from the reforms is the same. However, in the major metropolitan brigades where demographic shifts allow for massive savings in operational response, a substantial reduction in staff costs might be anticipated. The same may not apply to rural services, predominantly retained, where we currently pay only for use and who operate flexible staffing arrangements such as day crewing and wholetime retained provision.

4

FUTURE STEPS

4.1

What is clear is the need for the Authority to begin to develop a position on the recommendations of the Independent Review and how these specifically relate to Hampshire. In order to progress this extensive and detailed work, it is recommended that a working group of leading members and officers be established to undertake this task. The work will need to include an inventory of modernisation already achieved or under way which addresses in whole or part the recommendations, and secondly specific views on the applicability, feasibility and impact of recommendations where no action has occurred to date. Wherever possible this will need to include projections on potential costs and savings.

4.2

The findings of the Review have been accepted by Central Government and largely welcomed by the LGA and National Employers, the reaction of the Fire Brigades Union, however, is less than positive. As such the final position on modernisation and indeed pay settlements remains unclear. What is undeniable is the inevitability of change and the need for the Authority to have some public position on the Review's findings.

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, and considered in the light of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

Recommendations

That the Committee:

1

Note the main finding of the Bain report.

2

Approve the establishment of a leading member/officer working group to formulate Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority's detailed response to the Independent Review recommendations.

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

Appendices

A Terms of Reference

B List of Recommendations

Dir.fin: HFRA 5 2 2003 Fire of Fire Service 17/1/2003

1

Introduction

The terms of reference of this Review require us to make recommendations on the future organisation and management of the Fire Service generally. This report is not just about pay nor is it designed to replace the pay negotiations. It is a wide-ranging remit to cover in a short time. We have been greatly assisted not only by the evidence provided directly to us but also by the large number of reviews and reports on the Fire Service over the last twenty-five years. They provided a guide not only to the issues and problems but also in many cases to the answers. We have been able to set out a comprehensive and coherent vision for the Fire Service of the future and the reforms needed to achieve it. But what will really make the difference this time is putting those reforms into practice. This is a challenge which must not be evaded again.

1.1

This Review was launched by the Government on 20 September 2002 to consider the issues facing the Fire Service. The proposal for a review was put forward by the Fire Service employers in the course of discussions at the negotiating body for Fire Service pay, the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades. The Government decided that such a review would be helpful. But this Review is not just about pay nor is it part of our role to take over pay negotiations which properly belong elsewhere.

1.2

Our Terms of Reference are as follows: Having regard to the changing and developing role of the Fire Service in the United Kingdom, to inquire into and make recommendations on the future organisation and management of the Fire Service to:

· enable it to undertake the full range of responsibilities that are appropriate to it;

· enable it to respond effectively to all the operational demands which may be placed upon it;

· enable the responsibilities of the Fire Service to be delivered with optimum efficiency and effectiveness.

In the context of the above, such recommendations should include considerations as to:

· the pay levels and conditions of service that are appropriate taking full account of the wider context of pay arrangements, levels and their affordability across the economy;

· the most appropriate arrangements for determining future pay and conditions of service of whole-time firefighters, retained firefighters, voluntary firefighters and fire control room staff.

The final report will be published by the Review Group and will apply to the whole of the UK.

1.3

We had as our starting point the long list of reports and reviews of all or parts of the Fire Service which have been produced over the last twenty-five years. These identified many of the issues and questions that this Review would need to tackle. They even identified many of the answers. Although this review was conducted very quickly, we were able to reach some firm conclusions because of the strong body of earlier work supported by the evidence we received, most of it displaying a uniform view of the urgent need for change.

1.4

We were dismayed to find, however, that earlier reviews had not led to sustained progress towards a modern Fire Service. We have been impressed by the quality service the Fire Service gives to the community and by the readiness of individuals, local politicians, some fire authorities, officers and firefighters themselves to grasp new opportunities and to tackle overdue reforms. But improvements in the performance of the Service are being achieved despite, rather than because of, its organisation, its structure and even its underpinning legislative authority. None of these is adequate to meet the full range of demands currently placed upon the Service by the local community, let alone the demands which may emerge in future.

Government action will flow from the response to the consultative process. The aim is to develop a comprehensive and coherent fire policy which is fitted to our needs. We invite you to participate in that task.

Lord Belstead, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, of the Fire Policy Review of 1980

1.5

In this report we attempt to set out a comprehensive and coherent vision for the Fire Service of the future and the reforms that need to be made to achieve this objective. In Chapter 2 we set out how we went about our work and in Chapter 3 we describe what we found. Chapter 4 provides an overview of what we think the future Fire Service will look like and what this will mean for all those involved, from Ministers to firefighters. In Chapters 5 to 11 we examine in more detail what needs to change and which reforms can deliver that change. We turn to the issue of implementation in Chapter 12.

1.6

We believe that the service we describe will be able to meet current and future challenges flexibly; to offer challenging and wellrewarded work to a wide range of staff; and to respond to the need for continuous improvements in performance whether through working with others or spreading good practice. But the merits of our vision will count for nothing if what we propose is not put into practice.

1.7

In response to a widely expressed desire for the Review to make its views available to the pay negotiations then under way, we produced a position paper on 11 November 2002 which set out the views that we had reached at that time. It included proposals for implementation involving clear timescales and a review process to check that negotiations were leading to action. We echo these proposals in Chapter 12 of this report.

The agenda for change is substantial and demanding. Not to take action, however, would place the service in the line of fire.

Audit Commission, 1995

1.8

We can only make recommendations; it is for others to bring them to life. That challenge has been evaded many times in the past. For the sake of the Fire Service, the firefighters who are its bedrock, the community they serve and the taxpayers, this opportunity to create a modern and effective Fire Service fit for the 21st century must now be seized.

Extract from `The Bain Report' - "The Future of the Fire Service": reducing risk, saving lives - Published: 16 December 2002

Extract from `The Bain Report'

Risk and community fire safety

The work on risk-based fire cover should be taken forward through a series of incremental steps as follows: (paragraph 5.12)

· Government should give fire authorities the power to deploy resources differently from the present requirements.

· Government should instruct each fire authority to develop a Risk Management Plan that will save more lives and provide better value for money.

· Fire authorities should be required to consult their communities and key stakeholders in the preparation of their plans.

· Chief officers should be empowered to implement their authority's plan (paragraph 5.12)

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister should issue the necessary guidance to implement a risk-based approach to fire cover as a matter of urgency. (paragraph 5.19)

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister should amend or remove Section 19 of the 1947 Fire Services Act as soon as possible. (paragraph 5.20)

The Government should legislate to put the Fire Service on a new statutory basis. (paragraph 5.23)

The Government should commit itself to submit an annual report to Parliament on the Fire Service. (paragraph 5.23)

The Government should put in hand the work necessary to produce new options for the Fire Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) linked to the role of the future Service and its restated objectives so that a new formula can be introduced for 2006/07 and earlier if possible. (paragraph 5.25)

The role of central and local government

A new body should replace the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council (CFBAC) for England and Wales. (paragraph 6.8)

The existing local government performance management framework should be used to set national priorities for the Fire Service, more specifically: (paragraph 6.12)

· National priorities for the Fire Service should reflect what it could contribute in the context of the Shared Priorities agreed with local government.

· The national Public Service Agreement (PSA) or Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) should articulate more clearly what national government expects of all fire authorities.

· In the light of forthcoming best value and performance improvement guidance, fire authorities should consider how Best Value reviews can help to address whether existing services are the most efficient and effective means of meeting the needs of users and the wider community.

· Government should discuss with the Audit Commission and the Accounts Commission an assessment process for fire authorities, building on lessons from the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) process.

As a matter of priority, the Government should establish a strategic-level, high capability co-ordination infrastructure to deal with New Dimension work. (paragraph 6.16)

All fire authorities which retain separate control rooms should be required to demonstrate to the Audit Commission and the Accounts Commission that their retention is likely to be cost effective against national performance standards. (paragraph 6.17)

Collaboration and co-operation should embrace the following topics:

· introducing common training standards and reducing training and other facilities duplicated within or across brigades;

· making more use of the facilities of local colleges of further education;

· coordinating procurement, including timetables, sharing and using best practice;

· developing operational policies and strategies to deal with the New Dimension;

· sharing experience in rolling out the reform agenda, particularly in human resources;

· sharing best practice in management;

· developing local strategic partnerships. (paragraph 6.21)

Brigades should investigate the potential for developing First Responder Partnerships. (paragraph 6.26)

The Local Government Association and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities should take steps to develop the contribution of elected members on fire authorities and to ensure that they give stronger leadership in the future. (paragraph 6.28)

Implementation and management policy

The Fire Service College should provide the focus for developing new thinking required for the Fire Service. (paragraph 7.11)

In future, the Fire Service Inspectorates should concentrate on two main functions. First, the new bodies should provide the resources to support implementation of the reform programme across the UK Fire Service.

Second, as part of the ongoing process of reform, the Inspectorates should maintain close and detailed contact with individual brigades to identify best practice and any emerging implementation problems, and to ensure that local implementation remains consistent with the wider national vision. (paragraph 7.16-7.17)

The Audit Commission, the Accounts Commission and the Northern Ireland Audit Office should be invited to take all inspection of the Fire Service. (paragraph 7.18)

There should be a new collective body to act as a forum to discuss the practical implementation of policy changes and operational reforms. (paragraph 7.19)

The reshaped Inspectorates should engage with brigades individually to produce a series of action plans to deliver the ODPM's targets of 7 per cent minority ethnic communities and 15 per cent women by 2009. (paragraph 7.49)

A programme of improved human resources management including appropriate training, should be required from all brigades and be monitored regularly. (paragraph 7.59)

To reinforce the concept of the fire brigade as a single service, we recommend that brigades review the roles of their support staff and ensure they are brought into the new IPDS structure. (paragraph 7.62)

Pay

There should be a first payment of 4 per cent across the board, backdated to November 2002, once there is agreement to enter substantive negotiations on reform.

The paybill should increase from November 2003 by 7 per cent, provided that the total reform programme has been agreed by that date, and implementation is on track, as verified at a national and local level by the independent audit process. The paybill increase should be linked to the introduction of a new reward structure with the flexibility to offer payments for specialist skills within the overall paybill package.

The total pay increase, which should mean that average pay will rise by about 11 per cent, should be conditional on delivery of the full reform package. Given the interdependency of the reforms we have set out it is not possible to subdivide the reform package and take some measures, but not others.

Once the reform package has been agreed, and implementation is on track as verified at both national and local level, employers and unions may wish to agree to a formal uprating mechanism, based on a formula arrangement to provide for annual uplifts in subsequent years. This is a matter for the two parties. If a formula is agreed, the frequency of any payments under such an agreement will be for negotiation and should depend on how fast reform proceeds and how quickly it can produce savings to finance any further increase.

Subject to resources being available, we suggest there should also be scope for individual authorities to agree local additions to pay to address local problems which cannot be dealt with by the main pay system. (paragraph 8.22)

Middle managers should have their own reward structure and terms and conditions, ones based on similar principles to those of the main pay group. (paragraph 8.44)

A significant proportion of uniformed officers should come from outside the Service to help broaden the Service. (paragraph 8.48)

Pensions

The Government should take action within the next six months on changes that can be accomplished within the existing scheme including broadening the definition of a `regular' firefighter and strengthening the provisions for independent medical advice. (paragraph 9.11)

The Government should address the longerterm future of the Firefighters' Pension Scheme and take early decisions to ensure that suitable arrangements are provided for the new, reformed Fire Service. (paragraph 9.12)

The Government should investigate forms which pension provision for retained staff should take.
(paragraph 9.15)

We recommend that revised financing arrangements are implemented without delay. This would probably involve employers paying contributions assessed on the basis of a notional fund but without insulating employers from the costs of early/ill health retirements. (paragraph 9.18)

Conditions of service

The Grey Book should be amended to simplify nationally determined conditions of service to four core areas: pay, total hours, overall ranks and basic leave. (paragraph 10.10)

There should continue to be a disputes procedure but its scope should be more limited. (paragraph 10.10)

The terms in which the core conditions of service are defined must allow managers to propose and seek to agree locally:

· shift patterns that fit with demand

· different crewing levels at different times of day

· mixed crewing of appliances by whole-time and retained firefighters

· arrangements for staff to move more easily between fire stations, different fire authorities, specialist areas and functions according to national and local requirements

· arrangements for overtime working

· diversity objectives and monitoring

· approval for taking second jobs

· up to date working environment

· family-friendly working practices (paragraph 10.12)

Some firefighters should be trained as `first on the scene co-responders' which would give them basic life support skills including training in the use of automated defibrillators. (paragraph 10.16)

The Appointments and Promotion Regulations should be repealed and replaced with a set of core requirements which local procedures must meet. (paragraph 10.19)

The Discipline Regulations should be repealed and be replaced by a system based on modern good practice.

The ACAS Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievances Procedures would be a good basis for such a system. (paragraph 10.22)

The National Joint Council should be replaced by a smaller body, with executive authority to negotiate and the experience and skills to do so. (paragraph 10.25)

Retained firefighters

Retained firefighters should be included in IPDS; they should be trained to the same standard so that they provide a resource interchangeable with that of whole-time firefighters. (paragraph 11.14)

The retained firefighters need to be properly integrated into the full-time service, including direct retained input into brigade management. This means:

· retained firefighters should be remunerated at the same hourly rate as whole-time firefighters whether they continue under the present terms and conditions or not.

· they should be trained to the same standard as whole-time firefighters and have sufficient work, subject to demand, and where circumstances permit, to enable them to maintain their skills.

· the medical standards applied to the recruitment of retained firefighters should be the same as those applied to wholetime firefighters.

· they should have the opportunity to work on a more consistent part-time basis, with a fixed time commitment.

· senior managers should have the opportunity to create roles other than firefighting on a retained basis, such as community fire safety and control room operations.

· retained firefighters should be able to apply for positions above Station Officer, though we recognise that this could probably only be done on a part-time rather than traditional retained basis.

· whole-time firefighters should be able to undertake retained roles if they wish. (paragraph 11.18)

Implementing reform

A body should be charged with drawing up a business plan showing which reforms are to be undertaken by whom and by what date; designing a process for tracking delivery; and reporting to Ministers. (paragraph 12.12)

Executive Summary

Extract from `The Bain Report' - "The Future of the Fire Service": reducing risk, saving lives - Published: 16 December 2002

1

The Fire Service is a professional body deserving much credit for its performance. It has a well-deserved place in the nation's esteem. Localised responses to emergencies are working well, but it is a sad fact that too many people in this country die in fires and the number of fires is currently increasing each year. This cannot be right. Urgent action is required to make things better. We were aware when we began our work that there had been a number of reviews of the fire service over recent years. Most of the recommendations of these reviews have centred around the need for modernisation and flexibility. So we were not surprised to find that, in the discussions that we had with fire authorities,fire brigade staff, local authorities, government and all levels of stake-holders, the same message came through. What is required is a new approach to protecting people from the incidence of fire.

Earlier studies

2

Notwithstanding the clear recipes for change which came from earlier studies, it was equally clear that progress had been disappointingly small. There are many reasons for this, but most important is that there has been a lack of leadership throughout the service at the political, institutional and operational levels. This problem has persisted for many years.

Setting the policy for the United Kingdom

3

We therefore conclude that a fresh approach is required. This must start with a lead from the Government. There needs to be a new policy-making body, led by Ministers in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. This needs to set a framework, making clear what the Government requires from the Fire Service; the ways in which the Service should be modernised; and, critically, the way in which the Service has to reposition itself so that it concentrates its efforts on reducing and managing the risk of fire rather than responding to incidents.

New approach: community fire safety

4

A radically different approach is required. The focus at present is on fire authorities and brigades being able to react quickly to fires when they occur. And this has achieved some success, although the number of fires is still increasing. What is needed now is a system to tackle the problem before fire starts. The new emphasis must be on the prevention of fire, rather than the methods of dealing with fire after it has started. The approach should be grounded in community fire safety; the Fire Service has to engage more with the community to prevent fire.

Current arrangements out of date

5

The system for deploying the people and resources of the Fire Service was put in place decades ago; it was designed to meet different threats in different circumstances. The emphasis was on putting out fires in buildings. What is needed now is a system which deploys the resources of people and equipment so they are prepared to deal with the most likely risks of fire in the most cost-effective way, using an approach based on the management of risk which recognises that people move around. Local fire authorities must determine the most appropriate ways of managing the risks. This new approach should enable resources - people, machines and, in some cases, fire stations - to be re-deployed to best effect. And it should be possible to move more resources into fire prevention - community fire safety and fire safety enforcement. In turn, this should help reduce the existing level of fires. This new approach can be put in place immediately. But new primary legislation is also needed to put the Fire Service on a proper, modern basis.

6

There are cogent arguments in favour of moving the Fire Service onto a regional structure. New responsibilities are emerging, such as the need to deal with major terrorist incidents. These are best handled above brigade level. We do not, however, favour a major re-organisation at the moment; the Fire Service will already have a major programme of change to handle. But brigades should increasingly work together where it is clear that increased efficiencies and economies could result. Brigades should also work more closely with others in their community, for example, to provide `co-responder' assistance to medical emergencies. The Service must increasingly recognise that the people and other resources are there to serve the community across a wide range of activities.

Devolved administrations

7

We have been briefed by the Fire Services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And we have discussed with them the changes we are proposing. The three devolved administrations agree with the thrust of our proposals, although each has, understandably, its own concerns as to the pace of change and potential costs.

New institutions

8

The new structure for making policy needs to be complemented by new institutions within the Fire Service. There needs to be clarity of purpose and a culture which fosters organic change. The Fire Service College is already engaged in a major programme of reform. This must be seen through. The College should also become the focus for developing the new thinking required by the Service. The Fire Service Inspectorate should become a major engine for change, and play a critical part in driving through the reforms we propose. It will need to keep in close contact with brigades. In order that it can take on this work, it should cease the routine work of inspection. Given the pivotal role played by the Audit Commission in England and Wales (and comparable organisations in the devolved administrations) in Best Value and other work with local authorities, we believe that these bodies will be well placed to take on the work.

Chief officers

9

Individual chief officers will have weightier responsibilities under a risk-management approach to fire cover. They will need to engage closely with their fire authorities in taking the work forward. The authorities themselves will need to be prepared to give a greater degree of political support. At the strategic level, there is a need for a new forum to be engaged in policy development, bringing together chief fire officers and central and local government. Taken together, these bodies should create a powerful engine for change.

Human resource problems

10

Personnel policy, procedures and practices in the Fire Service give cause for concern. Despite clear policies from management and the FBU in favour of diversity, in practice only lip-service is paid to it. Harassment and bullying are still too prevalent. The leadership must recognise that urgent action is required. An improved programme of HR management must be put in place as a matter of priority. The work on the introduction of the new Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) gives a framework for this improvement programme. But the programme itself will not be a substitute for real effort by management at all levels to tackle the problems. There is much that is good and commendable about the Fire Service; it now needs to meet new challenges in how it organises and manages itself.

Pay

11

We have considered the pay of the Fire Service. Chapter 8 sets out the detail of our findings. We engaged the services of consultants experienced in dealing with these matters. Comparing pay with people doing jobs with similar sorts of weight in the public and private sectors, and taking into account evidence of market rates, we did not find a case for an increase in pay for firefighters and control room staff. But on the basis of large-scale changes along the lines we recommend, where new career paths are opened up and new skills are displayed, there is a case for the introduction of a new reward structure.

12

Under the new structure, average levels of pay should be higher when the programme of reform has been delivered. When substantial negotiations on reform begin, we propose a first payment of 4 per cent, backdated to November 2002; and a paybill increase of 7 per cent could be made from November 2003 provided that the total reform programme has been agreed by that date and implementation is on track as verified by an independent audit process. We believe that the cost will be more than outweighed by the savings which will result from the reforms we have proposed.

13

There needs to be a new pay structure based around IPDS to encourage and enable mobility and flexibility as key features. The system should be competence-based. As for the future, we believe it would be in the interests of all to negotiate a multi-year settlement. We recognise that employers and union may wish to agree a formal uprating mechanism based on a formula, once the reform package has been agreed and implementation is on track.

Senior staff

14

There needs to be change in the arrangements for senior staff. Officers will have increased responsibility to shoulder. They need more training in general and personnel management. They need to broaden their expertise and there should be increased use of external training. A proportion of officers should come from outside the Service.

Pensions

15

The Firefighters' Pension Scheme is inflexible. It does not accommodate a diverse workforce or working patterns. As presently managed, it encourages too many staff to leave early on medical grounds. The scheme is costly, both to employers and employees, and is poor value for money for the taxpayers. Although some short-term changes can be made, a comprehensive modernisation is required.

Conditions of service

16

Changes are also required to crewing, shift patterns and other aspects of day to day working. The `Grey Book' which sets out conditions of service needs to be amended to contain only core conditions which must be laid down centrally. Managers should be free to manage other conditions, locally, such as flexible shift patterns, part-time working, and different crewing trends at different time of day. The Appointments and Promotion Regulations should similarly be reduced to a set of core national requirements. Discipline regulations should be replaced with a system based on the Arbitration, Conciliation and Advisory Service (ACAS) Code of Practice. The current national negotiating arrangements should be replaced.

Retained firefighters

17

The relationship between retained firefighters and their whole-time counterparts must be modernised to remove the implication of a separate second-class and to allow retained firefighters to play their full part in protecting the local community. They should be paid the same hourly rate as their whole-time colleagues and have the same medical and training standards so that they can be fully interchangeable. Whole-time firefighters should be able to undertake retained roles if they wish.

Implementing reform

18

Modernisation is long overdue. The challenge is great. Action is required to legislate for the changes; to negotiate alterations in terms and conditions of service; and to plan detailed local implementation plans and a new audit regime. The key to change will be the move to a risk-based approach to the provision of fire cover. A new body will be required to draw up a business plan to take this work forward. It will need to allocate tasks, responsibilities and timescales.

19

Taken together, the proposals for risk-based fire cover, better management of human resources, better co-operation between brigades and other economies should allow the pay award being recommended to be self-financing.

20

The programme of reform will require increased flexibility from all involved, particularly all levels of management. From the information available and discussion with chief fire officers, we believe that the changes we are recommending can be accomplished without the need for compulsory redundancies.

21

With clear vision, commitment and leadership, the programme of reform is achievable. The prizes are considerable, including a better service for the public and a more rewarding career for the men and women in the Service. Most of all, the package of reforms should save lives.

Dir.fin: HFRA 5 2 2003 Review of Fire Service