Archived decisions

AT A MEETING of the HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY PERSONNEL COMMITTEE held at Hampshire Fire Brigade Headquarters, Eastleigh on Wednesday 4 February 2004.

PRESENT

Councillors: G. Semmens (Chairman); Mrs. A.E. Bailey; R. Baulk; K. Chapman; P. Galton; D.A. Kirk; R. McIntosh; K.P.J. Searle.

116 APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors E.F. Gale MBE, Mrs D. Harrison and D. Horne.

117 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting, they should, normally at the time of the debate, declare their interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the Fire Authority's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed.

    Councillor D. A. Kirk declared a personal interest in Minute No. 119 below as a Trustee of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and remained in the meeting and voted thereon.

118 MINUTES

    The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 December, 2003 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, subject to the correction of a spelling error in a Members name.

119 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PENSION SCHEME (LGPS) - DISCRETIONARY POWERS ON THE OCCASION OF REDUNDANCY AND/OR EARLY RETIREMENT

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Fire Officer (Item 5 in the Minute Book) detailing the requirements of the Local Government (Discretionary Payment) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and sought Members' views on the policy to be adopted and published by the Authority. In addition, the report informed Members of the requirements of the LGPS 1997 and sought Members' views on the policies to be adopted and published by the Authority.

RESOLVED:

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Authority to agree to the following discretionary powers under the Local Government (Discretionary Payment) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and the LGPS Regulations 1997.

1

Efficiency of Service

1.1

To award added years or buy service (depending on case merit) up to a maximum of six and two third years (not ten as available) in accordance with the scale in 16 (3), for those over 50 years of age.

1.2

Not to award a single lump sum payment of up to 66 weeks pay as an alternative to added years or buying service in the LGPS.

1.3

Not to award added years to employee's not in LGPS.

2

Redundancy (Voluntary and Enforced)

2.1

To make redundancy payments calculated on the employee's actual pay.

2.2

Not to use increased redundancy compensation up to a maximum of 66 weeks for employees aged 18 or over but under 50 years with two years service.

2.3

To award added years up to a maximum of six and two thirds (not 10 as available) or buy service (depending on case merit) to employees over 50 years of age in accordance with the scale in 16 (3).

2.4

Not to award a single lump sum of up to 66 weeks pay as an alternative to added years or buying service in the LGPS.

2.5

Not to award added years to employees not in LGPS.

2.6

Not to award employees over 50 with between one and five years local government service, up to 20 weeks redundancy pay.

3

Early Retirement Employee request

To consider early retirement requests on their merits and costs, for leavers between ages 50 and 60.

4

Early Retirement on Compassionate Grounds

To consider early retirement requests on their merits for past and present employees over 50 on compassionate grounds without reduction of benefits under the schemes 85 year Rule.

5

Augmentation of service for a new scheme member

Not to award extra periods of membership for new LGPS members.

6

Augmentation of Service for a Retiring Scheme Member

Not to grant extra period of membership in LGPS to retiring scheme members aged over 50 except in cases of redundancy and efficiency of the service as an alternative to awarding `added years'.

7

Counting Service before 6 April 1998 for Widowers Pension

To allow eligible women to count service from 1 April 1972 to enable an equalization of benefits for the spouses of male and female contributors to LGPS.

8

Reducing a Pension whilst a pensioner is re-employed

8.1

To reduce or suspend added years pensions for ex HFRS employees during re-employment in a job which is eligible for the LGPS and total income from new pay and pension exceeds final pay.

8.2

To reduce added years benefits following a period of re-employment subject to the LGPS to ensure total benefits at age 65 are not more than would have been payable if the first employment had not been lost.

9

Reducing an employee's contribution after 40 years service

To waive employee pension contribution for employees requesting it upon completion of 40 years LGPS membership and while they are not accruing additional benefits.

10

Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions (SCAVC)

Not to contribute to a SCAVC scheme.

11

Effective date of implementation

To apply benefits to all employee terminations from 1 January 2004.

12

Delegated Powers

To give delegated powers to the Chief Fire Officer, Deputy Chief Fire Officers in

liaison with the Director of Corporate Services, to agree benefits under recommendations 1 to 11 above.

120 TRAINING STRATEGY FOR CREW AND WATCH MANAGER INTEGRATED PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM (IPDS) DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

    The Committee considered the report of the Chief Fire Officer (Item 6 in the Minute Book) setting out a training strategy to ensure the training and development of staff was compliant with the principles of IPDS.

    The Committee were informed that the Fire Service College had undergone significant changes in the format and style of Training and Development in order to be compliant with IPDS. The Fire Service College was recognised as the best provider for operational and specialist aspects of service delivery, however it was considered that external training providers were more suited to the management training needs of the Fire Service. At the date of the meeting, discussions were ongoing with two external providers in order to meet the specific requirements of the Fire Service and at the same time to deliver value for money.

    RESOLVED:

    That the training strategy as outlined in the report, be endorsed.

121 REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT AUDITORS REPORT ON SICKNESS ATTENDANCE MANAGEMENT

    The Committee considered the report of the Chief Fire Officer (Item 7 in the Minute Book refers) detailing progress made in relation to the report produced by the then District Audit in July 2003 entitled Sickness Attendance Management.

    Good progress had been made in addressing the issues raised in the original report and action plan and the Committee were advised that the Best Value Performance Indicators for the quarter ending December, 2003 were on target for working days lost to sickness absence for `whole time uniformed staff' and `all staff'.

    RESOLVED:

    That the progress report on the District Audit report of Sickness Attendance Management be noted.

122 PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENTS RESTRUCTURE

    The Committee considered the report of the Chief Fire Officer (Item 8 in the Minute Book) detailing the approach taken to provide a modern Human Resource (HR) service to meet the demands of the modernisation programme.

    RESOLVED:

    That the approach taken to refocus and restructure the Personnel Department to meet future needs of modernisation and legislation, be endorsed.

123 EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

    RESOLVED:

    That, by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public were excluded from the meeting for the following item of business.

124 RETIREMENT OF THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER (CONFIDENTIAL)

    The Committee considered the confidential report of the Clerk to the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority (Item 10 in the Minute Book) concerning the proposed retirement of the Chief Fire Officer, as set out in the report.

    [SUMMARY OF A MINUTE WHICH CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION]