Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item

11 February 2004

National Draft Framework: Response to Consultation Exercise

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact: John Bonney, Deputy Chief Fire Officer - Tel: 02380 626837

1

Introduction

1.1

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has recently issued a `Draft Fire and Rescue Service National Framework' document which sets out the Government's objectives for the Fire and Rescue Service and what fire and rescue authorities and other stakeholders should do to achieve the Government's expectations. These expectations will undoubtedly be central to shaping the basis of Comprehensive Performance Assessment for the fire and rescue service.

1.2

The Framework is described as a `contract' in which the Government is committed to delivering its support to fire and rescue authorities and is about a partnership approach to delivering services.

1.3

Consultation on the draft with key stakeholders, is to be concluded by 12 March 2004. Views are also sought on proposals to amend Best Value performance indicators within the consultation period.

1.4

Coincidentally, and as part of the modernisation agenda, the Government has introduced its Fire and Rescue Services Bill. This provides an updated statutory basis for fire and rescue authorities recognising the importance of prevention and new challenges and responsibilities such as civil protection. New institutions have also been established (Practitioners' Forum, Business Community Forum) to give key stakeholders a clear role and effective voice in policy making. Alongside this, there is an enhanced capacity within the ODPM to drive forward reform and to monitor progress.

2

Outline of the Draft National Framework

2.1

Three principal objectives are described in the Framework as follows:

-

to provide clarity about the outcomes and objectives the Government wants to be achieved.

-

to set out what the Government expects Fire and Rescue Authorities and Regional Management Boards to do in order to meet these objectives.

-

to explain what the Government will do to support Fire and Rescue Authorities and Regional Management Boards to meet these objectives.

2.2

The Framework is divided into the following 9 chapters:

1.

Risk Management and Prevention. Work to prevent fires and manage risk, including the development of Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs) with the emphasis is on responding to local circumstances and the profile of risk.

2.

Working Together - The Regional Approach. The basis on which fire and rescue authorities should work together through Regional Management Boards (RMB), i.e. on resilience, specialist and common services, control rooms, procurement, training and human resources.

3.

Effective Response. Providing an effective response when incidents do occur, in terms of mutual assistance deployment and use of resources, fire investigation and contingency planning.

4.

Resilience and New Dimension. Setting out the strategy for responding to the new terrorist threat and other major natural or man-made disasters.

5.

Fire and Rescue Staff. Dealing with the effective management of staff, including the important issues of fairness, equality and diversity.

6.

Workforce Development. The implementation of the Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS) and training provision.

7.

Finance. The funding by central Government and financial management issues.

8.

Effective Performance Management. Best Value and progress towards the introduction of Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

9.

Research. Outlines the Government's strategy on research.

2.3

The individual chapters address the Government's objectives and what they will do to help, and the actions to be undertaken by fire and rescue authorities and Regional Management Boards' contribution to the partnership and collaboration.

3

Points for Consideration

3.1

Members will be aware that Integrated Risk Management Plans are expected to provide the justification on which future provision of services will be based. Given that these plans are predicated on a local assessment of risk, there remain fundamental tensions between the local focus of the IRMP and the thrust for economies of scale to be achieved through the regionalisation of certain activities.

3.2

Chapter 2 of the Framework discusses the regional dimension, including the functions of the Regional Management Boards. The six key areas of regional responsibility (as previously identified in the White Paper `Our Fire and Rescue Service') are reinforced alongside the work expected on Regional Control Rooms.

3.3

In Chapters 5 and 6, fire and rescue authorities are advised to examine and question the modern-day suitability of the `one-size' shift pattern and to consider more flexible working patterns including opportunities to introduce and/or expand, part-time working arrangements to best meet local needs and to increase the attractiveness of careers in the fire and rescue service to currently under-represented groups in the community. Regional Management Boards are seen as a key instrument in developing and determining human resource and equality strategies, with performance management being supported through the introduction of stretching targets for improvement.

3.4

The adoption and implementation of the IPDS is a critical component of managing, developing and supporting staff and all fire and rescue authorities are advised to have in place, robust systems to support IPDS and to ensure managers are properly trained to implement this change of approach to workforce development, which is competence based and provides a system of development targeted specifically at the needs of the individual.

3.5

In Chapter 7, the Government recognises that changes under the modernisation programme and the associated agreement on pay and conditions of service will have significant financial ramifications. There will be increased costs to fund the pay award and potentially some aspects of the modernisation agenda, i.e. the increased emphasis on prevention. However, the Government believes that substantial savings are also available through better targeting of resources to match risk and through regional collaboration. Overall, it is believed that the costs and savings from these changes should balance across the Spending Review period 2003/04 to 2005/06. Members will be aware transitional funding to offset some of these changes is anticipated in 2004/05.

3.6

Members will doubtless share the concerns (previously raised by CACFOA) that those fire and rescue authorities that have, in previous years, adopted a prudent approach to resource provision and have either made savings or achieved efficiency improvements, are now left with little scope to achieve further major cost-efficiency gains.

3.7

The Draft Framework also lays out (in Chapter 8) the Government's approach to assessing the performance of fire and rescue authorities through Comprehensive Performance Assessment,. Whilst the logic for this approach is undeniable, the timescales for its introduction are incredibly short given the scale of change currently impacting on the fire and rescue service.

4

Conclusion

4.1

The Draft National Framework represents a blueprint for the structure, function and objectives of the fire and rescue service in the future. Much of the recommendations represent eminent good sense and have indeed been advocated by authorities and CACFOA for some considerable time. There are, however, some issues which need further clarification or re-consideration. Perhaps most fundamental is the need for the Government to articulate more clearly its preferred model of a future fire and rescue authority. For the Government to fail to describe with sufficient clarity its long-term vision of what fire and rescue authorities should eventually look like is a critical omission. As a result, there is considerable tension between the local focus of Integrated Risk Management Plans and the regional approach, particularly around fire controls and unified operational protocols. This tension needs to be reconciled. Finally, the timescales are extraordinarily challenging by any standards and, whilst the need for change is undeniable, the likelihood of fundamental errors and missed deadlines occurring is increased because of the over-ambitious timetable.

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.

Recommendation

1

That the Chief Fire Officer, in consultation with leading Members, drafts a response to the consultation exercise which, whilst generally supportive, highlights the issues raised in this report.

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.

The National Framework Report is available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website

www.odpm.gov.uk

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

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

HFRA 11 2 04 National Framework 2 JB/cm/jmw/2/2/2004