Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Item 12

26 May 2004

Audit Commission Verification Study: Fire and Rescue Service Modernisation and Pay and Conditions Agreement

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

Contact:

David Howells, Director of Corporate Services

Tel: 023 8064 4000 Ext 203

1

Introduction

1.1

Members will recall that implementation of Stages 2 and 3 of the firefighters' pay award was subject to satisfactory progress being made by fire and rescue authorities on implementing various aspects of the modernisation and agreement at national level on revised conditions of service And agreement at national level on revised conditions of service. The Audit Commission is engaged in conducting a `Verification Study' of at local level progress at local level.

1.2

The Study is being carried out in two phases: each requires authorities to carry out a self-assessment of its progress to modernisation. This is followed by an on-site review by our local external auditors that includes a number of interviews with leading members, senior managers, trades unions officials, and a representative cross-section of personnel from different areas of the Service.

2

Phase 1

2.1

Phase 1 of the Study was completed in early March 2004 and attached to this report are copies of:

· Extracts from the Audit Commission's (Phase 1) National Report dated March 2004 - Sections 1 and 3 only (Appendix 1).

· The Audit Commission's (Phase 1) Local Report on Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority excluding Appendix 8 `Action Plan' (Appendix 2)

· This Authority's response and Action Plan to the Phase 1 Report (Appendix 3).

2.2

Following a national moderation exercise of all the local reports, Members will note that, in common with several other authorities, "little progress" has been made in reviewing and implementing changes in the areas of pre-planned overtime, duty systems, part-time working and other conditions of service. "Some progress" was the assessment given in all other areas. The (Phase 1) Action Plan (see Appendix 3) sets out how the Authority intends to make progress on all areas from now on.

3

Phase 2

3.1

Phase 2 of the Study is already underway. The Self Assessment pro-forma was received on 30 April and has to be completed and returned to out local auditors by 28 May. A draft version of the Self Assessment will be circulated and presented at the meeting of the Authority. (Unfortunately, because of the very short timescales given to complete the assessment, it will not be possible to issue the document prior to the meeting.)

3.2

We have been notified that the on-site fieldwork will commence on 1 June. It is anticipated that the Auditors will again want to interview a cross section of senior managers, personnel (and their representatives) and some Members of the Authority. It is therefore important that all Members of the Authority are fully aware of what is expected under the modernisation agenda and this Authority's plans and actions for implementing and achieving good progress. It is clear that the auditors will be expecting to see more evidence of costed options for modernizing the service that are clearly linked to medium-term financial and business plans.

4

`From Strength to Strength'

4.1

At the meeting, Members will be shown a video produced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) entitled `From Strength to Strength'. This video is an indication of determination and importance that the Government is placing on achieving modernisation in the fire and rescue service.

5

The Authority's vision for modernisation

Leading Members continue to be actively involved - through the joint member/officer 'Corporate Management Team' - in driving the strategic direction of modernisation and, in particular, the Authority's Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). This vision for the future of the fire and rescue service in Hampshire can be summarised as follows:

To make Hampshire safer by:

· shifting our focus from intervention to prevention and protection;

· taking a flexible approach to risk so that our resources can be targeted and deployed where need is greatest;

· widening the scope of what we can do to improve public safety and civil resilience;

· working in partnership with other fire and rescue authorities and organisations, particularly on a regional basis, to improve both the quality and efficiency of service delivery to the public;

· seeking to reflect within our work force and engaging with all sectors of the community that we serve.

6

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

6.1

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 report be noted.

2

That the Authority re-affirms its commitment to modernisation of the Service as set out in the vision statement in paragraph 5.1 of 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.

· Full version of National Report by the Audit Commission on the "Verification of the Progress of Modernisation in the Fire and Rescue Service in England and Wales" (March 2004)

http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/NATIONAL-REPORT/4A3B3DC5-D050-420d-B5A1-88954EE4F92A/Fire_verification_report.pdf

NB The list excludes:

1 Published works

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

File ref: Secretarial/WP/Word/Corporate/HFRA: HFRA 26 5 04 Verification Work

DCH/JMW/18/5/2004

Appendix 1

Extracts from the Audit Commission's (Phase 1) National Report - Sections 1 and 2.

Appendix 2

The Audit Commission's (Phase 1) Local Report on Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Appendix 3

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services's response and Action Plan to the Phase 1 report.