Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 12

15 September 2004

Audit Commission Verification Exercise II

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: John Bonney, Chief Fire Officer - 023 8062 6830

1

Summary

1.1

This report updates members on the Audit Commission report on the Service's Verification phase II inspection. The report includes the Commission's recommendations which will form the basis of the Service's action plan.

2

Introduction

2.1

Members will be aware that the June 2003 pay agreement included a number of staged increases in pay for grey book staff. These payments were dependent on significant progress having been made locally implementing the modernisation programme and on a nationally agreed revised grey book. This progress was to be independently verified by the Audit Commission who were tasked with conducting inspections in all Fire and Rescue Services. Audit Commission Inspectors were to assess the extent to which the Service had plans to or had, in fact, implemented changes across a wide range of pay and conditions issues including:

1

Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP)

2

Rank-to-Role Transition

3

Integrated Personal Development System (IPDS)

4

Overtime

5

Duty Systems

6

Part-time working

7

Modernisation Agenda

8

Financial Diagnostic

3

Report

3.1

The first verification inspection took place in February 2004.and was reported to the Authority in May 2004. At the time Hampshire had been judged to have overall made some progress - deemed as amber in the then 3-point scale.

3.2

The Service has subsequently been re-inspected by the Audit Commission (in June 2004) against the same criteria (with the inclusion of a financial diagnostic). However, this time there was a clear expectation that tangible evidence of changes being implemented would be required rather than just intentions or plans.

3.3

This time a 4-point scale has been introduced with a new category of amber-plus signifying `reasonable progress'. I am pleased to report that Hampshire has improved it's rating from amber to amber-plus. Noticeably the Service has now gained 2 green assessments in IPDS and Part-time working with the remaining areas classified as amber. In February the Service had only red and amber assessments. This indicates Hampshire has particular strengths in Human Resources where we have clear strategies.

3.4

Significantly whilst the verification inspection is limited in scope it is an evidence based process similar to the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, due to commence for Fire and Rescue Services in Spring 2005. The Commission has already made it clear they will be using the reports of the phase II process as the starting point for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

3.5

Clearly the Authority and Service cannot afford to be complacent and specific issues needing improvement have been raised (See appendix 1). These recommendations fall into three broad areas. The first being communications both with staff and between elected members. Communications is identified as crucial to ensure genuine stakeholder engagement and, therefore, I would draw members attention to a number of recommendations which relate to their own role.

3.6

Secondly, whilst considerable progress has been made in terms of business planning, the structure of the IRMP and plans which underpin it need further development. Finally, the recommendations call for more detailed financial analysis of the costs and benefits to be derived from the whole modernisation process. This latter point created some difficulty given that a final agreement on national conditions of service has only just been achieved. Work is now underway to clarify and refine the cost associated with the change process.

4

Action Plan Production

4.1

The Service has now begun to develop an action plan in response to the Audit Commission's recommendations. In order to expedite this work the intention is for the Corporate Management Team to give initial endorsement; so that progress is not delayed. The final action plan together with details of work completed will then be brought to the Authority meeting on Wednesday 8 December 2004.

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

1

That the Authority notes the Audit Commission's Verification Report (July 2004)

2

The Authority endorses the approach of the Chief Officer to develop and implement an action plan.

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.

Audit Commission Verification Report July 2004

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

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