Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Human Resources Committee Item 8

21 April 2006

Establishment

Report of the Chief Officer

Contact: T/ACO Charlie House - Head of Human Resources Tel: 023 644000 ext 2346

1

Summary

1.1

This report brings the Committee up to date on the authorised and actual establishment, as of 16 March 2006. This takes account of any efficiency savings or deletions of posts, successful budget bids or variations within the Service's authorised establishment level since previous changes to establishment under delegated powers were reported to the Human Resources Committee on 8 September 2005 and 29 November 2005. This report identifies any further variations across all employee groups within the time period 1 August 2005 to 16 March 2006. Note: The report of 29 November 2005 explained growth bids. This report is in line with previous reports using a tabular format to show post changes.

1.2

The authorised establishment level is defined as the level of establishment approved by the Fire and Rescue Authority

1.3

The actual establishment level over the year is influenced by the planned recruitment to vacancies, difficulties in recruitment and retention; retirements, terminations, resignations, long term absences due to sickness and injury.

2

Recommendations

2.1

That the HR Committee notes the changes to the establishment under the Chief Officer's delegated powers, contained within this report.

3

Establishment Management

3.1

Establishment management is an important aspect of our human resources strategy and workforce planning. It informs our longer term planning for recruitment, assessment and development centre activities, career development and accelerated promotion programmes. Performance management and personal development plans are also influenced by how we manage our establishment.

3.2

The duties and responsibilities of posts within the organisation continue to be reviewed against changing service delivery requirements aligned to the Service's Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP), new legislation and central government initiatives. Notably with effect from 1 April 2006 Waterlooville Fire Station will change from a mixed complement of Wholetime weekday crewed and Retained Duty System employees to a wholly Retained Duty System station. All but 2 Firefighters, engaged on CFS duties, have been redeployed to alternative positions within the county. Establishment changes at Waterlooville will be to delete 1 Station Officer, 1 Sub Officer, 2 Leading Firefighters and 6 Firefighters.

3.3

Following the job evaluation project for Grey Book posts, all Grey Book postholders will shortly receive a new contract of employment and job description based on their role map. A separate briefing paper is to be delivered to the committee by the Project Manager outlining the results and final impact to the Service establishment for Wholetime and Retained Duty System employees. Appropriate mechanisms have been introduced to manage the transitional arrangements for our existing employees who may be adversely affected by any departmental/operational structural changes, or Grey to Green Book role changes. Pay Protection has been implemented for individuals whose `Role' pay scale is initially less than their `Rank' pay scale and priority is being given to these individuals to move to alternative Roles as and when they become vacant.

4

Authorised and Actual Establishment as at 16 March 2006

4.1

The tables below reflect the authorised establishment figures as at 16 March 2006 in different employment groups. Externally/other funded posts are reflected separately where they exist and the actual establishment figures include these externally/other funded posts. Full time equivalent (FTE) posts are indicated where appropriate.

Note: Grey Book posts listed in rank structure as move to role not effective until 1 April 2006 as report written prior to this date.

Wholetime Establishment

Rank

Authorised

Establishment (Head Count)

Externally/Other Funded posts (Head Count)

Actual Establishment

(Head Count)

CO

1

0

1

DCO

2

0

2

ACO

0

0

1 *

SDO

4 **

1

5

DO

15

0

16

ADO

20

2

20

StnO

51

8

52

SubO

96

6

106.5

LFf

97

3

99

Ff

493

3

511

Total

779

23 ****

813.5 ***

(11.5 over establishment)

* SDO (Risk and Safety Management) temporary promotion due to Head of Human Resources vacancy.

** Temporary promotion of a DO due to SDO (Risk and Safety Management) temporary appointment as ACO. Note: Authorised establishment is 4 posts. Due to the temporary promotion and the one externally funded post, the actual establishment shows 5 with the ACO as one over establishment for the temporary period of the promotion.

*** Figures include 35 trainees on January 2006 Firefighter trainee courses.

**** Externally/other funded posts.

Externally/Other Funded Posts Breakdown

The following details posts externally/other funded, the funding source and end date.

Post Title/Area

Funding Source

End Date

SDO Regional Secondment South East HR Partnership

Regional Management Board Funded 9th funded HFRS

13 February 2008

DO internal secondment shift pattern project

Internally funded from modernisation reserve

31 March 2007

DO internal secondment.

Pay and Awards and Retained Evaluation Project

Internally funded from WT Ff vacancies in 2005/2006 and modernisation reserve in 2006/2007.

31 March 2007

Station Officer (2 posts) secondment to ODPM

ODPM

30 June 2006

31 March 2007

Station Officer secondment partnership support Southampton City Council

Southampton City Council

13 June 2006

Station Officer training co-ordination and audit

NVQ income

30 June 2006

Station Officer USAR

ODPM

Reviewed annually

Station Officer secondment HCC Partnership Liaison Officer

Hampshire County Council (HCC)

31 March 2007

Sub Officer (3 posts) USAR

ODPM

Reviewed annually

Sub Officer Secondment MCA Liaison

Maritime Coastal Agency (MCA)

31 March 2007

LFF (3 posts) USAR

ODPM

Reviewed annually

FF (3 posts) USAR

ODPM

Reviewed annually

Note 1: End dates may be reviewed depending on funding/Project/Task need.

Note 2: The USAR posts above are those posts which are on a full time contract to provide UK based support, although all the above team members have retained USAR contracts as well. Funding is provided by ODPM as per their requirements, it is reviewed annually with no end date given.

Note 3: DO internal secondment job evaluation ending 31 March 2006, will continue to be seconded to HR to support the retained IRMP objective and pay and allowances review project arising out of Grey Book job evaluation. Likely duration 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007.

Retained Duty System Establishment - Represented as 24 hour cover units (See Note 1 Below)

Rank

Authorised

Establishment (FTE)

Actual Establishment (FTE)

SubO

46

52

LFf

112

101.75

Ff

477

426.25

Total

635

580

(55 FTE under establishment)

Note 1: Retained cover is measured in units with 1 unit equalling a period of full cover (1 FTE), a part unit equals 0.75 cover (0.75 FTE).

Externally Funded Team

Funded by ODPM - Urban Search and Rescue Team (UK Team - On Retained USAR Contracts)

Authorised

Establishment (Head Count)

Externally/Other Funded (Head Count)

Actual Establishment

(Head Count)

0

33

33

Note 1: As recorded under the wholetime establishment externally/other funded posts, 10 posts also have one of the above 33 USAR retained contracts. The USAR retained employees provide cover in a similar way to retained duty system employees. However, they are shown above as head count only.

Note 2: USAR retained contract establishment structure has recently been finalised, this has involved the setting up of 3 sections (Red, White and Blue) with 11 employees in each section, for which the ODPM has provided funding. The team is now fully up to establishment and training is ongoing.

Control Establishment

Authorised Establishment

(FTE)

Externally/Other Funded

Actual

Establishment

(FTE)

39*

1**

39.5

(0.5 FTE under establishment)

* In view of sensitivities from existing Control employees regarding the regionalisation of Control, 2 posts have been funded by wholetime establishment to assist with the regionalisation. The Firefighter FTE has been reduced by 2 until the regionalisation control project is completed, 2008/2009 at the latest. Thereafter these posts will revert back to wholetime positions.

** Radio Project Manager. The funding source is ODPM New Burdens. The post is covered by secondment of a Control Group Manager, open ended position currently.

Green Book Establishment (Including Incident Support Teams (IST))

Authorised

Establishment

(FTE)

Externally/Other Funded

Actual Establishment (FTE)

IST

48

(Head Count)

-

42

(Head Count)

Other

246.09

10.39*

236.71

294.09

10.39*

278.71

(Other 19.77 FTE under establishment)

(IST 6 Head Count under establishment)

Note: IST. Whilst they do not cover 1 FTE, they are counted in the above figures as 1 Team Member equalling 1 FTE. The IST which includes the Emergency Catering Team and the Incident Command Team has a head count establishment of 48 included in above.

* Externally/other funded posts

Externally/Other Funded Posts Breakdown

The following details posts externally/other funded, the funding source and end date.

Post Title/Area

Funding Source

End Date

Civil Protection

ODPM

June 2006

USAR Administrator

ODPM

Reviewed annually

Arson Forum Co-ordinator

LPSA

March 2007

GDA Home Fire Safety Visits (2 FTE)

ODPM

March 2008

Schools Fire Safety Instructor (0.7 FTE)

Childrens Fire and Burns Trust

July 2008

Princes Trust Delivery Partner Manager

Princes Trust

Subject to funding reviewed annually

Princes Trust Co-ordinator

Princes Trust

Subject to funding reviewed annually

Princes Trust Basic Skills Next Steps Facilitator

Princes Trust

1 Year - Review November 2006

L Board Secretary (0.2 FTE)

Other Fire Services

31 March 2006

CFRMIS Project Officer

HFRS holding a WT Ff establishment vacancy

Funded until 1 September 2006. Part time post.

Administrative Assistant Commercial Training (0.49 FTE)

B&Q

Post deleted in November/December 2005. B&Q no longer funding any positions.

5

Variations to Establishment

Under the Chief Officer's delegated powers, the following variations (excluding job evaluation regradings and proposed post growth bids subsequent to the report of 29 November 2005) have taken place to the establishment using existing resources in the time period 1 August 2005 to 16 March 2006 and have not been previously reported to the Human Resources Committee:

Post

Action

Position Number

Control Operators

Effective: 01.01.06 to Dec 2009

2 FTE Temporary Control Operators for the period 01.01.06 to Dec 2009.

Funded by removal of 2 FTE W/T Firefighters post for this period.

50032075 & 50032076

Group/Station Administrators - Grade D (for Retained Stations)

Effective: 3 posts 2005/2006 and 5 posts 2006/2007

Report submitted on 29.11.05 for 8 additional administrative support for Retained Fire Stations. Has been agreed to provide 3 administrators this financial year and 5 more in 2006/2007.

3 posts 2005/2006 and 5 posts 2006/2007

Fire Safety Officer - Business Education Unit

Effective: 28.11.05

New post of Station Manager (Fire Engineer) established to implement HFRS strategy for the reduction of unwanted AFA's with the proposed Business Education Unit (formerly known as Commercial Industrial Training). Position identified as Green Book, but first post holder to be Grey Book in order to set up and commence the strategy. Current post holder temporary wef 28.11.05 to 31.03.07 after this post to be reviewed. This post agreed at Station Manager `B' due to technical skills required.

Post agreed by SMT on 03.10.05 together with an additional Grey Book WM and administrator both of which will be filled in due course.

Funding AFD Strategy PO's Decision 20.10.05 from modernisation reserve in 2006/2007. Future years subject to review in light of efficiency gains.

50036178

Internal Communications Executive

Grade D to G

Effective: 1.4.06

Temporary 1 year funding from modernisation reserve pending Marketing and Communications Department review in Autumn 2006.

50036720

Learning & Development Manager - Grade K

Effective: 01.01.06

This post replaces the previous Grey Book post of DO (Training Support)

Evaluated as Grade K

40008895

Training Support Supervisor - Grade F

Effective: TBC

This post replaces the post of Training Support & Development Manager

Evaluated as Grade F

50032185

Basic Skills/Next Steps Facilitator - Grade E

Effective: 01.12.05 to 30.11.06

Temporary secondment to the Prince's Trust.

Costs to be funded from Princes Trust

50022950

3 x Station Manager `A'

Effective: 24.10.05 to 30.09.06

Following outcome of MMR 2 Grey Book posts of Divisional Officer (HR & ER) were deleted and 3 new posts were created. 2 posts filled temporarily and 1 permanently. 2 DO (HR) still in post covering specific projects to be reallocated in due course.

50032341

50032545

TBA

Employee Relations Manager - Grade L

(Previously Employee Relations Adviser)

Effective: 24.10.05

This post has taken on all duties of the previous Grey Book Manager of the ER Team.

Regrade from K to L funded from DO (ER) post changed to Station Manager `A'.

40008981

Workshops Technician - Grade F

Effective: 01.12.05

The Workshop Best Value Review has identified the need to an increase in productivity. So the post of Chargehand Engineering has been changed to that of Engineering Technician and regraded G to F.

40007531

Temporary Photographic Assistant - Grade E

Effective: 03.10.05 to 24.12.05

Temporary contract for 3 months to support delivery of photo library.

Funded agreed by efocus group from EGov budget.

50032544

Communications Facilitator

Effective: 21.11.05

A secondment opportunity for a grey book member of staff. Agreed by SMT on 05.09.05 following a recommendation in the New Corporate Marketing and Communications Strategy.

Funded within existing budget by holding Sub Officer post vacant.

50021744

Temporary Systems Support Administrator - Grade E

Effective: 07.11.05

PO's agreed additional temporary resource for 12 months to support HR Ops (Managements Information) Team with backlog of project work and in preparation of Grey Book Job Evaluation. Funded from temp staff budget.

50030700

Operations Support Administrator - Grade D

Effective: 30.08.05

TFS have transferred a Grade C TFS Admin post to CFS. Post to be titled Operations Support Administrator and will be paid at Grade D.

Funding for the difference between Grade C and D (£1500) will be from the one day per week from the Risk Intelligence Team Data Analyst Post Grade E.

40007478

Temporary Senior Administrator (HR Ops) - Grade E

Effective: 26.09.05 to 21.02.06

Temporary post to provide additional support to HR Operations Team due to compassionate circumstances.

N/A

Trainer/Technician - Grade F

Effective: 12.09.05 to 30.04.06

Post to allow a pilot to be completed for 6 months. To establish if a trainer/technician is required solely for Commercial Training or the training function. Funded from Technical Training Assistant (Grade E) held vacant.

50030576

Trainee IT Technician - Grade C

Effective: 24.10.05

Information Services wishes to fill the existing IT Technician post vacancy via a training scheme. It is proposed that a new Trainee IT Technician post (Grade C) be funded from the vacant IT Technician (Grade E) until such time as the appointed candidate reaches a level of expertise and experience.

40009268

Web Quality Assurer - Grade E

Effective: 01.08.05

An increase of 2 hours per week to a total of 22 hours per week. It is proposed to offset this increase against the Administrator (0.12) post which is currently vacant.

40007531

Financial Services Administrator

Effective: 01.01.06

There is a vacancy for a full time administrator in the Finance Dept which has never been filled. Increase in contractual hours from 18.5 to 30 hours per week with costs taken from the vacant post.

40007507

Station Administrator

Effective: 27.02.06 to 31.08.06

Increase in hours from 30 to 37 hours per week for a temporary period wef 27.02.06 to 31.08.06. To provide cover at Havant and Cosham.

Funded from vacancy.

50014776

2 x Interim Duty Photographers - 10% Allowance

Effective: 24.12.05 to TBA

A short term post to provide interim support with the on-call photography duty to cover for vacancy and sick leave

N/A

DO (Training Support)

Effective: 30.09.05

Withdrawal of post now transferred to Green Book Conditions of Service

40009263

2 x DO (Human Resources)

Withdrawal of posts now replaced by 2 x Station Manager `A' posts.

40007629 &

50000158

DO (Employee Relations)

Effective: 1 4 06

Withdrawal of post now replaced by Station Manager `A' post.

40007631

6

Financial Implications

All posts are being funded by the existing budget arrangements. The changes at Waterlooville are estimated to achieve savings of £300,000 per annum. These savings will be used to meet the costs of 2 (CS) Firefighters and the IRMP proposed changes at Andover, Havant and Winchester.

7

Consultation

This report has been compiled in conjunction with the finance department and aligns with the information forwarded to the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

8

European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998

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.

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

Note: The list excludes:

(1) Published works

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