Archived decisions


Audit No/Ref	_ Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2=Med 3=High	Post responsible	SMT	Comments	Action Date	Follow up Memo(s)	Date Closed
CLOTHING AND OPERATIONAL STORES 2005/06
3.23	Procedural notes for stores and Interim Stores Management System (ISM) should be completed in time for the move to the new stores building scheduled for October 2006.	2	Procurement Manager	Head of Finance & Office Services	ISM was designed and supported by HCC so there will need to be a review and update of the working notes that exist. This will therefore require support from HCC IT department in the review and writing of new procedures.	01/12/2006 extended to Aug 2007	05/12/2006
PRT NOTE January 2007: Procedure notes have not yet been completed. Internal Audit have agreed to an extension of the action date to August 2007.
3.18	Procedure notes for stock checking should be compiled.	2	Procurement Manager	Head of Finance & Office Services	No procedure notes have ever been used in any stock audit that has been carried out by HFRS but the Procurement Manager has always seen the need to provide such written procedures as well as General Stores Procedure Notes. Further to this, conversations have taken place with County Supplies, part of HCC, who have offered their support and services in having their stock management team not only help with a third party audit during August / September but during this first audit, help with the preparation and clarification of audit procedures.	01/09/2006 extended to Aug 2007	02/10/2006
PRT NOTE January 2007: Procedure notes have not yet been completed. Internal Audit have agreed to an extension of the action date to August 2007.

Audit No/Ref

Recommendation

Priority

1=Low

2=Med

3=High

Post responsible

SMT

Comments

Action Date

Follow up Memo(s)

Date Closed

PAYROLL 2005/06

3.16

As previously recommended, the Human Resources department should be provided with a current list of authorised officers, which indicates the duties they are authorised to approve and the list kept up to date.

Human Resources Operations Manager

Head of Human Resources

The Finance Department are now producing an up to date list of the authorised signatories.

30/06.2006 amended to Mar 2007

Amended to 30/06/2007

Feb 2007

19/04/2007

05/06/07

HARDLEY FIRE STATION 2006/07

3.19

A quarterly reconciliation to the bank account should be recorded and agreed to the balance in the cash book. In addition, a record of funds held by the Treasurer at his home should be documented and annually an independent person should review the club accounts and verify the records are complete and accurate.

Crew, Watch Managers and Treasurer

Head of Finance & Office Services

The quarterly reconciliation will be carried out. The Treasurer will provide the documented evidence of funds held at home.

An independent person will review and verify accounting records at the end of the next financial year. All petty cash is now reconciled at SHQ.

30/07/2006

31/03/2007

N/A

13/04/2007

20/07/2006

31/05/07

PRT Note 25/05/2007 - Accounts are currently undergoing independent review. This item will be closed once the review is complete.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 2005/06

3.41

We recommend that a comprehensive list is maintained of all partnership arrangement in place, which should be reported to Service Management Team.

Performance Review Manager

Director of Corporate Services

The outcomes of the Best Value Review of our partnership arrangements are due to be presented to the Authority in September 2006. This will include the future use of a `checklist' of good practice to determine the robustness of partnership arrangements. This will assist in determining which of our numerous collaborative initiatives with other organisations constitute genuine `partnerships'.

April 2007 amended to 31^st July 2007

PRT Note 21/05/2007: All partnership arrangements are currently being reviewed against the Partnership Policy and template. Once this work is complete the definitive list of partnerships will be reported to SMT.

CREDITORS 2005/06

3.5

We recommend that the manual list showing authorised officers and limits is updated and agreed with SAP to ensure SAP controls are correct.

Financial Services Office Supervisor

Head of Finance & Office Services

Financial Services plan to review the authorised signatory list by March 2007.

Included on another IA Report (HR), date agreed as 30/06/07

Mar 2007

Amended to 30/06/2007

Feb 2007

19/04/2007

05/06/07

TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE 2005/06

3.23

Human Resources should continue to develop management information that will highlight trends in mileage carried out in private vehicles and review the policy on essential/ leased car users to ensure value for money is being achieved.

Deputy Head of Human Resources

Head of Human Resources

HR is undertaking a project to review pay and rewards. This may highlight the need to review arrangements for essential/lease car users.

Requirement for Workforce management information has been noted, but is not a priority activity at this time.

Review requirements in September 2007

3.6

The list of authorised personnel should be kept up to date to reduce the risk of unauthorised officers signing the claim forms.

Financial Services Manager

Head of Finance & Office Services

Following the restructuring of uniformed posts into groups and the review of petty cash processes Financial Services has reviewed the authorised signatory list which covers the significant authorisations: petty cash, overtime, orders etc. However as there are over 200 people who can authorise claims, it is not considered practicable to maintain a manual list staff in HR and Station Support who process the claims know who the authorised officers are and will return them to the claimants. In future, SAP will allow electronic input of travel claims which will automatically be routed to the line manager.

March 2007

Amended to 30/06/2007

Feb 2007

19/04/2007

PRT NOTE: This has been superseded by the fact that the authorised signatories list is being revised by Financial Services. This list will include signatories for HR forms and claims.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 2005/06

3.5

We recommend that following completion of the Fire Cover reviews, that a definitive property strategy should be developed to underpin the IRMP

Property Services Manager

Director of Corporate Services

The results of emergency cover reviews and IRMP objectives are major driver of our strategy and actions for maintaining our built estate as `fit for purpose'. It is accepted that a new comprehensive property management strategy needs to be developed that incorporates the implications of future plans for emergency cover as well as outcomes from our condition survey.

31/03/2007

Amended to 30/09/2007

14/05/2007

15/05/2007: PRT Note A draft strategy will be in place by 30/09/2007 for approval of the Fire Authority in December 2007.

3.6

In developing a property strategy, we recommend a comprehensive review of each entry in the terrier should be undertaken in conjunction with PBRS, and a detailed report on the results of the exercise provided to the Asset Management Working Group. The survey should include an evaluation of each site, alternative uses, potential acquisitions/disposals and how the land holdings integrate and support the IRMP in order to maximise both the operational and income earning potential of the portfolio.

Property Services Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Accepted. See 3.5 above - the new strategy document will include periodic information arising from reviews of sites and buildings.

31/03/2007

Amended to 30/09/2007

14/05/2007

PRT Note 15/05/2007: This work links to the work on the strategy and will be complete by 30/09/2007 in line with the work being undertaken on the Strategy.

3.16

We recommend that:-

Property Services Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Accepted. A rolling three year programme of improvements, repairs and maintenance will be developed from the Property Management Strategy and will be reported to the F&GP Committee (via Asset Management Working Group) at the October meetings so that implications can be considered as part of medium-term financial plan.

30/09/2007

· members of the Asset Management Working Group should receive a composite report on the amounts required to meet the maintenance backlog as identified in the stock condition survey, analysed over the full ten-year period to allow Members to decide, in conjunction with the Treasurer, on the most appropriate course of action

· members should receive regular reports on the budgets/actual costs of the larger schemes

· a three-year programme of repairs, maintenance and improvements should be established by March each year, in accordance with the IRMP 2005, and approved by the Asset Management Working Group.

OVERTIME 2005/06

3.8

We recommend that HR Operations and ICT department keep records of all pre-planned overtime to demonstrate that overtime costs are being controlled and in order to undertake proper checks when claim forms are submitted for authorisation.

Head of Finance & Office Services

This is a requirement Service wide - a draft form recording planned overtime has been developed which requires formal line manager approval prior to overtime being worked. This will enable the line manager to monitor actual overtime worked against planned hours.

This form will be introduced on a pilot basis to IT Dept. for six month trial period.

A formal Service Order is being developed as part of any formal introduction of this process longer term.

Complete pilot April 2007

22/05/2007

PRT Note 22/05/2007: The outcome of the completed pilot in IT Services is that the form has been useful. This is now being rolled out Service-wide. The action will remain open until the Service Order has been introduced.

WORKSHOPS STORES 2006/07

3.32

We recommend that monthly monitoring reports are produced from TRACE for the Workshop Manager to review summarising the opening value of stock, purchases, issues and adjustments and the closing value of stock.

Workshop Manager

Deputy Chief Fire Officer

Agreed

31/03/2007

31/07/07

23/01/2007

13/02/2007

26/04/2007

06/06/07

PRT: Note 24/05/2007 The Workshops Manager has supplied reports for each element required. Once it is confirmed that these are in place and fully working, the action will be closed. This recommendation corresponds to recommendation no 3.27 on outstanding report. (Workshops 2004/05)

DATABASES 2006/07

3.7

We recommend that logging is switched on where the function is available to do this to maintain an adequate audit trail.

Network Project Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Agreed. A review of databases will be carried out and logging switched on where possible and appropriate.

29/06/2007

Mar 2007

3.19

Job descriptions should reflect the responsibilities of the employee to ensure that adequate services are being provided to the customers.

Information Services Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Agreed. Job descriptions for all staff will be reviewed as a part of the HFRS staff development (PDR) process.

30/09/2007

SECURITY & PASSWORD CONTROLS 2006/07

3.3

A date for the phase out of Revelation must be stated and adhered to, or tools to enable monitoring of access to personal data held there implemented and used. If Revelation is not phased out by June 2007 then a monitoring tool and procedures should be implemented.

ICT Manager

Director of Corporate Services

It is accepted that the time taken to resolve this issue is unacceptable and the issue has been escalated to the Directors Group. The primary reason for the delay in phasing out the use of the 'Revelation' database has been the continuing reliance placed on it to feed key personnel data to the main training database system. Also, there are some 'data cleansing' issues to be resolved. These will be progressed as a matter of urgency and additional resources allocated to ensure that the SAP system becomes the primary feeder system of personnel data.

June 2007

27/04/2007

07/06/07

3.6

The existence and location of the policy must be promoted to users to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities or can find them.

Help Desk Supervisor

IT Technician

Director of Corporate Services

Information Services, via Help Desk will be running a series of promotions alerting users to the IS User Policy. These promotion will be varied in their style to capture as many users as possible.

Other initiatives already underway include a poster campaign re computer virus protection.

A web based newsletter is being developed to promote security and password control (due for rollout 31.06.07)

June 2007

27/04/2007

05/06/07

PRT Note 25/05/2007 - A link has been inserted from the Service Order SO/2/6/1/6 to the policy, and a poster campaign has been used to promote the policy to users logging in from home using their `Passport'. Plans are in place to advertise further using the help desk.

3.7

Consideration should be given to including an appendix on acceptable use of the internet as an appendix to service order SO/2/8/1/6.

Help Desk Supervisor

Director of Corporate Services / Head of Finance & Office Services

Appendix K of SO/2/8/1/6 will be amended to include use of internet.

Staff changes necessitate new action date

May 2007

31/07/07

27/04/2007

05/06/07

PRT Note 24/05/2007 The Service Order has been amended and is soon to be issued. It now includes internet as well as email.

3.8

Job descriptions for senior IT management should include reference to any responsibilities for maintaining the security of IT systems

ICT Manager

Director of Corporate Services

JDs recently updated as part of Hay evaluation exercise.

30/09/2007

3.22

We recommend that a programme to test the contingency and recovery plans is developed.

ICT Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Will be part of Business Continuity Programme.

Dec 2007

3.29

Back up tapes for the Novell server at workshops should be stored much further away from the primary data, best practice recommends a distance of 3km. They should also be stored in a media safe which is not portable and is in a secure area.

Network Project Manager

Director of Corporate Services

Review of backup routine taking place (will be short term due to workshops moving to HQ in Dec 07 when all data will be migrated to HQ server)

March 2008 or on occupation of new Workshops building

27/04/2007

URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM 2006/07

3.4

A report should now be made to the HFRA on Civil Protection in general, detailing the New Dimension element, and encompassing the development and achievements of the USAR Team during the past two years. Future operational and funding proposals of USAR Teams proposed by the Department of Communities and Local Government should also be covered, including any financial risks to the HFRA if changes are proposed to longer term funding of USAR.

Group Manager

USAR

Director of Strategic Projects and Specialist Response

Report to be written and submitted to HFRA, via SMT with an accompanying follow up presentation if required.

31/03/07 for the report and a suitable HFRA meeting as determined by SMT.

Amended to 30/07/2007

24/04/2007

3.5

Regular three monthly reports should be prepared by the Group Manager setting out the achievements of the Team during the previous period, together with future developments and proposed timescales for implementation.

Group Manager

USAR

Director of Strategic Projects and Specialist Response

Regular report to be prepared by the Group Manager

31/3/07

Amended to 30/07/2007

24/04/2007

PRT Note: 15/05/2007 - A quarterly meeting of the Strategic Projects and Specialist Response Strategy Group will be held from June 2007. The Group Manager will report to this meeting.

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