Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item

15/03/200517 September 2008

The National (Performance) Indicator Set and Local Area Agreements

Report by the Chief Officer

Contact: ACO Steve Hamm - Head of Community Safety (Service Delivery)

Tel: 02380 64000 Ext 2013

1

Summary

This report provides an overview of the implications arising from the introduction of the National (Performance) Indicator Set (NIS), in particular the impact of Local Area Agreements (LAA) and a new performance framework based on the indicators. Recommendations are made in order to ensure that HFRA is aware of the intended steps that HFRS will take to deal with these implications in an effective manner.

2

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2.1

That the Authority notes the National Indicator Set (NIS) and its impact on the Authority as described in this report:

2.2

Notes that NI33 and NI49 are mandatory indicators for the Authority and will be prioritised as such in our community safety activity;

2.3

Notes that Member involvement will be encouraged in Local Area Agreements (LAA) governance structures; and

2.4

That the Chairman and Chief Officer be authorised to sign off the LAAs in consultation with the Clerk.

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Introduction Error! Bookmark not defined.and Background

3.1

The National Indicator Set (NIS) has been introduced by Government to enable the measurement of progress in relation to the Sustainable Communities agenda. That agenda is driven by a Government policy that improvement priorities for any given locality should be determined locally, and all stakeholders within that locality should work collectively towards addressing the identified priorities. The general principle is that local authorities must ensure that a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) is produced for their area and this is a statutory requirement. The strategy will determine the general principles that will be followed over the term of the strategy to develop and improve the locality.

3.2

Formulation of the SCS involves a number of stakeholders including the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), and this group of stakeholders is known as a Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). In addition to the SCS those local authorities that are "unitary" or "upper tier" must also ensure that a Local Area Agreement (LAA) is produced that identifies key priorities and sets performance targets against these priorities. The priorities and targets within a LAA are drawn from the NIS.

3.3

In the HFRS area there will therefore be three LAAs and 14 SCSs produced. As well as the LAAs there is also a statutory requirement for local authorities to establish a Crime and Disorder Reduction Panel (CDRP). These panels also use the NIS in some of their priorities and targets. In the HFRS area there will therefore be a total of 14 CDRPs.

3.4

Finally there is an assessment framework known as the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) that comes into effect in 2009. The CAA will form part of the FRS assessment process. The important implication here is that the FRS must be able to demonstrate its contribution to the LAAs and CDRPs through the CAA, and this demonstration of effective contribution will be measured as part of the Audit Commission (AC) assessment of the FRS. It is therefore vital that HFRS effectively takes into account the NIS and the priorities within LAAs and CDRPs and that this feeds through to the priorities and objectives in our plan.

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The National Indicator Set

4.1

The NIS consists of a total of 198 separate indicators. These indicators often have a number of sub-components. Each indicator has an "owner" at Government Department level, for example the indicators relating to offending are owned by the Home Office, those for health and lifestyle by the Department of Health, and those for fire by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

4.2

Two particular indicators relate directly to fire. These deal with Arson (NI33) and Fire Deaths and Injuries (NI49), these are owned by the Home office and DCLG respectively. These indicators contribute to PSA 23 "Making Communities Safer". However we are of the view that the FRS can make a contribution to a wider range of indicators and in so doing meet our own corporate commitment to reduce risk. An important implication here is that regardless of whether these two indicators appear in LAA priorities, it will be for the FRS to measure performance in these areas and to set strategies that aim to improve performance against them. They are therefore mandatory in this sense.

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Local Area Agreements

5.1

Local Area Agreements are required by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) in respect of three localities within the HFRS area. The LAA governance body will select up to 35 key priorities and set targets for them. The LAA process is not synchronised across all local authorities, for example the Southampton LAA (SLAA) is currently in year two of three, whereas the Portsmouth LAA (PLAA) and Hampshire LAA (HLAA) are both in year one of three. An implication here is that HFRS will need to service the different local areas not just with differing priorities but also on different timelines. In agreeing LAA priorities and targets the Chairman and the CFO will be required to sign off the commitments made. The HLAA is currently awaiting signature. As these signing commitments are unlikely to fall favourably within our committee cycle, this report seeks approval from the Authority for the Chairman and CFO to be authorised to sign off LAA's on the Authority's behalf.

5.2

The HLAA and PLAA have received GOSE approval and both contain NI33 in their priorities. The targets agreed with GOSE are those recommended by HFRS. Performance against these will therefore be crucial to the outcome of the CAA in 2009. The SLAA is established in year two and does not include either NI33 or NI49 in its priorities. Therefore no targets agreed with GOSE for Arson or Fire Deaths and Injuries exist for Southampton, however it is important to bear in mind the mandatory nature of the indicators and HFRS must still therefore set targets and measure performance for these two areas in Southampton.

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Assessment of Performance

6.1

The CAA process is a new concept that will assess collective performance of agencies in addressing the priorities within an LAA area. Recent work undertaken by CFOA with the Audit Commission (AC) has indicated that there is a degree of uncertainty in the AC as to how they will assess the FRS contribution. It is important then to ensure that the FRS is able to take a leading role in the assessment, and to do this HFRS will need to ensure that there is a clear and auditable link between the CS strategy and the outcomes achieved against the LAA priorities.

6.2

The assessment process for the FRS will contain AC assessments of HFRS for Direction of Travel and Use of Resources together with an Operational Assessment. These assessments will be combined with the assessment of HFRS in relation to its three LAA commitments through the CAA. A good CAA result will therefore contribute significantly to the HFRS overall AC assessment outcome. HFRS is currently taking part in pilot assessments for the AC in respect of Operational Assessment, and for HCC in respect of Direction of Travel and Use of Resources.

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The HFRS Community Safety Engagement strategy

7.1

In order to ensure that HFRS contribution to the Sustainable Communities agenda is as effective as possible a cohesive Community Safety Strategy will be produced. The strategy will set out the frameworks for involvement of officers and members when interfacing within the various partnerships.

This strategy will enable HFRS to achieve:

· Effective involvement in the 14 LSPs

· Effective involvement the 14 CDRPs

· Effective involvement in the 3 LAAs

· Focus of activities to suit local priorities

· Measurement of effectiveness of activity

· Continuous improvement against performance targets

· Effective governance structures for organising CS activity

To do this it is proposed to introduce a CS Strategy in January 2009 that will use the NIS and our obligations within LSPs, CDRPs, LAAs and the CAA process as a basis for its objectives. Members will be invited to contribute to the development of the strategy.

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Governance Structures for Partnership Working

8.1

A governance structure is being developed to ensure that HFRS can effectively contribute to the multi-agency approach to dealing with local Sustainable Community Priorities.

In addition to the officer structures HFRA members may also have a significant role to play. For example member involvement could be appropriate in the various working groups and committees that serve the LAAs, CDRPs and LSPs

8.2

There is currently representation from HFRA in some of the Hampshire structures such as the CDRP Strategy Group. Other areas, notably Portsmouth and Southampton have potential for greater HFRA member involvement, particularly in the LAA governance structures, and these are areas for consideration and development with HFRA members in the formulation of the CS Strategy.

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Contribution to Corporate Aims and Objectives

9.1

HFRS will be able to focus activity to create the greatest impact on our Priorities through a CS Strategy by the adoption of the recommendations in this paper.

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Resource Implications

10.1

The CS Strategy will be based on the existing CS establishment that was rationalised in 2007/08 and it is not planned to create a growth requirement. The strategy will be based upon best allocation of existing resources.

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People Impact Assessment

11.1

PIAs will be completed as the CS Strategy is produced.

11.2

The proposals within this report are considered compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

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Consultation

12.1

This content of this paper has been the subject of discussion with the Audit Commission, Community Safety Managers and also debated at the SMT away day.

Background Information (Section 100D of Local Government Act 1972)

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 Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

· Fire and Rescue Authorities: The Crucial role of the new local performance framework (DCLG)

· Government's Policy and guidance on the performance framework (DCLG)

· Independent external assessment of performance by local authorities and other public bodies (Audit Commission)

· The Hampshire Local Area Agreement

· The Portsmouth Local Area Agreement

· The Southampton Local Area Agreement

Note: The list excludes: (1) published works; and (2) documents that disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.