Archived decisions

1 Business Case

1.1 `Fire authorities have a statutory duty to consult the public in respect of the Best Value requirements embodied in the 1999 Local Government Act. Section 3 of this Act requires fire authorities to consult council tax and business ratepayers, service users and others with an interest, to help decide how to fulfil the duty of securing continuous improvement'<sup>1</sup>. This requirement is reiterated in the 2008/11 Fire and Rescue Services National Framework, which requires authorities to `demonstrate that they have made changes to service provision ,where appropriate, to reflect the needs and views of local communities and to demonstrate that they have considered the needs and views of all communities in making these changes'. The Local Government and Public Health Bill will place a new duty on Fire and Rescue Authorities along with other Best Value Authorities to inform, consult and involve representatives of local people including the business community with regard to exercising their functions.

1.2 This Consultation Strategy will determine the views and opinions of stakeholders on all areas within which the Service operates in order to determine levels of service provided, areas of risk and financial efficiency.

1.3 The purpose of the consultation outlined in this document is to remove the need for the Service to make assumptions and decisions in order to implement new measures towards improvement in these areas.

1.4 Drawing on the widest possible range of data and views available will enable the Service to make informed decisions, requisite in providing the best possible response, and fulfilling the needs of the community which it serves.

2 Risk Assessment

2.1 Consultation with the community and other interested parties forms a large part of the Service Planning process and failure to carry out consultation would result in the Service failing to fulfil its legal requirements. Additionally, failure to consult may lead to a service which does not reflect the needs of the community, and it is therefore likely that the perception of the service users would fall. For this reason, it is essential that the Service adopts a flexible and consistent consultation strategy in order to satisfy its obligations.

2.2 Service Assessment and the development of the Strategic Risk Register highlights the importance of consultation and engagement of staff, members and stakeholders. This is fundamental to the development of our Service Plan.

2.3 The Service is acutely aware that effective engagement of our staff is critical for ensuring sustainable improvement. For the third time, and in order to overcome this risk, the Service is consulting with staff in the early stages of the Plan to involve staff in the development of proposals and identification of solutions to business needs.

2.4 The Service also recognises the need to consult with other stakeholders and strategic partnerships. Failure to do so could result in political isolation and decisions taken that compromise the Service's best interests. Other potential consequences are the loss of funding, degradation of reputation and our inability to meet our Corporate Aims. The Service wants to capitalise on current partnerships and build meaningful relationships with other organisations and agencies to further improve our service to our community.

3 Areas for Consultation

3.1 The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) provides guidance on the three principal areas on which we should consult our stakeholders.

These areas are:

_ The draft IRMP (HFRS Plan) and Initial Action Plan

_ The Annual Action Plans

_ Changes in intervention standards and/ or resources not included in our Annual Action Plan.

4 Methodologies

4.1 The Service will employ both quantitative and qualitative research methods in order to fully understand the opinions and requirements of the communities it serves.

4.2 Quantitative Research

4.2.1 Quantitative research involves sample or census surveys to provide numerical measurement of the distribution of opinion in the target populations - using self-completion questionnaires, telephone interviews and/or personal interviews.

4.2.2 This year HFRS will carry out quantitative research in the form of an electronic questionnaire located on the HFRS website.

4.3 Qualitative Research

4.3.1 Qualitative research is used to explore and understand people's assumptions, opinions, standards, expectations and attitudes using in-depth conversations in focus groups or comparable forums.

4.3.2 This year the qualitative research will be implemented through the following means:

_ Focus Groups

- Conversational forums where members of the community and HFRS employees can discuss their views in depth.

4.3.3 The Service examines the link between fires and other emergency incidents with socio-economic variables. This data is drawn upon to identify those specific groups most at risk, with the intention that resources are focused and targeted, to reduce the incidence of fire and other emergency incidents and their impact on our communities.

4.3.4 The 2009/12 draft Service Plan document has been produced using the current/historical data available and will be consulted upon with other agencies and interested parties. This will allow the Service and other agencies to gauge what is required and what can be achieved from a successful inter-agency working partnership.

4.3.5 Discussion will also focus on the resource requirements for the Service area, what resources should be deployed, and why, how and when this will take place.

4.3.6 Details of proposed target groups and proposed method of consultation can be found in Appendix A.

5 Timescale for Consultation

5.1 The IRMP Guidance Note 1, final version states that `Cabinet Office guidelines and good practice suggest a minimum period of twelve weeks should be allowed for written consultation.'³

5.2 The Cabinet Office Code of Practice has been superseded and now `stipulates tighter requirements for adhering to the 12 week minimum period for written consultations than those that were set out in the previous Code.'²

6 Recommendations

6.1 The attached scale and methodology of consultation (as outlined in the Appendix), be adopted as the framework for Service Plan consultation in year 2008/09.

6.2 All consultation results should be considered fully before proposals for Service Plan 2009/12 are implemented.

6.3 The consultation process (including results and findings) will be open and transparent and be made available to all interested parties via our website.

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HFRA 17 9 08 Draft Service Plan IH/JMW/08/09/08