Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area:

1.1. This report provides Cabinet with information on the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service consultation on their Service Plan which was published on 22 September 2008.

1.2. A draft response to the consultation is appended to this report at Appendix A.

2) Issues Covered in Report:

2.1. Key Issues: Service Plan

2.2. Proposed changes which may impact the County Council

2.3. Responding to the consultation

3) Recommendations:

3.1. Subject to any comments made by Cabinet, to agree the County Council's response to the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's consultation on their Service Plan 2009-2012 attached at Appendix 1.

MAIN REPORT

1) Purpose of the Report:

1.1. This report provides Cabinet with information on the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service consultation on their Service Plan, including proposed new corporate objectives for 2009-2012.

1) Contextual Information

1.1. The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's consultation on their Service Plan 2009-2012 was published on 22 September 2008.

1.2. The consultation on the proposed corporate objectives within the Service Plan will run until Friday 12 December 2008. A draft response is appended to this report.

1.3. The consultation does not pose any specific questions but welcomes all comments from all stakeholders.

2) Key Issues: Service Plan

2.1. The Consultation is divided into two:

a) A Statement of five corporate priorities

· People

· Property

· Environment

· Community

· Resources

b) Proposed new Corporate objectives for 2009-2012

· Develop speed of response standards for specific risks

· Review the delivery of our services in the area covered by Bishops Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham Fire Stations

· Develop a community resilience strategy

· Efficient and flexible crewing

· Review of Service transportation

· Strategy for resolving the Service's building maintenance needs

· Developing `intelligence led' delivery of services

· Improving the core skills of firefighters

· Develop response vehicles to better meet the Service's risks

3) Proposed changes which may impact the County Council

3.1. The County Council support the priorities of action as outlined in the consultation. We do have some comments about the proposed new corporate objectives for 2009-2012. These are outlined below.

3.2. Speed of response standards for specific risks

_ The County Council recognise that there are significant targets and priorities about speed and response times which are very important for our partners. The Local Public Service Agreement 2 (LPSA2) target to save lives by decreasing response times in partnership with the Ambulance Service is a good example of this in action.

_ The LPSA2 also includes a target to reduce incidences of deliberate fires, particularly school fires. This target has spurred partnership interventions. For instance, the Arson Task Force is a successful partnership approach to targeting these issues. Supporting the work of our partners is of key importance to us.

3.3. Review of services in the area covered by Bishops Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham Fire Stations

_ The County Council is keen to hear more about this Review and request that the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service seek to involve the County Council, particularly through the Winchester Area Hampshire Action Team, in the discussions for this Review at the earliest opportunity. We would particularly welcome the opportunity to talk about the care of elderly and vulnerable people in our major care homes in this area.

3.4. Vulnerable people

_ Fire, and the risk of fire, have significant impacts on the citizens of Hampshire, particularly vulnerable people, such as older people, people with learning and physical disabilities and children. We hope that one of the primary functions of the Community Resilience Strategy and the Community Risk Intelligence Team will be to identify and work with those vulnerable groups who will be of greatest risk, in partnership with the County Council, to ensure the right fire safety messages and equipment is available.

3.5. Working in Partnership

_ HCC welcome ongoing commitments for the Fire and Rescue Service to contribute to the wider place-shaping agenda and work collaboratively with partner organisations, particularly in relation to the Local Area Agreement (LAA). The HFRS is a valued partner in the work of the County Council, particularly in respect of community safety.

_ Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have a strong partnership working relationship. For example:

o The Partnership Agreement to work on fire safety in buildings or links which have been established with Accredited Community Safety Officers to carry out and report back on Environmental Audits,

o The Partnership Agreement for the Fire and Rescue Service to work with Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards for retail inspections via the Retail Enforcement Pilot (REP).

The County Council would like to see this working relationship continue and develop.

_ There is an opportunity for greater partnership working through the County Council's continuing programme to install automatic sprinkler systems in high risk buildings. Automatic sprinkler systems have been included in our ten new-build nursing homes and a programme for retro-fitting the systems in our other care homes has begun. The County Council is, therefore, able to contribute to the Property corporate priority as part of ongoing improvement plans over the next five years.

_ There are other opportunities for collaborative partnership working, for instance in performance monitoring using the CADDIE systems. Software is being developed now which will allow LAA targets to be monitored dynamically and used within Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership meetings to assess risk. It is operationally beneficial to share data as processes are already well established, as well as minimising the number of requests agencies receive and reduces duplication of effort.

_ The County Council agree that good intelligence and analysis is important. We support the notion that analysts are integrated within the decision-making process and are free to be objective. It is important that links and engagement with the communities of Hampshire are strengthened to help develop these intelligence led approaches. We look forward to working with the Fire and Rescue Service to identify how this engagement is to take place and how it will link to the County Council.

4) Outline of Options:

4.1. Option 1:

a) Submit a response to the consultation.

4.2. Option 2:

a) Do not submit a response to the consultation.

5) Option Analysis / Comparison:

5.1. Option 1 will enable the County Council to have its views heard by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service policy makers.

5.2. Option 2 will not allow for an opportunity to have our views heard.

6) Conclusions

6.1. Many of the proposals within the Service Plan are welcome and are supported. There are however, some concerns about the proposals in relation to the review of services in the area covered by Bishops Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham Fire Stations.

7) Summary Recommendations:

7.1. Subject to any comments made by Cabinet, to agree the County Council's response to the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's consultation on their Service Plan 2009-2012 attached at Appendix 1.

APPENDIX 1: Draft Hampshire County Council Response to the Consultation

The County Council support the priorities of action as outlined in the consultation. We do have some comments about the proposed new corporate objectives for 2009-2012. These are outlined below.

Speed of response standards for specific risks

The County Council recognise that there are significant targets and priorities about speed and response times which are very important for our partners. The Local Public Service Agreement 2 (LPSA2) target to save lives by increasing response times in partnership with the Ambulance Service is a good example of this consideration in action.

The LPSA2 also includes a target to reduce incidences of deliberate fires, particularly school fires. This target has spurred partnership interventions between the County Council and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. For instance, the Arson Task Force is a successful partnership approach to targeting these issues. Continuing to support the work of our partners is of key importance to us.

Review of services in the area covered by Bishops Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham Fire Stations

The County Council is keen to hear more about this Review and request that the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service seek to involve the County Council, particularly through the Winchester Area Hampshire Action Team, in the discussions for this Review at the earliest opportunity. We would particularly welcome the opportunity to talk about the care of elderly and vulnerable people in our major care homes in this area.

Vulnerable people

Fire, and the risk of fire, have significant impacts on the citizens of Hampshire, particularly vulnerable people, such as older people, people with learning and physical disabilities and children. We hope that one of the primary functions of the Community Resilience Strategy and the Community Risk Intelligence Team will be to identify and work with those vulnerable groups who will be of greatest risk, in partnership with the County Council, ensuring that the right fire safety messages and equipment is available.

Working in Partnership

Hampshire County Council welcome ongoing commitments from the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service to contribute to the wider place-shaping agenda and work collaboratively with partner organisations, particularly in relation to the Local Area Agreement (LAA). The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is a valued partner in the work of the County Council, particularly in respect of community safety.

Hampshire County Council and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service have a strong partnership working relationship. For example the Partnership Agreement to work on fire safety in buildings or links which have been established with Accredited Community Safety Officers to carry out and report back on Environmental Audits. Or, for example, the Partnership Agreement for the Fire and Rescue Service to work with Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards for retail inspections via the Retail Enforcement Pilot (REP).

There are opportunities for collaborative partnership working through, for example, the County Council's continuing programme to install automatic sprinkler systems in high risk buildings. Automatic sprinkler systems have been included in our ten new-build nursing homes and a programme for retro-fitting the systems in our other care homes has begun. The County Council is, therefore, able to contribute to the Property corporate priority as part of ongoing improvement plans over the next five years.

There are further opportunities for partnership working, for instance in performance monitoring using the Crime and Disorder Data Information Exchange (CADDIE) systems. Software is being developed now which will allow LAA targets to be monitored dynamically and used within the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership meetings to assess risk. It is operationally beneficial to share data as processes are already well established, as well as minimising the number of requests agencies receive and reduces duplication of effort.

The County Council agree that good intelligence and analysis is important. We support the notion that analysts are integrated within the decision-making process and are free to be objective. It is important that links and engagement with the communities of Hampshire are strengthened to help develop these intelligence led approaches. We look forward to working with the Fire and Rescue Service to identify how this engagement is to take place and how it will link to the County Council.

The County Council would like to see this working relationship continue and develop.

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