Archived decisions

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item

11 February 15/03/20052009

"Rising to the Challenge: improving fire service efficiency"

Audit Commission Community Safety National Report

Report by the Chief Officer

Contact: Phil Webb, Performance Review Manager. Telephone: 023 8062 6828

1

Summary

1.1

This important report by the Audit Commission concludes that many of its findings echo those of previous reviews of the fire service. Progress on the modernisation agenda remains patchy: some fire and rescue services have taken significant steps towards modernisation and efficiency, while others have taken fewer and smaller steps.

1.2

A preliminary review of the Commission's specific recommendations for fire and rescue authorities - together with those for chief fire officers - suggests that Hampshire is one of those authorities that has made, and is continuing to make, very good progress. It is reassuring that virtually all of our current and proposed corporate priorities and objectives address the issues raised in the report. The brief `bullet point' response to each of the questions set out in this report demonstrates this.

1.3

It is anticipated that our good position will be confirmed when we receive (from the Audit Commission) the final assessment scores for our `Use of Resources' and `Direction of Travel'.

2

RecommendationsError! Bookmark not defined.

2.1

That the preliminary assessment of current and planned actions identified as specifically addressing recommendations for fire and rescue authorities and chief fire officers arising out of the Audit Commission's national community safety report `Rising to the Challenge' be noted.

2.2

That the Authority endorses the proposal to use the Audit Commission's recommendations and list of `questions for fire services to ask' as a basis for monitoring our direction of travel and our next annual cycle of corporate planning.

2.3

That a more detailed report be made in due course to the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee showing Hampshire's comparative position on some of the key performance and efficiency indicators used in the report; and that the Committee monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of actions being taken to improve efficiency.   

3

Introduction Error! Bookmark not defined.and background

3.1

In 2008 the Audit Commission conducted a detailed analysis of fire and rescue authorities' operational, financial and incident data. Eight fire and rescue authorities were visited as part of the review. Current levels of efficiency and performance were assessed and the Commission sought to draw out `lessons for the future' in advance of the transition from Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) to Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) in April 2009. A summary of the report is reproduced as Appendix 1.

3.2

The Report recognises that the fire service in England has seen rapid and dramatic changes to the risks it manages and its roles and responsibilities in the last decade. As well as responding to incidents, which have declined, resources are increasingly being devoted to fire safety and broader community work and to dealing with major civil emergencies.

3.3

The Audit Commission's view is that fire and rescue authorities have received real funding increases over the last decade with much of this used to fund the pay deal introduced as part of the modernisation programme. The Commission recognises, however, that over the next few years funding is likely to fall. At the same time, authorities have been challenged to find a further £110 million annual efficiency savings; the equivalent of 5 per cent of its 2007/08 expenditure.

3.4

It's suggested that to manage within these financial limits, those fire authorities that have made least progress towards modernisation will need to follow the example of those that have made significant changes to both the level and deployment of their assets, but without compromising capability. The Commission calculates that if all authorities adopted best practices, the fire and rescue service overall could save up to £200 million; and that these savings could reduce the overall cost of the service; or could be reinvested in community safety projects that are proven to be cost-effective.

3.5

The report concludes that much of this £200 million efficiency saving will need to come from closing the gap between the availability of resources and the times and places when those resources can be put to best use. While the Commission concedes that not all the changes that the better performing authorities have made are feasible in all local contexts, it feels that those with greater flexibility in their crewing arrangements and shift patterns will find it easier to adjust to tougher financial circumstances without threatening standards of cover.

3.6

It's pleasing that the Commission recognises that, overall, fire and rescue service performance has been good and is on track to meet its Public Sector Agreement (PSA) targets on reducing deaths in accidental fires in the home and deliberate fires. However it points out that there is considerable variation in outcomes between authorities, and more needs to be done to determine what drives those outcomes.

3.7

The Commission considers that authorities can become more efficient and more effective by building on existing collaboration with one another and with other local agencies. It recognises that such collaboration is not systematic and commonplace and feels that national and regional initiatives have not encouraged it. It feels that Regional Management Boards (RMBs) need to be refocused or abolished, and that central government should give a clearer steer as to the role and purpose of RMBs. While recognising that fire and rescue services are rightly praised for their `can-do' attitude as partners, few authorities plan or assess the value of their community activity very well.

3.8

Unsurprisingly the Commission notes that as authorities build on their community fire safety work and take on a broader role in the community, they need to reflect the communities they serve. Progress on improving the diversity of workforces remains slow and it feels will remain so until some cultural attitudes and behaviours still prevalent within the fire service are tackled.

3.9

The Commission concludes that implementing change requires strong management and a supportive infrastructure. It makes a number of recommendations for fire and rescue authorities, chief fire officers, central government and for the Audit Commission itself. The full set of recommendations is reproduced as Appendix 2.

3.10

Apart from these recommendations, the report also lists a number of `questions for fire services to ask' themselves. Although we are performing well there is no room for complacency. It is therefore recommended that the questions be used as a basis for monitoring our direction of travel; and to provide a useful checklist to prompt new actions for consideration in our next annual cycle of corporate planning activity. These questions are reproduced as Appendix 3. In addition we will analyse our comparative position on some of the key performance and efficiency indicators used in the report. This will help us to identify where we need to make improvements in our efficiency. This analysis will be taken to a future meeting of the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee.   

4

Recommendations for fire and rescue authorities

This section provides, by way of simple bullet-point lists, a preliminary assessment of current and planned corporate objectives and other actions that are considered to specifically address the Audit Commission's recommendations for fire and rescue authorities.

4.1

Challenge themselves and their CFOs to improve efficiency as well as performance:

corporate objectives:

· Efficient and flexible crewing (2009-12)

· Develop response standards for specific risks (2009-12)

· Review of operational vehicles (2009-12)

· Develop intelligence led delivery of services (2009-12)

· Improving emergency cover in Havant (2008-11)

· Learning from presence at Popley Fields (2008-11)

· Reducing our impact on the environment (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Role of Performance and Scrutiny Committee - receives evaluation reports

· Role of Governance Committee - monitors implementation of audit recommendations

· Budget and council tax strategies - cost per head; council tax level both comparatively low

4.2

Lead their communities by taking hard decisions affecting staffing levels and deployment in the interests of efficiency:

corporate objectives:

· Efficient and flexible crewing (2009-12)

· Developing intelligence led delivery of services (2009-12)

· Review the delivery of our services in the area covered by Bishop's Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham fire stations - community safety based approach - engagement with communities (2009-12)

· Relocating our resources in Portsmouth (2008-11)

· Community Safety Liaison Officers (2008-11)

· Learning from our presence in Popley Fields (2008-11)

· Changes to day crewed fire stations (2007-10)

· Changed crewing at Redbridge and St Mary's Fire Station (2007-10)

other actions and activities:

· Role of Corporate Management Team (CMT) - as a sounding board

· Extensive consultation undertaken prior to closure of Copnor Fire Station

· Implementation of `Personnel Reserve System'

4.3

Ensure that they have the right information to justify those decisions:

corporate objectives:

· Develop intelligence led delivery of services (2009-12)

· Develop regional working - sharing best practice (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Detailed briefing sheets produced for consultation

· Use of pilots and trials - e.g. prior to changes in crewing at Winchester and Havant

· Members' development and awareness events

· Risk Register - monitored by CMT; Governance Committee

· Improvement Register - monitored by CMT and Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee

· Evaluation Toolkit

· Continual development of `VIEWS' performance management information system

· Active involvement in Local Area Agreements - analysis of National Indicator Set

4.4

Defending decisions publicly once they have been made:

corporate objectives:

· Relocating our resources in Portsmouth (2008-11)

· Community Contact Point (2008-11)

· Efficient and flexible crewing (2009-12)

· Introduction of First Response Vehicle at Redbridge (2007-10)

other actions and activities:

· Consultation strategy and programme

· Budget consultation - supportive feedback

· Evaluation reports to Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee

4.5

Challenge their CFOs to improve the diversity of their workplace:

corporate objectives:

· Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity (2008-11)

· Introducing Diversity Liaison Officers (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Achievement of Level 3 of the Equality standard for Local Government

· One of the key targets set for Chief Officer (as part of his Personal Development Review)

· Peer review undertaken

· Member champion appointed

4.6

Define their objectives for Regional Management Boards, and participate beyond where required to in RMB only where there is a good business case for doing so:

corporate objectives:

· Collaboration and Partnerships - regional collaboration (2007-10)

other actions and activities:

· Develop regional working - active involvement in work streams

· Peer support provided to other authorities in region

· Regional Control Project - actively involved in enhancing role

· Representation on SE Regional Control Local Authority Controlled Company

· South East Fire Improvement Partnership - on the steering board, involved in developing and monitoring business plan

4.7

Provide leadership on equality and diversity issues, supporting and encouraging effective cultural change within the service:

corporate objectives:

· Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity (2008-11)

· Introducing Diversity Liaison Officers (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Appointment of Member champion

5

Recommendations for chief fire officers

This section also provides a preliminary assessment of current and planned corporate objectives and other actions that are considered to specifically address the Audit Commission's recommendations for chief fire officers.

5.1

Aim to meet or beat government savings targets by improving operational efficiency:

corporate objectives:

· Develop speed of response standards for specific risks (2009-12)

· Review of operational vehicles (2009-12)

· Efficient and flexible crewing (2009-12)

· Relocating our resources in Portsmouth (2008-11)

· Improving emergency cover in Havant (2008-11)

· Reduction of false alarm calls (2007-10)

other actions and activities:

· Exceeded (2009-10) target for efficiency savings of £3.1m by 400,000

5.2

Continue to use those savings to invest in Community Fire Safety (CFS):

corporate objectives:

· Develop a community resilience strategy (2009-12)

· Review the delivery of our services in the area covered by Bishop's Waltham, Botley, Droxford and Wickham fire stations (2009-12)

· Introducing Diversity Liaison Officers (2008-11)

· Learning more about our community (2008-11)

· Promoting fire protection systems (2008-11)

· Improving safety in the home (2008-11)

· Improving road safety (2008-11)

· Children and young people review (2008-11)

· RDS staff delivering community safety (2008-11)

· Community Safety Liaison Officers (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Redeployment of resources: achieved 2% redeployment of resources towards prevention and protection activity one year ahead of local target

· Implementation of Personnel Reserve System to provide more resources for CFS

5.3

Identify the benefits of initiatives for the wider community and invest in them in proportion to their value:

corporate objectives:

· Develop intelligence led delivery of services (2009-12)

· Community Safety Liaison Officers (2008-11)

· Learning more about our community (2008-11)

· Promoting fire protection systems (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Evaluation reports

· Active participation in Local Authority Agreements: e.g. extension of co-responder scheme

· Delivering Princes Trust programmes; LIFE courses; Young Firefighters Association

5.4

Adopt a good ideas for improving efficiency from other fire services, or adapt them to their own circumstances:

corporate objectives:

· Efficient and flexible crewing (2009-12)

other actions and activities:

· Learning/sharing with other fire and rescue authorities: Kent, Staffs, Merseyside, Lancashire, Humberside, Buckinghamshire, West Midlands, Cheshire

· Hosted `Beacon' event (2008)

· Hosted animal rescue conference

· Presentations at CFOA Innovations events on "HR Lifecycle" and "Operational Diversity"

5.5

Systematically explore the available options for working with neighbouring fire services and pursue those that deliver the biggest efficiency savings:

corporate objectives:

Develop regional working (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Provision of Principal Officer cover in Dorset being explored

· West Sussex partnership on fire behaviour training - joint funding of facilities

· Isle of Wight merger/collaboration explored

· Instrumental in establishment of FRAML

5.6

Improving strategic planning and performance management of partnership working:

corporate objectives:

Develop regional working (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· Piloting new Comprehensive Area Assessment and Organisational Assessment element for fire and rescue authorities

· Re-alignment of boundaries/Groups

· Best value review of partnerships undertaken

· Local Resilience Forum

· Active in major joint exercises

· Member of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association

5.7

Improving the ability of managers at all levels to manage change:

other actions and activities:

· Introduction and rollout of `VIEWS' performance data system to all managers

· Leadership Forum

· Staff engagement: team briefings; Senior Manager Visits to fire stations

· Marketing and Communications Strategy: `Extra' bulletins, `Today Test'

· Awarded `Investors in People'

5.8

Provide leadership on equality and diversity issues, taking a lead in challenging behaviour that does not promote equality and diversity:

corporate objectives:

· Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity (2008-11)

· Introducing Diversity Liaison Officers (2008-11)

other actions and activities:

· `Two ticks' - positive about employing disabled people

· SMT champions for each of the six strands of equality and diversity

· Involvement in `Unity 101' community radio

· Supporter of `Networking Women in the Fire Service'

6

People Impact Assessment

6.1

A People Impact Assessment (PIA) has been completed. There are no specific issues arising from it to draw to the attention of Members.

6.2

The proposals within this 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.

7

Risk analysis

7.1

The recommendations in this National Report set out the Audit Commission's expectations of fire and rescue authorities to improve efficiency. Progress against them will undoubtedly be taken into account in the new Comprehensive Area Assessment and component Organisation Assessment. While we can be pleased with the progress we have already made on many fronts, we recognise that there is always scope for improvement. Failure to take these recommendations into account will leave the Authority open to public criticism and the risk of reputational damage.

8

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

The following documents disclose 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 :

· Audit Commission Community Safety National Report: `Rising to the Challenge' 2008. Link to website: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/

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

Appendices: various extracts from the report `Rising to the Challenge'

· Appendix 1 - Summary

· Appendix 2 - Recommendations

· Appendix 3 - Questions for fire services to ask