Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item

24 June 2009

Improvement Planning Register

Report by the Chief Officer

Contact: Iain Hardcastle, Fire and Rescue Service Plan Project Co ordinator

Telephone: 023 8062 6850

1

Summary

1.1

The Improvement Planning Register provides a comprehensive `signpost' to the wide variety of improvement strategies, actions and activities that are being undertaken under the Authority's Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Plan and its supporting strategic and medium-term functional plans. It also provides a convenient tool for monitoring and demonstrating our commitment towards continuous improvement.

2

Recommendations

2.1

That the latest update of the Authority's Improvement Planning Register, which details the actions taken to address the corporate issues identified for improvement, be noted and received.

2.2

That those strategies and actions that have been completed be discharged from the Register. (Appendix 1)

2.3

That those strategies and actions identified for further improvement be accepted onto the Register. (Appendix 2)

3

Introduction and background

3.1

All fire and rescue authorities are now subject to the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) process, which has replaced the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) process introduced in 2005. The CAA process aims to secure continuous improvement in the way that services are managed and delivered and there is an expectation that authorities will have in place some form of improvement document.

3.2

We commenced formal improvement planning in the Autumn of 2004 as part of the initial CPA self-assessment process. We identified a number of immediate actions, some of which helped to shape and provide the content of our Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Plan which incorporates our Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP).

3.3

From the outset, we have been keen not to develop a completely separate `improvement plan'. Instead, we want to ensure that our various strategic and medium-term functional and business plans - particularly our Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Plan (formally named `Integrated Risk Management Plan') - are thoroughly reviewed and updated to include objectives and actions identified in the Improvement Planning Register that will deliver improvement.

3.4

We have since further refined the document and developed this into the attached Improvement Planning Register. It was reported to Members of the Fire Authority in June 2008, and the latest version is being presented to the Authority as Appendix 2. It includes items that have been identified as actions for improvement, and their status. Issues have arisen from the following assessments that the Service has undergone, which lie separately but are linked.

· Service Assessment (Operational Assessment of Service Delivery and Comparison of Key Performance Indicators)

· Use of Resources

· Direction of Travel

· Annual Governance statement

· National Framework (2008-11)

Increasingly, the Register also includes `self identified' areas for improvement. The key at the front of the Register denotes where the issue originated from.

3.5

By collating the key areas for improvement in the Register it enables us to more easily identify high priority items, and monitor progress on their implementation. The Register is being maintained as a `living' document which is constantly updated.

3.6

The strategies and actions are collated under the following ten titles (these titles are derived from the key lines of enquiry (KLOE) as set out by the Audit Commission for the organisational and operational assessments used in CAA process).

_ Managing finances - understanding costs and achieving efficiencies

_ Governing the business - commissioning and procurement

_ Governing the business - good governance

_ Governing the business - risk management and internal control

_ Managing our resources - natural resources

_ Managing our resources - workforce

_ Equality and diversity

_ Enhancing civil resilience both locally and nationally

_ Improving performance

_ Regional and cross border working/integration

3.7

Strategies and actions that have been completed are identified by an entry in the `date closed' column on the right hand side of the Register. Evidence has been gathered and retained to provide an audit trail for any future review.

3.8

The day-to-day management of the Register is undertaken by the Performance Review Team. In the past it has been periodically reviewed by the Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee, and since April 2008, the Corporate Management Team have taken over the regular review of the Register from the Improvement Planning Steering Group.

4

Contribution to corporate aims and objectives

4.1

The Improvement Planning Register enables us to coordinate and monitor the strategies and actions being undertaking to improve the service we deliver, which we feel are essential to the successful and early achievement of our corporate objectives and priorities. It enables us to more easily identify any common barriers or issues that might be hampering progress towards meeting our objectives and helps us to determine priorities (and non-priorities) for current and future resource deployment.

5

Risk analysis

5.1

Failure to demonstrate our genuine commitment to continuous improvement would potentially leave the Authority vulnerable to criticism (from external audit and inspection assessments) with consequential damage to its reputation. The Improvement Planning Register provides clear evidence that the Authority keeps under continual review strategies and actions being taken on a number of fronts to address any identified weaknesses in the way we deliver and manage our services.

6

Resource implications

6.1

There are no significant additional financial implications in the production and management of the Register. However, it does add to the workloads of some senior and middle managers.

7

People Impact Assessment

7.1

A People Impact Assessment has been carried out on the Improvement Planning Register.

7.2

There are no specific equality issues to report in the production and management of the Improvement Planning Register. It is worth noting, however, that a number of strategies and actions in the Register - particularly those under the titles of 'equality and diversity' specifically mention the equality and diversity improvements we continue to pursue.

7.3

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.

8

Conclusion

8.1

The Authority is asked to receive the latest version of the Improvement Planning Register and approve the discharge of completed actions.

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

There are no other documents which disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based or which have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report. All documents referred to within the Improvement Planning Register itself can be made available on request.

Appendix 1 Improvement Planning Register version number 18 closed

Appendix 2 Improvement Planning Register version number 19