NORTH YORKSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY
AUDIT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW COMMITTEE
Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 9 December 2008 at the North Yorkshire Fire Training Centre, Oaklands Way, Easingwold.
PRESENT:-
County Councillor Andrew Backhouse (in the Chair); County Councillors William F Barton OBE (as Substitute for John Savage), Eric Broadbent, PGBrown and JohnWren.
City Councillors Keith Hyman and Kenneth King.
COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED ARE IN THE MINUTE BOOK
266. MINUTES
RESOLVED –
That the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 September 2008 be taken as read and be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
267. QUESTIONS OR STATEMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
There were no questions or statements from members of the public.
268. IMPROVEd EFFICIENcY ON FIRE STATIONS
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer/Director of Community Safety advising of progress made to improve efficiency through the introduction of a revised capacity planning tool and work planner.
The report was introduced by Chris Anderson (Deputy Chief Fire Officer/Director of Community Safety). He advised that an analysis had identified that, across the Service, an average of around 75% utilisation of the contractual positive hours available was being spent on activities which supported the Corporate Plan Targets and directorate objectives. In addition, a qualitative assessment had identified areas where more targeted work would benefit the organisation from that prospective. From the data gathered, it was evident that a target level of 90% time utilisation was achievable if the best practice from each Station was amalgamated. This would increase directed activity and represent an average 15% increase in productivity. In order to incorporate the enhanced targets, a tour planner had been developed in-house which both planned and measured activity, allocated time per activity as a proportion of total time available, and used a simple code based entry system. It allowed more directive targets to be set by Managers and measured progress across a range of activities including Community Safety, Regulatory Reform Order, training, hydrant inspections, risk visits etc. The tour planner was being rolled out progressively and would be in place at all wholetime work places by January 2009. The tour planner was demonstrated at the meeting by Dean McQue (Area Manager – Service Delivery) and Paul Burnett (Temporary Station Manager – Community Risk).
Chris Anderson commended the work of Paul Burnett (Temporary Station Manager – Community Risk) and Mary Weir (Service Delivery Administrator) in developing and implementing the revised capacity planning tool and work planner.
Chris Anderson undertook to contact the Chairman following this meeting to clarify the wholetime work places at which the revised capacity planning tool and work planner were already being used for audit purposes.
Members commented that, in their opinion, the revised capacity planning tool and work planner would be very useful for audit purposes.
RESOLVED –
(a) The revised work planning arrangements, as an outcome of the IRMP capacity planning proposal, be noted.
(b) That a progress report be submitted to this Committee in June 2009 to identify the difference in productivity following the introduction of the revised capacity planning tool and work planner.
269. Road Traffic AcCIDENT UPDATE
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Deputy Chief Fire Officer/Director of Community Safety providing an update on road traffic accident activity levels and community safety measures being undertaken to address such incidents, including the Service’s collaborative partnership work.
The report was introduced by Chris Anderson (Deputy Chief Fire Officer/Director of Community Safety) who referred to Corporate Plan Target (CPT) 3 - number of RTC deaths - which remained “red” despite a small reduction in road traffic deaths in comparison to the previous year, and also to CPT 4 - number of RTC injuries - which was now showing a marked improvement. However, it was recognised that the improvements highlighted needed to be sustained and improved upon if the Service and the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership were to achieve their overall goals in terms of reducing RTC deaths and injuries, with the Partnership’s primary milestone being the saving of 95 lives over the five year period 2005 to 2010. Both the Partnership and the Service were seeking to tackle the underlying causes that led to road accidents as a means of reducing the resulting deaths and injuries over the medium to long term. The various activities they were undertaking were identified in the report. The Partnership’s data was recognised as the most comprehensive available because it included data drawn from the key partner agencies and identified the primary categories of vehicle accidents and causes. Chris Anderson highlighted various examples of the data used by the Partnership, which included the following:- cars involved in accidents caused the highest number of serious injuries; and the main reasons for accidents were driver error and failure to look properly. Although progress was being made towards the long term targets, both of the Service and the Partnership, those targets remained challenging and would require the on-going commitment of the Service at all levels if they were to be achieved.
In response to a Member’s question, Chris Anderson undertook to discuss, with North Yorkshire Police, the use of electric scooters on roads by young people without either a driving licence or insurance.
The officers were asked to continue to push for the introduction of restrictions on the vehicle power of young inexperienced car drivers. The officers commented that a number of changes to driving standards were being considered as part of a wider review and consultation process conducted by the DFT and that feedback on the outcomes of that review was expected in 2009.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
270. Partnership Evaluation
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Corporate Services providing an update on the evaluation of partnerships in light of national developments.
The report was introduced by Ian Young (Director of Corporate Services) who advised that the objective of the Authority’s current evaluation arrangements was to ensure that the Partnerships with which it was involved were of value in achieving the Authority’s Vision, Corporate and Best Value Performance Targets. Whilst the Authority’s current evaluation arrangements had generally supported its involvement in Partnerships, a fluid state of partnership working now required a review of the Authority’s approach to managing that involvement.
Members suggested that it would be helpful for the Committee to have a list distinguishing between those Partnerships in which the Authority’s involvement was mandatory and those where its involvement was voluntary, together with the cost, to the Service, of that voluntary involvement.
RESOLVED –
(a) That the Authority’s approach to managing its involvement with Partnerships be reviewed to take into account the fluid state of current partnership working.
(b) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee, if possible to the February 2009 meeting, distinguishing between those Partnerships in which the Authority’s involvement is mandatory and those where its involvement is voluntary, together with the cost, to the Service, of that voluntary involvement.
271. 2009/2010 Revenue Estimates, Capital Programme and Precepts - Risk Assessment
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Corporate Services providing an assessment of risks in the compilation of the provisional Budget for 2009/2010.
The report was introduced by Ian Young (Director of Corporate Services) who highlighted that the Authority was due to meet the following day and was due to consider the 2009/2010 Revenue Estimates, Capital Programme and Precepts. He advised that the Estimates had been compiled on the basis of all known information and by reference to set criteria for setting a balanced Budget. The figures were still bound by the level of uncertainty which surrounded the Improvement Programme, the normal variability of Estimates, and contingent events. Underlying assumptions had been reviewed but would need to be actively monitored in view of the risk of material variation. As such, the significant risk to the provisional Estimates, as they currently stood, was the need quickly to identify expenditure reductions which might be required to contain increases in precepts with line with externally determined criteria (eg capping) in the event of material variants and, of course, the views of the Authority on the appropriateness or otherwise of a proposed increase in the Council Tax of 4.5%. Consequently the flexibility provided by the current level of Reserves would be important.
Members acknowledged the high level of uncertainty within which the Estimates had had to be compiled.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
272. Dates for 2009 Meetings of the Committee
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Secretary to the Authority inviting the Committee to set dates for its meetings to be held during 2009.
RESOLVED –
That meetings of the Committee be held on the following:-
· Tuesday 10 February 2009 at 10.00am at Easingwold.
· Tuesday 21 April 2009 at 10.00am at Easingwold.
· Monday 29 June 2009 at 10.00am at Fire Headquarters in Northallerton.
· Tuesday 22 September 2009 at 10.00am at Easingwold.
· Wednesday 2 December 2009 at 10.00am at Easingwold.
273. Ill Health Absence Management
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Human Resources providing an update in response to the Committee’s specific request for information with regard to ill health absence management.
The report was introduced by Andy Trowsdale (Director of Human Resources) who highlighted the continuing downward trend in ill health absence. He also advised that he was cautiously optimistic that the target for 2008/09 would be achieved, although that target was very demanding.
Andy Trowsdale clarified that there had been a 57% reduction in the number of days lost for sickness on the Shift Stations in the second quarter of 2008/09 compared to the same quarter of 2007/08.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
274. Corporate Risk Register
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Corporate Services advising of current status of the Corporate Risk Register.
The report was introduced by Ian Young (Director of Corporate Services) who highlighted that no changes had been made to the Corporate Risk Register since it had been considered by the Committee on 16 September 2008. He also advised that the Authority’s new insurer had offered to make available, free of charge, risk management training for Members. Following discussion, Members suggested that such training might be made available to all Members of the Authority during June/July 2009.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
275. Improvement Plan Progress Report
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Corporate Services providing information on progress against the Authority’s Improvement Plan.
The report was introduced by Ian Young (Director of Corporate Services) who highlighted that 5 projects had now been completed. These were the policy and procedure to address the problem of false automatic fire alarm activations; the review of Community Safety in rural areas; the review of the salvage and environmental control unit; the achievement of Level 3 of the Equality Standards; and the development of a capacity planning tool which was currently being rolled out.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
276. Performance Report
CONSIDERED –
Report of the Director of Corporate Services advising of the performance of the Service for the first half of the 2008/09 financial year against Corporate Performance Targets (CPTs) and Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs).
The report was introduced by Ian Young (Director of Corporate Services) who clarified that CPT3 and CPT7 should be shown in “amber” rather than in “red” as printed in Appendix 1 to the report. He added that the information in Appendix 1 related to the first six months of 2008/09 rather than to the first quarter. Five CPTs and 21 BVPIs were currently green; 2 CPTs and 7 BVPIs were currently amber; and no CPTs and 5 BVPIs were currently red.
Members commended the Service’s achievement in its increase in the percentage of firefighters who were women. Members expressed concern about the cessation of funding to provide smoke alarms.
RESOLVED –
That the report be noted.
Rag/alj
2008-12-09 - Fire - Audit and Performance Minutes/5