Fire Services Management Committee Update paper

Purpose of report

For information.

Summary

The report outlines issues of interest to the Fire Services Management Committee not covered under other items on the agenda, including the LGA member improvement offer.

Recommendation That members of the Committee note the report. Action Officers to continue to provide updates to members.

Contact officer:	Jessica Norman

Position:	Policy Adviser

Phone no:	0207 664 3221

Email:	Jessica.norman@local.gov.uk

Fire Services Management Committee Update paper

Fire Reform Agenda

Over the summer both Cambridgeshire and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authorities lost the current stage of the judicial reviews against Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner respectively. We understand that the Authorities are considering further challenges to the process.

Spending Round

The Spending Round announcement on the 4 July was generally positive for local government, delivering a funding package of more than £3.5 billion for local services next year. This was the biggest year-on-year real terms increase in spending power for local government in a decade. The Home Office will be providing an update for FSMC on what the Spending Round means for the fire sector through an earlier item on the agenda.

The LGA’s press release in response to the Spending Round can be found here.

Fire Statistics

New fire statistics were published in early August; the new statistics were about incidents attended by fire and rescue services in England for 2018/19 up to the end of year in March 2019.

Key statistics:

There was a two percent increase in incidents attended compared to the previous year, of which 32 per cent were fires – a nine percent increase compared to the previous year and was driven by a 19 percent increase in secondary fires.

Of the attended incidents, 32 per cent were fire related, 40 per cent were fire false alarms and 28 per cent were non-fire incidents.

There were 253 fire-related fatalities which is the lowest number of fatalities in the series and 25 percent less than the previous year (including the 71 fatalities from the Grenfell Tower fire).

Over the last decade the general trend of incidents has been in decline reaching a low point between 2012/13 and 2015/16 at around half a million a year. Since then the number has increased to around 576,000 incidents in 2018/19.

Emergency Services Mobile Communications Project (ESMCP)

On the 11 May the National Audit Office report published a report into the ESMCP, the replacement to the Airwave system currently used by 107 blue light services in England Scotland and Wales for communications between control rooms and the field.

The report raised concerns about the management of the project by the Home Office, in particular the management of suppliers and contracts; time and cost overruns; and risk management. Members can access the full report here.

On the 17 July the Home Affairs Select Committee also released a report on the project. The report raised similar concerned to the National Audit Office and came to six conclusions with accompanying recommendations as detailed below:

Concern 1: Despite extending the project by three years and increasing the budget by £3.1 billion, the Home Office still had not clear idea on whether it can be delivered.

Recommendation 1: To produce a detailed project plan by October 2019 which includes when Airwave can realistically be turned off and the cost extending the Airwave system.

Concern 2: An unhealthy ‘good news’ culture meaning warnings were not heeded.

Recommendation 2: To write to the committee by October 2019 to set out the steps to be taken to improve senior oversight of the programme, to create challenge to current assumptions and to gain independent assurance.

Concern 3: Mismanagement of the project means that emergency services do not have confidence that the Emergency Services Network (ESN) service will meet their needs.

Recommendation 3: The Home Office should agree with users a set of specific and detailed criteria to determine when ESN is ready to replace Airwave.

Concern 4: The Committee was not convinced that the Home Office has the plans or skills needed to integrate the different elements of ESN in to a coherent plan.

Recommendation 4: Before contracting with another delivery partner, the Department should analyse the skills and tasks needed to integrate ESN, fill skills gaps and learn from lessons of previous contracts.

Concern 5: Based on past failures the Home Office may not be able to manage the significant commercial risks facing the programme.

Recommendation 5: The Home Office should write to the Committee by October 2019 setting out how it will manage these risks.

Concern 6: Delays to the revised business case and further increases in cost raise doubts over the value for money case for ESN.

Recommendation 6: The Home Office should ensure it delivers a revised and approved business case by the end of 2019, which should include a ‘plan B’ if the project failed the value for money test.

Members can read the full report here.

Local Government Association member development offer

LGA Leadership Essentials for Fire and Rescue: The LGA has programmed two fire and rescue leadership essentials programmes for 2019/20. The first was held on 26-27 September 2019 and the second will take place on 12-13 February 2020 at Warwick Conferences. By the end of each course, delegates have had the opportunity to:

Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fire sector, including clarity on duties and responsibilities and on key partners like the Fire Services Management Committee, National Fire Chiefs Council, Home Office and fire unions.

Develop skills around collective leadership in fire and rescue authorities (FRAs).

Gain a thorough understanding of good governance in fire and rescue authorities and practical skills to apply that understanding.

Improve knowledge of the key strategic issues facing the sector, including building safety, the fire inspections regime and the emerging issue of culture, inclusion and diversity in the fire sector.

Share ideas and network with leading members from a variety of FRAs.

Leading the fire sector: Fire Services Management Committee have now launched a series of member development resources and events under the banner of ‘Leading the fire sector’, including:

‘Leading the fire sector: Oversight of performance and engaging with inspection’ guide. This is designed to help members to effectively hold senior officers to account in the context of a broad assurance landscape and inspection. The guide is due to be published shortly, it will be accessible via the LGA publications webpage and will also be circulated to all Fire Commission members on publication.

The LGA has commissioned two training events to accompany the guide which will go through the practical application of the principles expressed in the guide. The events will take place on the 11 and 26 November and members can book on to the session via these links Merseyside and Hampshire

Following five successful regional events earlier this year, two further ‘Leading the fire sector: Culture, diversity and inclusion’ events have been planned for January 2020. The events will include speakers from key partners like HMICFRS, Women in Fire, the Asian Fire Services Association and the Fire Brigades Union. Members can book on to the session via the events webpage shortly.

Distance learning resources: The LGA has produced a series of distance learning materials for councillors, covering a number of topics, in the form of workbooks and e-learning modules. For more information see this webpage and for access to the e-learning platform please email elearning@local.gov.uk. Particularly useful courses include:

Equality, Diversity and Unconscious Bias

Community engagement and leadership

Scrutiny for Councillors.

Secondary fires are defined as small outdoor fires, not involving people or property.