KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY Meeting of … · Meeting of the Authority Wednesday, 14 December 2016 10.30 am . AGENDA KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY Wednesday,

KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

Meeting of the Authority

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

10.30 am

AGENDA


Wednesday, 14 December 2016, 10.30 am Ask for: Stuart Ballard/Marie Curry Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone, ME15 6XB

Telephone: (01622) 692121 ext 8206/8291

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

(During these items the meeting is likely to be open to the public)

A Routine Business

A1. Chairman’s Announcements

A2. Membership Changes and Apologies for Absence

A3. Declarations of Interest in Items on this Agenda

A4. Minutes of the Meeting of the Authority held on 18 October 2016 (Pages 5-7 for approval)

A5. Minutes of a Meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 8 November 2016 (Pages 9-12 for information only)

A6. Minutes of a Meeting of the Planning and Performance Committee held on 29 November 2016 (Pages 13-15 for information only)

B For Decision

B1. Proposed Calendar of Member Meetings for 2017/18 (Pages 17-22)

B2. Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 (Pages 23-32)

B3. Acquisition and Disposal of Land and Property (Pages 33-35)

B4. Performance Update (Pages 37-45)

C For Information

C1. Fire and Rescue Service Reform Agenda (presentation)

D Urgent Business (Other items which the Chairman decides are urgent)

E Exempt Items (At the time of preparing this agenda there were no exempt items. During any such items which may arise the meeting is likely NOT to be open to the public).

Stuart Ballard Clerk to the Authority

2 December 2016

Please note that any background papers referred to in the accompanying reports may be inspected by arrangement with the Lead/Contact Officer named on each report.


______________________________

MINUTES of a Meeting of the Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority held at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone on Tuesday, 18 October 2016.

PRESENT:- Mr N J D Chard (Chairman), Mr S A Tranter (Vice-Chairman), Mrs A Allen MBE, Mr M J Angell, Mr H G R Birkby, Mr D L Brazier, Mr D J Carr, Mr I S Chittenden, Mr G Cowan, Mr D S Daley, Mr J A Davies, Mr M C Heale, Mrs S V Hohler, Mr P J Homewood, Mr S Iles, Mr R A Latchford OBE, Mr T A Maddison, Mr S C Manion, Mr R J Parry, Mr C E T Simkins, Mr B J Sweetland and Mr N A Terry.

APOLOGIES:- Dr M R Eddy, Mr P Godwin and Mrs P A V Stockell.

OFFICERS:- The Chief Executive, Miss A Millington; the Director, Operations, Mr S Bone-Knell; the Assistant Director, Finance, Mrs A Kilpatrick; the Assistant Director, Policy and Performance, Mr J Finch; the Monitoring Officer, Mr G D Wild; and the Clerk to the Authority, Mr S C Ballard.

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

16. Membership(Item A2)

(1) The Chairman reported the death on 2 August of Mr Robert Brookbank, who had served on the Authority from December 2010 until June 2015. Members and officers stood in silence as a mark of respect to Mr Brookbank.

(2) Members noted that, since the last meeting, Ms S J Carey had resigned from the Authority and that Kent County Council had appointed Mr B J Sweetland in her place. The Chairman welcomed Mr Sweetland to his first meeting.

(3) RESOLVED that the Authority place on record its thanks to Ms Carey for her contribution to the work of the Authority during her period of office.

17. Minutes - 16 June 2016(Item A4)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Authority meeting held on 16 June 2016 be approved andsigned by the Chairman as a correct record.

18. General Purposes Committee - 16 June and 15 July 2016(Item A5)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the General Purposes Committee meetings held on 16 Juneand 15 July 2016 be noted.

19. Planning and Performance Committee - 16 June and 19 July 2016(Item A6)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Planning and Performance Committee meetings held on16 June and 19 July 2016 be noted.

20. Hearings Panel – 9 August 2016(Item A7)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Hearings Panel meeting held on 9 August 2016 be noted.

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18 October 2016

21. Disposal of Land and Property(Item B1 - Report by Director, Finance and Corporate Services)

(1) The Authority considered proposals for the procedure to be used for the disposal of the former Medway Fire Station, and for the sale of land adjoining surplus day-crewed houses at Faversham Fire Station.

(2) RESOLVED that:-

(a) in order to secure the maximum potential capital receipt, the former Medway Fire Station be demolished and its site be sold on the open market subject to the purchaser obtaining planning consent;

(b) the land adjoining the surplus day-crewed houses at Faversham be sold to the organisation purchasing those houses.

22. Customer Focus(Item C1)

(1) Members received a presentation from David Wales, the Operations Information Manager, on the emerging outcomes of the research he had led into the behaviour of people when faced with fires in their homes and the implications of this for the way in which fire and rescue authorities interacted with their customers.

(2) RESOLVED that the presentation be noted with thanks.

23. Performance Update(Item C2 - Report by Chief Executive)

(1) Members considered a report which provided an update on progress against the Corporate Plan and the Authority’s performance targets. The report also set out the latest position on financial performance and budget monitoring, including a decision by the Senior Officer Appointment and Conditions Committee on a 1% pay increase for the Chief Executive and Directors with effect from 1 January 2016.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

24. Monitoring Officer Appointment(Item C3 - Report by Chief Executive)

(1) Members were advised that there had been a change in Mr Wild’s role at Kent County Council, but that this change did not affect his current appointment as the Authority’s Monitoring Officer for the period until March 2018.


25. Procurement(Item C4)

(1) The Chief Executive gave an oral update on her work as the National Lead on Procurement for the Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA).

(2) RESOLVED that the Chief Executive’s oral update be noted with thanks.

26. Response to Government Consultation on Business Rates(Item C5 - Report by Director, Finance and Corporate Services)

RESOLVED that the Authority’s response to the Government’s consultation document “Self-Sufficient Local Government: 100% Business Rates Retention”, which had been finalised asurgent business in consultation with the Chairman in order to meet the closing date, be noted.

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18 October 2016

27. Efficiency Plan(Item C6 - Report by Assictant Director, Finance)

(1) Members were reminded that, last year for the first time, the Government had included within the funding settlement an offer to single-purpose fire and rescue authorities of a firm four-year funding allocation in return for a robust and transparent Efficiency Plan. The Authority had previously agreed in principle that the Government’s offer should be accepted and so an Efficiency Plan had been prepared and submitted by the date set by the Government. Members considered the Plan.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the Authority’s Efficiency Plan be noted.

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GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE _____________________________

MINUTES of a meeting of the General Purposes Committee held at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone on Tuesday 8 November 2016.

PRESENT:- Mr M J Angell (Chairman), Mrs A Allen MBE, Mr H G R Birkby, Mr D J Carr, Mr N J D Chard (substitute for Mr S C Manion), Mr G Cowan, Mr D S Daley, Mr R A Latchford OBE, Mr C E T Simkins, Mr B J Sweetland and Mr S A Tranter.

APOLOGIES:- Mr P Godwin, Mr S C Manion and Mrs P A V Stockell.

OFFICERS:- The Chief Executive, Miss A Millington; the Director, Finance and Corporate Services, Mr C Kerr; the Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience, Mr P Flaherty; the Assistant Director, Finance, Mrs A Kilpatrick; the Assistant Director, Human Resources, Mrs K Irvine; the Assistant Director, Policy and Performance, Mr J Finch; the Corporate Governance and Risk Manager, Mr R Feltham; the Corporate Facilities and Environmental Manager, Mr P Austen; the Exchequer Accountant, Ms S Dawe; and the Clerk to the Authority, Mr S C Ballard.

IN ATTENDANCE:- Mrs J Waghorn, Independent Person (for item B5); Ms E Hill and Mr T Blackman, Grant Thornton UK LLP (for item C1); and Ms S Buckland and Ms F Chivers, KCC Internal Audit (for item C2).

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

17. Membership(Item A1)

Members noted that Mr B J Sweetland had been appointed to serve on the Committeein place of Ms Carey, who had recently resigned from the Authority.

18. Election of Vice-Chairman for Remainder of 2016/17(Item A2)

(1) Mr Angell moved, Mr Simkins seconded, that Mr Manion be elected Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

(2) There being no other nominations, Mr S C Manion was declared elected as Vice-Chairman of the Committee for the remainder of 2016/17, in place of Ms Carey.

19. Minutes(Item A4)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 July 2016 beapproved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

20. Financial Progress and Treasury Management Update 2016/17(Item B1 - Report by Assistant Director, Finance)

(1) The Committee considered a proposal in principle to purchase land at Herne Bay to enable a replacement fire station to be built on a new site. The Committee also received the latest forecast outturn position on the revenue and capital budgets for 2016/17 together with updates on Treasury Management issues, insurance matters, and the disposal of assets.

(2) RESOLVED that:-

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8 November 2016

(a) the proposal for the acquisition of land in the Herne Bay area to enable a replacement fire station to be built on a new site be agreed in principle;

(b) the remaining contents of the report be noted.

21. Development of the 2017/18 Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan(Item B2)

(1) The Committee received a presentation from the Assistant Director, Finance, on the development of the 2017/18 budget and the Medium Term Financial Plan.

(2) RESOLVED that the approach being used to develop the Authority’s budget plans, and the proposals for the public consultation on the Council Tax level for 2017/18, as described in the presentation to the meeting, be approved in principle.

22. Revised Code of Corporate Governance(Item B3 - Report by Corporate Governance and Risk Manager)

(1) Members considered a revised Code of Corporate Governance, which had been updated and amended to reflect changes in CIPFA’s recently-revised Governance Framework.

(2) RESOLVED that the revised Code of Corporate Governance, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

23. Safeguarding Policy and Regulations(Item B4 - Report by Chief Executive)

(1) Following a thorough review of the Authority’s documentation relating to the safeguarding of both children and adults in the light of the Committee’s approval of the new Feedback and Allegations process at its last meeting (Minute 13), the Committee considered a proposed new Safeguarding Service Order. The Committee also received a summary of the issues raised in the Government’s consultation document “Reporting and Acting on Child Abuse and Neglect”, and a copy of the Authority’s response to Kent County Council’s Adult Social Care Vision and Strategy 2016/2021, which had been submitted as urgent action following consultation with the Chairman of the Authority.

(2) RESOLVED that:-

(a) the proposed new Safeguarding Service Order, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved;

(b) the remaining contents of the report, including the Authority’s response to Kent County Council’s Adult Social Care Vision and Strategy 2016/2021, attached as Appendix 2 to the report, be noted.

24. Annual Report on Members’ Standards, Allowances and Activity 2015/16(Item B5 - Report by Clerk to the Authority)

(1) The Committee received the Annual Report on Standards, and Mrs Waghorn, the Authority’s Independent Person, commented to the Committee on it. Members also received details of the allowances and expenses paid by the Authority to each Member during the 2015/16 financial year, together with a summary of the reports submitted by Members on their activities as Members of the Authority during the 2015/16 municipal year. The Committee then considered a proposal that the Member Activity Report process should be discontinued.

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8 November 2016

(2) RESOLVED that:-

(a) for the reasons set out in paragraph 12 of the report, the Member Activity Report process be discontinued forthwith;

(b) the remaining contents of the report and its appendices be noted.

25. External Auditors’ Annual Audit Letter 2015/16(Item C1 - Report by Assistant Director, Finance)

(1) The Committee considered the Annual Audit Letter prepared by Grant ThorntonUK LLP (GT) in its capacity as the Authority’s External Auditor.

(2) Ms Hill, the GT Director responsible for the Authority’s audit, introduced the Annual Audit Letter which confirmed that the audit for 2015/16 had been concluded and an unqualified opinion issued in relation to the 2015/16 financial statements.

(3) The Assistant Director, Finance, reported that the Authority would be highlighted in the Public Sector Audit Appointments report as one of the local authorities which had received an unqualified opinion on its 2015/16 accounts by 31 July 2016.

(4) RESOLVED that:-

(a) the contents of the report and of the External Auditors’ Annual Audit Letter (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be noted;

(b) the Committee place on record its thanks to the External Auditors for an excellent Audit Letter, and to relevant officers for preparing the final accounts so speedily and accurately for the External Auditors’ consideration.

26. Internal Audit - Mid-Year Progress Report 2016/17(Item C2 - Report by Assistant Director, Finance)

(1) The Committee considered the Mid-Year Report on progress in delivering the current Internal Audit Plan.

(2) Ms Chivers, on behalf of the Head of Internal Audit, introduced the Progress Report.

(3) RESOLVED that the contents of the report and the Internal Audit Mid-Year Progress Report (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be noted.

27. Caring for the Environment Update (Item C3 - Report by Corporate Facilities and Environmental Manager)

(1) The Committee received the final emissions report for the 2015/16 financial year and was advised that work was in progress to determine the appropriate targets for measuring the reduction in the Authority’s carbon emissions in future years.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report and its appendix be noted.

28. Corporate Health Performance(Item C4 - Report by Assistant Director, Human Resources)

(1) Members received an analysis of how the Authority had performed against the strategic corporate health indicators relating to human resources between 1 April and 30 September 2016, and were advised that the Authority would be seeking re-accreditation against the Fire and Rescue Service Equality Framework by March 2017.

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8 November 2016


29. Corporate Risk Update(Item C5 - Report by Corporate Governance and Risk Manager)

(1) Members considered the status of the revised Corporate Risk Register as at 30 September 2016.

(2) RESOLVED that the latest position on the key corporate risks potentially facing the Authority over the medium to long term be noted.

30. Pension Board Update(Item C6 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) Members received the Minutes of the most recent meeting of the Pension Board for the Firefighters’ Pension Schemes.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report, and the Minutes of the Pension Board meeting held on 5 July 2016 (attached as Appendix 1 to the report), be noted.

31. Change of Date of Meeting – April 2017(Item C7)

Members noted that the next meeting of the Committee would take place onWednesday 12 April 2017 (and not on 19 April as previously agreed).

32. Visit by Home Secretary(Item D1)

The Chairman agreed to take this item as urgent.

The Chairman of the Authority informed the Committee that the new Home Secretaryhad, at her request, visited the Authority on the previous Friday, 4 November. The visithad been hosted at the Road Safety Experience and subsequent feedback from theHome Secretary and her team had been very positive about both the visit and theAuthority’s work. Mr Chard offered his congratulations to the staff involved fororganising such a highly successful visit at such short notice.

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PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE _____________________________

MINUTES of a meeting of the Planning and Performance Committee held at Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, The Godlands, Tovil, Maidstone on Tuesday 29 November 2016.

PRESENT:- Mr N J D Chard (Chairman), Mr S A Tranter (Vice-Chairman), Mr M J Angell (substitute for Mr J A Davies), Mr H Birkby (substitute for Mr M C Heale), Mr D L Brazier, Mr D S Daley (substitute for Mr I S Chittenden), Dr M R Eddy, Mr P J Homewood, Mr R A Latchford OBE (substitute for Mr N A Terry) and Mr B J Sweetland (substitute for Mr R J Parry).

APOLOGIES:- Mr I S Chittenden, Mr J A Davies, Mr M C Heale, Mrs S V Hohler, Mr S Iles, Mr T A Maddison, Mr R J Parry and Mr N A Terry.

OFFICERS:- The Chief Executive, Miss A Millington; the Director, Operations, Mr S Bone-Knell; the Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience, Mr P Flaherty; the Assistant Director, Community Safety, Mr M Adams; the Assistant Director, Finance, Mrs A Kilpatrick; the Assistant Director, Policy and Performance, Mr J Finch; the Assistant Director, Response, Mr C Colgan; and the Clerk to the Authority, Mr S C Ballard.

UNRESTRICTED ITEMS

14. Mr Martin Adams

(1) The Chairman reported that Mr Adams, Assistant Director, Community Safety, would shortly be retiring from KFRS and this would be last meeting of the Committee that he would attend.

(2) RESOLVED that the Committee place on record its thanks to Mr Adams for his long and illustrious service and its best wishes to him for the future.

15. Minutes(Item A3)

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19 July 2016 beapproved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

16. Kent Resilience Team(Item B1 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee was advised of the achievements of the Kent Resilience Team (KRT) since it had been established as a three-year collaborative project by the Authority, Kent County Council and Kent Police in April 2014, and considered the business case for the KRT to be made permanent.

(2) RESOLVED that the proposal to establish the Kent Resilience Team on a permanent basis from April 2017, through a Shared Partnership Agreement between the Authority, Kent County Council and Kent Police, be approved.

17. Joint Kent Community Safety Team – Future Direction(Item B2 - Report by Assistant Director, Community Safety)

(1) The Committee received examples of the achievements of the joint Kent Community Safety Team (KCST) following its creation in September 2015, and considered proposals for the future direction and approach of the KCST.

(2) RESOLVED that:-

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29 November 2016

(a) the proposals for the next phase and actions of the joint Kent Community Safety Team, as set out in the report, be approved;

(b) the remaining contents of the report be noted.

18. Station Build Programme Update(Item C1)

(1) Members received a presentation from the Director, Operations, on the latest position with the Station Build Programme, covering those new stations currently under construction as well as plans for future developments.

(2) RESOLVED that the presentation be noted with thanks.

19. Kent Police Control Room Project Consultation(Item C2 - Report by Assistant Director, Policy and Performance)

(1) The Committee considered an overview and the timelines of a project recently commissioned by Kent Police, in partnership with Essex Police, to review its approach to 999 and non-emergency call handling.


20. Performance Update – April to October 2016(Item C3 - Report by Assistant Director, Policy and Performance)

(1) The Committee received a written update report on the Authority’s performance against its strategic service delivery indicators from April to September 2016, and a verbal update on performance during October 2016.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report and the oral update be noted.

21. Technical Rescue Review(Item C4 - Report by Assistant Director, Response)

(1) The Committee was updated on the internal review of the Authority’s Technical Rescue function which was currently being undertaken, and provided with an overview of potential new areas of work for the Technical Rescue team and the associated amendments to their work patterns that would be required as a result.


22. Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme Update(Item C5 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received an update on the latest developments relating to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme.


23. Operational Exercises and Winter Preparations(Item C6 - Report by Assistant Director, Channel Tunnel and Resilience)

(1) The Committee received a schedule of the operational exercises planned for January to March 2017, together with an overview of the preparations in place for the winter months.


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29 November 2016

24. Building Regulations – Sprinklers in Schools(Item C7 - Report by Assistant Director, Community Safety)

(1) The Committee was advised of a recent consultation by the Department for Education about proposed amendments to its advice note on designing for fire safety in schools, and of the Authority’s response to the consultation expressing concern at the proposal to remove the expectation that most new school buildings should be fitted with a sprinkler system.

(2) RESOLVED that the contents of the report, including the consultation by the Department for Education on proposed changes to ‘Building Bulletin 100: design for fire safety in schools’ and the Authority’s response to that consultation, be noted.

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LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Clerk to the Authority – Stuart Ballard

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8206

EMAIL: [email protected]

BACKGROUND PAPERS: None

Item No: B1

By: Chief Executive

To: Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority – 14 December 2016

Subject: PROPOSED CALENDAR OF MEMBER MEETINGS FOR 2017/18

Classification: Unrestricted

FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

This report sets out the proposed calendar of Member meetings for 2017/18 and suggests a

review of the arrangements for Member training.

RECOMMENDATION

Members are requested to:

1. Approve the proposed calendar of Member meetings for 2017/18 as set out in

Appendix 1 and the proposal for a review of the arrangements for Member

training (paragraphs 4 and 7 refer).

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COMMENTS

Introduction

1. It is the Authority’s normal practice at the end of each calendar year to approve the

programme of Authority and Committee meetings and Member training events for the

forthcoming Authority year (June to June).

Member Meetings and Training Events for the Remainder of 2016/17

2. The Authority has already set dates for its own meetings and those of its

Committees, as well as for training events, for the remainder of the current Authority

year (through to the Annual Meeting in June 2017). These dates, as well as the dates

of operational exercises recently reported to the Planning and Performance

Committee, are shown for completeness in the first part of Appendix 1. Members

will recall that the date of the General Purposes Committee meeting in April 2017

was originally scheduled for the 19th, but has subsequently been re-scheduled for the

12th in order to avoid a clash with a Kent County Council (KCC) meeting that was

moved to the 19th.

3. It is suggested that the Member training events scheduled to follow the General

Purposes Committee and the Planning and Performance Committee on 12 and 26

April 2017 respectively should be cancelled for the reasons set out in paragraph 7

below.

Proposed Meeting Dates for 2017/18

4. Suggested dates for Authority and Committee meetings from June 2017 until June

2018 are shown in the second part of Appendix 1 for Members’ consideration and

approval. Other currently known dates which have an influence on the meetings

programme (such as national and local elections, LGA Conferences, and annual

meetings of the constituent authorities) are also shown.

5. The suggested dates for 2017/18 follow a similar pattern to that adopted for 2016/17,

with four Authority meetings and three meetings of each of the two main Committees

during the year (avoiding school holiday periods as far as possible).

6. Identifying appropriate dates for meetings continues to be complex given the

demands being placed on Members both by the Authority and by their constituent

authorities. As usual, in drawing up the proposed programme for 2017/18,

discussions have taken place with relevant officers at both KCC and Medway Council

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to try to avoid any significant date clashes. However, it is important to emphasise

that, while KCC has already published its calendar for the period until March 2018

(with some meeting dates identified through April and May), it has not yet considered

its meeting dates for the remainder of the 2018 calendar year, and Medway Council

has not yet considered any part of its calendar for the 2017/18 municipal year.

Having said that, when both Councils do consider their future calendars, they will

normally do their best to work around meeting dates already agreed by the Authority.

Nevertheless, because it is often necessary for the constituent Councils to call

meetings at short notice, it is unfortunately inevitable that clashes will occur from time

to time, despite the best efforts of all parties.

Member Training

7. Members will be aware that almost all the Member Training events for which dates

were reserved in the Calendar of Meetings during the last year have been cancelled.

This suggests that the time is ripe to take a fresh look at Members’ requirements for

training and briefing. It is therefore proposed that a review of the arrangements for

Member training/briefing should take place once the Authority has been reconstituted

following next May’s KCC elections, with a report back to the Authority meeting in

October 2017. It is for this reason that it is suggested that the Member training

events scheduled to follow the General Purposes Committee and the Planning and

Performance Committee on 12 and 26 April 2017 respectively should be cancelled.

8. The proposed review will not affect operational exercises and Members will continue

to be invited to observe these as and when they are arranged.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

9. All costs associated with the meetings are contained within existing budgetary

provisions.

RECOMMENDATION

10. Members are requested to:

10.1 Approve the proposed calendar of Member meetings and training events for 2017/18

as set out in Appendix 1 and the proposal for a review of the arrangements for

Member training (paragraphs 4 and 7 refer).

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Appendix 1 to Item No: B1

PROPOSED CALENDAR OF AUTHORITY AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2017/18

Part 1: Remainder of 2016/17 - Previously Approved (with upcoming operational exercises added)

2017

Wednesday 18 January Operational Exercise, Dover

Saturday 21 January Bi-National Operational Exercise, Channel Tunnel

Monday 13 February 10.30 Authority (Budget)

Monday 13 February Operational Exercise, Maidstone

Tuesday 21 February Operational Exercise, Queenborough

Tuesday 28 February Operational Exercise, Tunbridge Wells

7-8 March LGA Annual Fire Conference, Gateshead

Thursday 9 March Operational Exercise, Maidstone

Tuesday 14 March Operational Exercise, Aylesford

Wednesday 12 April* 10.30 General Purposes Committee

13.00 Member Training (to be cancelled)

(*Changed from 19 April)

Wednesday 26 April 10.30 Planning and Performance Committee

13.00 Member Training (to be cancelled)

Thursday 4 May KCC Election

Wednesday 17 May Medway Council Annual Meeting (provisional)

Thursday 25 May KCC Annual Meeting

Thursday 15 June 10.30 Authority (Annual Meeting)

13.00 Member Induction

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Part 2: 2017/18 - Proposed Dates

2017

4-6 July LGA Annual Conference, Birmingham

Monday 10 July 10.30 Planning and Performance Committee

Tuesday 18 July 10.30 General Purposes Committee

Wednesday 18 October 10.30 Authority

Thursday 9 November 10.30 General Purposes Committee

Thursday 16 November 10.30 Planning and Performance Committee

Thursday 14 December 10.30 Authority

2018

Tuesday 13 February 10.30 Authority (Budget/Safety Plan)

early March (date TBC) LGA Annual Fire Conference

Tuesday 27 March 10.30 General Purposes Committee

Thursday 26 April 10.30 Planning and Performance Committee

mid-May (date TBC) Medway Council Annual Meeting

Thursday 17 May KCC Annual Meeting

Thursday 14 June 10.30 Authority (Annual Meeting)

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LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Assistant Director, Human Resources – Karen Irvine



BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: None

Item Number: B2

By: Chief Executive

To: Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority – 14 December 2016

Subject: PAY POLICY STATEMENT 2017/18


FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

Sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act 2011 require that the Authority prepares and publishes

a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year before the start of that financial year, and this

report seeks approval to the Statement for 2017/18.

RECOMMENDATION


1. Approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18 (paragraphs 3 to 5 and Appendix 1

refer).

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COMMENTS

Background

1. Sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act 2011 require all local authorities to prepare and

publish an annual Pay Policy Statement. The requirements in the Act originate from

the recommendations set out in the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector.

This recognised not only the need for high-calibre leaders but also the requirement

for fair levels of pay reflecting individuals’ contributions whilst also reassuring the

public that this was being achieved. The Authority’s proposed Pay Policy Statement

for 2017/18 is attached at Appendix 1.

2. The Hutton Review expressed concern over pay governance practices, in particular

placing an emphasis on the pay and benefits received by Chief Executives. The Act

specifically refers to the relationship between these and the lowest-paid employees

by requiring that the ratio between the two is identified. Members will be aware that,

under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, the Authority is already required to

publish, as part of its Annual Statement of Accounts, details relating to senior

employee salaries, defined as £50,000 and above. For the purposes of the Pay

Policy Statement it is not intended to replicate this information but to provide the

necessary link to it through the website.

Proposed Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18

3. The proposed Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18 differs very little from that agreed for

2016/17. Changes have however been made to reflect the current establishment

figures and the agreed pay increases for 2016.

4. The Statement also provides Members with the assurance that the Authority currently

pays all of its employees an hourly rate above the living wage.

5. Members are therefore asked to agree the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18, which

is attached at Appendix 1. Once the Pay Policy Statement has been approved it will

be placed on the Authority’s website so that it is available for the public to access.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

6. The draft Pay Policy Statement puts into context, for members of the public, the

arrangements the Authority has in place for setting and amending the pay of its

employees.

7. The draft Pay Policy Statement meets all current guidance issued by the Government

for the production of such documents.

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RECOMMENDATION


8.1 Approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18 (paragraphs 3 to 5 and Appendix 1

refer).

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Appendix 1 to Item No: B2

Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Pay Policy Statement 2017/18

Introduction

The Pay Policy Statement set out below has been compiled in accordance with Sections 38 to 43 of the Localism Act 2011. The Act requires Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority to publish a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year. The information contained in this Statement is based on the pay position of employees as at 31 October 2016, unless otherwise stated. The purpose of a Pay Policy Statement is to provide information to the public on the pay arrangements that apply to employees of the Authority, including the Chief Executive and her direct reports. The Statement also includes information on how decisions to set or change pay are made.

Structure of the Workforce

As at 31 October 2016 the Authority employed 1,435 staff (1,408 full-time equivalents or FTEs). These employees span various pay groups which perform a variety of roles and have different working patterns to meet service delivery needs. In its simplest form these are employees who either have an operational role (firefighters working on fire stations, control operators and technical staff working in specialist areas) and wear a uniform, or those who provide administrative and corporate functions such as finance, information systems and human resources, and do not wear a uniform.

The Authority has a third group of employees, namely the Chief Executive and two Directors, one of whom is uniformed and the other non-uniformed.

Number of FTE Staff Employed by Category as at 31 October 2016: Staff Group Definition Number of

Staff in Group Wholetime Firefighters

Firefighters who work 42 hours a week to crew stations 24 hours a day either as firefighters located at the station, or as firefighters located at the station during the day and responding from their own homes on an on-call basis at night, or who work in specialist areas such as Technical Fire Safety.

701 (701 FTE)

Control Room Staff who receive 999 calls. 29 (29 FTE) On-Call Firefighters A duty system where firefighters respond from their own

homes or workplaces located near to the fire station on an on-call basis.

459

Support Staff Staff who typically do not wear a uniform and work in administrative and professional support functions.

200 (173 FTE)

Community Support Front Line

Specialist staff who provide fire and road safety prevention advice and offer home safety services and specialist advice for those more at risk.

46 (46 FTE)

Pay Policy

The overarching framework for pay and conditions of service for staff employed by the Authority is governed by three National Joint Councils (NJCs). These are the NJC for Local

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Authority Fire and Rescue Services, the NJC for Local Government Services and the NJC for Brigade Managers of Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services. The principal role of each of these national bodies is to reach agreement on a national framework of pay and conditions of service for authorities to apply locally. Each NJC is made up of people who represent the employers and others who represent employees; the latter will typically be trade union representatives. The frameworks of pay and conditions set by each of these national bodies are locally referred to as the Grey Book (applies to uniformed staff); the Green Book (applies to staff who do not wear a uniform); and the Gold Book (applies to the Chief Executive and two Directors) respectively.

Each NJC acknowledges that its national framework of pay and conditions will need to be adjusted locally to reflect local needs. Where appropriate this will be undertaken through local agreement, with recognised trade unions where they exist, or alternatively through local decision-making processes.

The Equality Act 2010 gives women (and men) a right to equal pay for equal work. The Authority undertook an equal pay audit in 2012 to ensure that its pay and benefits policy and practice were not being applied inconsistently resulting in unequal pay for work of equal value for men or women. There were no areas of concern identified as a result of the audit. It is planned that a further audit will be carried out in 2017/18.

Local Variations to Pay and Conditions of Service

The national pay agreements and the terms and conditions constitute a minimum standard but it is acknowledged that these can be modified through local negotiation to reflect local needs. There is a mechanism in place to agree such changes. However, any changes to the pay or conditions of service of the Chief Executive and/or the Directors must be approved by the Authority’s Senior Officer Appointment and Conditions (SOAC) Committee. The Authority’s General Purposes Committee will be informed of any proposed changes to the pay or terms and conditions of all other employees.

Pay Structure

Each category of staff will be linked to a separate pay structure which is directly linked to a national pay agreement. When the pay agreement has been amended to reflect local needs, Members of the Authority will be updated accordingly.

The pay structure for uniformed staff is based on the national pay agreement which is negotiated and issued by the NJC for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services (link to NJC circular), and which is based upon six roles. The annual salary within each role is a fixed point salary. This means that unless the employee is promoted, or a national pay award is agreed, the salary will remain unchanged. Employees may move up the pay structure through promotion into a higher role. For an employee to do this they must be approved by their line manager as having demonstrated the type of behaviours and skills required of an employee operating at the higher level through the annual appraisal process, and then by being successful through interview for a role at the higher level.

The pay structure is different for those staff who do not wear a uniform. Employees are appointed to a post which has a specific pay grade assigned to it. Within each grade there

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are between five and six pay points (link to green book pay spine). The experience and skills of the employee are evaluated against the requirements of the job which will then determine the pay point to which they are appointed. Progression to higher pay points within the grade will be dependent on the employee demonstrating continued development and performance against the requirements of the role which is measured annually through an appraisal process.

Pay Awards

An annual pay increase is awarded based on the outcome of the relevant national pay negotiation process. Based upon the decisions taken at a national level by the NJCs relevant to this Authority, the Authority’s Green Book staff received a pay award of 1% applicable from April 2016, and Grey Book Staff received a 1% award effective from 1 July 2016. The pay award for the Chief Executive and Directors is described below.

How are Grades and Roles Determined?

When a post is created or changes significantly it is evaluated in order that it can be matched against the appropriate grade for the role. A job evaluation process is used to determine the grade of a post. The process of job evaluation considers a range of factors relating to the demands of the job, including knowledge necessary to do the job; complexity; level of discretion in, and potential impact of, decision-making; and accountabilities in relation to people, finance and physical resources such as equipment or property. The job evaluation process ensures that the principle of equal pay for work of equal value is met and that the demands required of the post are assessed as objectively as possible. The job evaluation process includes input from trained individuals from across the organisation including union representatives.

The Authority has an Establishment Group made up of relevant officers. The responsibilities and functions of this group include considering the future workforce structure. Within this, where uniformed vacancies arise or will occur at some point in the future, consideration is given to the post being converted from uniformed (Grey Book) to non-uniformed (Green Book) terms and conditions.

Performance Appraisal

The Authority operates a Performance Appraisal Procedure which applies to all employees. The purpose of the performance appraisal is to look at an individual’s development needs and reflect on performance. This enables the manager to provide feedback to the employee on what could be done to improve performance, as well as considerations around job satisfaction and career planning. The appraisal should reflect the regular ongoing discussions which are already taking place between employees and their managers. This means that any concerns with regard to an individual’s performance will not be introduced at the appraisal meeting: these concerns should already have been addressed and an action plan put in place. Where there are concerns about performance and an individual becomes subject to the Authority’s formal capability procedure, this may have an effect on their pay, and the continued payment of a Continuous Professional Development payment (CPD). CPD is designed to recognise and reward experienced employees who are able to demonstrate continuous professional development. It is expected that employees will

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maintain a high level of continuous professional development and commitment to their job to receive a CPD payment.

With effect from 1 April 2017 the Performance Appraisal will be completed online through our Human Resources database. The online function will enable managers and staff to record their performance as and when it happens. In addition, for uniformed staff, it will record operational competency and identify individuals who are considered to be ready for promotion.

The Authority does not currently have arrangements in place for Performance Related Pay or ‘Buy Back’ as part of its performance appraisal process; neither does it have any arrangements in place for the payment of bonuses.

Pension Arrangements

The Authority currently administers five occupational pension schemes. There are four schemes for firefighters: the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 1992 (FPS) (closed to new entrants from April 2006); the New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006 (NFPS) (closed to new entrants from April 2015); the Modified Scheme 1992/2006 (specific to retained firefighters who served between 1 July 2000 and 6 April 2006); and the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015 (FPS 2015). The employee contribution rates effective from 1 April 2016, determined by statute, currently range from 11.0% to 17.0% for the FPS and Modified 1992, 8.5% to 12.5% for the NFPS and Modified 2006, and from 10% to 14.5% for the FPS 2015, depending on salary level. Employer contribution rates are 21.7% for FPS and Modified 1992, 11.9% for NFPS and Modified 2006, and 14.3% for FPS 2015 of core pensionable pay respectively.

Each scheme includes discretions which the employer decides how to apply. In November 2014 the General Purposes Committee approved an overarching Pensions Policy which defined five key principles, each of which the Chief Executive must ensure is considered before applying any such discretions on behalf of the Authority. As at 31 October 2016 no discretions have been awarded.

Green Book staff have the right to belong to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The employee contribution rates for this scheme currently range from 5.5% to 12.5% depending on salary level. The employer contribution rate is 12.5%.

A new Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS 2014) came into effect on 1 April 2014. This Scheme is a ‘Career Average Revalued Earnings’ (CARE) Scheme, unlike the original LGPS which is a final salary scheme. The new LGPS 2014 scheme introduced five employer discretions which were agreed by the General Purposes Committee in November 2014. Generally these discretions lead to enhanced benefits to scheme members, but result in additional costs which fall to the Authority and not to the pension scheme. As at 31 October 2016 no discretions have been awarded under the new LGPS 2014 scheme.

Senior Officers

The Authority is required to publish information relating to the pay of its most senior employees, which are defined as those employees whose annual salary is £50,000 or more.

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This information is published on an annual basis in the Authority’s Statement of Accounts. The most recent information published is for 2015/16. (http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/about-us/financial-information/statement-of-accounts/)

The SOAC Committee has a specific remit from the Authority to consider and make decisions about the remuneration and terms and conditions of employment of the Chief Executive and Directors.

Decisions made by the SOAC Committee in the Period up to 31 October 2016.

There were no SOAC Committee meetings held between 1 January 2016 and 31 October 2016. However the following decision was made through correspondence with SOAC Committee Members:-

Pay award for the Chief Executive and Directors – Pay awards in relation to this group of staff will generally follow the recommendations of the NJC for Brigade Managers of Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services. The NJC reached agreement on a pay award for 2016 of a 1% increase on basic pay. The SOAC Committee approved the application of this award to the Chief Executive and Directors.

Ratio between Highest Earner and Average Earnings of the Organisation and Definition of ‘Lowest Paid’

The Authority is required to publish information which expresses as a ratio the difference between the pay of its highest paid employee and the average pay for all other employees.

The Authority is also required to publish its own definition of ‘lowest-paid’ employees as it applies to the Authority’s workforce.

The Authority has a range of staff employed on different conditions of service and this means that it has a range of salary levels. Some staff are employed on contracts which are regarded as secondary employment. This means that they are able to undertake their contract in addition to other full-time employment. Specifically this relates to firefighters who work the ‘On Call’ duty system, providing on-call availability from their home or place of work. These employees have full-time work outside the Authority.

The Authority also has a group of staff employed on Voluntary Additional Hours contracts. These contracts are worked by staff that may have primary employment elsewhere. However, they could be staff who are already employed by the Authority but whose working pattern allows them to work some additional hours whilst still maintaining appropriate levels of rest. The individual will offer, on a voluntary basis, hours that they are available to work and if these hours suit the needs of the Authority they will be contracted to work the hours offered. For the purposes of publishing information on the comparison of pay in relation to the Authority’s highest earner when compared to the rest of the workforce and a definition of the ‘lowest paid’ in the context of the Authority, these groups of employees have not been included. This is because these posts constitute secondary employment and will typically be for a lower number of hours, which results in no true full-time equivalent salary. They would therefore skew the results of any comparison to full-time salaries.

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The Table below sets out the difference between the pay of the highest paid employee (who is the Chief Executive) when compared to the average pay (total pay divided by the number of employees) of all other employees. The information illustrates that the Chief Executive’s pay is 3.92 times more than the average pay of all other employees as at 31 October 2016. This differential is 0.05 lower than at October 2015.

The Chief Executive received a pay award of 1% in January 2016.

October 2015 October 2016 Degree of ChangeChief Executive’s Salary £145,864 £147,323 1.00%Average Salary £36,750 £37,628 2.39%Ratio 3.97 3.92 -0.05

This ratio is calculated by dividing the Chief Executive’s salary by the average salary for other staff

The Authority’s Definition of ‘Lowest-Paid’ Employees

The Authority regards its lowest-paid employees to be those employed on its Green Book conditions of employment. These are employees who do not wear a uniform and who work in administrative and corporate function areas. Employees can be employed on grades which range from 2 to 11. The Authority currently does not have any Grade 2 posts in its establishment, but it does have a few Grade 3 posts, which are support and administrative roles which have a minimal level of responsibility. This means that the Authority recognises that the necessary training and development can be provided in-house over a relatively short period and therefore specific skills or experience are not specified as essential at the recruitment stage. The salary range that applies to grade 3 is £17,597 - £19,838. The hourly rate for a grade 3 role is £10.28 per hour, which is greater than the current National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (£7.20 per hour as at December 2016).

The Authority has reinstated its apprenticeship programme and as at October 2016 it employed two apprentices in administrative functions. It is planned, during 2017/18, to employ at least an additional eight administrative apprentices. The apprentices are currently paid £5.50 per hour with the view that after six months, if they are performing well, they will be placed on the national minimum wage, which is greater than the current national apprenticeship wage (£3.40 per hour as at December 2016). The Authority also plans to employ a number of operational apprentices during 2017/18 but is currently awaiting the sign-off on a national apprenticeship framework.

Re-Engagement of Employees

For Grey Book staff who are members of the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (1992) and New Firefighters’ Pension Scheme (2006) a policy regarding re-employment and the treatment of pensions in payment has been in place since March 2010. This policy is based on the Regulations under each scheme and guidance provided by the Government. The principle and process of the policy is that any re-employment following retirement must be to an advertised vacancy, and as a result of a normal open and competitive selection process. Where re-employment is secured, the pension is adjusted (where relevant) so that the combination of pension and new salary does not exceed the individual’s salary at the time of their retirement. This adjustment process is called abatement. The process of abatement is not included in the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations and therefore does not apply to Green Book employees.

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LEAD/CONTACT OFFICER: Director, Finance and Corporate Services - Charles Kerr




Item Number: B3

By: Director, Finance and Corporate Services

To: Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority - 14 December 2016

Subject: ACQUISITION AND DISPOSAL OF LAND AND PROPERTY


FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

In accordance with the Authority’s Scheme of Delegations to the Chief Executive, Members’

approval is required for the acquisition, or disposal, of any land and buildings with an

estimated value of more than £100k. Accordingly, this report seeks Members’ approval to

the sale of the old Chatham Fire Station and the Technical Fire Safety office (house) at 2 St

Michaels Road, Sittingbourne, and the potential purchase of land adjoining Ashford Fire

Station.

RECOMMENDATIONS


1. Approve the disposal of the old Chatham Fire Station at New Cut, Chatham, either on

the open market or by agreement with Medway Council (paragraphs 2 to 4 refer).

2. Approve the disposal of the former Technical Fire Safety office at 2 St Michaels

Road, Sittingbourne (paragraph 5 refers).

3. Approve the potential purchase of land adjacent to Ashford Fire Station (paragraph 6

refers).

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COMMENTS

Background

1. The Authority continues to actively dispose of any premises which are surplus to its

requirements and, in accordance with its governance arrangements, any such

disposal with an estimated value of in excess of £100k must be approved by

Members. This report covers two properties, namely the old Chatham Fire Station

and 2 St Michaels Road Sittingbourne, both of which Members are asked to consider

and approve for disposal. In addition, the Authority is always looking for opportunities

to improve facilities at fire stations and there is a possibility of purchasing some land

adjoining the Ashford Fire Station which Members are also asked to consider and

approve.

The Old Chatham Fire Station

2. Following its closure for operational purposes in 2011, Members agreed that the old

Chatham Fire Station in New Cut, Chatham, could be used by the Kent Firefighters’

Museum Trust (KFMT) as a store for its artefacts based on a ten-year full repair lease

and at a peppercorn rent. During late 2015 the Authority was approached by

Medway Council regarding the Council’s proposals for regeneration in the area

surrounding the old fire station and, in particular, its aspiration that the station could

form part of a more ‘active frontage’ with a different usage as opposed to a

store. Given this intervention the lease to the KFMT was not finalised pending

further information from Medway Council regarding the success of a funding

application, amongst other matters. At all times the KFMT has been kept informed of

developments.

3. Following meetings with Medway Council officers it is clear that they feel that a

change of use of the station would be very beneficial to the Council’s plans for the

regeneration of the area, and that this could be brought about either through the

Authority’s arrangements for the disposal of the station or by the Council themselves

purchasing it.

4. Discussions are still ongoing with Medway Council but it would be the aim of the

Authority to eventually sell the site, as it has done with all its other fire stations that

were surplus to requirements. Members are therefore asked to consider and

approve the disposal of the old Chatham Fire Station either on the open market or by

agreement with Medway Council. The KFMT has steadily been emptying the

building and only a few artefacts still remain there.

Number 2, St Michaels Road, Sittingbourne

5. With the completion of the new Chatham Fire Station at the former Medway Fire

Station site, the staff at the Technical Fire Safety office at St Michaels Road will be

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relocated into the new station thereby freeing up the existing property for

disposal. Accordingly, Members are requested to consider and approve the disposal

of 2 St Michaels Road, Sittingbourne.

Land Adjacent to Ashford Fire Station

6. There is a possibility that the Authority might be able to purchase a piece of land next

to Ashford Fire Station from Ashford Borough Council. Tentative discussions have

indicated that the site might receive planning consent for car parking which is a

particular problem for the station given its heavy use for the training of firefighters

from surrounding stations. Members are therefore asked to consider and approve

the purchase of the land adjacent to Ashford Fire Station.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

7. The Authority has a duty to secure value for money in its property dealings and

therefore estimated values have not been included in this report as any disclosure

could prejudice future negotiations.

RECOMMENDATIONS


8.1 Approve the disposal of the old Chatham Fire Station at New Cut, Chatham, either on

the open market or by agreement with Medway Council (paragraphs 2 to 4 refer).

8.2 Approve the disposal of the former Technical Fire Safety office at 2 St Michaels

Road, Sittingbourne (paragraph 5 refers).

8.3 Approve the potential purchase of land adjacent to Ashford Fire Station (paragraph 6

refers).

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LEAD/CONTACT OFFICERS: Assistant Director, Policy and Performance - James Finch and

Assistant Director, Finance - Alison Kilpatrick

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 01622 692121 ext 8453 or 8262

EMAIL: [email protected] or [email protected]


Item Number: B4

By: Chief Executive

To: Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority - 14 December 2016

Subject: PERFORMANCE UPDATE


FOR DECISION

SUMMARY

This report provides Members with updates on progress against the Corporate Plan and the

Authority’s performance targets, and on financial performance, budget monitoring, and other

finance-related information, for the period April to October 2016. More detailed information on

performance is routinely reported to the relevant committees.

The key points on performance are:

The Authority has attended 3,000 fires so far this year, 1.5% more than during the same

period last year.

The Authority attended 291 accidental dwelling fires (ADFs) between April and October

2016, 50 fewer than in the same period last year, and the lowest performance recorded

for this period over the last four years.

One person died and 56 people were injured as a result of accidental fires; the fatality

and 37 of these injuries occurred in accidental dwelling fires.

The key points on finance-related issues are:

There is currently a forecast revenue underspend for 2016/17 of approximately £1m.

Members are asked to approve the approach to be adopted to appoint the Authority’s

External Auditors for the audit in 2018/19 and subsequent years.

RECOMMENDATIONS


1. Accept the invitation from Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited for the Authority

to become an opted-in authority for the purposes of the appointment of the Authority’s

auditor under the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the

requirements of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015 (paragraph 12

refers).

2. Consider and note the remaining contents of the report.

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COMMENTS

Performance against the Reporting Period 2015-18

1. The total fires projected three-year average figure for the 2015-18 period now stands

at 4,343 fires or 24.6 fires per 10,000 population. This performance is 16% higher than

the three-year average target.

2. So far in 2016/17, one person has died and 56 have been recorded as casualties as a

result of accidental fires; the same number of fatalities and nine casualties more than

during the same period in 2015/16.

3. The Authority has attended 291 accidental fires in dwellings so far this year, which

was 50 fewer than the previous year (341). One person died and 37 suffered injuries

as a result of these fires. The projected three-year average performance (2015-18)

stands at 539 accidental fires in dwellings (7.43 per 10,000 dwellings) and this

performance is 5.8% lower than the three-year average target.

4. Overall, the number of life-threatening incidents reached within 10 minutes and 12

minutes so far this year were below the targets of 80% and 89% respectively.

Performance against the Corporate Plan 2016/17

5. The Corporate Plan was agreed by the Authority in February 2016 (Minute 27) and the

performance targets were agreed by Planning and Performance Committee in May

2016 (Minute 27). This section of the report provides Members with an overview of

performance for April to October 2016.

6. Most of the targets have been set as three-year average targets for the period 2015-

18, with the exception of the indicator that measures the number of fatalities and

casualties in accidental fires, where a five-year average target (2015-20) has been

agreed.

7. An overview of the key performance indicators is presented in the tables below,

together with an explanation of what the Authority is doing to improve performance in

each area.

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LPI 100 - Total fires

Apr-Oct 2016 Actual

3-year average projection (2015-18)

3-year average projection per 10,000 pop

3-year average target per 10,000 pop

3,000 fires 4,343 fires 24.6 21.1

The Authority attended 3,000 fires between April and October 2016, 1.5% more than in the

same period the previous year. For each of the first four months of this year the majority of

the fire incident indicators were below or in line with the previous three-year average for the

month. For the months of August, September and October there have been higher than

expected levels of activity when compared to the previous three-year average. This can

mostly be attributed to grassland fires, which also remained unusually high through October.

These types of fires are normally linked to prolonged periods of dry weather.

One person has died and 56 people have been injured as a result of accidental fires; the

same number of fatalities and nine casualties more than during the same period in 2015/16.

The current three-year average projection (2015-18) shows that, on average during the whole

period, the Authority is predicted to attend 4,343 fires a year. If achieved, this performance

would be 16.5% higher than the three-year average target. This projection will still be affected

by the high number of fires during summer 2015 and the increase in fires experienced over

the August to October period this year.

The trend over the last four years, depicted by the central line in the chart below, indicates

that the overall decline in the number of fires is likely to plateau in the near future.

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LPI 105 - Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADFs)

Apr-Oct 2016 Actual

3-year average projection (2015-18)

3-year average projection per 10,000 dwellings

3-year average target per dwellings

291 fires 539 fires 7.4 7.9

The Authority attended 291 accidental dwelling fires (ADFs) between April and October 2016,

50 fewer than in the same period last year; and the lowest performance recorded for this

period over the last four years.

One person died and 37 people suffered injuries as a result of those fires. 32 of those injuries

were minor.

The current three-year average projection of 539 ADFs would be, if achieved, 5.8% lower

than the three-year average target of 572 ADFs. The current trend shows that further

reductions are becoming less likely as the trend line (central line in chart below) begins to

plateau. Nationally, the number of ADFs has remained consistent for the last two years.

So far this year the Authority has completed 5,120 Home Safety Visits (HSVs). The Authority

now has access to Exeter data: a data-set available to all fire and rescue authorities detailing

all people over 65, based on NHS data, which can be used as part of a risk-based approach

to the provision of home safety checks. A trial has taken place to use this information,

combined with known risk factors, to target home safety visits with three wholetime stations

since 1 March 2016, and is likely to be extended to all remaining wholetime stations in the

near future. The Authority has also recently redeveloped the computer system used to

manage requests for HSVs and booking officers to provide this service in the home. The call-

handling team has received a number of compliments from members for the public for their

work, as have the HSV officers that visit homes.

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LPI 136 i– People Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) in Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs)

KSI Kent and Medway(Jan-Mar 2016)

2020 Target for Kent and Medway

Kent1: 204 Medway2: 22

552

LPI 136 ii – Children Killed or Seriously Injured (KSI) in Road Traffic Collisions

KSI Kent and Medway(Jan-Mar 2016)

2020 Target for Kent and Medway

Kent3: 16 Medway4: 0

46

Although the Authority has not set a target to reduce the number of road traffic collisions

(RTCs) attended, the number of attendances is closely monitored, as well as the number of

people who are extricated, killed or suffer injuries as a result of those incidents.

The Authority has attended 592 RTCs5 so far this year (April - October 2016) which is slightly

higher than in the same period last year. 10 people died in those incidents and 121 suffered

serious injuries, which is 15 fatalities fewer but 4 serious injuries more than during the same

period last year.

The Authority is reporting performance against the targets for the number of people killed or

seriously injured as agreed in December 2012 by the Kent and Medway Road Casualty

Reduction (CaRe) Group:-

By 2020, to achieve a 33% reduction in the number of killed or seriously injured in

road crashes compared with the 2004 to 2008 average of 824.

By 2020, to achieve a 40% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously

injured in road crashes compared with the 2004 to 2008 average of 77.

Performance against these two targets is calculated using all incidents reported by Kent

Police and not only those attended by the Authority.

Provisional figures provided for January to March 2016 indicate that on Kent’s and Medway’s

roads the number of KSIs has increased significantly compared to last year with 17 people

killed and 209 seriously injured.

The most recently published statistics by the Department for Transport indicate that the

number of people killed in RTCs nationally in the year ending March 2016 was unchanged

when compared to the year ending March 2015. In contrast, the number of people injured

1 Provisional figures 2 Provisional figures 3 Provisional figures 4 Provisional figures 5 Excludes those where the Authority took no action

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decreased by 2% during the same period compared with the previous year. Motor traffic levels

also rose by 1.8% in the period from Apr 2015 - Mar 2016 compared with the previous 12-

month period.

The chart below shows the variations of the KSI data for LPI 136i over the past three years as

well as the trend

line.

During 2013 and 2014, the Authority experienced an increase in the number of KSIs

compared with the numbers reported in 2011 and 2012. Although the figures for 2015 are

encouraging, the agreed targets for 2020 still appear to be very challenging. Members of the

Kent Safer Roads Strategic Board, including Kent County Council, Medway Council and Kent

Police, are developing intervention actions to reverse this trend.

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Response Times6 to Life-Threatening Incidents within 10 and 12 Minutes

(LPI 143 i and LPI 143 ii) Apr-Oct 2016

Actual (LPI 143i)

Target 2016/1710 minutes

Apr-Oct 2016 Actual

(LPI 143ii)

Target 2016/1712 minutes

76.9% 80.0% 85.4% 89.0%

Between April and October 2016, the Authority was called to 1,428 life-threatening7 incidents

and attended 76.9% of them (1,098) within 10 minutes, and 85.4% (1,219) within 12 minutes.

Both figures are below the targets of 80% and 89% respectively.

The detailed figures show that the Authority continues to respond to fire incidents more

quickly than to RTCs. 77.7% of fire incidents were reached within 10 minutes and 85.5%

within 12 minutes, whereas only 70.0% of RTCs were reached within 10 minutes and 81.2%

within 12 minutes. Other life-threatening emergency special service incidents were reached

within 10 minutes on 83.9% of occasions and within 12 minutes on 90.4% of occasions.

Response times to RTCs have improved so far this year when compared to the previous year.

The Table below provides a further breakdown of attendance performance, according to

incident type:-

Property type

Within 10 minutes Within 12 minutes

2014/15 2015/16 Apr-Oct

2016 2014/15 2015/16 Apr-Oct

2016

Fire 80.3% 81.8% 77.7% 88.3% 89.6% 85.5%

RTCs 66.8% 65.2% 70.0% 81.1% 79.1% 81.2%

Other ESS 79.6% 77.7% 83.9% 87.0% 85.9% 90.4%

Total 78.0% 78.1% 76.9% 86.7% 86.8% 85.4%

Non-life threatening8 incidents were reached within 15 minutes on 94.3% of occasions so far

this year, which is slightly lower than the target of 95% agreed by Planning and Performance

Committee in May 2016.

6 Response times are measured from the time the first resource is mobilised to the time the first resource books in attendance at the address provided. In a small number of cases this is not the final address for the incident, for example if the caller provides the wrong address.7 All fires in dwellings, non-residential properties and other residential properties (excluding chimney fires), road traffic collisions where extrication or medical assistance is required, any emergency special service incident where life was at risk or any incident where a casualty was recorded.8 Any incident not falling into the life-threatening category (including false alarms) excluding animal rescues, co-responder incidents, officer only incidents and normal road speed attendance incidents.

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Budget-Related Issues

8. Provisional Revenue Outturn for 2016/17 – The revenue budget for 2016/17 is

currently forecast to underspend by an estimated £995k. The forecast includes a net

underspend of £213k on pay-related budgets and £782k on non-pay headings. This

position, however, excludes a possible one-off income receipt (yet to be finalised) of

approximately £250k in relation to arrears in telecom mast income going back a

number of years. There are a number of under and overspends contained within the

underspend, all of which were explained in the report presented to the General

Purposes Committee on 8 November.

9. Members will be aware that a cautious approach is taken with regard to spend and,

wherever it is beneficial to collaborate with other blue light services or partnering

agencies to gain better value for money or financial savings, then these opportunities

are progressed. Opportunities will be taken to achieve financial savings wherever it is

appropriate to do so, and this can give rise to unforeseen underspends or savings

earlier than expected. Consequently any underspend at the end of the year does

provide the opportunity to fund one-off projects or pressures in future years. Any

proposal for the use of the final underspend will be deferred until later in the financial

year.

10. Provisional Capital Outturn for 2016/17 - Current information highlights that spend

will exceed the revised capital budget of £6,582k by approximately £557k. This is

mainly due to additional unexpected costs on the utility infrastructure at the new

Chatham Fire Station. The contract for construction of the new fire station at

Ramsgate is currently out to tender, and it is hoped that it will be awarded before

Christmas, with a start on-site scheduled for early 2017. The demolition of the

swimming pool on the site has cost about £90k more than expected but, at this stage,

the forecast for the total project is still in line with the budget. The forecast for the

current year may need to be revised when the contract has been let and further

information is available regarding timescales.

11. Business Rate Pooling - The Authority is a member, on a no win/no lose basis, of

the Kent Business Rate Pool in 2016/17 and will continue its membership of that Pool

on the same basis in 2017/18.

12. External Auditors - At its meeting on 16 June 2016 (Minute 13), the Authority

considered its options for the appointment of its External Auditors from 2018/19

onwards, and decided that a Sector-Led Body (SLB), as described in the report,

should be used. The report explained that Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited

(PSAA) (an independent company established by the Local Government Association)

would be seeking the Secretary of State’s approval to act on behalf of public sector

organisations to manage this task. The Secretary of State has since approved PSAA

as an appointing person under the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations and

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the PSAA has issued formal invitations to local authorities to sign up for its service.

Accordingly, Members are asked, in line with their previous decision, to accept the

PSAA’s invitation for the Authority to become an opted-in authority for the purposes of

the appointment of the Authority’s auditor under the provisions of the Local Audit and

Accountability Act 2014 and the requirements of the Local Audit (Appointing Person)

Regulations 2015.

13. Autumn Statement - On 23 November the Chancellor gave his first Autumn

Statement in Parliament. As Members have already been informed, it confirmed

many of the messages trailed beforehand, such as the increased investment in

infrastructure including research and development, innovation, housing and transport.

There were a number of other announcements, such as the increase in the living

wage to £7.50 per hour from April 2017, the freezing of fuel duty, and some National

Insurance changes. Nothing was specifically mentioned in relation to Fire but the

Chancellor confirmed that Government Departmental Spending Limits would be the

same as those set earlier in the year. However, the impact of this on local

government will only become clear when the provisional Local Government Finance

Settlement is published later in December. If the settlement is announced before the

meeting, a verbal update on how it affects the Authority will be given on the day.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT

14. Comprehensive and reliable data allows the Authority to assess performance

accurately; identify and rank areas of priority; steer policy development; and direct

resources and activity to ensure that the Authority’s plans are delivered effectively.

RECOMMENDATIONS


15.1 Accept the invitation from Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited for the Authority to

become an opted-in authority for the purposes of the appointment of the Authority’s

auditor under the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the

requirements of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015 (paragraph 12

refers).

15.2 Consider and note the remaining contents of the report.

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Documents

KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY Meeting of … · Meeting of the Authority Wednesday, 14 December 2016 10.30 am . AGENDA KENT AND MEDWAY FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY Wednesday,