Meeting documents

Overview and Audit Committee – 13 March 2019

CIPFA Benchmarking Report

Minute 035 (unapproved) of the Overview and Audit Committee – 13 March 2019

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted and that the information contained within the report be taken to the next Fire Authority meeting.

The report considered by the Overview and Audit Committee is attached at item 14

Overview and Audit Committee – 13 March 2019

CIPFA BENCHMARKING REPORT

The Chairman of the Overview and Audit Committee introduced the report and advised Members that this report had been brought to the 13 March 2019 Overview and Audit Committee meeting and highlighted the performance of the Service relative to other fire services.

The Director of Finance and Assets advised Members that as part of the budget setting, officer and Member panels were held. One of the challenges put forward was how the Authority knew if it was performing well against other Fire Authorities. In the past the Service had looked at the CIPFA Benchmarking reports internally, but it was agreed they would be presented to the Overview and Audit Committee, who then felt it would be appropriate to share with all Members of the Authority and all staff. It was shared to all staff by way of a Strategic Management Board (SMB) Blog so that staff were aware of how the Authority was performing.

A Member asked why some stations were taken off the run in order to plug gaps in other areas and was that a good use of resources and was advised that the Service operated a flexible resourcing model which was fit for purpose across the county and was not focussed on specific areas. A range of crewing models were used to support it. The Service used on call firefighters, flexi firefighters who work different duty systems, a bank system and standing resource of whole time firefighters. This was constantly monitored and when necessary, resources were balanced across the county to ensure the appropriate resource was available. This was kept under regular review.

A Member asked if a record was kept of the amount of staff on duty and was advised that yes it was reported twice a day, but outside of the formal reporting it was kept under constant review during the 24 hour cycle.

The Chief Fire Officer advised Members that the Authority’s resourcing model was unique, but had come about because of the financial position. The Authority had tried to remove the limit on precept last year, and were continuing to lobby government to change the level. The Service was stretched and any assistance that Members could give, in helping remove the precept level, would be of benefit to the Service moving forward.

A Member asked if the Authority should be looking at the issue of attracting more on call firefighters and was advised that this was a national issue of firstly attracting and then retaining on call firefighters, but the service was looking at ways to overcome this.

A Member identified some inconsistencies in the CIPFA report in respect of the way it expressed numbers of incidents in real terms and in percentage terms and as was advised by the Director of Finance and Assets that he would write to Members to clarify the position.

A Member asked if the Authority could charge for some of its services and was advised that it was very limited under the Fire and Rescue Services Act as to what it could charge for. The Authority did have a charging policy for a limited number of services.

A Member asked if the Authority charged for the second time it attended a false automatic fire alarm (AFA) and was advised that although the Localism Act 2011 had introduced a power for the Authority to consult on, and adopt, a policy to introduce charges for persistent false AFAs from non-domestic premises, the Service attended all AFAs but did not charge for them; and that officers would not recommend adopting a charging policy as such false AFA often emanate from public sector premises.

It was agreed at the Chairman’s suggestion that the Authority wrote to the Fire Minister, Nick Hurd MP in the name of the three Group Leaders about the funding concerns and stretched capacity faced by the Authority as it was adjacent to London and was expecting significant growth across the Oxford-MK-Cambridge Arc.

(Councillor Roberts left the meeting)

Minute 035 (unapproved) of the Overview and Audit Committee – 13 March 2019

RESOLVED –

That the report be noted.