Agenda item

To consider Item 16

The Head of Covid-19 Preparedness and Response advised Members that the legal framework for the inspection of English fire and rescue services (FRS) was established with the Policing and Crime Act 2017. The Home Office subsequently awarded a contract to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, who consequently changed their name to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to include the remit of fire. HMICFRS developed a framework for inspecting fire and rescue services, based in part on the framework they use for inspecting policing. The inspection framework set out to grade every FRS as either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate. A grade was awarded for three areas (efficiency, effectiveness and people).

The Authority’s first inspection took place during the summer of 2019 and following completion of the first inspection round of all 45 fire and rescue services, the Inspectorate published a report into Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service on 17 December 2019. The Service was judged to require improvement in its Efficiency and its Effectiveness, and the People element was judged as good. The report identified eleven areas for improvement, one cause for concern and two recommendations. In addition to the Inspectorate framework, The Fire and Rescue Service National Framework document required fire and rescue services to give due regard to HMICFRS reports and recommendations. Where recommendations were made, the receiving Service was required to prepare, update and regularly publish an action plan detailing how such recommendations were actioned.

The Head of Covid-19 Preparedness and Response took Members through the Action Plan. The plan was being progressed through a range of improvement work streams. The main reasons for some of the themes being marked as amber was slow progress due to the pandemic and the ongoing financial position. Progress remained strong, and the Authority would continue to work against these improvement themes.

The Head of Covid-19 and Preparedness advised Members that the second round of inspections had now re-commenced, and the Authority had been inspected again as part of tranche one. The inspection had taken place virtually between the 24 May and 5 July 2021. The inspection framework was very similar to the previous round, and the key focus was on the progress the Service had made since the last full inspection. There was not yet a date when the tranche one inspection reports would be published, but the indication was that it would be in the Winter this year.

The Head of Covid-19 and Preparedness advised Members the Service was inspected in November 2020 with a thematic inspection to look at its Covid-19 preparation. The results of the Covid-19 inspection were published on 22 January 2021 and the inspectorate concluded that the Service responded well during the pandemic and provided additional support to its communities.

A Member asked, as HMICFRS had advised that the Service needed additional funding, had the government provided additional funding and was advised that information had been highlighted within correspondence with the Home Office and to assist the Authority in its lobbying.  The Authority had managed through zero based budgeting and through a reallocation of internal budgets to fund those twenty additional firefighters and the other protection and prevention posts; and that details of attributable costs would be provided to Members. 

RESOLVED –

That the Committee note current progress against the HMICFRS BFRS Improvement Plan.