Lancashire Combined Fire Authority

Performance Committee

Meeting to be held on 13 September 2023

Performance Management Information For 1st Quarter 2023/24

(Appendix 1 refers)

Contact for further information – Jon Charters, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO)

Tel: 01772 866801

Executive Summary

This paper provides a clear measure of our progress against the Key Performance

Indicators (KPI) detailed in the Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2027.

Recommendation

The Performance Committee is asked to note and endorse the Quarter 1 Measuring Progress report, including one positive and four negative exceptions.

Information

As set out in the report.

Business Risk

High

Environmental Impact

High – the report apprises the Committee of the Authority's progress.

Equality & Diversity Implications

High – the report apprises the Committee of the Authority's progress.

HR Implications

Medium

Financial Implications

Medium

Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985

List of background papers

Paper:         

Date:           

Contact:      

Reason for inclusion in Part 2 if appropriate: N/A

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Appendix 1

Measuring Progress

Performance Report

QUARTER 1: APRIL 2023 – JUNE 2023

Introduction

The following pages set out Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s (LFRS) Performance Framework, an explanation of how our Key Performance Indicator’s (KPI) are measured and how we are performing.

The document illustrates our performance across all our KPI’s and where appropriate, by an analysis of the KPI’s which are classified as being in exception, along with an analysis of the cause and actions being taken to improve performance.

Contents	Page (s)
Introduction	2
Table of Contents	3
Explanation of Performance Measures	4
Performance Framework and Indicator Trends	5 – 7
Key Performance Indicators	8 – 48

Table of contents

Explanation of Performance Measures. 3

1.1 Overall Staff Engagement 8

1.2.1 Staff Absence Wholetime (WT) 9

1.2.2 Staff Absence On-Call (OC) 12

1.2.3 Staff Absence Green Book. 13

1.3.1 Workforce Diversity. 15

1.3.2 Workforce Diversity Recruited. 16

1.4 Staff Accidents. 17

2.1 Risk Map. 18

2.2 Overall Activity. 19

2.3 Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF) 21

2.3.1 ADF – Harm to people: Casualties. 22

2.3.2 ADF – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 23

2.4 Accidental Building Fires (ABF) - Commercial Premises. 24

2.4.1 ABF (Commercial Premises) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 25

2.5 Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises) 26

2.5.1 ABF (Non-Commercial Premises: Private Garages and Sheds) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity) 27

2.6 Deliberate Fires Total: Specific performance measure of deliberate fires. 28

2.6.1 Deliberate Fires – Dwellings. 29

2.6.2 Deliberate Fires – Commercial Premises. 30

2.6.3 Deliberate Fires – Other (Rubbish, grassland, vehicles etc.) 32

2.7 Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC) 33

2.8 Prevention activities delivered. 34

2.9 Business Fire Safety Checks. 35

2.9.1 Fire Safety Activity. 37

2.10 Building Regulation Consultations (BRC) 38

3.1 Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance. 40

3.2 Critical Special Service Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance. 41

3.3 Total Fire Engine Availability. 42

4.1 Progress Against Allocated Budget 44

4.2 Partnership Collaboration.. 45

4.3 Overall User Satisfaction.. 48

Explanation of Performance Measures

KPI’s are monitored either by using an XmR chart, comparing current performance against that achieved in the previous year’s activity, or against a pre-determined standard - for example: the response standard KPI’s are measured against a range of set times.

The set times are dependent upon the risk rating given to each Super Output Area (SOA), which is presented as a percentage of occasions where the standard is met.

XmR chart explanation (Value [X] over a moving [m] range [R]).

An XmR chart is a control chart used to highlight any significant changes in activity so that interventions can be made before an issue arises. It can also highlight where activity has decreased, potentially as a result of preventative action which could be replicated elsewhere.

Activity is deemed to be within standard if it remains within set upper and lower limits. These limits are based upon the previous three years activity and are set using a statistically derived constant, approximately equivalent to three standard deviations.

An exception report is generated if the upper, or lower, XmR rules are breached.

The following rules are applicable to the XmR charts and define when an exception has occurred:

· A single point beyond the Upper Control Limit is classified as a negative exception.

· A single point beyond the Lower Control Limit is classified as a positive exception.

Example XmR chart: In the example below, this KPI would produce a negative exception for meeting rule 1, as the activity, represented as a dark blue line, for May 2021 (    ) is above the Upper Control Limit (UCL) and a positive exception in September 2021 (    ) for meeting rule 2, being below the Lower Control Limit (LCL).

Performance Framework and indicator trends

The Combined Fire Authority sets the Service challenging targets for a range of key performance indicators (KPI) which help them to monitor and measure our performance in achieving success and meeting our priorities. Performance against these KPI’s is scrutinised every quarter at the Performance Committee.

The following graphic illustrates our priorities and how their respective KPI’s fit within the overall performance framework.

This section also provides an overview of the performance direction of the KPI’s. Each KPI is shown within its priority, with an indicator called Sparkline’s; which are the inset summary charts and indicate the relative direction of travel over the last four quarters. The last point of the chart represents the most recent quarter. Sparkline’s are simple indicative indicators and are not intended to have labelled points or axes.

1.1 Overall Staff Engagement

A written update on staff engagement will be provided on a quarterly basis.

Scope and definition:

Staff engagement is achieved through a variety of activities carried out every day across the service including station visits, digital staff sessions, appraisals and team meetings. This includes a programme of wellbeing interactions such as workplace toolbox talks, station visits, workshops, and wellbeing support dog visits. All members of staff can raise questions, ideas and improvements on the service’s intranet and staff are regularly involved in testing and trialling new equipment and ways of working. Surveys and consultations are held on specific matters when required such as proposals for emergency cover reviews and working the on-call duty system.

A comprehensive staff survey is undertaken periodically to gain insight from all staff on a range of topics including leadership and management, training and development, equality, diversity, and inclusion. The feedback is used to shape future activity and bring about improvements and new ideas. The survey includes a staff engagement index which is a measure of overall staff engagement based on levels of pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration, and motivation. The current staff engagement index score is 79% (2021).

Measurement/update:

From April to June 2023, five station visits were carried out by Principal Officers and Area Managers as part of our service-wide station visits programme. Nine stations visits involving corporate planning and HR departments were undertaken to engage with members of staff affected by duty system changes as part of the emergency cover review. Seventeen wellbeing interactions were undertaken ranging from wellbeing sessions with crews to support dog interactions.

The service engaged staff in several trials relating to our fleet and equipment including rope rescue equipment and wildfire welfare bags. Three staff engagement sessions were held with On-Call firefighters over policy changes relating to operational response. A briefing event for flexi duty officers was held and six service delivery briefings for operational managers were held: one in each area of the county.

1.2.1 Staff Absence Wholetime (WT)

Cumulative shifts lost 2.098

The cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all wholetime staff divided by the total average strength.

Annual Standard: Not more than 5 shifts lost.
(Represented on the chart as annual shifts lost ÷ 4 quarters = 1.25)

Cumulative total number of shifts lost:

2.098

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a negative exception report due to the number of shifts lost through absence per employee being above the Service target for quarter 1.

The element of this section of the report refers to sickness absence rates for the period 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2023.

The agreed target performance level is 5 shifts lost per employee per year for wholetime staff, which equates to a target of 1.25 shifts lost per employee for year for quarter 1. The actual shifts lost for the period for this group of staff is 2.098, which is 0.85 shifts over target. During the same period the previous year, 1.88 shifts were lost which is an increase of 0.22 shifts lost per wholetime employee compared to the same quarter last year. Cases of long-term (greater than 28 days) absence over the whole quarter have increased by 0.19 shifts from the previous quarter, which accounts for the increase in shifts lost.

Analysis

1,301 wholetime absence shifts lost = 2.098 against a target of 1.25

The number of cases of long-term absence which spanned over the total of the 3 months has increased from two cases in Q4 of 2022-23 to five cases in Q1 2023-24. The absence reasons being:

· Mental Health – Other

· Cancer and Tumours

· Musculo Skeletal

· Hospital/Post Operative

208 shifts were lost during the quarter as a result of the above five cases of long-term absences, this is in comparison to 91 shifts were lost during the previous quarter. These cases account for 0.34 shifts lost per person over the quarter.

There were 28other cases of long-term absence recorded within the 3 months:

Reason	Case/s
Mental Health (Encompassing: Mental health - Other, with 6 cases and Mental Health - Work Related Stress, 4 cases)	10
Musculo Skeletal – Other/Unable to define	9
Hospital/Post Operative	6
Other absence types (single returns)	3

121 shifts lost were related to Respiratory related absences, this includes Coronavirus absence, and equates to 0.20 shifts lost per person in Q1.

Measures the Service takes to manage absence

The Service has an Absence Management Policy which details our approach to managing absences to ensure that staff time is managed effectively, and that members of staff are supported back to work or exited from the Service in a compassionate way.

The Human Resources (HR) system i-Trent automatically generates monthly reports to line managers and HR Business Partners in relation to employees and their periods and reasons for absence, and these are closely monitored. Where employees are absent due to a mental health, or a stress related condition, they are referred to Occupational Health Unit (OHU) as early as possible. Employees returning to work have a return-to-work interview and stress risk assessment, or individual health risk assessments are completed where required.

The Service has several support mechanisms available to support individuals to return to work or be exited as appropriate including guidance from OHU, access to Trauma Risk Management (TRiM), access to an Employee Assistance Programme and the Firefighters Charity.

Where an employee does not return to work in a timely manner an absence review meeting will take place with the employee and the line manager and a representative from HR. The meetings are aimed at identifying support to return an individual back to work which can include modified duties for a period, redeployment, but ultimately can result in dismissal, or permanent ill health retirement from the service.

The Absence Management Policy details when a formal review of an employee’s performance levels would normally take place. In terms of short-term absence, a formal review would take place where an employee has 3 or more periods of absence in 6 months, or an employee has 14 days absent. In terms of long-term absence, a formal review will normally take place at 3, 6, 9 and 11 months.

A key challenge for supporting operational staff in their return to work is that the threshold for fitness for operational firefighters is higher than in other occupations due to their hazardous working conditions.

1.2.2 Staff Absence On-Call (OC)

Cumulative Absence 1.50%

The percentage of contracted hours lost due to sickness for all OC contracted staff.  An individual’s sickness hours are only counted as absent where they overlap with their contracted hours.

Annual Standard: No more than 2.5% lost as a percentage of available hours of cover.

Cumulative On-Call absence, as a percentage of available hours of cover at end of the quarter, 1.50%.

Cumulative On-Call absence (as % of available hours of cover):

1.50%

1.2.3 Staff Absence Green Book

Cumulative shifts lost 1.740

The cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all Greenbook staff divided by the average strength.

Annual Standard: Not more than 5 shifts lost.
(Represented on the chart as annual shifts lost ÷ 4 quarters = 1.25)

Cumulative total number of shifts lost:

1.740

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a negative exception report due to the number of shifts lost through absence per employee being above the Service target for quarter 1.

The agreed target performance level is 1.25 shifts lost per employee per year for Greenbook staff. The actual shifts lost for the period for this group of staff is 1.74, which is 0.49 above target. During the same period the previous year, 1.33 shifts were lost which is an increase of 0.41 shifts lost per Greenbook staff compared to the same quarter last year.

Analysis

During quarter one, April – June 2023, absence statistics show Greenbook staff absence above target for the quarter.

362 Greenbook staff absence shifts lost = 1.74 against a target of 1.25

During the quarter there were no cases of long-term absence which spanned over the total of the 3 months. There were seven cases of long-term absence which were recorded within the 3 months:

Reason	Case/s
Musculo Skeletal	4
Other absence types (single returns)	3

212 shifts were lost during the quarter as a result of the above seven cases of long-term absences. These cases account for 1.01 shifts lost per person over the quarter.

20 shifts lost were related to Respiratory related absences, this includes Coronavirus absence and equates to 0.10 shifts lost per person in Q1. This shows a decrease of 0.39 shifts lost from the previous quarter (quarter 4, 2022-2023).

Measures the Service takes to manage absence

Please refer to the Service Absence Management policy detailed in KPI 1.2.1

1.3.1 Workforce Diversity

Diversity Percentage (Refer to charts)

Workforce diversity as a percentage: Performance measure of how representative our staff are of our communities, to monitor equality and diversity within LFRS.

Combined diversity percentage of Grey Book and Green Book staff. Outer circle represents the current quarter, with the inner circle illustrating the same quarter of the previous year.

Diversity percentage by Grey Book staff and Green Book staff. Counts will include double counts if dual contract between Grey and Green Book.

Gender	Female	Grey	9%	Green	59%
	Male		91%		41%
Ethnicity	Other than white	Grey	3%	Green	5%
	White		95%		88%
	Not stated		2%		7%
Sexual orientation	LGBT	Grey	4%	Green	3%
	Heterosexual		52%		57%
	Not stated		44%		40%
Disability	Disability	Grey	3%	Green	2%
	No disability		95%		91%
	Not stated		2%		7%

1.3.2 Workforce Diversity Recruited

Diversity Percentage (Refer to charts)

Workforce diversity recruited as a percentage: Performance measure of our success in recruiting a diverse workforce to monitor equality and diversity within LFRS.

Combined cumulative diversity percentage of Grey Book staff and Green Book staff. Outer circle represents the current quarter, with the inner circle illustrating the same quarter of the previous year.

During quarter 1, there were a total of 17 new recruits.

No further breakdown is provided to prevent the possible identification of individuals due to the small numbers of recruits during certain periods.

1.4 Staff Accidents

Activity 16

This KPI details the numbers of accidents which have involved LFRS staff members at work within the quarter.

As part of our Health and Safety Management System we report and investigate all accidents which occur within LFRS to identify any learning opportunities which can contribute to improving our safety culture within the Service.

As the body ultimately responsible for health and safety performance, this KPI enables Fire Authority members to view LFRS progress on managing health and safety risks within LFRS.

Quarterly activity increased 100% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Total number of staff accidents	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	16	16	8	8

2.1 Risk Map

Risk Score 31,170

This indicator measures the fire risk in each Super Output Area (SOA).  Risk is determined using fire activity over the previous three fiscal years along with a range of demographic data, such as population and deprivation.

Specifically, the risk score for each SOA is calculated using the formula shown below. Once an SOA has been assigned a score, it is then categorised by risk grade.

The County risk map score is updated annually before the end of the first quarter. Standard: To reduce the risk in Lancashire - an annual reduction in the County risk map score. An improvement is shown by a year-on-year decreasing ‘Overall Risk Score’ value. The inset table below shows the latest count of risk areas against the previous year, along with the overall risk score compared to the previous year.

Risk Grade	Very High	High	Medium	Low	Overall Risk Score
2023 count	15	59	331	536	31,170
2022 count	25	47	333	536	31,576
Direction / % Change

2.2 Overall Activity

Quarter Activity 5,116

The number of incidents that LFRS attend with one or more pumping appliances. Includes fires, special service calls, false alarms and collaborative work undertaken with other emergency services. For example, missing person searches on behalf of the Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) and gaining entry incidents at the request of the North west Ambulance Service (NWAS).

A breakdown of incident types included within this KPI are shown on the following page.

Quarterly activity increased 4.41% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Incidents attended	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	5,116	5,116	4,900	4,900

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	1,705	1,531	1,570	1,578	1,445

2.2 Overall Activity Breakdown

Quarter Activity 5,116

Incidents attended by LFRS consist of a myriad of different types. The breakdown below, whilst not an exhaustive list, aims to illustrate how activity captured within KPI 2.2 Overall Activity is split by the different types of incidents.

The chart figures represent the count and percentage each activity contributes to the quarter’s activity, whilst the inset table breaks the incident types down further.

	FALSE ALARM incidents make up 41% of activity, with 61% being Fire alarm due to Apparatus incidents, 34% good intent false alarm and malicious false alarms accounting for 4%.
	FIRE PRIMARY incidents encompass Accidental Dwelling Fires at 38% and are shown later in the report within KPI 2.3.
	FIRE SECONDARY incidents are caused by either a deliberate or accidental act, or the cause is not known. Deliberate fires mainly involve loose refuse and currently account for 45%, with 55% being an accidental or not known cause.
	SPECIAL SERVICE incidents are made up of many different activities, so only a selection of types, such as Gaining entry to a domestic property on behalf of NWAS and Road Traffic Collisions (RTC) can be shown, with the remainder being recorded under ‘other types’. These can range from medical first responder or hazardous materials incidents, to spill and leaks or advice only.

2.3 Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF)

Quarter Activity 204

The number of primary fires where a dwelling has been affected and the cause of fire has been recorded as ‘Accidental’ or ‘Not known’.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity remained static over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Dwelling Fires	Year to date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	204	204	204	204

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	68	69	64	71	72

2.3.1 ADF – Harm to people: Casualties

Quarter Activity 11

ADF criteria as 2.3. The number of fire related fatalities, slight and serious injuries.

· A slight injury is defined as: a person attending hospital as an outpatient (not precautionary check).

· A serious injury is defined as: at least an overnight stay in hospital as an in-patient.

Quarterly activity increased 57.14% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Casualty Status	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
Fatal	0	0	2	2
Injuries appear Serious	3	3	4	4
Injuries appear Slight	8	8	1	1
Total	11	11	7	7

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	4	4	4	4	3

2.3.2 ADF – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 84%

ADF criteria as 2.3. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ADF’s, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item 1^st ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Combined quarterly percentage decreased 0.49% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	23/24 Q1	23/24 Q2	23/24 Q3	23/24 Q4	Ç/ò	22/23 Q1	22/23 Q2	22/23 Q3	22/23 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	24%				ó	24%	25%	21%	19%
Limited to item 1st ignited	16%				Ç	13%	12%	19%	14%
Limited to room of origin	45%				ò	48%	51%	44%	54%
Limited to floor of origin	7%				ò	10%	4%	10%	8%
Spread beyond floor of origin	6%				Ç	3%	6%	4%	4%
Whole Building	2%				ó	2%	1%	3%	0%
Combined percentage	84%				ò	85%	89%	83%	87%

2.4 Accidental Building Fires (ABF) - Commercial Premises

Quarter Activity 68

The number of primary fires where a building has been affected, which is other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling, and the cause of fire has been recorded as Accidental or Not known.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity remained static over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Building Fires (Commercial Premises)	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	68	68	68	68

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/20	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	23	20	21	23	17

2.4.1 ABF (Commercial Premises) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 66%

ABF criteria as 2.4. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ABF’s, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item 1^st ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Combined quarterly percentage decreased 1.5% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	23/24 Q1	23/24 Q2	23/24 Q3	23/24 Q4	Ç/ò	22/23 Q1	22/23 Q2	22/23 Q3	22/23 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	18%				ó	18%	16%	20%	17%
Limited to item 1st ignited	13%				ò	21%	14%	13%	22%
Limited to room of origin	35%				Ç	29%	38%	38%	43%
Limited to floor of origin	15%				ò	24%	15%	20%	11%
Spread beyond floor of origin	6%				Ç	3%	5%	2%	2%
Whole Building	13%				Ç	6%	11%	7%	6%
Combined percentage	66%				ò	68%	69%	71%	81%

2.5 Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises)

Quarter Activity 36

The number of primary fires where a private garage, private shed, private greenhouse, private summerhouse, or other private non-residential building has been affected, and the cause of fire has been recorded as Accidental or Not known.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity increased 24.14% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises)	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	36	36	29	29

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	12	8	7	6	10

2.5.1 ABF (Non-Commercial Premises: Private Garages and Sheds) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

Quarter Percentage 39%

ABF criteria as 2.5. Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage is recorded at the time the STOP message is sent and includes all damage types.

The table below shows a breakdown of fire severity at ABF’s, with a direction indicator comparing the current quarter to the same quarter of the previous year.

An improvement is shown if the combined percentage of fires is limited to heat and/or smoke damage only, the item 1^st ignited or to the room of origin, is higher than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Combined quarterly percentage increased 14.8% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire severity	23/24 Q1	23/24 Q2	23/24 Q3	23/24 Q4	Ç/ò	22/23 Q1	22/23 Q2	22/23 Q3	22/23 Q4
Limited to heat and/or smoke	8%				ò	14%	9%	6%	0%
Limited to item 1st ignited	22%				Ç	0%	13%	0%	0%
Limited to room of origin	8%				ò	10%	0%	13%	6%
Limited to floor of origin	6%				Ç	3%	13%	0%	12%
Spread beyond floor of origin	0%				ó	0%	0%	0%	0%
Whole Building	56%				ò	72%	65%	81%	82%
Combined percentage	39%				Ç	24%	22%	19%	6%

2.6 Deliberate Fires Total: Specific performance measure of deliberate fires

Quarter Activity 681

The number of primary and secondary fires where the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

This is an overall total measure of deliberate dwelling, commercial premises, and other fires, which are further reported within their respective KPI’s.

Quarterly activity decreased 6.71% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	681	681	730	730

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	227	168	191	161	153

2.6.1 Deliberate Fires – Dwellings

Quarter Activity 24

The number of primary fires where a dwelling has been affected and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity increased 50.00% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires - Dwellings	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	24	24	16	16

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	8	8	7	8	9

2.6.2 Deliberate Fires – Commercial Premises

Quarter Activity 43

The number of primary fires where the property type is a building, which is other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling, and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

A primary fire is one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues, or any fire attended by five or more pumping appliances.

Quarterly activity increased 30.30% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires – Commercial	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	43	43	33	33

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	14	10	11	14	10

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a negative exception report due to the number of deliberate commercial premises fires being above the upper control limit during June of quarter one.

Analysis

Whilst the count of deliberate fires within the first quarter was within the normal range for the months of April and May, June recorded an unusual high of 22 accounting for 51.2% of fires over the three-month period. In June the county experienced a protracted period of hot weather, and this tends to contribute to an increase in the number of secondary fires which, in the case of this KPI, can spread to a building and are then classed as a primary fire.

Over the period April, May and June, 10 of the incidents occurred in prisons which is nearly a quarter of all deliberate fires at commercial premises. On average this property type accounts for 2.3 fires per month, so the figure for this quarter is higher. The most common ignition source was smoking materials, all of which used an electronic vape to intentionally cause a fire.

Buildings that are currently not in use also make up a significant proportion of this quarter’s figures.

Actions being taken to improve performance

Existing partnerships are being used across areas to tackle this increase. For example, LFRS are linking in with the owners of buildings and the local authority to improve security and limit access, targeted work with the Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) to address areas of anti-social behaviour, joint working between LFRS and the LanCon to secure successful prosecutions and therefore act as a deterrent.

Prevention activity has been targeted to areas where we are seeing relatively high levels of activity. This has involved utilising our education delivery packages to address and educate young people around the consequences of deliberate fire setting and our more bespoke Fire Intervention Response and Education Scheme (FIRES) package aimed specifically towards deliberate fire setters between the ages of four and seventeen.

Targeted Environmental Visual Audits (EVAs) have been carried out to identify waste build up and refer to partners to remove.

Business Fire Safety Checks are being used in areas identified as having a greater risk to identify and educate premise owners in ways they can mitigate against arson.

Work is being carried out with prisons to identify trends and following on from that, preventative measures.

2.6.3 Deliberate Fires – Other (Rubbish, grassland, vehicles etc.)

Quarter Activity 614

The number of primary and secondary fires where the property type is other than a building, except where the building is recorded as derelict, and the cause of fire has been recorded as deliberate.

The majority of deliberate fires are outdoor secondary fires and include grassland and refuse fires. Derelict vehicle fires are also included under secondary fires.

Primary fires are when the incident involves casualties or rescues, property loss or 5 or more pumping appliances attend the incident, and can include large scale moorland fires or vehicle fires which are not derelict.

Quarterly activity decreased 9.84% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Deliberate Fires – Other	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	614	614	681	681

	Current mean	3 Year mean	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21
Current mean activity and the monthly mean activity over the previous 3 years.	205	151	136	143	175

2.7 Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC)

Quarter Activity 54%

The percentage of completed HFSC’s, excluding refusals, carried out by LFRS personnel in the home, where the risk score has been determined to be high.

An improvement is shown if:

· The total number of HFSC’s completed is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year and,

· The percentage of high HFSC outcomes is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

Quarterly activity increased 10.4% over the same quarter of the previous year.

High risk outcomes decreased 4.0% over the same quarter of the previous year.

	2023/24		Ç/ò	2022/23
	HFSC completed	% of High HFSC outcomes	Progress	HFSC completed	% of High HFSC outcomes
Q 1	5,547	54%	Ç/ò	5,025	58%
Q 2				5,435	60%
Q 3				5,889	54%
Q 4				5,935	57%

Cumulative year to date activity

2.8 Prevention activities delivered

Activity	Description	Targets for delivery	Data for quarter  1 2023/24
ChildSafe	Fire Safety education package to Year 2 (key stage 1)	Offered to all year 2 pupils	123 sessions delivered to 3,333 attendees
RoadSense	Fire and Road Safety education package to Year 6 (key stage 2)	Offered to all year 6 pupils	141 sessions delivered to 4,090 attendees
SENDSafe	Fire Safety education package for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)	Offered to all SEND schools	6 sessions delivered to 210 attendees
Wasted Lives	Pre Driver information session in workshop or assembly format. Aimed at Year 10 or Year 11 in high school (key stage 4)	Increase delivery aligned to district risk in the academic year 22/23	17 sessions delivered to 1,487 pupils
Biker Down	3 hour course aimed at Powered 2 Wheel riders covering incident management, first aid and the science of being seen	Deliver a minimum of 12 sessions per year	13 sessions 237 attendees
FIRES	Fire setting intervention delivered to 4-17 year olds. Referrals made by anyone who might work or support the family of a child who is setting fires	Deliver an intervention to all referrals	53 completed referrals
Partner Training (including care providers)	LFRS deliver a ‘train the trainer’ package to organisations/agencies within health and social care. There are currently 190 preferred partners and 73 standard partners registered with LFRS. Partnerships are reviewed and RAG rated quarterly	Increase the number of partners rated green on the RAG report and continue to review partnerships and provide training	15 organisations/ agencies 84 people
Specific education sessions such as Water Safety & Bright Sparx	Education package delivered either virtually or in person to educate about Water Safety, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), deliberate fire setting etc. Covers key stages 2,3 and 4	Increase delivery	61 water safety sessions delivered in person to 6,933 attendees. 6 virtual Water Safety Education sessions delivered to 14,598 prior to Summer Break.
Arson Threat Referral	Bespoke service where a threat of arson has been made. Referrals largely come from the Police.	Meet demand from LanCon	215

2.9 Business Fire Safety Checks

Quarter Activity 820

Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSC) are interventions which look at different aspects of fire safety compliance, including risk assessments, fire alarms, escape routes and fire doors. If the result of a BFSC is unsatisfactory, fire safety advice will be provided to help the business comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If critical fire safety issues are identified, then a business safety advisor will conduct a follow-up intervention.

· The pro rata BFSC target is delivered through each quarter.

A +/-10% tolerance is applied to the completed BFSC’s and the year to date (YTD) BFSC’s, against both the quarterly and YTD targets. When both counts are outside of the 10% tolerance they will be deemed in exception. This enables local delivery to flex with the needs of their district plan over the quarters.

	2023/24				Ç/ò	2022/23
	BFSC completed	Quarter Target	BFSC Cumulative	YTD Target	Progress	BFSC completed	Quarter Target
Q 1	820	625	820	625	Ç	231	n/a
Q 2		625		1250		589	n/a
Q 3		625		1875		806	n/a
Q 4		625		2500		962	n/a

Cumulative year to date activity

Top five completed BFSC’s: satisfactory and unsatisfactory premise types.

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a positive exception due to the number of completed Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSC) being greater than 10% of the quarterly target, and the cumulative year to date target.

Actions being taken to improve performance

Since the initial BFSC training in 2022/23 that upskilled all Wholetime (WT) crews on built environment risk, crews have been directed to ensure they embed the training and deliver as many BFSCs as possible to help gain confidence and competency in carrying out BFSCs and using newly developed digital products that support the BFSC project. This has ensured the BFSC project is being embedded for crews and businesses and the project team are able to conduct effective evaluation to continually improve the BFSC service.

2.9.1 Fire Safety Activity

Quarter Activity 7%

The number of Fire Safety Enforcement inspections carried out within the period resulting in supporting businesses to improve and become compliant with fire safety regulations or to take formal action of enforcement and prosecution of those that fail to comply. Formal activity is defined as one or more of the following: enforcement notice or an action plan, alterations notice or prohibition notice.

An improvement is shown if the percentage of audits ‘Requiring formal activity’ is greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year. This helps inform that the correct businesses are being identified.

Quarter 1 recorded an increase of 1% against the same quarter of the previous year.

	2023/24										2022/23
Quarter	Fire Safety Enforcement Inspections	Formal Activity	% Formal Activity	Informal Activity	% Informal Activity	Satisfactory Audit	% Satisfactory Audit	Business Safety Advice	% Business Safety Advice	Progress	% Formal Activity	% Informal Activity
1	530	35	7%	380	72%	66	12%	49	9%	Ç	6%	66%
2											9%	68%
3											9%	63%
4											5%	76%

2.10 Building Regulation Consultations (BRC)

Building Regulations: If a business intends to carry out building work it must do so in accordance with the requirements of current Building Regulations.

There are two building control bodies that can be used, the Local Authority or an Approved Inspector.

These bodies are then responsible for ensuring compliance with building regulations which generally apply when:

· Erecting a new building

· Extending or altering an existing building

· Providing services and/or fittings in a building

· Altering the use of a building

Purpose of the consultation process: If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) applies to the premises, or will apply following the work, the building control body must consult with LFRS. LFRS then comments on FSO requirements and may also provide additional advice relevant to the building type which may exceed minimum requirements but, if adopted, would further enhance safety or resilience (e.g. use of sprinklers).

LFRS cannot enforce building regulations but can offer observations to the building control body regarding compliance if it is felt the proposals may not comply. In addition to securing a safe premises, an important outcome of the process is to ensure that the completed building meets the requirements of the FSO once occupied, so that no additional works are necessary.

Building Regulation Consultations	23/24 Q1	23/24 Q2	23/24 Q3	23/24 Q4
Received	262
Completed within timeframe^[1]	239

^[1] LFRS should make comments in writing within 15 working days of receiving a BRC.

Actions to Improve

To comply with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Competency Framework for Fire Safety Regulators these consultations must be completed by Level 4 qualified Fire Safety Inspectors. It is the same inspectors who are required to complete intervention work in more high risk, complex identified by the risk-based intervention program. Consequently, the use of finite resources must be fully co-ordinated and balanced to achieve this and ensure consultation timelines are achieved:

· Development work continues to qualify more of the existing staff to L4 standard and ensure we have competent staff to undertake future building regs, giving consideration to our retirement profile of competent staff.

· Invested in dedicated Schools building regulation (BRegs) training courses for staff to deliver our schools BRegs.

· Improve BRegs administration and consultation monitoring with a more centralised system.

· Introduce a pan-Lancashire targeting approach, rather than area based.

· Assign a Building Safety Regulator (BSR) single point of contact to ensure new Building Safety Act requirements are implemented and embedded.

3.1 Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance

Quarter Response 07:38

Critical fire incidents are defined as incidents that are likely to involve a significant threat to life, structures or the environment. Our response standards, in respect of critical fires, are variable and are determined by the risk map (KPI 2.1) and subsequent risk grade of the Super Output Area (SOA) in which the fire occurred.

The response standards include call handling and fire engine response time for the first fire engine attending a critical fire, and are as follows:

· Very high risk area = 6 minutes	· Medium risk area = 10 minutes
· High risk area = 8 minutes	· Low risk area = 12 minutes

We have achieved our standards when the time between the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident, averaged over the quarter, is less than the relevant response standard. Expressed in minutes & seconds.

Critical Fire Response	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4	Year to Date	Previous Year to Date
Very High (6 min)	05:39				05:39	05:24
High (8 min)	05:47				05:47	06:14
Medium (10 min)	06:54				06:54	06:20
Low (12 min)	09:18				09:18	08:17
Overall	07:38				07:38	06:57

3.2 Critical Special Service Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance

Quarter Response 08:26

Critical special service incidents are non-fire incidents where there is a risk to life, for example, road traffic collisions, rescues and hazardous materials incidents.  For these incidents there is a single response standard which measures call handling time and fire engine response time.

The response standard for the first fire engine attending a critical special service call = 13 minutes.

We have achieved our standards when the time between the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident, averaged over the quarter, is less than the response standard. Expressed in minutes & seconds.

Critical Special Service Response	Quarter 1	Quarter 2	Quarter 3	Quarter 4	Year to Date	Previous Year to Date
(13 min)	08:26				08:26	08:17

3.3 Total Fire Engine Availability

Quarter Availability 89.48%

This indicator measures the total availability of the 1^st fire engine at each of the 39 fire stations. It is measured as the percentage of time the 1^st fire engine is available to respond compared to the total time in the period.

Standard: 90%

Quarterly availability increased 0.10% over the same quarter of the previous year.

Fire engine availability – WT, FDC, DCP & OC	Year to Date	2023/24 Quarter 1	Previous year to Date	2022/23 Quarter 1
	89.48%	89.48%	89.38%	89.38%

What are the reasons for an Exception report

This is a negative exception report due to the 1^st fire appliance availability percentage, being below the lower control limit during quarter one.

Analysis

Overall availability across all stations for the quarter recorded 89.48%, just 0.52% below the 90% standard.

The following table shows the availability by each of the stations designated first pump crewing type.

Crewing	WT	DCP	FDC	OC	Total
WT	99.29%	99.25%	99.44%	76.78%	89.48%

Whilst all of the Whole time appliances achieved exceptional availability, the 1^st appliance at our twelve wholly On-Call stations contributed to the availability falling below the 90% standard. As such, the exception report will focus on On-Call availability.

A shortage of staff with the Officer in Charge (OIC), Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) and Emergency Response Driver (ERD) skill is a significant contributing factor to low On-Call availability. On-Call Support Officers (OCSO) are working with station-based staff and management, along with Training Centre, to support those in development and identify opportunities for high-performing individuals to acquire these skills earlier in their career.

The Breathing Apparatus (BA) skill is another factor contributing to low On-Call availability however a rolling programme of BA initial training combined with BA Team Leader courses is ensuring demand for these skill sets are met.

A new inter-service transfer policy will assist with On-Call recruitment, simplifying the process for transferees to join LFRS.

Actions being taken to improve performance

· The Service will continue to deliver a recruitment strategy that incorporates targeted recruitment. The latest recruitment window closed on the 2nd July. 157 applicants have passed the application stage and are currently completing their Saville and Holdsworth (SHL) tests or have been booked on to the fitness tests.

· Increase visibility of On-Call units in the community. This could include off station training, or community engagement events.

· Broadening the skills of On-Call staff (as per the Emergency Cover Review) in addition to exploring new opportunities or ways of working for On-Call or Dual Contract staff will further improve our On-Call availability.

4.1 Progress Against Allocated Budget

Quarter variance -0.44%

The total cumulative value of the savings delivered to date compared to the year’s standard and the total.

As a public service we are committed to providing a value for money service to the community and it is important that once a budget has been agreed and set, our spending remains within this.

The annual budget for 2023/24 was set at £68.5 million. Spend at the end of June was £17m, £0.3m less than budget. The majority of the underspend is linked to pay due to vacancies in quarter 1.

Variance:

-0.44%

4.2 Partnership Collaboration

A written update on partnership collaboration will be provided on a quarterly basis.

Scope and definition:

The Police Force, Fire & Rescue Service and Emergency Ambulance Service are under a formal duty to collaborate under the Policing and Crime Act 2017. The objectives are to improve efficiency, effectiveness and deliver improved outcomes.

To meet the requirements of this duty, the respective blue light services, LFRS, Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon), and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), have met at both tactical and strategic levels. Through these meetings the collaboration board have agreed and signed a strategic statement of intent. This contains the following aims:

· Improved Outcomes – The collaboration maintains or improves the service we provide to local people and local communities.

· Reduced demand – The collaboration should contribute towards a longer-term strategic objective of decreasing risk in communities and reducing demand on services.

· Better Value for Money – The collaboration produces quantifiable efficiencies either on implementation or in the longer term.

· Reduced inequalities within our communities –The collaboration contributes towards reducing inequalities wherever possible.

Measurement/update:

The Blue Light Collaboration board met on the 4^th May 2023, during which an update on the ongoing projects was presented to the strategic leads. There was also an agreement made in terms of ensuring that a suitable evaluation process is implemented for each project. This will provide evidence in terms of outputs and outcomes, additionally it will enable learning to be identified.

Progress for each project is as follows:

Missing Persons (Missing from home)

It had been identified that LFRS mobilisations had reduced. Therefore, the main project objective is to improve the existing collaborative approach to identification of the location of missing persons. Learning has been identified from the original process and improvements are being made. LFRS are reviewing the mobilisation of specialist assets and the memorandum of understanding will be updated.

In terms of practical items, the Missing from Home Manager training for specific LFRS staff is being planned. This training will develop knowledge and understanding regarding aspects of planning and undertaking a search.

Furthermore, LanCon have provided training to Control staff to raise awareness. There has already been an increase in the number of LFRS mobilisations.

LFRS have actively supported a number of high profile cases for missing persons, demonstrating the effectiveness of this collaborative workstream.

Estates and Co-location

This is a longer-term work stream with interdependencies, as there are several internal projects within LanCon to review current building stock. This includes Lancashire Constabulary headquarters, and various police stations. Property Leads from all three agencies have been in regular contact and the most recent meeting was on the 22^nd June 2023 and bi-monthly meetings are now scheduled. LFRS are also working with LanCon to renew existing collaborative arrangements at both Lytham and St Annes Fire Stations.

Community First Responder

A phased approach was agreed in terms of volunteers signing up to the scheme. Phase 1 is being rolled out to non-operational LFRS staff, such as Community Fire Safety. Subsequently, phase 2 will consider the roll out to Flexi Duty Officers (FDO’s) and On-Call staff.

Progress on phase 1 has resulted in the successful on boarding of 1 non-operational member of LFRS, who is responding to category 1 incidents, and has already provided lifesaving care whilst responding. A further 4 members of staff have successfully been on-boarded and will receive the relevant training through quarter 2 of this year.

In terms of technology, the NWAS application that is used to mobilise First Responders has been updated, which has significantly improved its effectiveness. Staff using the system have an option to accept or decline the request forwarded to them, so it does offer some flexibility.

Further discussion would take place with LanCon to review if there are any suitable non-operational roles that could be added as First Responders. It was noted that operational staff, including Armed Response units, did attend cardiac arrests alongside NWAS and that collaboration to this effect was already taking place.

Leadership Development

Initial scoping has been completed, in terms of what each organisation currently delivers for leadership development. The project is being delivered in two phases. Phase 1 covers some short-term objectives, seeking to maximise existing courses and events, and provide opportunities for staff from all three organisations to utilise places on these courses. Staff from LanCon’s organisational development team attended LFRS values and behaviours module that new firefighter apprentices complete, to observe the content and how it is delivered. LFRS have also identified three middle managers to participate in the ‘Inside Out’ leadership programme, which is offered by LanCon. It is anticipated that the benefit will be improved efficiency, through utilisation of unfilled places. Additionally, it will provide a platform for discussing ideas and sharing learning, as many of the leadership challenges are cross cutting in all three organisations. It also provides opportunity to strengthen relationships across the blue light sector and build upon raising awareness of capabilities leading to more effective and efficient collaborative working.

Phase 2 will scope opportunities to collaborate on specific elements of supervisory and middle manager leadership programmes. This will lead to some efficiencies, as well as a platform to share ideas.

Command Units

The aim of this project is to establish and deliver additional collaborative uses of the command units in LFRS to support effective multi agency working amongst emergency responders. The key objectives are to improve operational effectiveness and in line with LFRS mission; ‘Making Lancashire Safer’.

LFRS are currently rolling out a small command unit and have two further large command units in build as part of a previously agreed capital vehicle replacement project. It is anticipated the two larger units will be in Service by October 2023. It is expected that the initial benefits to be realised will be technological advances that will further develop information sharing and situational awareness aligned to improving and embedding the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP). Further scoping and development will be overseen by the Blue Light Collaboration board to ensure opportunities for joint working are effectively co-ordinated and delivered.

4.3 Overall User Satisfaction

Percentage satisfied 98.77%

The percentage of people who were satisfied with the service received from the total number of people surveyed.

People surveyed include those who have experienced an accidental dwelling fire, a commercial fire, or a special service incident that we attended.

The standard is achieved if the percentage of satisfied responses is greater than the 97.50% standard.

74 people were surveyed; 73 responded that they were very or fairly satisfied.

Question	Running Total	Number Satisfied	% Satisfied	% Standard	% Variance
Taking everything in to account, are you satisfied, dissatisfied, or neither with the service you received from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service?	3,340	3,299	98.77%	97.50%	1.31%