Agenda and minutes

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Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the agenda.

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Resolved: - That the Minutes of the last meeting held on 17 July 2023 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer presented the report.  He introduced Group Manager Emma Price from the Planning, Performance and Assurance team and advised that the team had been working hard towards achieving the changes identified from the Emergency Cover Review (ECR).

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) was required to review emergency response arrangements periodically to ensure that provision remained effective and consummate with its dynamic risk profile. This process was a robust assessment of historic data and emergent risk and was delivered in the format of an Emergency Cover Review (ECR).

The changes identified in the ECR 2022 reflected the most effective and efficient use of resources for the whole of Lancashire. The Authority agreed all the proposed changes on 19 December 2022 which would result in LFRS:

• Maintaining all 39 fire stations and 58 fire appliances;
• Maintaining its outstanding response standards;
• Creating an increase in overall firefighter jobs by eight.

An ECR implementation plan was developed with five key workstreams, with updates on the workstreams detailed as follows:

1.    Introduce more resilient and flexible crewing arrangements

The Service had hoped to introduce more flexible crewing arrangements if agreement could be reached with trade unions. However, the proposed flexible wholetime duty system was not agreed by the trade union. The Service subsequently proposed a trial of flexible rota management and leave arrangements; however, an agreement could not be reached. Therefore, changes of duty systems at some stations would still take place but with the re-introduction of the 2-2-4 wholetime duty system as opposed to flexible wholetime.

Engagement sessions had taken place with all the members of staff affected. Implementation of the changes to crewing arrangements were led by people’s preferences in terms of the duty system they wished to work, subject to the skill requirements and the demands of the Service.  Members of staff permanently employed on Day Crewing Plus (DCP) stations were offered a role at an alternative DCP station, or a position at their current station depending on their preference with some members of staff securing promotion opportunities. The Service continued to work with members of staff who were currently temporary on the DCP system to identify a suitable posting.  A training needs analysis had been completed and training was being commissioned and delivered to meet the needs of staff.

Property alterations at Morecambe, Fleetwood and Skelmersdale were currently being planned to accommodate an increase in staff at those stations.

It was anticipated that the go live date for implementation of the change of duty systems, or establishment numbers, would be 1 March 2024. Changes for each station (with the exception of Penwortham) would take place at the same time as follows:

·      Morecambe, Fleetwood and Skelmersdale (changing from DCP to 2-2-4 Wholetime) increasing establishment numbers from 14 to 24;

·      St Annes (changing from DCP to Flexible Day Crewing) reducing establishment numbers from 14 to 13;

·      Hyndburn, South Shore and Lancaster (remaining 2-2-4 Wholetime) reducing establishment numbers from 28 to 24;

·      Darwen, Rawtenstall,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15/23

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer presented the report that updated Members the progress against the five key workstreams being progressed under the Blue Light Collaboration Board (BLCB). It was noted that the workstreams were effectively managed through the Strategic and Tactical Collaboration Boards.

1.    Missing Persons (Missing from home)

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) continued to support Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) with this successful collaboration and a closure report was now in development for this workstream.

It was noted that there were over 220 police requests into North West Fire Control (NWFC) for the Service’s specialist drone team within the last 12 months and most of these incidents were for missing persons.

The Missing Persons project was being enhanced further with the aim of training teams from several on-call stations within Lancashire. The locations were identified from data and analysis which showed where people were most likely to go missing from home, and where LanCon’s resources were limited. This enabled LFRS’ specialist teams to search familiar ground in reduced time and improve the likelihood of a positive outcome. This training developed the knowledge of what was required by LanCon in the management of a missing from home incident: including intelligence gathering, record keeping, search areas, and ensuring a crime scene wasn’t contaminated.

Training was also planned for the contact centre staff in LanCon to increase their knowledge of LFRS’ search capabilities.

A Memorandum of Understanding had been developed to provide a framework to further support the collaborative use of LFRS and LanCon drones.  The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the Service would be starting to recharge to cover costs.

CC Shedwick commented that the fire service played a major part in collaboration and given the level of support to the Police was pleased the Service would be making a recharge. 

In response to a further comment from CC Shedwick the Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the drone team were on call and dependent on the level of incident it was not always necessary to mobilise a fire engine.

2.    Estates and Co-location

This was a long-term workstream which may deliver significant efficiencies and effectiveness where co-location sites were identified.

A set of principles were being developed in relation to co-location sites and a mapping exercise of the current co-location sites and benefits had commenced.

Blue Light partners were currently reviewing their strategic property asset plans to coordinate the future development plans over the next 5-10 years. The development plans would consider the potential for co-location, and with a view to further developing the integration of services at co-location sites to enhance the shared ethos and principles.

All Blue Light partners were included in the scoping work for the LFRS’ Preston area review.

3.    First Responder

As part of the Annual Service Plan priorities this year, the Service was running a trial involving staff volunteering as community first responders, supporting North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). Volunteers respond to life threatening emergencies in their communities from the workplace and administer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/23

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer provided an update on His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) activity.

HMICFRS had commenced Round 3 inspections in early 2023.  The three pillars of effectiveness, efficiency and people remained the same as Round 2 as did the 11 diagnostics under each pillar which the inspectorate graded judgements against.

It was noted that HMI Michelle Skeer, recently retired Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary, had three meetings planned with the Chair of the Authority, the Chief Fire Officer and Trade Union officials / staff network group representatives at the start of December. In addition, the Chair of the Authority and the Chief Fire Officer had recently attended a HMICFRS’ Chief and Chairs event in London.

Early engagement with the Service’s liaison lead, Dominic Mika had taken place with Chief Fire Officer Justin Johnston and Area Manager Tom Powell (Service Liaison Officer).  Dominic would start to be introduced into the Service over the coming months in the build up to LFRS’ inspection which was anticipated would take place around late spring / early summer 2024. The Organisational Assurance Team within the Service Improvement Department continued to track progress against our previous inspection, monitor national themes and prepare LFRS for our Round 3 inspection.

HMICFRS was publishing reports on a rolling basis for Round 3 and had so far published eight reports on fire and rescue services (FRS). With the introduction of the ‘adequate’ grading, many FRS’s had seen ‘good’ gradings from Round 2 change to ‘adequate’ gradings in Round 3 due to identified ‘areas for improvement’. A summary of the gradings for all eight FRSs inspected so far in Round 3 was detailed in the report.

Misconduct within fire and rescue services

Members noted that HMICFRS had commissioned Crest Advisory to carry out research on misconduct within fire and rescue services in England. The goal was to better understand misconduct within the fire sector so its processes and policies could be strengthened and improved.

Crest Advisory was conducting two online surveys; one aimed at current members of staff and the other aimed at former members of staff who had worked in a fire and rescue service within the last five years. Current members of staff could take part in the survey which was open until 4 December 2023. Former members of staff could register their interest to take part in research interviews with registration open until 11 December 2023. LFRS had shared details of the surveys with both current and former members of staff.  Information shared in the research would typically remain confidential, unless there were safeguarding, or criminal issues raised that require it to be shared with a third party (e.g., the police). Reporting of data obtained via surveys and interviews would be anonymised.  The findings would be reported by HMICFRS in June 2024.

Values and culture in fire and rescue services

Values and culture in fire and rescue services remained a focus for HMICFRS and LFRS had already been working proactively in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17/23

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee has been agreed for 10:00 hours on 5 February 2024 in the Main Conference Room, at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meetings are:    scheduled for 15 July 2024

                                           proposed for 18 November 2024

The next meeting of the Committee would be held on 5 February 2024 at 1000 hours in the main Conference Room at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Fulwood.

Further meeting dates were noted for 15 July 2024 and agreed for 18 November 2024.