Agenda item

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer presented a comprehensive report to the Performance Committee. This was the 2nd quarterly report for 2024/25 as detailed in the Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2027.

 

This quarter, one Key Performance Indicator (KPI), 2.9 Business Fire Safety Checks, was shown in positive exception and one Key Performance Indicator, 3.3 Total Fire Engine Availability, was shown in negative exception.

 

Members examined each indicator in turn focusing on those KPIs in exception as follows:

 

KPI 1 – Valuing our people so that they can focus on making Lancashire safer

 

1.1  Overall Staff Engagement

 

Members received an update on how staff were engaged during the period.

 

From July to September 2024, 26 station visits were carried out by Principal Officers and Area Managers as part of the service-wide engagement programme. Fifty-three wellbeing interactions were undertaken ranging from workshops with crews to wellbeing support dog interactions.

 

The views of staff were sought by a survey on how useful people find the appraisal conversation in order to improve the quality of appraisals.

 

The Service engaged with staff over several topics that related to the Service’s fleet and equipment, which included two items designed to enhance firefighter protection from harmful particulates found in soot and smoke: particulate flash hoods and particulate filters for face masks. A wildfire team along with learning and development centre trainers were trialling devices to monitor heat stress in firefighters, and a new hose reel was also being trialled.

 

Improvement works at Blackpool Fire Station and plans for new training props at the Leadership and Development Centre had been the subject of staff engagement relating to property projects.

 

As previously reported: A comprehensive staff survey was undertaken periodically to gain insight from all staff on a range of topics which included leadership, training and development, health and wellbeing, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. The feedback was used to shape future activity and bring about improvements and new ideas. The survey included a staff engagement index which was a measure of overall staff engagement based on levels of pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration, and motivation. The current staff engagement score index was 74% (2023).

 

Year	Engagement Index	Response Rate
2023	74%	49%
2020	79%	44%
2018	70%	43%
2016	64%	31%

 

The engagement index was calculated based on five questions that measured pride, advocacy, attachment, inspiration, and motivation; factors that were understood to be important features shared by staff who were engaged with the organisation.

 

For each respondent, an engagement score was calculated as the average score across the five questions, where strongly disagree was equivalent to 0, disagree was equivalent to 25, neither agree nor disagree was equivalent to 50, agree was equivalent to 75 and strongly agree was equivalent to 100. The engagement index was then calculated as the average engagement score in the organisation. This approach meant that a score of 100 was equivalent to all respondents saying strongly agree to all five engagement questions, while a score of 0 was equivalent to all respondents saying strongly disagree to all five engagement questions.

 

During the survey period, the corporate communications department visited wholetime and on-call crews on 51 occasions to encourage participation in the survey. Five focus groups were held with on-call units by the Service’s independent researcher to obtain qualitative feedback on on-call specific matters, to complement the survey data.

 

In response to a question from County Councillor Hennessy regarding the periodic undertaking of the staff survey and the response rate, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that Corporate Communications would commence a new staff survey within the current year. The response rates were characteristic of those in other organisations, however, the Corporate Communications department constantly developed ways to increase responses. He cited one Fire Service that made a donation of £5 to the Firefighters Charity for every survey returned which increased the number of returns by providing an incentive.

 

1.2.1   Staff Absence Wholetime

 

This indicator measured 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 8 shifts lost.

Annual Shifts Lost ÷ 4 quarters = 2

 

Cumulative total number of shifts lost: 3.200

 

1.2.2   Staff Absence On-Call (OC)

 

This indicator measured the percentage of contracted hours lost due to sickness for all on-call contracted staff.

 

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

 

Cumulative on-call absence (as a % of available hours cover) at the end of the quarter, 1.18%.

 

County Councillor Salter queried, in relation to the KPI, whether the standard of 2.5% should be lowered as the Service was performing particularly well. The Assistant Chief Fire Officer explained that the Service was overperforming by a fraction of a percent although the construction of the graph made it look more severe. A review of the KPI was a Member decision.

 

1.2.3   Staff Absence Greenbook

 

This indicator measured the cumulative number of shifts (days) lost due to sickness for all green book support staff divided by the average strength.

 

Annual Standard: Not more than 8 shifts lost.

Annual Shifts Lost ÷ 4 quarters: 2

 

Cumulative shifts lost: 2.928

 

1.3.1   Workforce Diversity

 

This indicator measured diversity as a percentage.

 

Combined diversity percentage of grey book (operational) and green book (support) staff. The percentages outside of the brackets represented the current quarter, with the percentage within the brackets illustrating the same quarter of the previous year:

 

Gender:                     Female 23%(21%)  Male 77%(79%)

Ethnicity:                   BME 4%(3%)           White 93%(94%)                 Not stated 3%(3%)

Sexual Orientation:  LGBT 4%(4%)          Heterosexual 59%(54%)    Not stated 37%(42%)

Disability:                  Disability 3%(3%)    No disability 94%(95%)      Not stated 3%(2%)

 

Diversity percentage by Grey Book Staff and Green Book Staff. Counts included double counts if the member of staff was dual contracted between Grey and Green Book.

 

Separate diversity percentage of grey book (operational) and green book (support) staff:

 

Gender:                     Female          Grey book 11%        Green book 62%     

                                   Male               Grey book 89%        Green book 38%     

 

Ethnicity:                   BME               Grey book 3%          Green book 5%       

                                   White             Grey book 94%        Green book 86%     

                                   Not stated     Grey book 3%          Green book 9%       

 

Sexual Orientation:  LGBT             Grey book 4%          Green book 3%       

                                   Heterosexual Grey book 58%        Green book 63%     

                                   Not stated     Grey book 38%        Green book 34%     

 

Disability:                  Disability        Grey book 3%          Green book 4%       

                                   No disability  Grey book 95%        Green book 90%     

                                   Not stated     Grey book 2%          Green book 6%       

 

1.3.2   Workforce Diversity Recruited

 

This new indicator measured workforce diversity recruited as a percentage.

 

Combined diversity percentage of grey book (operational) and green book (support) staff. The percentages outside of the brackets represented the current quarter, with the percentage within the brackets illustrating the same quarter of the previous year:

 

Gender:                     Female 59%(37%)   Male 41%(63%)

Ethnicity:                   BME 6%(5%)           White 26%(85%)         Not Stated 68%(10%)

Sexual Orientation:  LGBT 6%(5%)          Heterosexual 79%(85%)    Not stated 15%(10%)

Disability:                  Disability 6%(2%)    No disability 91%(93%)      Not stated 3%(5%)

 

During quarter 2, there were a total of 24 new entrants.

 

It was noted that a further breakdown of the data would not be provided as it may enable the identification of individuals, due to the small numbers of persons recruited during the period.

 

1.4      Staff Accidents

 

This indicator measured the number of accidents which occurred to staff members at work within the quarter: Wholetime, On-Call and Greenbook.

 

Total number of staff accidents, 10 for quarter 2; year to date 30; previous year to date 34. Quarterly activity decreased 44.44% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

 

KPI 2 - Preventing, fires and other emergencies from happening and Protecting people and property when fires happen

 

2.1      Risk Map Score

 

This indicator measured the fire risk in each Super Output Area, of which there were 942. Risk was determined using fire activity over the previous 3 fiscal years along with a range of demographic data, such as population and deprivation. The County risk map score was updated annually and presented to the Performance Committee in the quarter 1 reporting period.

 

Annual Standard: To reduce the risk in Lancashire – an annual reduction in the County risk map score.

 

(Dwelling Fires ÷ Total Dwellings) + (Dwelling Fire Casualties ÷ Resident Population x 4) + Building Fire + (IMD x 2) = Risk Score.

 

The current score was 30,750 and the previous year’s score was 31,170 which meant that the fire risk continued to reduce.

 

2.2      Overall Activity

 

This indicator measured the number of incidents that LFRS attended with one or more pumping appliances. Incidents attended included fires, special service calls, false alarms and collaborative work undertaken with other emergency services i.e.: missing person searches on behalf of the Lancashire Constabulary (LanCon) and gaining entry incidents at the request of the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).

 

Incidents attended, year to date 8,669; previous year to date 9,525. Quarterly activity decreased 0.54% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

In quarter 2, the Service attended 4,396 incidents. The report presented a chart which represented the count and percentage that each activity had contributed to the overall quarter’s activity:

 

·       Total False Alarm Calls (due to apparatus, good intent and malicious) – 2004, 46%

·       Total Primary Fire Calls (accidental dwelling / building and deliberate dwelling / commercial fires and other primary fires) – 428, 10%

·       Total Secondary Fire Calls (deliberate and accidental fires) – 813, 18%

·       Total Special Service Calls (critical incidents, gaining entry, RTCs, Flooding and other critical incidents) – 1144, 26%

 

2.3      Accidental Dwelling Fires (ADF)

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a dwelling had been affected and the cause of the fire had been recorded as 'Accidental' or 'Not known'.

 

Members noted that a primary fire was one involving property (excluding derelict property) or any fires involving casualties, rescues or any fire attended by 5 or more pumping appliances.

 

Accidental Dwelling Fires, 161 in quarter 2; year to date 327; previous year to date 374. Quarterly activity decreased 5.85% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.3.1   ADF – Harm to people: Casualties

 

This indicator reported the number of fire related fatalities, slight and serious injuries at primary fires where a dwelling had been affected and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘Accidental or Not known.’

 

A slight injury was defined as; a person attending hospital as an outpatient (not precautionary check). A serious injury was defined as; at least an overnight stay in hospital as an in-patient.

 

Fatal                                 3 in quarter 2; year to date 5; previous year to date 1

Injuries appear Serious   2 in quarter 2; year to date 2; previous year to date 7

Injuries appear Slight      6 in quarter 2; year to date 23; previous year to date 20

 

Quarterly activity increased 22.22% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer informed Members that sadly, 2 fatalities in quarter 2 related to a tragic incident in Blackpool where a young couple lost their lives, and a small child was hospitalised with burns.

 

One male lost his life in a gas explosion in a property in the Ribble Valley.

 

All three fatalities were subject to Coroner proceedings.

 

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

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a dwelling had been affected and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘'Accidental' or 'Not known'.

 

Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage was recorded at the time the ‘stop’ message was sent and included all damage types.

 

The table in the report showed a breakdown of fire severity with a directional indicator that compared:

 

Current quarter, combined percentage of 85% against same quarter of the previous year, combined percentage of 86%.

 

Combined quarterly percentage had therefore decreased 1.36% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.4      Accidental Building Fires (ABF) (Commercial Premises)

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a building had been affected (which was other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling), and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘'Accidental' or 'Not known'.

 

ABF (Commercial Premises), 60 in quarter 2; year to date 132; previous year to date 127. Quarterly activity increased 5.26% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

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

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a building had been affected (which was other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling), and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘'Accidental' or 'Not known'.

 

Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage was recorded at the time the ‘stop’ message was sent and included all damage types.

 

The table in the report showed a breakdown of fire severity with a directional indicator that compared:

 

·       current quarter, combined percentage of 82% against

·       same quarter of the previous year, combined percentage of 71%.

 

Combined quarterly percentage had therefore increased 10.7% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.5      Accidental Building Fires (Non-Commercial Premises)

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a private garage, private shed, private greenhouse, private summerhouse, or other private non-residential building had been affected and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘Accidental’ or ‘Not known.’

 

ABF (Non-Commercial Premises), 21 in quarter 2; year to date 42; previous year to date 49. Quarterly activity increased 133.33% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

County Councillor Salter asked the reason for the spike in activity in June of 2023/24. Area Manager, Phil Jones advised that the weather had been hot and dry over that period and those conditions often increased the number of accidental building fires which initially could be caused as a secondary fire to grass fires and burning shrubbery spreading to property.

 

2.5.1  ABF (Non-Commercial premises: Private garages and sheds) – Harm to property: Extent of damage (fire severity)

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a private garage, private shed, private greenhouse, private summerhouse, or other private non-residential building had been affected and the cause of fire had been recorded as ‘Accidental’ or ‘Not known.’

 

Extent of fire, heat and smoke damage was recorded at the time the ‘stop’ message was sent and included all damage types.

 

The table in the report showed a breakdown of fire severity with a directional indicator that compared:

 

·       current quarter, combined percentage of 10% against

·       same quarter of the previous year, combined percentage of 11%.

 

Combined quarterly activity had therefore decreased 1.6% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.6      Deliberate Fires Total: Specific performance measure of deliberate fires

 

This indicator provided an overall measure of primary and secondary fires where the cause of fire had been recorded as deliberate.

 

Deliberate Fires – 543 in quarter 2; year to date 1,038; previous year to date 1,145.Quarterly activity increased 17.79% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.6.1   Deliberate Fires – Dwellings

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where a dwelling had been affected and the cause of fire had been recorded as deliberate.

 

Deliberate Fires – Dwellings, 17 in quarter 2, year to date 42; previous year to date 49. Quarterly activity decreased 32.00% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.6.2   Deliberate Fires - Commercial Premises

 

This indicator reported the number of primary fires where the property type was a building, other than a dwelling or a private building associated with a dwelling, and the cause of fire had been recorded as deliberate.

 

Deliberate Fires – Commercial Premises, 21 in quarter 2; year to date 70; previous year to date 72.

 

Quarterly activity decreased 30.00% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

A second incident activity line was shown on the graph which excluded Crown premises which fell outside of the Service’s legislative jurisdiction.

 

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

 

This indicator reported the number of primary and secondary fires where the property type was other than a building, except where the building was recorded as derelict, and the cause of fire had been recorded as deliberate.

 

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

 

Deliberate Fires – Other, 505 in quarter 2; year to date 926; previous year to date 1,024.Quarterly activity increased 24.38% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.7      Home Fire Safety Checks

 

This indicator reported the percentage of completed Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC), excluding refusals, carried out where the risk score had been determined to be high.

 

An improvement was shown if:

 

·       the total number of HFSC’s completed was greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year; and

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

 

HFSCs completed, 6,308 in quarter 2; year to date 5,807; previous year to date 11,737. Quarterly activity increased 6.4% against the same quarter of the previous year.

 

HFSCs with high-risk outcomes, Quarter 2, 52%; previous year Quarter 2, 52%.

 

High risk outcomes remained static against the same quarter of the previous year.

 

2.8      Numbers of prevention activities such as Childsafe, wasted lives etc

 

Members received an update on the number of sessions delivered against the following prevention activities during the quarter:

 

ChildSafe,     6 sessions delivered to 170 students;     

RoadSense, 25 sessions delivered to 895 students;  

SENDSafe,   1 session delivered to 80 students;                    

Wasted Lives,     5 sessions delivered to 205 students;

Biker Down, 3 sessions delivered to 51 attendees;

FIRES,           45 referrals opened prior to Q2 and carried over. 42 referrals received in Q2. 43 referrals closed in Q2. 44 referrals carried to 2024-25, Q3;

Partner Training (including care providers), 22 sessions delivered to 4 different partners, with 231 delegates receiving training;

 

Specific Education packages – delivered Water Safety, BrightSparx, ASB, Deliberate Fire Setting etc (Covers key stages 2, 3 and 4). 46 in school water safety sessions, delivered to 4,755 students & 6 virtual sessions delivered to 7,600 pupils.

 

Arson Threat Referrals – 233.

 

2.9      Business Fire Safety Checks

 

This indicator reported the number of Business Fire Safety Check (BFSC’s) completed and whether the result was satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If the result of a BFSC was unsatisfactory, fire safety advice would be provided to help the business comply with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If critical fire safety issues were identified, then a business safety advisor would conduct a follow-up intervention.

 

• The pro rata BFSC target was delivered through each quarter.

 

A +/-10% tolerance was applied to the completed BFSCs and the year to date (YTD) BFSCs, against both the quarterly and YTD targets. When both counts were outside of the 10% tolerance, they would be deemed in exception which enabled local delivery to flex with the needs of their district plan over the quarters.

 

BFSCs completed, 943 in quarter 2; Cumulative 1,867; YTD target, 1,250; previous YTD 1,719.

 

Cumulative YTD BFSCs being satisfactory, 1,606. Top 5 completed satisfactory premise types (Shops 629, Factories/Warehouses 231, Other Workplaces 198, Offices 141, Other Public Premises 124).

 

Cumulative YTD BFSCs being unsatisfactory, 261. Top 5 completed unsatisfactory premise types (Shops 119, Factories/Warehouses 40, Licensed Premises 23, Other Workplaces 23, Offices 18).

 

The positive exception report was due to the number of completed Business Fire Safety Checks (BFSCs) being greater than 10% of the quarterly target, and the cumulative year to date target.

 

The BFSC intervention was now well embedded into Service Delivery. The first of two Built Environment Virtual Training (BEVT) sessions were delivered in 2023 and the second phase of BEVT roll out was due to begin in 2025.

 

Protection grey book staff had commenced with Strengthening Operational Awareness days in Q2 which had seen them begin to quality assure the BFSC delivery and support the transition of crews staring to undertake BFSCs in more high-risk sleeping premises types.

 

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer highlighted that, due to the intervention and engagement, the Service had vastly overperformed for the first 6 months of the year.

 

Referencing a TV programme he witnessed where a fire extinguisher was loosely placed in a nursery and could easily have been removed by children, County Councillor O’Toole queried whether the positioning of fire extinguishers was incorporated into Business Fire Safety Checks. The Assistant Chief Fire Officer confirmed that correct fire extinguisher positioning was included, and it would be rare to see a fire extinguisher which was not correctly mounted due to the many designs available to secure them. He added that fire extinguishers were usually placed on an exit route, were appropriate for the type of risk, and should be tested annually under an individual premise’s health & safety policy/fire safety policies.

 

Area Manager, Phil Jones advised that, due to an uplift in the training of Operational staff, they were now carrying out BFSCs on premises types that they would not usually access, and some employers/landlords had been prosecuted due to dangerous practices.

 

In response to a question from County Councillor Clifford regarding the placing of a fire extinguisher at a local petrol station which had been taken by youths and sprayed in the area, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer explained that fire extinguishers needed to be securely placed but easily accessible for use in the event of a fire. He advised that he would have Protection staff follow up with business support advice to the premises if Councillor Clifford so wished and shared details of the specific site being discussed.

 

2.9.1   Fire Safety Activity (including Business Fire Safety Checks)

 

This indicator reported the number of Fire Safety Enforcement inspections carried out within the period which resulted in supporting businesses to improve and become compliant with fire safety regulations or where formal action of enforcement and prosecution had been taken for those that failed to comply.

 

An improvement was shown if the percentage of audits that required formal activity was greater than the comparable quarter of the previous year.

 

Total Fire Safety Enforcement Inspections, Quarter 2, 524;

Formal Activity in Quarter 2, 6%, same quarter of the previous year 6%.

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

 

Members noted the cumulative number of Fire Safety inspections undertaken for 2024/25 was 1,054.

 

2.10    Building Regulation Consultations (BRC) (number and completed on time)

 

Where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applied to premises (or would apply following building work) the building control body must consult with LFRS for comments / advice regarding fire safety. LFRS should make any comments in writing within 15 working days from receiving a BRC.

 

This indicator provided Members with information on the number of building regulations consultations received during the period together with improvement actions.

 

In Quarter 2, Building Regulation Consultations received 226, of which 220 were completed within the timeframe (LFRS should make comments in writing within 15 working days of receiving a BRC).

 

Current focus within the department:

 

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

·       The implementation of centralised building regulations onto the Community Fire Risk Management Information System (CFRMIS) and assigning dedicated resource to consistently input new applications continued to improve the Service’s efficiency at responding to the majority within statutory timescales.

 

 

KPI 3 - Responding to fire and other emergencies quickly

 

3.1      Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance

 

This indicator reported the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident in less than the relevant response standard.

 

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

 

·       Very high-risk area = 6 minutes

·       High risk area = 8 minutes

·       Medium risk area = 10 minutes

·       Low risk area = 12 minutes

 

The response standards were determined by the risk map score and subsequent risk grade for the location of the fire.

 

Standards were achieved 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, was less than the relevant response standard. Expressed in minutes & seconds.

 

Critical Fire Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance, Quarter 2, Very High 05:55 min; High 06:35 min, Medium 06:51 min, Low 09:05 min.

 

Q2 overall 07:42 min. Year to date overall 07:41 min. Previous year to date overall 07:24 min.

 

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

 

This indicator reported the ‘Time of Call’ (TOC) and ‘Time in Attendance’ (TIA) of the first fire engine arriving at the incident in less than the relevant response standard.

 

The response standard included how long it took the first fire engine to respond to critical special service (non-fire) incidents where there was a risk to life such as road traffic collisions, rescues, and hazardous materials incidents. For these critical special service call incidents there was a single response standard of 13 minutes (which measured call handling time and fire engine response time).

 

Critical Special Service Response – 1^st Fire Engine Attendance, 08:36 min in quarter 2; year to date 08:29 min; previous year to date 08:34 min.

 

3.3      Total Fire Engine Availability

 

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

 

Standard: to be in attendance within response standard target on 90% of occasions.

 

Total Fire Engine Availability, 86.18% in quarter 2; year to date 86.54%; previous year to date 88.66%.

 

Quarterly availability decreased 1.66% over the same quarter of the previous year.

 

The negative exception report was due to the 1^st fire appliance availability percentage being below the lower control limit during quarter 2.

 

Overall availability across all stations for the quarter recorded 86.18%, which was 3.82% below the 90% standard, although only the months of July and August recorded availability below the lower control limit of 86.80%

 

The availability by each of the stations designated first pump crewing type:

Wholetime – 99.20%

Day Crewing Plus – 99.00%

Flexi Day Crewing – 99.17%

On-Call – 69.41%

Total – 86.18% 

 

Whilst all the Whole-Time (WT) appliances achieved exceptional availability, the 1^st appliance at the wholly On-Call stations contributed to the availability falling below the 90% standard. As such, the exception report was focused on On-Call availability.

 

On-Call recruitment, development, and retention was a national challenge which had seen a downward trend in availability over several years.

 

A shortage of staff with the Officer in Charge (OIC) skill was a significant contributing factor to low On-Call availability. On-Call Support Officers (OCSOs) were working with station-based staff and management, together with Training Centre, to support those in development and identify opportunities for staff to acquire those skills earlier in their career.

 

Actions being taken to improve performance:

 

·       The On Call Improvement Programme (OCIP) was driving transformation across the Service with several workstreams to improve recruitment, development, and retention.

·       Incident Command trainers had reviewed the process for On-Call Incident Command Courses, which had resulted in 10 courses and 58 staff being trained as OICs in 2024. This was a significant increase in course delivery from previous delivery.

·       On-Call Performance Management training for Station Managers and Unit Managers was completed in Q2, which included the roll-out of sector-leading innovative software for On-Call Availability, Recruitment and Skills (OARS). The software was developed in collaboration with an On-Call academic and a software designer. The software had improved the efficiency and effectiveness of workforce planning, development, and performance. OARS was the first of its kind nationally, and the Service had demonstrated the project and software as best practice at the NFCC On-Call Conference in September.

·       On-Call recognition events would commence in Q3, to acknowledge the dedication and efforts of the Service’s On-Call firefighters, their families, and their employers.

 

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the National Joint Council (NJC) had carried out a review of On-Call pay arrangements and in response to that, the Service would evaluate current pay arrangements and revise how staff were paid to improve availability. Due to societal factors and work/life balance, the hours of cover for a typical On-Call firefighter had reduced over recent years. It was considered that having fewer On-Call firefighters providing increased availability would be more cost effective for the Service as the associated costs of training and equipment would be lower. The NJC had proposed that where an employee provided cover for less than 120 hours per week, the banding would be: up to and including 30 hours per week; from 31 hours per week and up to and including 60 hours per week; from 61 hours per week and up to and including 90 hours per week; and from 91 hours per week and up to and including 119 hours with employees being remunerated on that basis. The Service considered that those bandings were too broad and felt that 15-hour bandings would be more effective. Initial proposals would be developed and would then be put out to consultation. It was noted that the NJC proposals did not offer the opportunity for On-Call firefighter to earn more than they currently did in LFRS as the Service paid more than the national grey book pay rates.

 

In response to a question from County Councillor O’Toole in relation to restrictions placed on on-Call firefighters, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that there were geographical restrictions as they would typically need to live or work within 5 minutes travel time of a fire station. The Service did not stipulate how much cover a potential On-call firefighter had to provide but they would be taken through the recruitment process if their hours of availability were beneficial to that unit. The NJC proposals provided an opportunity to offer lower hours contracts which, in turn, provided the Service with the opportunity to engage differently with businesses to secure the release of staff for valuable day time cover.

 

County Councillor Hasina Khan joined the meeting (10.22am).

 

 

KPI 4 - Delivering value for money in how we use our resources

 

4.1      Progress Against Allocated Budget

 

Members received an update on spend against the approved budget for the year.

 

The annual budget for 2024/25 was set at £75.1 million. Spend at the end of September 2024 was £34.5 million. The annual forecast was £75 million, which was a small underspend of (£0.1) million.

 

The revised capital budget for 2024/25 was £12 million and spend at the end of September was £1.7 million. The total annual spend forecast was £5.8 million, and £0.3 million savings had been identified predominantly in Information Technology (IT). It was also anticipated £5.9 million expenditure would slip into 2025/26. Extended lead times and resourcing shortfalls resulted in the slippage.

 

Quarter 2 variance -0.13%.

 

4.2      Partnership Collaboration

 

Under the Policing and Crime Act 2017, blue light services were under a formal duty to collaborate to improve efficiency, effectiveness and deliver improved outcomes.

 

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), Lancashire Constabulary and North West Ambulance Service had met at both tactical and strategic levels and had agreed and signed a strategic statement of intent which contained the following aims:

 

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

•        Reduce Demand – The collaboration should contribute towards our 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.

 

This indicator provided Members with an update on the progress against key workstreams being progressed under the Blue Light Collaboration Board (BLCB) partnership collaboration during the period.

 

Leadership Development

Partners had scoped collaboration opportunities for leadership development. Each Service agreed to host a leadership development event for senior leaders from all three organisations. Lancashire Fire and Rescue (LFRS) hosted the first event in October, which focused on ‘Leadership (and well-being)’ and explored cross-coaching. The event was a success with over 60 people attending from across all three services and the partners met in November to develop cross-coaching opportunities.

 

The Service was planning the next session which would be hosted by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in early February 2025, where the focus for the event would be on ‘Media’.

 

Lancashire Police in Spring 2025 would host the final session. The group were considering an interesting area round ‘Generational Differences’ with a view to potentially exploring that as the final topic.

 

Estates and Co-location

This project was a long-term work stream which could deliver significant efficiencies and effectiveness where co-location sites were identified.

 

In October, the project objectives were reviewed and affirmed, aligned to the Strategic Board objectives. The Estates and Co-location workstream focused on four key areas: Sharing knowledge and information, estates and asset integration, resilience and shared opportunities in support functions, and financial opportunities.

 

Blue Light partners were reviewing property asset management strategies to identify potential areas for co-ordinating future development plans over the next 5-10 years and discussions were continuing in relation future opportunities. All current locations for each organisation had been mapped, with the focus on understanding the of longer-term plans for each service. The LFRS ‘Preston Area Review’ continued to be discussed and considered with the Blue Light partners regarding collaboration opportunities.

 

Community First Responders

The workstream involved LFRS volunteering as Community First Responders (CFR) to support NWAS. LFRS staff volunteers undertook an initial CFR training programme at LFRS Training Centre. Once qualified, they could shadow existing CFR practitioners to develop their clinical abilities and build confidence in their newly acquired skills.

 

The Service now had 13 LFRS staff volunteers responding to life threatening emergencies in Lancashire from the workplace and administering life-saving interventions in the initial vital minutes before NWAS colleagues arrived. Since the workstream commenced in 2023, LFRS had responded to more than 180 CFR incidents that included unresponsive/collapsed, not breathing, cardiac arrests, seizures, strokes, and choking. It had resulted in many successful outcomes.

 

The Service was now scoping ‘Phase 3’ of the workstream which would involve On-Call staff volunteers becoming CFRs within more remote parts of the county, where NWAS resources and response times could be more challenges. This would further improve outcomes for medical emergencies within those communities.

 

4.3      Overall User Satisfaction

 

People surveyed included those who had experienced an accidental dwelling fire, a commercial fire, or a special service incident that the Service attended.

The standard was achieved if the percentage of satisfied responses was greater than the standard.

 

Annual Standard: 98.71%

 

In quarter 2, 77 people had been surveyed and the number satisfied with the service was 75. The running number of people surveyed for the year was 3,720 with 3,672 of those people being satisfied with the Service; 98.71% against a standard of 97.50%; a variance of 1.24%.

 

In response to a question from County Councillor Hennessy in relation to the potential HMI gradings pertaining to information in the Performance Measuring Progress Report, the Assistant Chief Fire Officer explained that overall, the report was positive and the KPIs that had been in exception over recent years were areas of national challenge which were now experiencing a marked improvement. He added that Blue Light Collaboration was an area of increased incident activity which added value to the public. It was expected that the HMI would take an interest in all areas of Performance and management of risk in Lancashire such as prevention and protection activity, and staff engagement, highlighting existing good practice. It was noted that as the Assistant Chief Fire Officer was the Lead Officer for Performance Committee and would be new to the Service at the time of the inspection, Jon Charters would take the lead or assist with any interviews by the HMI.

 

County Councillor Clifford asked for clarification on a discussion at Resources Committee where the Director of Corporate Services stated that LFRS would be one of the last Services to be inspected on the old inspection system as opposed to the new system. The Assistant Chief Fire Officer explained that the Services HMI Inspection should have taken place earlier in the year but had been postponed due to staffing challenges. It was complimentary to LFRS as they had postponed inspections on those Services which were perceived to be performing well. The outcome of the upcoming inspection would determine the timeframe for the following inspection.

 

The Chair commented that LFRS had always been a top performing organisation which he was confident would continue.

 

County Councillor O’Toole stated that the HMI Inspection had been postponed 3 times in his time as Chair of the Authority and he was also confident that the Service would perform well in the upcoming inspection.

 

The Chair thanked the Assistant Fire Officer for a positive report.

 

Resolved: - That the Performance Committee noted and endorsed the Quarter 2 Measuring Progress report, including one positive and one negative exceptions.