7.
The Audit Commission’s Modernisation Verification study
reports identified that in the area of IPDS the Fire Authority had made little
or no progress. An action plan has been
devised and agreed by the Fire Service Round Table Group and the Audit
Commission. The 4 specific areas are:
Audit Commission Recommendation 9
The Brigade needs to ensure that
there is a clear strategy for funding IPDS now and in the future. This must have member “buy-in”.
Actioned through:
Best Value Team, IPDS Progress Group
– Informal Executive – Executive
Audit Commission Recommendation 10
More work is needed to identify and
cost further alternative training providers to ensure value for money and the
flexibility to meet the needs of all groups of staff.
Actioned through:
Best Value Team, IPDS Progress Group
– Executive
Audit Commission Recommendation 11
The Brigade needs to introduce
regular PDR’s/supervisory meetings to all staff as soon as possible. Training to enable managers to undertake
PDR’s, effectively needs to be expedited.
Actioned through:
PDR’s to tie in with Training Needs
Analysis
PDR’s to tie in with Service
Planning Process
Audit Commission Recommendation 12
A project plan for the
implementation of workplace assessments with milestones for the completion of
PDR’s for manager and staff should be developed in the near future.
Action through:
Plan to be completed in association
with Corporate Human Resources (Claire Shand).
8.
A meeting was held on 23 June 2004 between the
Principal Best Value Officer and the Deputy Chief Fire Officer where Terms of
Reference were agreed and the setting up of an IPDS Progress Group to consist
of the Brigade Training Officer, Corporate Training Officer, a representative
from the wholetime staff and the retained staff and a Financial Principal
Officer.
9.
The IPDS Group has met on 4 occasions. The following are members of the group:
George Bryson,
Deputy Chief Fire Officer
John Vosper, Principal Best
Value Officer
Claire Shand, Human
Resources Manager (Organisational Effectiveness)
Giles Lowe, Brigade
Training Officer
Tracy Ringer/Helen Gaches,
Principal Accountant
Stuart May, HR Function
Manager
Ian Sartini, Retained Duty
Representative
Spencer Cave/Trevor Moyce,
Wholetime Duty Representative
10.
The Terms of Reference agreed by the group were
extracted from the Executive resolution:
IPDS - Identify Priorities
-
Capacity
-
Practicalities of Training Retained Staff
-
Alternative Providers
11.
The methodology used was to sub divide the Appendix J
(from the FAIRMaP paper of 21 April 2004) and allocate the tasks with due
regard to the Terms of Reference to the individual group members’ area of
knowledge and skill. Much work has been
done by the Group to rationalise the requirements of IPDS.
12.
Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
This document details the training and
development needs for the Fire and Rescue Service. Historically it has dealt in the main with courses of training
for the individual and that which is prescribed by the Brigade. For many years now the TNA has indicated
more training than the budget allowed for, so the training needs have never
been fully satisfied. The IPDS Progress Group agreed that the TNA
is what one would expect of a TNA.
However, it must be based more on the new PDR’s presently being rolled
out in the Brigade.
IPDS
provides a career framework for staff within the Fire and Rescue Service which
places the responsibility on managers to focus on the assessment of competence
as well as to highlight potential for promotion and to provide appropriate
development opportunities to support the future capacity of the service. This places significant importance on the development
review process and the way in which the individual personal development plan is
prepared. This will require a step
change in the approach currently in use.
It particularly places emphasis on the need and importance of dedicated
time to be afforded to individual staff to discuss with their line manager
their progress at work and future aspirations for career development. The Council’s current development review
process in its entirety did not meet the needs of the service and particularly
those of retained fire fighters.
In
addition the TNA should have qualifying statements on how progression training
is being developed. The Group agreed
that the style of the TNA will be developed over the 2005/06 training year.
The matters listed below (extracted
from Appendix J Executive Paper 21 April) are additional to the TNA and should
be incorporated into the body of the document for 2005/06.
13.
Overtime to cover Availability
The present policy for
paying wholetime personnel to attend local courses in their off duty periods is
by time off in lieu. This incurs a
heavy penalty when paying time back, which means reduced numbers of
firefighters able to crew appliances.
However, the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) as part of the new pay award has
lifted their ban on overtime, and so firefighter availability can be
increased. The Audit Commission
Verification Study indicated that we had no processes in place to best use
overtime as a way of increasing flexibility and availability, (neither do we
have the budget.) The Verification
Action Plan identifies Corporate Human Resources as commencing work on
determining efficient use of overtime.
14.
Recruitment prior to retirement
This means that instead of
waiting until someone retires (wholetime personnel), then leaving the vacancy
open long enough to accumulate enough to pay for the recruits course, we should
recruit someone 4 months prior to a retirement, have them trained then join the
station when the person retires thus having no drop in the availability of fire
fighters to crew an appliance.
15.
Instructor for Competence
The IPDS Progress group
identified this as a high priority
Instructor
for Competence – There is a need to provide an additional instructor to carry
forward the specific needs of IPDS to all 10 fire stations. This new role will ensure that
implementation; monitoring and review are carried out. The work on alternative providers has shown
that instead of some of the training being carried out at the Fire Service
College it should be done in-house.
This will increase the workload of the training department beyond its
present capacity.
This instructor needs to be
employed now at 1 January 2005 to begin work before the 2005/06 TNA commences.
16.
IPDS for Support Services
IPDS is also to be extended to
support services within the Fire and Rescue Service and whilst the national
framework is yet to be put in place, it is important that the principles
described earlier are implemented now, in readiness for these changes that will
emerge. The Council’s development
review process is being utilised for this purpose. It is evident that due to the diverse nature in support service
roles, that not all training to respond to identified needs is readily
available. “Off –the-peg” solutions are
not always an option and external sources have to be pursued, together with the
development of other creative solutions for working with other Brigades.
The training needs analysis for
support services shows a significant shortfall in resources if we are to ensure
that both the capacity and competence of this area of the service is to be
implemented. The budget for support
services training has been in the region of £1,000 per annum which would not be
sufficient to support those staff members thorough IPDS. The Human Resources Manager (Organisational
Effectiveness) has discussed the requirements with the Brigades head of Support
Services, and agreed that Fire and Rescue need additional resources to develop
staff to the correct level of competence.
Note IPDS is also to be extended to
Council Members. Guidance has yet to be
received on how this will evolve.
17.
Additional Training for Retained
Many Brigades
provide for 3 hours per week training, we provide for only 2 hours per
week. Some of that 2 hours is taken up
with managerial, administrative and maintenance duties. We do not have sufficient time for all the
training requirements and especially those stations that have additional
appliances and the increased training for New Dimension work. Consultation with
a representative group has identified a flexible and beneficial way of
integrating the training to lifestyles.
The IPDS Group
agreed that the training time should be solely for training and it should be
increased relative to the stations needs.
Other needs of the station should be carried out in a more flexible way.
Also see 24 Below
18.
Wholetime Recruitment Selection
Contractors appointed by the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minster (ODPM) are currently preparing a new system for testing at the
point of entry into the Fire Service.
This system is likely to be in place sometime in 2005. The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service
will comply with these guidelines set by the ODPM and agreed by the South East
Regional Management Board (RMB) for recruiting and selecting firefighters.
19.
Fire Behaviour Training
Due to the changes in the material used in
building construction, the diverse and larger fire loadings contained within
the buildings, and the realisation of the flammability/explosiveness of the
products of combustion (smoke), together with the availability of different
types of equipment to deal with this, it was decided nationally that
firefighters required specialist training to deal with this problem.
All Operational Personnel undergo Fire
Behaviour Training as part of the Brigade Training Programme. To facilitate
this training the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have entered into
partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue
Service to facilitate the use of the fire behaviour training facility at
Eastleigh.
The current training
involves the use of single compartment Fire Behaviour Units, with the use of
multi-compartment training being planned as the next step.
20.
Large Goods Vehicle Training
The regulations
governing driver training for large vehicles is changing in 2006/07. It is understood at this time that driving
tuition vehicles will need to be of a standard type (not a fire engine). This items looks toward that change and the
training provided by an external provider.
21.
Satellite Status
In 1998 the Isle of
Wight Fire and Rescue Service achieved accredited centre status for the
National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) process. However, it had become apparent from the external verifiers
visits that we were increasingly struggling to achieve the standards
required. The Brigade staff were
willing to make it work but were unable to, due to lack of resources. We investigated the possibility of becoming
a satellite of an already accredited centre.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were approached. After a GAP analysis and the completion of
an action plan we were accepted as a satellite centre. This has had the effect of tying us into the
firefighter development track. We
currently have 7 firefighters who are on the phase A development track working
towards their NVQ award. This process
will be spread throughout the Brigade.
22.
Fit for Duty
Her Majesty’s Inspector
of Fire Services national thematic review of health in the fire service was
issued some 4 or 5 years ago and no work has been done on its recommendations
aimed at reducing the number of injuries, ill health and unnecessary
retirements from the UK Fire Service.
The wholetime shift
personnel at Newport Fire Station have some fitness equipment and are allocated
on duty time for fitness activities.
This should be extended to all Island firefighters. The training time is included in the
Retained Additional Training costs but there is a need for lifestyle input,
clothing and equipment.
23.
Terms of Reference Issues
Prioritising
The IPDS Progress
Group’s judgment on prioritising is agreed as:
Instructor for competence - High Priority 2004/05
Additional training for retained - High Priority 2004/05
Enhanced Training
Needs Analysis - Full implementation commence 2005/06
on-going
IPDS for Support Services Staff - Commence 2005/06
Overtime
to cover availability - Corporate HR undertaking a comprehensive, fully costed review beginning October 2004
(Audit
Commission Verification Study
Action Plan) commence 2005/06
Wholetime Recruitment Selection - Commence 2005/06
Fire Behaviour Training - Commence
2005/06
Satelite NVQ Status - Commence 2005/06
Recruitment prior to
retirement - Commence
2005/06
LGV Instructoion - Commence 2006/07
Equalities Training - Commence 2006/07
Fit for Duty equipment/instruction - Commence 2006/07
Capacity
The
IPDS Progress Group identified this as a high priority.
Instructor
for Competence – There is a need to provide an additional instructor to carry
forward the specific needs of IPDS to all 10 fire stations. This new role will ensure that
implementation; monitoring and review are carried out. The work on alternative providers has shown
that instead of some of the training being carried out at the Fire Service
College it should be done in-house.
This will increase the workload of the training department beyond its
present capacity.
The
greatest area of need for improvement is the time available to train retained
firefighters. It is presently insufficient.
The
2-hour drill night must be reserved for training only and additional time is
required to cover individual needs for new appliance/equipment and the needs of
stations with additional appliances. An
allocation for record keeping for the new systems and 4 hours per person per
year for the new Personal Development Review (PDR) system being
introduced. In consultation with a
small sub group of representative personnel and with the assistance of Claire
Shand it has been possible to adapt the Council’s process, whilst ensuring that
the Council’s requirements for performance management are not excluded. This revised system is now being put in
place and the completion of interviews is scheduled for the end of
October. This will underpin and clarify
the current training needs analysis.
Whilst this is not in line with the agreed corporate timetable for the
completion of PDR’s, it is possible to bring this back to schedule in 2005/06. Fitness training is provided on duty for
wholetime shift staff and due consideration must be made to provide a similar
provision for retained duty personnel of up to 8 hours per year per
person. A spreadsheet identifying the
additional retained training hours required is at Appendix A.
There
is sufficient capacity for the wholetime shift personnel providing the new
instructor (see 16 above) assists them with IPDS.
Practicalities
of Training Retained Staff
Some
of these issues are dealt with under 16 and 18 above.
The
present difficulty in training retained staff at the Fire Service College (FSC)
is that they need to ask their primary employer for time off work or use their
annual leave entitlement. Their leave
entitlement generally is less than that required to attend the managers’
modules in one year. More of this
training can be done in-house at times and frequency, which better accommodates
the retained duty system life style.
The
incident command training provided by the Fire Service College would be better
provided in a flexible way by the Brigade Training Centre.
Alternative Providers
This area was mainly focussed on the FSC. Claire Shand, Giles Lowe and Stuart May went
through each aspect carefully and
concluded that elements of Incident Command Training and Specialist Training
(for example in Fire Safety Enforcement) for wholetime personnel were to be
properly provided by the FSC. That
which remained was scrutinised to identify those elements, which, could be
accommodated, by the Council’s Learning Centre and those, which could not. Neighbouring brigades and a private provider
scruitinised those, which could not. It
is pleasing to note that a scheme has been devised to deal with all our
training needs by allocating proportions of the work to different providers.
Isle of
Wight Fire and Rescue Service
Council’s
Learning Centre
Private
Provider
Fire
Service College
Hampshire
Fire and Rescue Service
It has been decided that an alternative
private training provider is best placed to deliver the Crew/Watch Manager
training programme to ensure a coherent and consistent programme of training to
support the development needs and underpinning knowledge requirements of new
recruits.
The Council’s corporate training function
is best placed to support managers and staff in their continuing professional
development needs and in the achievement of the essential organisational
knowledge. These needs will emerge as a
result of the analysis of personal development plans at the end of October. This means that the Fire and Rescue Service
will have access to corporate training resources, thus reducing costs further
as well as to prevent duplication occurring.
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
24.
Within the modernisation of the Fire and Rescue Service, IPDS
is an essential element in delivering the corporate objectives of creating safe
and crime free communities and protecting the Island’s physical environment.
25.
The Isle of Wight Council is to be inspected for its
Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) in 2005 and the Fire Service will be
inspected in April 2005. The Auditors
will need to see an improvement in the Fire Services modernisation, especially
compliance with the Audit Commission’s Action Plan items 9, 10, 11 and 12 on
IPDS. The score the Fire Service
receives will contribute greatly to the resultant score for the overall Council
Assessment.
26. The
Fire Authority Integrated Risk Management will be updated in the light of the
resolution to this report.
CONSULTATION
27.
The members of the IPDS Progress Group consulted their
colleagues both wholetime and retained on the tasks they were dealing with. The
Fire Service College IPDS Hub, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Active
Learning were consulted on the alternative providers. As members of the Fire Service Round Table Group the Fire
Brigades’ Union, Retained Firefighters’ Union and UNISON have agreed and
support the Action Plan for IPDS, which resulted from the Audit Commission
Verification Study.
28.
This paper, in draft, was considered by the round
table meeting of trades unions, elected members and senior officers of the
local authority on 9 November 2004. The paper attracted broad support at that
meeting.
FINANCIAL/BUDGET
IMPLICATIONS
29. It is
an imperative that IPDS is delivered.
Existing budgets are insufficient to accommodate the finance required to
fully implement IPDS. The funding
required is:
LEGAL
IMPLICATIONS
30. The Fire Service Act 2004 places a duty on
the Fire Authority to secure the provision of training for personnel in order
to satisfy the functions of Fire and Rescue Authorities. In section 21 Fire and Rescue Authorities
must have regard to the National Framework (published July 2004) in carrying
out their functions.
31. The National Framework says that in adopting
and implementing IPDS Fire Authorities should follow the guidance laid down in
the Framework.
32. The Framework also introduces the National
Workforce Development Strategy, which builds on the development of IPDS for the
UK Fire and Rescue Services based on agreed National Occupational Standards, and
the Fire Service College as a developing Centre of Excellence.
33. Part 3, Paragraph 22 from the Fire and
Rescue Service Act 2004 states:
“Intervention by
Secretary of State”
(1) This
section applies if the Secretary of State considers that a fire and rescue
service authority is failing, or is likely to fail, to act in accordance with
the Framework prepared under Section 2.
(2) For the
purpose of securing that the authority acts in accordance with the Framework
the Secretary of State may by order require the authority-
(a) to do
something;
(b) to stop
doing something;
(c) not to
do something;
(3) The
Secretary of State may make an order under subsection (2) only if he considers
that making the order would promote-
(a) public
safety
(b) the
economy, efficiency and effectiveness in connection with the matters in
relation to which the fire and rescue authorities have functions.
(4) Before
making an order under subsection (2) the Secretary of State must give the
authority an opportunity to make representations about the order proposed.
34. Responsibility for maintaining the Fire and
Rescue Service is an Executive responsibility.
The recommendations in this report in relation to the 2004/05 budget are
deliverable within the budget set by Full Council in February 2004. However, if the Executive decides to support
the expenditure contained within this report for 2005/06-2006/07 there would
need to be a recommendation to Full Council.
OPTIONS
35. 1. To
approve prioritisation of IPDS and, subject to normal service and budget
planning, to recommend to Full Council a budget which reflects this
prioritisation.
2.
Not to accept the prioritisation of budget requirements, and
to commission further work in order to identify other ways of delivering IPDS.
EVALUATION/RISK
MANAGEMENT
36. We have for many years fitted our training
and development to the budget provided instead of fitting a budget to the
training and development we need.
37. The affect of this on service delivery is
becoming apparent. Firefighters and managers skills and knowledge need to be
improved to be in line with Members and the public’s expectations of a highly
trained workforce. The staff will not
be trained to the level, which they ought to be if the IPDS is not implemented.
38. If IPDS is not implemented the Fire Authority
may fail to:
·
Safeguard the competency of staff
·
Develop staff for their role
·
Recruit and retain personnel
·
Protect staff from injury or death
·
Implement the Incident Command System
·
To prepare adequately for an incident whether “run of
the mill” or major
·
Meet the requirements of Corporate Performance
Assessment (CPA)
·
The FAIRMaP is weakened without IPDS implementation
·
Workforce assessments and PDR’s are weakened without
IPDS implementation
Any
such failure would be serious and threaten the sustainability of the Isle of
Wight Fire and Rescue Service as a professional emergency service.
39. The
risk to the firefighters and managers is high with due regard to the Health and
Safety’s “Safe Person Concept”.
40. The
risk to the public is high due to the lack of an appropriate level of response
any emergency.
41. The
risk to the Authority through litigation and reputation is high. It will only be with the introduction of
IPDS that these risks and the consequences of the risks are reduced.
42. This
recommendation to approve prioritisation within normal service and budget
planning is the best available response to the findings of the Audit Commission
Verification Study in relation to IPDS
|
RECOMMENDATIONS
43. Option
1.
To approve prioritisation of IPDS
and, subject to normal service and budget planning, to recommend to Full
Council a budget which reflects this prioritisation.
|
BACKGROUND
PAPERS
44.
Fire Authority Risk Management Plan Executive Paper 21
April 2004.
Best Value Unit Prioritisation
Executive Paper 16 June 2004.
Audit Commission Verification Study
2004.
Audit Commission Verification Study
Action Plan Executive Paper 6 October 2004.
Audit
Commission Verification Study Action Plan Select Committee Paper 18 October
2004.
Fire
and Rescue Service Act 2004.
Fire
and Rescue Service National Framework July 2004.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
45. Members
of the IPDS Progress Group have all agreed with the contents of this report.
Members of the IPDS
Progress Group will undertake to meet after the Executive resolution to
formulate an action plan to implement, administer, manage, monitor and review
progress of IPDS throughout the Brigade
Contact
Point : Richard Hards, Chief Fire Officer ( 823199
email: [email protected]
|
RICHARD HARDS
Chief
Fire Officer
|
DAVID
KNOWLES
Portfolio Holder for Fire, Public Protection and
Emergency Planning
|
