Agenda and minutes

Venue: Lecture Theatre - Fire Service Headquarters, Sadler Road, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2FQ. View directions

Contact: Kirsty Jennings  Governance Officer

Items
No. Item

1.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

1A

Recording of Meeting

Members are reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

Minutes:

Members were reminded that the meeting would be audio-recorded.

 

1B

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Razia Daniels.

 

1C

Declaration of Members' Interests

Members are reminded to disclose any interests that are relevant to any item on the Agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of Members’ interests.

 

1D

Minutes of the Performance and Overview Committee pdf icon PDF 116 KB

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Performance and Overview Committee held on Wednesday 7th September 2022.

 

Minutes:

The Assistant Chief Fire Officer corrected a sentence in Item 4 Programme Report, Quarter 1. The water carrier is stationed at Ellesmere Port, not Crewe as stated in the minutes.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the minutes of the Performance and Overview Committee held on

Wednesday 7th September 2022 be confirmed as a correct record.

 

2.

Finance Report - Quarter 2, 2022-23 pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Minutes:

The Head of Finance introduced the report, which provided Members with a review of the Service’s forecast financial outturn and reported on progress against 2022-23 capital projects.

 

The Head of Finance drew Members’ attention to the anticipated overspend of £235k in Quarter 2. She advised that the overspend was predominantly a result of the additional bank holiday and Covid-19 recognition day costs. The overspend figure did not include the potential impact of the pay awards, estimated to be a minimum of £796k.

 

The Head of Finance highlighted that a reduction in business rates payable had resulted in a £28k underspend and the increase in interest rates had resulted in additional income for Quarter 2. The Head of Finance stressed to Members that the security of the investment was paramount.

 

The Head of Finance advised Members that the capital programme was being reviewed as part of the Community Risk Management Plan and that an update would be provided at a Members’ Planning Day.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

[1]      the Finance Report – Quarter 2, 2022-23 be noted.

3.

Programme Report - Quarter 2, 2022-23 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Service Improvement provided Members with an update on the Service’s programmes and projects (including those contained within the Authority’s annual IRMP action plan). He highlighted the following:

 

·               A new project manager had been appointed to oversee the station modernisation programme. A detailed update would be given to Members at a planning day.

 

·               Property purchases were agreed with some already completed on 9 houses in Wilmslow. The plan to transition to a day-crewing model was ongoing. 

 

·               The Service was working with partners to progress the Road Safety Strategy Plan for Cheshire. Two external companies have provided tenders to produce a draft strategy. The successful company would be chosen in early December.

 

A Member requested an update on the status of the Ellesmere Port fire station.
The Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that 4 sites were being considered for their suitability. The existing fire station would undergo remedial work as an interim measure.

 

RESOLVED: That 

 

[1]      the Programme Report – Quarter 2, 2022-23 benoted.

4.

Performance Report - Quarter 2, 2022-23 pdf icon PDF 3 MB

Minutes:

The Group Manager, Organisational Performance introduced the report, which provided an update on the Service’s Quarter 2, 2022-23 performance for each of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The report included the Corporate Scorecard, which reflected the Quarter 2 position against targets set and the year-on-year direction of travel for the KPIs.

 

The Organisational Performance Manager highlighted some key areas of the report:

 

·                The Number of Deaths in Primary Fires was red due to the 3 deaths in Quarter 1. No deaths had occurred in primary fires during Quarter 2.

 

·                The Number of Deliberate Secondary Fires was red and over the target figure. The geographical areas had been looked at, and the Service was working with partners to implement prevention measures.

 

·                The Number of Safe and Well Visits (SAW) Delivered to Properties of Heightened Risk had red status. The target had not been met due to a combination of the SAW visits taking more time and difficulties in recruiting advocates within the Prevention department. There had been an increase in demand for more specialist SAW visits due to complex issues and mental health problems being identified. The target for SAW visits had been reduced from 30k to 20k and Members were reassured that the households identified as most at risk from fire were going to continue to be prioritised. It was noted that Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service achieve more than double the national average for SAW visits.

 

·                The indicator for North West Fire Control Performance was red. The ‘time taken to mobilise’ was over target. This was largely due to callers not knowing their exact location when calling in relation to a road traffic collision.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

[1]      the Performance Report – Quarter 2, 2022-23 be noted.

 

5.

HMICFRS Inspection 2021 (Round 2) Action Plan Update pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Group Manager, Organisational Performance introduced the report, which provided Members with an update on the HMICFRS Inspection 2021 (Round 2) Action Plan. He advised Members that it was expected that HMICFRS would be carrying out a full inspection early in 2023.

 

The Group Manager, Organisational Performance provided an update on the work that was continuing on the 9 recommendations and the suggestions identified in the Round 2 inspection report. He advised Members that some of the work may not be complete by the time of the next inspection.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

[1]        the HMICFRS Inspection 2021 (Round 2) Action PlanUpdate be noted.

6.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing Annual Report 2021 - 22 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager introduced the report, which provided an update on the management of health, safety and wellbeing in the Service during 2021-22.

 

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager highlighted the key areas of the report which provided details on the following:

 

·       Accident rates had remained flat with no significant increase or decrease in the number of accidents reported in the last three years.

 

·       There had been a return to normal activities post Covid-19. Random alcohol and drug testing and the fitness test for operational staff were now taking place on fire stations.

 

·       Manual handling and slips, trips and falls had been the cause of most accidents. An e-learning package and practical training plans had been implemented to further reduce the number of incidents.

 

The Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager advised Members that training was a key element of the organisation’s strategy for maintaining and improving the health and safety culture within the Service.

 

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Annual Report 2021-22 be noted.

7.

The Prevention Department's Annual Partnership Report 2021-2022 pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Partnership Co-ordinator, Prevention Department introduced the report, which provided an update on the performance of the Prevention departments’

partnerships portfolio during the period 1st  April 2021 to 31st  March 2022.

 

The Partnership Co-ordinator advised Members that the partnerships include (but were not limited to), the Safe and Well Programme, and the Early Help and Prevention Partnership led by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC).

Key achievements included:

 

·       The Family Fire Engagement Officer supported the family intervention team by completing Safe and Well visits and risk assessments. In total 243 Safe and Well referrals were made during the year.

 

·       134 smoke alarms were fitted and 30 fireproof letter boxes were installed at properties to help reduce the risk of a fire developing within a property.

 

The blood pressure and atrial fibrillation testing was found to offer tangible savings and cost benefits to householders and health partners. New equipment and further training were to be rolled out to staff in line with recent structural and policy changes within health.

 

RESOLVED: That

[1]        the Prevention Departments Annual Partnerships Report 2021-22 be noted.

8.

Interim Bonfire Report 2022

An officer will attend to provide an initial overview of the Service’s performance during the bonfire period.

Minutes:

The Deliberate Fire Reduction Manager, Prevention provided Members with an interim update on the preventative and operational activities of the Service during the bonfire period from 24th October 2022 to 7th November 2022. He confirmed that a full report would be presented at the next meeting.

 

Across the bonfire reporting period, 56 deliberate secondary fires were recorded, which was a 44.6% reduction from 5 years ago. 11 deliberate secondary fires were recorded on Bonfire Night which was 2 more than the previous year.

 

14 Station Areas experienced deliberate secondary fires, with most activity (26 fires) occurring in Winsford which was an increase of 19 from the previous year.

 

There were 6 reported attacks on fire crews over the bonfire period. The Police aided crews at the hotspot areas.

 

The Service actively promoted bonfire safety messages across Cheshire via the written press, television, videos and social media. In the weeks before the bonfire period, fire crews leafletted residential areas across Cheshire promoting the removal of rubbish and the securing of wheely bins prior to Bonfire Night.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

[1]      the Interim Bonfire Report 2022 be noted.

9.

Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 79 KB

The table includes those items that have been identified/agreed to-date.  Members are asked to agree any additional items at the end of the meeting which need to be added to the programme.

 

Minutes:

No changes or additions were made to the forward work programme.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

[1]      The Forward Work Programme be noted.