Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote Meeting - Via Skype

Contact: Donna Linton  Governance and Corporate Planning Manager

Link: View the link

Items
No. Item

1.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

1A

Record of Meeting

Minutes:

The informal meeting was held using Skype and was also broadcast.

1B

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Micheal Beanland (Councillor David Brown attended as a Substitute Member) and Councillor Stef Nelson (Councillor Jonathan Parry attended as a Substitute Member).

 

1C

Declaration of Members' Interests

Members are reminded that the Members’ Code of Conduct requires the disclosure of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Non-Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interests.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of Members’ interests.

 

1D

Minutes of the Staffing Committee pdf icon PDF 210 KB

To approve the minutes of the Staffing Committee held on 23rd June 2021.

Minutes:

Members did not raise any issues about the minutes.

2.

Communications Update

The Interim Head of Communications to provide an update on the project to re-establish a dedicated in-house communications department for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Minutes:

The Interim Head of Communications provided an update on the project to re-establish a dedicated in-house communications department for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

 

It was reported that a Joint Fire and Police Communications Project Group had been set-up that would be managing the project. The three main strands were the following:-

 

-        People – Work had commenced on designing the structures. It was the intention to have the new structures approved by the end of September 2021 and the new team up and running by January/February 2022

-        Assets – There would be a one-off set-up costs for the new team. Some equipment and hardware would be split/shared between the two teams

-        Finance – The team budget would include one-off non-pay costs to set-up the department and the ongoing costs

 

Members were happy to move on the next item.

 

3.

Service Management Team Update and Action Plan pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Transformation which provided an update on the Service Management Team Structural Review. The report included an Implementation Plan and Transition Plan.

 

The Director of Transformation also gave a presentation, which provided further information on the following:-

 

-        SMT Review Recommendations

-        Objective One – Additional strategic capacity and resilience at Principal Officer and SMT level and improved succession planning

-        Objective Two – Reduction in the risk associated with an ageing workforce through more proactive retirement support and planning for senior and middle managers

-        Objective Three – Generation of savings through further embedding of the blue light collaboration arrangements within HR and the redefining and removal of the Head of Prevention and Director of Transformation posts

-        Objective Four – Creation of more efficient and effective working through the alignment of workforce planning, cultural reform and a series of functional value for money reviews

 

The Chair made reference to Objective One and advised that he wanted CFRS to work towards achieving a more diverse SMT going forward. The Director of Transformation advised that this was a national issue and provided an update on the recent recruitment process for appointing the Assistant Chief Fire Officer. Further information was also provided on the re-launch of the High Potential Development Scheme that was a fast-tack to a Station Manager role and the intelligence sought through having regular 1:1s, appraisals and holding regular promotion boards.

 

A Member made reference to Objective Two. The Committee was advised that a presentation on the McCloud/Sargeant Judgement would be made at the Members Planning Day on 3rd September 2021.

 

Members indicated that they were satisfied with the report and presentation. They were happy to conclude the informal meeting.