Agenda item

The Report asks the Committee to confirm the priorities for scrutiny and service outcomes it wishes to focus on, consider how members may obtain assurance as to the effectiveness of measures taken or planned to address the areas of improvement, identify any particular data or evidence it wishes to receive and settle how it wishes to undertake specific scrutiny tasks or information gathering.

3.1     The Committee considered the inspection report and letter by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) (copies appended to the signed minutes) which was introduced by Cllr Crow, Cabinet Member for Fire & Rescue and Communities who told the Committee: -

·       The HMICFRS inspection report found that West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) required improvement in relation to effectiveness and efficiency and was inadequate in how well it looked after its people

·       The Service had responded well and made good progress

·       A letter from HMICFRS referring to an inspection re-visit in January 2020 acknowledged ‘tangible progress’ against previously expressed concerns over the ‘safe and well’ visits and the risk-based inspection programme

·       In the letter it was acknowledged that the WSFRS governance and scrutiny arrangements were changing to become more effective and that an independent advisory board had been established

·       Appointments had been made so there was capacity to increase the pace of improvement

·       The backlog of fire safety audits had been cleared and a new IT system was being rolled out over summer

·       The letter concluded that improvements had been made

3.2     The Chief Fire Officer told the Committee: -

·       The report made difficult reading, but a lot of work had been done in a short space of time - a plan had been developed and staff were now telling HMICFRS that they felt more supported than before

·       There was more to do, but it was important to be realistic and not risk quality at the expense of speed

·       WSFRS welcomed the financial investment by the Council

3.3     Summary of responses to members’ questions and comments: -

·       Cllr Michael Jones proposed that a representative of the Fire Brigades Union be co-opted to the committee in a non-voting capacity – the proposal was not seconded and therefore failed – the Chairman assured Cllr Jones that union representatives would be invited to committee meetings when there were relevant items on the agenda

·       ‘Safe and well’ visits were carried out by community safety teams and WSFRS crews – an extra workstream had been added to the improvement plan to focus on the operational assurance of these visits

·       Three years of improvement activity were planned using the financial investment from the Council, but it was acknowledged that the impact of Covid-19 was bound to mean that all Council budgets would be reviewed

·       Cllr Crow acknowledged the impact of previous savings on the service and the improvements the recent investment had made

·       Implications of future changes in resourcing would be brought to the Committee

·       Any implications to WSFRS due to the Fire Safety Bill would be brought to the Committee

·       Covid-19 had impacted on ‘safe and well’ visits with only the most urgent being carried out physically using personal protection equipment – the Service was confident that demand for visits would be met quickly once social distancing rules were relaxed

3.4     Resolved – that the Committee: -

1. Confirms the priorities for scrutiny and service outcomes it wishes to focus on as those in the conclusion of the Inspection Report and the latest Improvement Plan
2. Agrees that committee members obtained assurance as to the effectiveness of measures taken or planned to address the areas of improvement, through the Performance and Assurance Framework and evidence through reviewing the Fire & Rescue Service Improvement Plan
3. Agrees the addition of two Task and Finish Groups to its Work Programme, namely Horsham Fire Station and the joint call centre