1. Communities and Local Govt Fire and Rescue Service key workstreams Paul Quinn Fire and Rescue Service Directorate

2. Current CLG Work Coping with recession –CLG Research –Total Place –Spending Review and new National Framework Performance Improvement - Understanding the drivers of performance and performance risk - Leadership programme - LAA review

3. CLG Recession Research CLG commission research at the end of 2008 looking at the impact of recession on fire incidents; with the following objectives: –Project trends to 2011-12; –Indicate uncertainties in these trends; and –Identify influencing factors so CLG can monitor and review policy options to impact on trends.

4. Initial Conclusions Good news Accidental dwelling fire deaths likely to continue to fall Primary fire non fatal casualties likely to continue to fall – both due to ongoing CFS and reduction in adult smoking; Bad news Potential significant increase in primary fires and deliberate fires Predicted overall increase in fire deaths Potential for PSA3 deliberate fires target success to be reversed Uncertainties – impact of “recent” initiatives eg RRO

5. Results of further work Good news Due to the stabilisation of scrap metal prices, end of vehicle life regulations and car scrappage scheme - a potential increase in primary fires and deliberate primary fires is no longer predicted; The main factor correlated to an increase in “other building” fire deaths in recession is unemployment – revised figures for this suggest trend likely to remain stable (but some uncertainties); Bad news Climate change still predicted to influence deliberate secondary (grassland) fires, although this is partly offset by a predicted fall in derelict vehicle and derelict building fires;

6. Total Place OEP Report published in April, looked at: Back office operations and IT Collaborative procurement Asset management and property Local incentives and empowerment Total Place pilots testing conclusions locally against identified themes

7. Implications for FRS OEP conclusions stress that these areas must be taken forward locally across public service delivery boundaries. This may mean FRAs will need to address: Increased efficiency and value for money in areas such as asset management, procurement and pooling back room functions with others; Providing leaner, but as effective, front line services through joint provision and commissioning of services across borders with other FRAs; and locally sharing resource to target key groups in communities with other service providers; Benchmarking

8. CSR and National Framework Building CSR evidence base; FRS grant funding formula review; FRS asset management workstream; Current Framework expires in 2011 9 months – year to put in place a new Framework

9. Drivers of Performance and Risk Work with ISOS Partnership to look at: –improving our understanding of the factors influencing performance of FRAs –how can these factors be identified as early as possible to drive improvement and mitigate risk of performance decline? Conclusions - CLG should use a better understanding of performance factors to inform policy implementation - CLG should share “soft” intelligence with delivery partners about performance risks eg to inform sector-led performance support -Some FRAs with a strong improvement record – but working in a similar context to those improving more slowly – may offer more relevant improvement models.

10. Leadership Programme We are currently implementing pilot trials of a high potential leadership programme for the FRS working with 13 FRAs; This is intended to be applied initially to existing operational staff and, by early 2010, to non-operational staff and new entrants; CLG is funding development by “Skills for Justice” of National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Vocational Qualifications (VQs) for the FRS; This will complement NOS work already completed, by adding specialist roles within the Fire and Rescue Sector to the Functional Map, and to extend the suite of NOS and VQs to cover these specialist functions: –Incident Management and Command (development of the FRS Incident Command VRQ will help inform this area of work) –Water Safety –Urban Search and Rescue

11. Local Area Agreement (LAA) Review CLG commissioned research earlier this year to: Provide insight into the experience of FRAs in working on LAAs; Understand the key success factors and provide a vehicle to share learning to inform future work with local partners; The research includes a number of recommendations including for FRAs the importance of consistent and appropriate representation, the use of evidence in discussions with partners and the impact of work focused on wider community priorities. It will include a number of case studies examining effective local approaches.