1. Chief Fire Officers Association RDS Working Group Rod Hammerton South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Regional Representative for Wales Title

2. Objectives Provide a short history for context Describe the mandate Explain the composition and Terms of Reference Look at the first challenges

3. The Fire and Rescue Service Retained Duty System A Review of the Recruitment and Retention Challenges* The Retained Review Team (RRT), was established in January 2004. Delivered Review in Two Stages July 2004 - six key priorities reported to Practitioners’ Forum (PF) September 2004 - provided the evidential basis for the conclusions that had emerged from the review. 51 Recommendations *Published by ODPM 2005

4. Retained Review Task and Finish Group 2007 The Retained Review Task and Finish Group (TFG) were tasked by the Practitioners’ Forum (PF) to review progress following the Retained Review Report of 2005 and to identify ways to continue development of this valuable duty system. Report delivered to PF in October 2008 providing 5 key recommendations

5. 1. National Stewardship A body is identified to maintain the pace of improvement through national stewardship. Whilst the TFG envisaged that the Chief Advisors’ Unit could undertake this role it is recognised the current staffing levels would need to be increased to take on the task. However, without this scrutiny being discharged, progress and development in this area will be inconsistent and potentially unreliable.

6. 2.Operational Assurance The Operational Assurance Audit Process should be designed to provide adequate scrutiny to drive improvement in RDS performance. This should be achieved through the creation of RDS specific performance indicators and assessment tools applied by managers with knowledge and understanding of RDS issues. The focus of this scrutiny should be on an organisational basis, and not on any individual’s competence

7. 3.National Assets All FRSs ensure that where national assets are crewed or supported by RDS Firefighters operational competence and readiness is consistently maintained.

8. 4. Strategic Improvement A programme of conferences is initiated focusing on the four strategic improvement themes identified by the TFG. External engagement Internal acceptance Recruitment and retention Making change happen Ideally these should be at a frequency of two per year and be hosted by CFOA. The conferences will provide a forum to examine the challenges to delivering risk management through the RDS from both the strategic and practitioners’ perspective.

9. 5.Good Practice A web portal is created to support delivery and development of a sustainable RDS by fostering good practice and innovation through dialogue and information sharing. CFOA has agreed to host this facility and is currently close to launch. Need for FRS to support and provide contacts and content.

10. RDS Working Group Objectives set out in Terms of Reference: To develop, support and guide improvement in the provision of RDS firefighter’s across the UK To consider, develop and, if necessary, deliver an Operational Assurance process specifically designed to the needs of RDS firefighter’s

11. Group Objectives (2) To give direction and guidance to Fire and Rescue Services on the development and maintenance of competence for RDS firefighter’s To develop, implement and manage the sharing of best practice and education through a conference/workshop agenda To develop and maintain a web portal through the CFOA website

12. Group Objectives (3) To respond to issues raised through the CFOA Strategic Directorate for HR To maintain dialogue and engage with CLG, CFRA, SFRA, WAG and N Ireland for governance purposes To ensure that engagement across the UK FRS takes place through effective communication To establish sub-groups as and when required

13. Membership of the Group CFOA (Chair) Frank Duffield (1) Each of the Regions forming the English FRS (9) The Fire and Rescue Services from Wales (1) The Fire and Rescue Services from Scotland (1) The Fire and Rescue Service from N Ireland(1) CFOA HR Directorate (1) CLG (1) CFRA & Devolved Administrations (3)

14. Next Steps Inaugural Meeting of full group on 9 June 2009 Agree on Terms of Reference Populate the Portal Start preparations for first seminar

15. First Challenges and Issues Drivers Hours Regulations Part Time Workers Regulations Operational Competence IPDS Employers support Suggestions?

16. Rod Hammerton South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Regional Representative for Wales R-hammerton@southwales-fire.gov.uk Mobile No: 07500100175 Questions?