Executive Board Minutes – 23 May 2023

Lisa Winward (LW)          – Chief Constable, NYP

Mabs Hussain (MH)        – Deputy Chief Constable, NYP

Simon Dennis (SD)           – Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer, OPFCC

Tamara Pattinson (TP)    – Director of Delivery & Assurance, OPFCC

Amanda Wilkinson (AW) – Director of Public Confidence, OPFCC

Michael Porter (MP)       – Chief Finance Officer, OPFCC

Jonathan Dyson (JD)       – Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS

Gordon McQueen (GM)  – Interim MD enableNY

Mike Clements (MC)        – Head of Finance, enableNY

Rachel Antonelli (RA)       – Force Solicitor & Head of Legal Services, NYP – Evolve

Maeve Chappell (MCh)    – Corporate Communications Lead, enableNY

Damien Henderson (DH) –Director of Service Improvement & Assurance, NYFRS

Charlotte Clarke (CC)        – Deputy Force Solicitor, NYP – Evolve

Sarah Davies (SD)              – Executive Assistant OPFCC (minutes)

Mathew Walker – Deputy Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS.

There were no significant issues to report. 

b.      For Information and Discussion 

As this was the first meeting of the newly revised format, the CC sought clarity from the OPFCC regarding the request for the Chief Officer Team to provide decisions and actions from their weekly meeting. SD explained that the assurance model is being refined and that it was beneficial for the OPFCC to be provided with a record of the Force’s strategic meeting. It was agreed that the weekly decisions and actions from that Chief Officer Team (COT) meeting would be sent to the OPFCC each week and then discussed monthly with members at this meeting. Due to timings and the deadline for papers, there would always be a one week gap.

c.       Decisions Required 

Nothing requiring a decision was brought to the meeting. 

d.      Third party reports including update on HMICFRS progress against actions 

LW provided members with an overview of the milestone plan. The PFCC sought assurance from LW and MH that plans were in place to ensure that the milestone plan was on track. MH provided the PFCC with details of the actions and work being completed against the plan and how this was providing daily assurance using a live log which is updated on a daily basis. 

Nothing was discussed for this item. 

b.      For Information and Discussion

 An update of a recent appointment within the Service was provided to members.

JD provided the meeting with a verbal update of the key issues and decisions from the April Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) meeting for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. Going forward the minutes from this meeting will be circulated to members but will be one month in arrears due to the timings of the meetings and the paper deadline associated with this.

Action – The PFCC asked for the Chief Fire Officer to provide her with a detailed copy of a report in relation to Wi-Fi in the Service. 

c.       Decisions required

MP spoke to the NYFRS Productivity and Efficiency Plan for 2023/24. It has been an ask from the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime that all Fire and Rescue Authorities produce plans which cover planned efficiencies and also plans for increasing productivity. MP told the meeting that the plan has been sent to the Home Office and he is awaiting a response. The PFCC was asked to approve the plan and the subsequent publishing of the plan on the OPFCC website.

The PFCC agreed that it was a good tool and approved this.

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoë Metcalfe approved the NYFRS Productivity and Efficiency Plan and the publication of this on the OPFCC website. 

d.      Third party reports including update on HMICFRS progress against actions 

DH provided the meeting with an update on the work being completed in respect HMICFRS. The PFCC sought assurance from the Chief Fire Officer as to the progress of the work being completed and if it was on target ahead of reinspection later in the year. JD informed the PFCC that he was strategically content with the progress being made.

Action – The PFCC asked that the report for this meeting has more information to be included going forward. 

Nothing was discussed for this item. 

b.  For Information and Discussion 

A discussion was had between the PFCC and GM as to the plans enableNY have in place to deliver for both NYP and NYFRS. GM provided the PFCC and members with an update on the work being completed throughout the enableNY departments.

People’s Services was highlighted as being an area of focus for GM. He informed members of key changes being made which will hopefully improve the department with a strong emphasis on recruitment.

Finance and governance was also discussed amongst members.

The PFCC asked that a meeting to discuss the Malton Estates project be organised as she had concerns that she was not being kept up to date with the progress of the project. JD asked for it to be noted that the work NYFRS requested had not been completed on the Malton matter and that the project has an operational impact essential to all.

SJD informed the PFCC that the meeting to discuss Malton was already booked in the diary. 

c.   Decisions required 

Nothing required at this meeting. 

CC attended the meeting in the absence of RA. There were no updates to provide to members. 

b.      Collaboration agreement

CC spoke to the paper circulated to members in advance of the meeting. It was shared for information purposes only and no questions were raised by members.

No updates provided at the meeting.

Members had been provided with a new format of update in respect of this item. They agreed they were happy with the new paper and no questions were raised. 

b.      OPFCC updates 

There were no updates to provide 

c.       Devolution

SD spoke briefly to the paper which was provided to members ahead of the meeting. There were no significant updates to report to the meeting other than to state that he is still awaiting the Statutory Instrument which was due early May. 

MH provided the meeting with an overview of the NYP Risk Register and assured the PFCC that all areas of risk relate to key issues that are being discussed. 

b.      NYFRS 

There were no new entries on the NYFRS Risk Register. DH provided the PFCC with assurance that work was in place to mitigate the current risks.

JD informed the PFCC that he was engaged with the team who have the Risk Register within their remit and has asked them for a review of the process. It is important that there is a clear understanding within the risk reports of the core targets and risks. He is hoping for this to be completed by the next NYFRS SLT meeting and he will then bring this to the next meeting of the Executive Board. 

c.       OPFCC

SD explained to the meeting that the OPFCC Risk Register is still being worked on as a result of the workshop from April. There are still some areas to score and re-score to ensure that they are accurate. The OPFCC now has an in-house Data Protection Officer who is working through this.

An update on the staff survey was given.

The PFCC asked for further information in relation to the Road Safety Campaign and members discussed how best to promote this, especially as deaths on the roads in North Yorkshire are usually from visitors to the area.