Executive Board Minutes – 6 September 2022

Mabs Hussain (MH)             – Deputy Chief Constable, NYP  

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

Jonathan Dyson (JD) – Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS 

Mathew Walker (MW)       – Interim Deputy Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS 

Rena Brown (RB) – Managing Director, enableNY 

Thomas Thorp (TT) – Interim Assistant Chief Executive & Deputy Monitoring Officer, OPFCC  

Caroline Blackburn (CB) – Interim Assistant Chief Executive & Deputy Monitoring Officer, OPFCC  

Mike Clements (MC) – Head of Finance, enableNY 

Michael Porter (MP) – Chief Finance Officer, OPFCC 

Maeve Chappell (MCh)       – Corporate Communications Lead, enableNY 

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

Tina James-McGrath (TJM) – Office and Volunteer Manager, OPFCC (minutes) 

Sarah Davies (SJD)                 – EA (EMT), OPFCC (observing)   

Simon Garnett-Spence (SGS) – Head of Assets, NYP 

Elliot Foskett (EF)                  – Assistant Chief Constable, NYP 

Peter Hemsley (PM)             – Business Analyst, NYP  

Ray Ward (RW)                     – Managing Director, enableNY 

Jenni Newberry (JN) – Head of Commissioning & Partnerships, OPFCC  

JD confirmed that the draft Risk and Resource Model Consultation Response final document will be presented at the next Executive Board meeting of the 27th September 2022 for approval to next steps.  

JD proceeded to provide a high-level overview of key points of note and findings which will be covered in full in the report to be submitted 27th September. These points included: 

• The overall outcome of the original Risk and Resource Model proposal is positive in that this proposal remains fit for purpose, supported in the main by the outcome of the public consultation 
• Key milestone dates nor the original risk profile will change significantly accordingly 
• There will be a number of slight amends though as a result of the community of North Yorkshire’s input to the consultation 
• Primarily, the community of North Yorkshire agreed with the prevention/protection approach 
• Some concern was noted by them in relation to response times in areas where there are proposed shift/vehicle changes 
• A general acceptance by the community of cost/resource implications of alarm call out attendance and the positive impact on the service in terms of resource and capacity if this is revisited  
• People centric approach is required with a fit for purpose people plan over the next three years being key to moving forward with all plans – the key requirement here is to work with firefighters in terms of shifts, shift patterns and any proposals impacting shifts 
• In addition, assurance for HMICFRS has to be factored into any proposal.

All things considered, JD confirmed that it is absolutely vital senior FRS leaders work with firefighters/staff moving forward with next steps and that it was important to work with the Union and other representative bodies too. JD will have personal involvement in these conversations and will be available for all to meet/discuss the proposal and next steps with him directly.  

JD ran through the timeline and key milestones for the next three years in brief, confirming this would be covered in detail in the report to be submitted on the 27th September, noting that each milestone would need to be achieved in sequence before being able to move on to the next milestone.  

TT raised the question of the rationale behind determining these milestones which JD provided further explanation as to why this particular schedule/sequence had been determined.   

TT/JD further explored how best to address the response to HMICFRS in light of the outcome of the consultation.  

ZM thanked JD for this overview and confirmed any decision taken would be forthcoming on receipt/review of the paper to be presented on 27th September 2022.   

3b. Fire – Budget Monitoring Report to July 2022  

MP provided an overview of the paper submitted for this meeting in relation to finance.   

MP reflected on the last few years since transfer of fire governance and noted that savings of £2.9 million could be identified which meant that assurance could be given in relation to the current financial position. This included £93K earmarked spend which had all now been delivered. MP noted that delivery of service/budgets were all included within the report submitted.  

MP noted for the record upcoming financial pressures in terms of fuel and any staff pay awards that may be agreed. MP highlighted additional income had been received throughout the year and the reasons for this additional income, but he added there were restrictions in terms of how/where this could be spent. MP noted also that there had been slippage in terms of both the vehicle fleet programme (due to a number of reasons) and in terms of estates/EDI, which in particular will influence the level of spend or underspend for the year. MP raised the issue of assurance that was required regarding the ICT capital programme.  

Overall, MP stated it had been a reasonable start to the financial year.   

ZM thanked MP for the comprehensive report and asked for further details around the cleaning contract which was noted as an increase in cost to the organisation. MP confirmed the rates were in line with current market rates.  

• Local Government Reform and Devolution

SD provided a high-level overview of the current position within North Yorkshire, confirming the initial deal had been signed and that next steps included decision making for the Local Authorities. SD added that the OPFCC have been warmly welcomed into the North Yorkshire-wide discussions in terms of devolution which was certainly a significant positive. The knowledge, insight and experience added to these discussions by involving the OPFCC has been greatly appreciated given that the North Yorkshire transition will be the first one involving a Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.  

SD noted for the meeting that beyond the Local Authority decision making next steps, would be the public consultation which is anticipated as taking place November/December 2022 which once completed, next steps will be a return of the proposal to parliament in January/February 2023.  

ZM thanked SD and the team for all of the hard work and efforts to date regarding Levelling Up and the transition.  

4b. OPFCC Organisational Development  

SD detailed the current position in relation to the ongoing work within the OPFCC around organisational development in order to ensure the OPFCC structure is configured to deliver the PFCC plans. SD remarked this had been a longer journey than expected but the consultation with staff was now underway, adding that the structure and certain roles within the organisation would be directly impacted as a result of this exercise.   

SD confirmed a paper would be presented at a future Executive Board meeting post-consultation detailing the outcome and next steps. SD thanked all, including People Services, for all support given to date.  

Action: SD to present paper to future Executive Board meeting regarding the outcome of the OPFCC organisational restructure and next steps.  

4c. Commissioned Services Update  

SD noted JN’s apologies for the meeting and highlighted that in her absence JN had submitted a paper in advance providing an update for this section of the meeting.  

4d. SARC Recommissioning Update  

SD highlighted that within the report submitted by JN, details had been shared of the current position in relation to the challenges experienced to date regarding the re-commissioning of the SARC, particularly in respect of procurement. As a result of these challenges, procurement lead responsibility for this work was now being transferred to NHS England. SD noted thanks for South Yorkshire who have provided significant support in working on this project.  

MH noted within JN’s report, mention had been made of a trust and confidence survey and asked for a copy of the questions to be used in order for MH to be able to review/contribute where appropriate to do so. SD confirmed this will be actioned and this can then be discussed outside of Executive Board if required.  

Action: JN to circulate survey questions with any required further conversations to be held outside of Executive Board  

4e. PFCC Budget Monitoring Report to July 2022  

MP provided an overview of the report submitted detailing the budget and spend to July 2022.   

MP noted in brief that the report included: a number of recommendations; an explanation of areas of underspend identified to date; unexpected increase in income to date; reserves; finance and the change pipeline, noting that a quarterly update in relation to the change pipeline was essential to be able to manage costs, funding and spend.  

Of note, MP felt it key to mention the vehicle fleet and replacement programme, detailing the restrictions in place in terms of funding and the impact of these on the vehicle fleet replacement programme. The meeting agreed further work was required to better understand this position and next steps. RB confirmed a full and comprehensive report was currently being drafted in relation to the vehicle fleet which would assist the discussion to be held and which would be presented to Executive Board in the future.  

Action: Meeting to be convened to discuss next steps in relation to the vehicle fleet replacement programme and funding.  

RB also explained that ongoing work in the background would result in the future, in more comprehensive reports and business cases being brought to Executive Board which in turn, would provide the finer details required to support an improved decision-making mechanism and process.  

MP completed his update by noting the conclusions made within the report.  

ZM raised the question of PCSOs and recruitment which she had noted within the report and which she felt a greater exploration of this topic was required to better understand the current PCSO position. RB explained recruitment had been stepped up but the challenge remained that there was still difficulty being experienced in being able to attract attention of potential candidates. RB detailed a number of initiatives which the meeting discussed in depth. This revised approach to PCSO recruitment has only recently been implemented and as such, time will be needed to be able to determine if these initiatives had been successful in generating the interest sought.   

ZM thanked all for contributing to this discussion.  

MC followed on from MP’s report by explaining that MP had covered many of the key points already in his update and highlighted specifically that MP had already detailed the current bottom line and had included the reasons for this position.  

MC noted for the meeting that it was crucial to discuss and agree a Medium-Term People Plan which could significantly impact the force budget moving forward. MC noted pay pressures were anticipated along with rising costs in general. Of significant note was an overspend in terms of police overtime which will require management intervention.  

MC expected financial pressures to continue into 2023/2024 and as such, those key discussions need to commence as soon as possible to be able to manage these pressures as appropriate. MP/RB/MC are currently working on this at this time.  

TT noted the earlier mention of PCSOs and recruitment and expanded upon this query by asking for clarity around Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT), response teams and the declining PCSO numbers, wishing to better understand the impact.  Having the required level of visibility in the communities and being able to respond effectively and efficiently to policing call outs was vital. MH confirmed the details regarding the current PCSO recruitment campaign along with providing background to the reasons for reduced policing visibility and ability to respond to call outs. MH noted for the meeting that North Yorkshire Police data in comparison to other forces identified that once a call is received, North Yorkshire Police are good at attending once this call has been received – the challenge is the dispatch queue and how the dispatch of a police officer is managed.   

MH also provided an update in relation to student officers and their progress, recognising there are a number of factors which impact on development. A better understanding of why there appears to be a challenge in attracting new recruits will assist with being able to determine next steps and focus on a fit for purpose recruitment campaign, all of which will feed into looking at the issue holistically to best determine a way forward.  

The meeting also discussed abstraction which has previously added to the police officer resource/capacity issues, but which is now being managed proactively and having a positive impact across the force in terms of resource/capacity. The meeting also noted that the police uplift was not yet where it should be, and this too was having an impact overall on resource, capacity and allocation. As such the Medium Term People Plan was key to be able to manage this situation appropriately and should be discussed regularly at Executive Board given the topic is of significant public interest. The meeting further noted challenges anticipated next year in terms of recruitment given the current situation, and this would compound delivery and response issues noted already. All things considered, these discussions should feed into being able to set realistic and deliverable budgets for next year.  

Finally, the meeting discussed the increase in pricing for body armour which it was explained, has arisen due to changes in a rise in specifications required for body armour across all forces.  

LM provided an overview of the national landscape in relation to Out of Court disposals and how the Business Case submitted was in line with the upcoming changes to the Out of Court disposal system whereby the current six tier system was to be reduced to a two tier plus system which is due to be implemented in April 2023.  

LM provided a brief overview of the key details of the proposal, explaining that the proposed model had been identified as the best value model to support these changes. The proposed model included a team of police officers/staff, but all associated costs had been factored into the proposal accordingly. Finer details are yet to be discussed and agreed at a national level, but this will not impact this proposal which had been subject to significant internal scrutiny resulting in the comprehensive Business Case submitted for approval. MP confirmed funding for this proposal was included within the change pipeline although there could be an impact on resourcing elsewhere in the organisation. RB stated the recruitment timeline was a generous timeline and that there would be no request this financial year as this would be a request for next financial year.  

ZM thanked all for the comprehensive, in-depth report.  

ZM approved.  

5c. Diversity Report  

MH provided the meeting with an overview in support of the DEI report submitted. MH recognised that there had been challenges in terms of the DEI focus across the force and that there had been much reflection and work undertaken in order to better address this key area appropriately.  

EF proceeded to highlight the key areas covered in the report, which included: ‘a plan on a page’ approach; four leading goals identified; training; community engagement; attraction and retention of staff; draft of delivery plan, to name but a few items discussed.   

MH thanked EF and the team for the work carried out on this to date which had been significant. MH noted for the meeting this was still work in progress and that the full impact of the work undertaken was yet to be seen but would become evident over the coming weeks and months, adding the next three / six months would be key and were factored in as target deadlines in terms of the delivery plan.   

SD thanked all and noted that this work also supported the assurance model and the collegiate approach to DEI that all were keen to effect in working together.   

MW agreed with the positive receipt of this report and confirmed NYFRS support as necessary.  

The meeting also touched on protective characteristics in general, recognising that all such areas merited appropriate focus accordingly.  

ZM added her thanks and noted that this was certainly a welcomed report and a positive moving forwards. 

SGS provided an overview in term of the report submitted providing an update regarding the current position of the Ripon estate project. SGS included a brief synopsis of the background to date.  SGS noted for the meeting that given the outcome of the gypsum report, the recommendation was no longer to proceed as per the previous recommendation of a new build on the current site as costs had increased meaning this option was no longer viable and no longer considered to be a value for money option. This had been a difficult decision to arrive at. In addition, construction costs are still on the increase which would also need to be considered.   

SGS then proceeded to detail options at this time given the above recommendation. The options include: consideration of relocating police to rented accommodation in the short to medium term; assess local options for the longer term; communicate this position to all staff affected.  

The meeting proceeded to discuss this recommendation and options in detail, acknowledging that it is key to communicate the current position to all staff in person via organisation leaders as well as to keep them involved in those conversations in the future too. Clarity of next steps is required prior to such conversations along with realistic and achievable timelines, to which all agreed. The meeting further agreed that moving forward, options should be progressed through the collaborative estates programme.   

ZM thanked all for contributions to this discussion, noting that further conversations were required prior to being able to share this with teams, noting that team welfare was also of a concern given current location environmental challenges.  

Action: ZM/SD/JD/MH to meet outside of Executive Board at earliest convenience to determine next steps.  

7b. NYFRS EDI Estate Update  

RB explained that this was currently work in progress as there is not at this time, a detailed schedule of works in place. RB is keen to be able to report on this in full when this schedule of work has been completed.   

SGS detailed some of the progress to date in terms of work undertaken specifically and associated spend to date, noting that moving forward, projects/work would now be progressed through the appropriate governance structure.   

JD raised some concerns over the progress of work included within the schedule as there appeared to be some slippage and as such, there are concerns for the impact on staff. SGS agreed to investigate this and that an appropriate update would be provided to be shared with all staff.  

In addition, it was agreed that some quarterly items to be presented to Executive Board would be re-aligned within the Executive Board forward planner as appropriate.