Executive Board Minutes – 7 December 2021

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

Lisa Winward (LW)             – Chief Constable, NYP

Jonathan Foster (JF)           – Interim Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS

Phil Cain (PC)                      – Deputy Chief Constable, NYP

Jonathan Dyson (JD)           – Temporary Deputy Chief Fire Officer, NYFRS

Ray Ward (RW)                   – 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

Maria Earles (ME)               – Head of Business Design and Assurance, enableNY

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

Mike Clements (MC)          – Head of Finance, enableNY

Jane Wintermeyer (JW)      – Head of Legal Services / Force Solicitor, Evolve

Michael Porter (MP)           – Chief Finance Officer, OPFCC

Maeve Chappell (MCh)      – Corporate Communications Lead, enableNY

Annabelle Young                  – Executive Assistant to the OPFCC EMT in attendance

Phil Whild (PW)                  – Area Manager and Director of Transformation, NYFRS

Samantha Millar (SM)        – Superintendent Operational Business Change and Technology Lead, NYP

ZM welcomed all to the meeting, attendance was noted, and apologies were received for Lindsay Butterfield.

The minutes and action log of the previous meeting were noted and updated.

The meeting received an update on the progress made by NYFRS in the delivery of the Risk and Resource Model (RRM) Transformation Programme.

This programme will now be referred to as Fire Transformation Programme.

Regarding overall progress, one risk is amber status, which mainly relates to progression through the modelling phase.  Governance arrangements are in place and working effectively.  In terms of programme resourcing, the relevant vacant positions are now filled. Full data analysis support from Enable received.

b. On-Call Recruitment Verbal Update

A course which ran during November 2021 achieved 16 new recruits, six of whom are women.  The next course runs in February 2022 with 25 candidates earmarked for this course where the maximum is usually 16, with a broad range of diversity.  Therefore, this project is moving in the right direction.

A practice session to review lessons learned has taken place, enabling the recruitment process to be streamlined.  An online tracking system is to be implemented in the new year, which will enable the production of candidate statistics, with six new female candidates commencing the application process.  A targeted recruitment campaign in the new year is also to take place.

c. HMICFRS Inspection Readiness

The meeting received an update on the status of the HMICFRS action plan, including exceptions.  Confirmation has now been received that the document and self-assessment process will start on 21 January to 21 February and the inspection is 21 March 2022.  HMICFRS have also confirmed that Enable inspection will be linked with the Fire inspection programme.

The meeting asked for further details about progress made on the areas for improvement and agreed collecting the evidence was key – to demonstrate completed projects and also the direction of travel for projects not planned to be completed by the time of the inspection.

ACTION

·     Regarding HMICFRS Readiness, a meeting is to be organised for the PFCC to review the detail around the areas for improvement.

d. Control Partnership Agreement

The meeting received an update on the background of this Agreement, which formally expired in February 2020.  Since then, correspondence had been used to continue the Agreement.  The meeting agreed that the Agreement could be signed.

e. Pilot Response Principals

The meeting received a plan to implement pilot response principles and a performance monitoring and measurement mechanism within NYFRS, to help identify a response standard.  EB was asked to note the implementation of the pilot response principles along with the mechanism to monitor and measure the Service’s performance in relation to its response to emergency incidents.

In terms of reputational risk, the proposed plan would provide the data required to analyse an accurate standard response for North Yorkshire that is also accountable and transparent.

The meeting asked for the rationale for the proposed components in the plan (i.e., call handling time) and also how performance against water incidents would be measured.  NYFRS welcomed these discussions which would be very useful in terms of evaluating implementation of the plan.

Regarding public consultation, EB considered reporting relatively early on an emerging data set but setting it in its context, so that it is explicitly a work in progress would be a good way of highlighting transparency.

The meeting agreed to note and approve implementation of the plan.

The meeting received an update on the Inclusivity (Equality Diversity and Inclusion – EDI) Investment Programme for their information.

There currently is no significant risk to delivery by March 2023.  There is an element of risk regarding the Omicron variant of Covid which has created uncertainty about whether there will be any impact due to supply chain issues.  This is being mitigated by early ordering of materials.

The team is working on station communication, to provide a steady flow of updates in terms of work taking place.

ACTION

·     SGS to provide a communications plan for stations.

The meeting received an update on progress in relation to the finances of the Policing budget based on the position to the end of September 2021.  The report included a forecast of the finances across the remainder of the financial year and considered any significant changes that have impacted during 2021/22 so far.

b. Early Action Together: Pathways Business Case

The meeting received an overview of the Pathways Business Case, and the following decisions were required:

·     Approval of the preferred option (1) within the business case

·     Decision to support the financial investment required for programme/project delivery

·     Approval to move the project into implementation stage

The meeting approved the business case and agreed to the decisions proposed.

ACTION:

·      TT to complete a Decision Notice.

c. IOPC Report regarding Operation Linden

The meeting received an overview of Operation Linden.  The report made some broader recommendations to the public sector generally, including policing.  Given the importance in public policy and victim-care terms, the broader recommendations were reviewed and NYP provided assurance to the meeting that they were being taken forward.

d. Malton Project Report

The meeting received an overview of the proposals for the Malton Estate, and it was highlighted that this project represented an opportunity for NYFRS to see a significant saving in the proposed rebuild.

Legal Services offered to provide a Publication Strategy, and this was agreed.

The meeting was asked for approval to progress for NYP with a focus on NYFRS working together to establish if the site proposed is a viable option.  In terms of the ongoing revenue costs, the costs for a new site would be considerably less.

It was not known whether the Local Authority would remain in the neighbouring building (where NPT were based) due to single unitary arrangements and the meeting received assurance that this was being considered.

The meeting approved and supported the recommendations outlined in the proposals, including securing the site for NYP this financial year, subject to operational assessment to progress with NYFRS.  The approval is for a total spend for the Police Site to include Ambulance and additional land for Fire and Rescue, subject to modelling.

ACTION:

·     TT to complete a Decision Notice.

·     Legal Services to complete a Publication Strategy.

EB received an update on the York Review Project for their information.

The project has now been included formally within the agreed governance process and resources are being allocated in readiness for the development of the full Business Case based on the preferred option.

The decision on the preferred option will progress through the governance route in January and February 2022, ending with EB, to confirm agreement of the preferred option for progression to full Business Case.

Significant work has already been completed, and the meeting reviewed the Terms of Reference that set out the next steps for this stage of the project in more detail.

Engagement with Ministers will be required, and the Steering Group for this project will take this forward at the appropriate time.

The meeting received an update in relation to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and the Child Sexual Assault Assessment Services (CSAAS) premises.  An offer on a new commercial property has been made with plans in place to dispose of the current accommodation which will improve the overall experience of all victims, ensure UKAS accreditation and provide value for money.  In terms of communications to public and workforce, this is to be shared with NYP Communications and OPFCC to ensure there is alignment in message.

ACTION

·       TT to prepare a Decision Notice.

·       Communications to be shared with NYP Communications and OPFCC to ensure we are aligned.

Attendees were asked for their input into the Forward Plan, and the meeting requested items discussed in the meeting today to also be added.

The meeting congratulated JW on her service and offered their very best wishes on JW’s retirement.

Tuesday 25 January 2022, 09:30 – 12:30, via Microsoft Teams