SOUTH WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE STRATEGIC PLAN

Transcription

1 SOUTH WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE STRATEGIC PLAN MAKING SOUTHWALES WALES SAFER BY BY REDUCING RISK RISK MAKING SOUTH SAFER REDUCING

2

3 3 Foreword Huw Jakeway Chief Fire Officer South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Cllr Tudor Davies Chairman South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority It gives us great pleasure to present our Strategic Plan for This year we have developed a single strategic plan, one that incorporates the longer-term community and organisational challenges, with short-term Service improvements required to support and complement our longer-term objectives. Our vision remains our key focus; making South Wales safer by reducing risk and we will continue to strive for this despite significant financial challenges. We recognise that safer communities can only be achieved by challenging and improving the way we work, through a safe and competent workforce and by effectively managing our resources. At times of austerity, there is a temptation to concentrate on costs and reduced budgets with no regard to the quality of services delivered. However, as a Senior Management Team and Fire & Rescue Authority we have made the decision to concentrate on how we can improve the way we work with the strongly held belief that efficiencies and savings will be made as a result. We have recently completed our first Fire Cover Review, to ensure our resources are correctly located according to the risk within our communities. As a Fire & Rescue Authority we have had to make very difficult decisions and we are well aware we have more to make. Our decisions rely on clear and robust evidence, with the safety of our communities and firefighters at the forefront of our mind. Challenging times requires challenging ouselves and through our Shaping our Future programme, we intend to challenge the way we currently deliver our services to ensure South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is a sustainable Service that continues to reflect the needs of our communities. The programme will look at every aspect of our service by challenging what we do, how we do it and the difference it makes.

4 4 Introduction Welcome to our Strategic Plan, this plan outlines our strategic direction for the next five years from 2015 to 2020 and how we intend to meet the challenges over this time period in order to continue to deliver a high quality service and meet the needs of our communities. This plan acknowledges, and is based on a clear understanding of the challenges we face. We are confident our long-term strategic objectives will enable South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to deliver a sustainable service. This year we have revised our planning framework to bring together two distinct but complementary pieces of Welsh Government legislation. Firstly, the Fire and Rescue National Framework requires each Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) to publish a strategic plan setting out its medium to longterm strategic goals. Also as an improvement authority under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 we are required to set, consult and report against annual improvement objectives. By taking this approach our annual improvement objectives will focus on supporting the delivery of our long-term strategic aims. Furthermore this plan has paid due cognisance to the six priorities set out in the Fire and Rescue National Framework 2012 Onwards in developing our strategic objectives. Fire and Rescue National Framework 2012 Onwards March 2012 Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 Part 1 Guidance to Fire and Rescue Authorities May 2010 MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

5 5 Our Vision, Mission and Core Values Our Vision To make South Wales safer by reducing risk. This is what we do Our Mission This is how we do it S W F R S erving our communities needs orking with others acing challenges through innovation and improvement educing risk through education, enforcement and response ucceeding in making South Wales safer Our Values This is what it means to work for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Professional Caring Respectful Dedicated Trustworthy Dynamic Disciplined Resilient

6 6 Our Planning Process Planning for the future requires analysing and making sense of key information such as current performance against previous plans, community needs and collaborative opportunities. To inform our decision making we have undertaken an internal and external analysis using current local and national information such as the *Programme for Government, *Facing the Futures and the * Williams Commission on Public Service Governance and Delivery. This analysis has enabled us to challenge ourselves and examine our strengths and weaknesses, whilst exploring potential opportunities and threats. STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK External Analysis OPPORTUNITES & THREATS COMMUNITY NEEDS COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK VISION OBJECTIVES ACTIONS OUTCOMES MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK INternal Analysis strengths & WEAKNESSES CURRENT STRATEGY CURRENT PERFORMANCE This plan will be reviewed annually identifying improvement objectives that will support our long-term strategic objectives and help drive sustainable Service improvements. *Public Service Governance and Delivery (2014), Programme for Government (2011), Facing the Future, Findings from the MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK review of efficiences and operations in the fire and rescue authorities in England (2013).

7 7 Our Budget As for all public service organisations the Fire and Rescue Service is not immune to the ongoing financial pressures. However, through our financial planning arrangements we continue to balance service delivery against community need whilst seeking continual improvement opportunities. Our medium-term financial plan enables a measured and timely approach to addressing current funding challenges and is the foundation for our longterm planning assumptions. We have made long-term financial predictions, which direct our strategic planning objectives, with a potential budget deficit of between 8.8m and 20m. How we spend your money Our long-term financial prediction Contracted Services 0.6M Strategic Initiatives 0.4M Other Expenditure 0.3M Income 0.9M 80,000,000 South Wales Fire & Rescue Service Revenue Budget Deficit Projection Projected Spending Funding at Best Case Funding at Base Case Funding at Worst Case Projected Spend Transport 1.8M 75,000,000 Supplies and Services 3.3M Capital Costs/ Leasing 4.5M Premise Related Expenses 4.7M Indirect Employee Costs 10M 71.4M Employees 46.7M 70,000,000 65,000,000 60,000,000 55,000, % -3.0% -4.5% 0.0% -1.0% -4.0% Percentages are assumed changes in WG funding per annum 0.0% -1.0% -4.0% % 0.0% -1.0% +1.0% 0.0% -1.0% +1.0% 0.0% Best Case Funding Deficit 8.8m Base Case Funding Deficit 13.3m Worst Case Funding -1.0% Deficit 20.0m Figures have been rounded to 1 decimal place for ease of reporting

8 8 Our Strategic Objectives From our strategic planning framework we have identified five strategic objectives, which we believe will enable us to achieve our vision of making South Wales safer by reducing risk. Four of the objectives directly support the delivery of the first and primary strategic objective of reducing risk within our communities, which continues to be our corporate vision. 2. Engage and consult with our staff, communities & stakeholders to jointly shape our future services Align our resources to ensure they are fit for purpose and sustainable for the future Make use of technological advances to meet service improvements and requirements Explore partnership and collaborative opportunities to improve outcomes 1. reducing risk in our communities MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

9 9 Our Annual Improvement Objectives 2015/16 In order to comply with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 and in support of our long-term strategic aims; we are required to set annual improvement objectives. Our improvement objectives will focus on key areas of the service that through improvement will support our longer-term strategic objectives. For year 2015/16 we have set two improvement objectives: reduce deliberate fire setting Deliberate fires continue to account for a large percentage of all fires we attend (72%) and as such have been a key focus of our preventative work. This is the third year of a five year aspirational goal we set ourselves; to reduce deliberate fires by 41% in five years (using 2010/11 baseline results). We recognise that deliberate fires are totally avoidable and place considerable pressure on our resources; we therefore believe that reducing deliberate fires will contribute to our strategic objective of reducing risk in our communities. Identify opportunities to improve and ensure the future sustainability of the Service. We continue to challenge ourselves to seek continuous improvement none more so than during our recent Fire Cover Review (FCR) project. We reviewed the location of our front-line resources to ensure they were in the correct location according to the risk within our communities. Our goal is to ensure the services we provide our communities are fit for purpose, balanced against risk, provide value for money to tax payers and remain sustainable. This aim has led to the Shaping our Future programme, which continues to challenge the Service by reviewing not just the services we provide, but also how we deliver them. We believe that by challenging ourselves and scrutinising why we do what we do, and the way in which we do it, we can improve our services, whilst delivering efficiencies. Therefore our second annual improvement objective will focus on our Shaping our Future programme and continuous improvement initiatives, which supports all five strategic objectives. our

10 10 How will we measure performance? The Senior Management Team (SMT) is responsible for developing the Service s Strategic Plan. The high level strategic objectives provide Service directorates and departments with a clear direction to develop their own tactical plans. These tactical plans will include more detail on what and how they support and deliver the strategic objectives. TARGET The tactical level plans will also include measures and targets aligned to the strategic objectives, which form part of the performance management system that underpins the process. Our view of performance management is based on the premise that our main focus is improving outcomes for our communities. Therefore to measure, monitor and report on performance means improving outcomes and what difference we make to our communities rather that focusing on activity and cost. We strongly believe that having the right resources and skills in the right place at the right time, using the most effective and efficient delivery methods and through good financial management we will successfully deliver our primary outcome of reducing risk in our communities. PLAN It is our people that actually deliver our services and who also improve them. To ensure our staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge and development opportunities, our Personal Appraisal Reviews enable the Service to align our people with our strategic aims. MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

11 11 How we will achieve our Strategic Objectives 1. reduce risk in our communities What does this mean? Making South Wales safer by reducing risk is our primary aim as your Fire and Rescue Service. We do this through our education, prevention, protection and response services. This objective will focus on prevention, as we believe that preventing fires and other emergencies is the correct approach. Evidence confirms that our proactive preventative activities have been extremely influential in the reduction of emergencies. As a result demand is decreased and costs are reduced. How will we achieve this? Action We will reduce the number of deliberate fires (IO)* We will respond appropriately to emergencies and allocate resources according to risk We will raise our communities awareness to risk and help them prevent emergencies from occurring We will share information where possible with other agencies to reduce risk and improve community well being *IO = Improvement Objective for 2015/16 Making South Wales safer by reducing risk in our communities

12 12 How we will achieve our Strategic Objectives 2. Engage and consult with our staff, communities & stakeholders to jointly shape our future services What does this mean? As our role within society changes and public expectations on the Fire and Rescue Service increases we recognise that the delivery of public services has to change. Our staff are essential to the delivery of our Service, their commitment to and involvement in making our communities safe is the foundation on which we build our Service. In addition to this we recognise the need for a team South Wales approach and therefore the importance of engaging, consulting and involving all stakeholders to jointly shape our future services. How will we achieve this? Action We will ensure staff awareness of Services priorities and requirements for communication and engagement We will undertake engagement to obtain views on service delivery, risk and priorities Engage and consult with our staff, communities & stakeholders MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

13 13 How we will achieve our Strategic Objectives 3. Align our resources to ensure they are fit for purpose and sustainable for the future What does this mean? Continually reviewing our resources, to ensure they are in the correct location according to risk. Maintaining a competent and safe work force and constantly challenging the way we do things to embed a culture of continuous improvement. How will we achieve this? Action We will identify opportunities to improve and ensure the future sustainability of the service (IO)* We will implement the projects contained in the Medium Term Financial Strategy We will match our assets against priorities by implementing a flexible approach to investment We will ensure we have a diverse workforce who are able to deliver our services *IO = Improvement Objective for 2015/16 Align our resources to ensure they are fit for purpose

14 14 How we will achieve our Strategic Objectives 4. Make use of technological advances to meet service improvements and requirements What does this mean? We recognise the importance technology plays in continuous improvement and making best use of our resources. We intend to utilise technology to enhance our processes and systems and make them future proof. From our operational firefighting techniques and equipment to our back office support systems we intend to maximise technological advances to support and improve service delivery. How will we achieve this? Action We will ensure ICT systems and services are available to ensure efficiencies and support Service Delivery We will explore modern fire fighting equipment options for future purposes Make use of technological advances MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

15 15 How we will achieve our Strategic Objectives 5. Explore partnership and collaborative opportunities to improve outcomes What does this mean? We have a well established and proud history of collaborative working to deliver improvements whilst also securing greater efficiencies. We will continue to contribute to local strategic priorities and single integrated plans, assisting in improving community wellbeing through our involvement in key groups such as Local Service Boards, Community Safety Partnerships and local Resilience Forums. How will we achieve this? Action We will continue to be actively involved in the National Issues Committee work streams We will work with partner agencies to make communities safer Explore partnership and collaborative opportunities

16 16 Plan on a Page Align our resources to ensure are fit for purpose they ith nsult w s o c d n a Engage f, communitie our staf keholders & sta ces og chnol Make te use of dvan ical a MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK Making Wales s South afer... Explore partnership and collaborative opportunities... by re in our c ducing risk ommunit ies

17 Ensure that your home is fitted with a working smoke alarm. 281 dwelling fires did not have a smoke alarm fitted last year. In 2013/14 5 people died in accidental dwelling fires. 6 Ensure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully. 43 accidental fires in the home were caused by the careless disposal of smoking materials in 2013/14. TOP 10 1 SAFETY TIPS 2 Make a fire escape plan so that everyone in your home knows how to escape in the event of a fire. 7 Never smoke in bed. In 2013/14 out of 57 fires that started in the bedroom, 10 were caused by smoking materials. 3 Be Vigilant. Alcohol or drugs were suspected to be a contributing factor for 51 accidental fires in the home in 2013/14. There were 63 fires as a result of people sleeping or falling asleep and 119 when people were distracted. 8 Take care when driving. There were 1,334 road traffic collisions in South Wales in 2013/14 which resulted in 32 fatalities. 4 Electricity can cause fires in the home. In 2013/ fires in dwellings involved electricity. Faulty equipment or appliances caused 87 fires, 9 were caused by faulty leads and 69 were related to the electricity supply. 9 Keep clothing and home furnishings away from sources of heat. 68 accidental fires in the home were caused by this in 2013/14. 5 Take care in the kitchen! 413 accidental fires in the home in 2013/14 started in the kitchen. 278 of these were cooking related. 10 Never leave lit candles unattended. 30 accidental fires in the home were started by candles in 2013/14.

18 18 Have Your Say The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009, Sections 5 and 6, require South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority to consult widely before coming to final decisions about improvement the Welsh Government recommends that Authorities should consult citizens, local businesses, community planning partners, other Fire and Rescue authorities, and other current or potential partners. At South Wales Fire and Rescue Service we are always looking at ways to improve our services and also to present information that is meaningful. In order to do this we want to ensure that your views are considered when delivering our activities and presenting information to you. To contact us go to our website Alternatively you can us at: haveyoursay@southwales-fire.go.uk How to find out more Our Website contains more detailed information on topics within this document. We welcome your comments or suggestions for improvement, if you have any please contact us. Alternative versions If you would like this information in an alternative language or format such as large print, Braille or audio please contact us. This document has been equality risk assessed in accordance with our equality impact policy. or telephone us on or write to us at: Engagement, Transformation & Performance, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Forest View Business Park, LLANTRISANT, CF72 8LX MAKING SOUTH WALES SAFER BY REDUCING RISK

19 You re welcome to communicate with us in English or Welsh / Croeso i chi gyfathrebu â ni yn y Gymraeg neu Saesneg

20 South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Forest View Business Park, Llantrisant, Pontyclun, CF72 8LX. Telephone Fax RAISING AWARENESS - REDUCING RISK Pencadlys Gwasanaeth Tân ac Achub De Cymru, Parc Busnes Forest View, Llantrisant, Pont-y-clun, CF72 8LX. Ffôn Ffacs CODI YMWYBYDDIAETH - LLEIHAU PERYGL