Section 4. Governance

4.1 Managing the Fire and Rescue Service/Chief Fire Officer

Each fire and rescue authority will appoint an individual – commonly known as a Chief Fire Officer – who has responsibility for managing the fire and rescue service. Each fire and rescue authority must hold this person to account for the exercise of their functions and the functions of persons under their direction and control. 

 

How to we meet these requirements?

  • Our constitutional and governance documents set out how the Authority operates, how decisions are made, and the rules and procedures governing Authority meetings and decision-taking. These include the following:
    • The Kent Fire Services (Combination Scheme) Order 1997
    • Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Standing Orders
    • Committee Terms of Reference
    • Scheme of delegation of powers to the Chief Executive
    • Code of Corporate Governance
  • Annual Governance Statement, incorporating the Operational Assurance Statement.
  • Oversight and scrutiny provided by the KMFRA Members. Evidenced in the publication of all KMFRA meeting agendas, reports and minutes on our website.
  • Approval of request from Kent Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to be appointed as a member of the Authority.

 

Where do we get assurance from?

  • Scrutiny provided by the PCC and Members of the Fire Authority.

  • Approval by KMFRA of the Annual Governance Statement (incorporating the Operational Assurance Statement) 2017/18. KMFRA, June 2018 (Item No: B6). Previous Annual Governance Statements.

  • Agenda and minutes for Authority and Committee meetings.

  • Additional level of oversight and scrutiny provided by having the PCC sit on the Authority. KMFRA, June 2017 (Item No: B1).

 

4.2 Documents to be prepared

Each FRA is expected to produce an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP), Annual statement of assurance, financial plans (a medium term financial strategy, an efficiency plan and a reserves strategy).

 

How to we meet these requirements?

  • The first stage in developing the Authority's plans is to consider the long-term aim and objectives. Once these have been assessed and agreed by Members, proposals for changes to the Service are drawn up and consulted upon with staff, members of the public, businesses and community groups. This process is conducted alongside the development of the Safety and Wellbeing Plan (formerly referred to as the IRMP within Kent) which sets out proposed changes for consultation. 

  • Once agreed by Members, the outcomes of the Safety and Wellbeing Plan are then fed into the Customer and Corporate Plan. This incorporates the Medium Term Financial Plan and infrastructure programme. The Customer and Corporate Plan also provides details of the Authority's performance over the previous year, targets for the coming years and an improvement action plan explaining how we intend to achieve these targets. The information in the Customer and Corporate Plan is updated regularly through the course of the year.

  • The Safety and Wellbeing Plan and Customer and Corporate Plan 2018-22 were approved by KMFRA in 2018. In April 2019, the draft Customer and Corporate Pan 2019-23 was approved by KMFRA. The majority of the content of the previous plan remains, however some amendments have been made to reflect the new activities that have begun since it was last published. Consequently, this edition is largely a refresh of the 2018-22 plan.

  • Annual Governance Statement, incorporating the Operational Assurance Statement.

  • Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP).

  • Efficiency Plan.

  • Reserves Strategy. This is one of the Authority’s three key financial strategies alongside the Capital Strategy and draft Capital Programme, and the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy.

 

Where do we get assurance from?

  • Safety and Wellbeing Plan update. Outcomes of consultation. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No C1).
  • KMFRA approval for consultation of the draft Safety and Wellbeing Plan. 
    February 2018. KMFRA, February 2018 (Item No: B1).Safety and Wellbeing Plan 2018
  • KMFRA approval for the draft Customer and Corporate Plan 2019-23 (including the eight supporting strategies). KMFRA, April 2019 (Item No: B1).
  • KMFRA approval for the Customer and Corporate Plan 2018-2022 (including the eight supporting strategies). KMFRA, April 2018 (Item No: B1).
  • KMFRA endorsement that the Customer and Corporate Plan and supporting strategies remain fit for purpose. KMFRA, Dec 2018 (Item No: B4).
  • Customer and Corporate Plan 2018-22 (including the eight supporting strategies).
  • Approval by KMFRA of the Annual Governance Statement (incorporating 
    the Operational Assurance Statement) 2017/18. KMFRA, June 2018 (Item No: B6)
  • Previous Annual Governance Statements
  • Approval by KMFRA of draft MTFP. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No: B1).
  • Approval by KMFRA of the Efficiency Statement 2019/20. KMFRA, April 2019 (Item No: B1).
  • Approval by KMFRA of the Efficiency Statement 2018/19. KMFRA, April 2018 (Item No: B1).
  • Approval by KMFRA of the updated Reserves Strategy 2019/20. KMFRA, February 2019 (Item No: B1).
  • Approval by KMFRA of the Reserves Strategy 2019/20. KMFRA, December 2018 (Item No: B5).

 

 

4.3 National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC)

The NFCC is the first line of operational advice to central and local government during major incidents. This is outlined within the National Coordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF), which fire and rescue services must proactively engage with. The NFCC has a role to drive continuous improvement and development throughout the sector. Fire and rescue services should consult the NFCC for advice and support when developing improvement plans, particularly in response to inspections. The expectation is that fire and rescue services in England engage with the NFCC and, in turn, that the NFCC works to support and represent every service.

 

How to we meet these requirements?

  • Our Chief Executive is one of the Committee Chairs of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The Chief Executive also runs the National Collaborative Procurement Board. 

  • The Director of Operations is the Road Safety Lead for the NFCC.

  • Kent leads on the NFCC Fire and Rescue Marine Response Group and the NFCC Operations Co-ordination Group.

 

Where do we get assurance from?

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